Dear My Life

  Header illustration for the film review essay of Midnight Diner (2014). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. 🎥 Film Overview Title: Midnight Diner (深夜食堂 / Shinya Shokudō) Director: Jōji Matsuoka Release: January 31, 2015 (Japan) Runtime: 119 minutes (1 hour 59 minutes) Genre: Drama, Slice of Life Screenplay: Katsuhiko Manabe, Jōji Matsuoka (based on the manga Shinya Shokudō by Yarō Abe) Country: Japan Language: Japanese Cinematography: Ryo Ohtsuka, Ryuhei Tsutsui Music: Seiji Kameda Rating: Not Rated Cast: Kaoru Kobayashi (Master), Saki Takaoka (Tamako), Mikako Tabe (Michiru), Tokio Emoto (Kenzō), Joe Odagiri (Ryu), Kimiko Yo, Akiko Kikuchi, Kiyohiko Shibukawa Note: Based on Yarō Abe's manga series Shinya Shokudō , first published in 2006. The film adapts storylines from the highly successful TV drama series (2009-2014) which aired at 1 AM in Japan—the same time the fictional diner opens. The series has been remade in South Korea...

  Header illustration for the film review essay of Bread of Happiness (2012). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. 🎥 Film Overview Title: Bread of Happiness (しあわせのパン / Shiawase no Pan)  Also Known As: Happy Happy Bread, Pan de Felicidad  Director: Yukiko Mishima  Release: January 21, 2012 (Hokkaido); January 28, 2012 (nationwide Japan)  Runtime: 114 minutes (1 hour 54 minutes)  Genre: Drama, Food Film, Healing Cinema (Iyashi-kei)  Screenplay: Yukiko Mishima  Country: Japan  Language: Japanese  Filming Location: Lake Toya (洞爺湖), Hokkaido, Japan  Cinematography: Ryu Segawa  Music: Goro Yasukawa  Theme Song: "Hitotsu Dake" (ひとつだけ) by Akiko Yano & Kyoshiro Imawano (1980)  Production Company: At Movie  Rating: G (All Ages)  Box Office: $717,956 USD  IMDb Rating: 6.6/10  Cast: Tomoyo Harada (Mizushima Rie), Yo Oizumi (Mizushima Nao), Kanna Mori (Saito Kaori), Y...

Header illustration for the film review essay of Kamome Diner (2006). Illustration created for editorial movie review purposes. 🎥 Film Overview Title: Kamome Diner (かもめ食堂 / Kamome Shokudō)  Director: Naoko Ogigami  Release: March 11, 2006 (Japan)  Runtime: 102 minutes (1 hour 42 minutes)  Genre: Drama, Slice of Life, Healing Cinema (Iyashi-kei)  Screenplay: Naoko Ogigami (based on novel by Yōko Mure)  Country: Japan  Language: Japanese, Finnish  Cinematography: Tuomo Virtanen  Music: Yosui Inoue, Tatsuro Kondo  Rating: PG  Cast: Satomi Kobayashi (Sachie), Hairi Katagiri (Midori), Masako Motai (Masako), Jarkko Niemi (Tommi), Tarja Markus (Liisa), Markku Peltola (Matti)  Note: Ogigami's first feature film made outside Japan; shot on location in Helsinki 📖 Plot Summary On a quiet street in Helsinki, Finland, Sachie has opened a small Japanese diner specializing in onigiri—traditional rice balls. Despite her careful ...