Nomi Kanjuro was a samurai who had been on the run for over 2 years after abandoning his post and fled. In tow is his daughter, Tae, whom I don't think is more than the age of 7 though it's never disclosed. Kanjuro is a wanted man and in the beginning, he was targeted by 3 bounty hunters. Each hunter managed to hurt him once and each time, he ran off leaving them perplex. This is not explained in the show but samurais are supposed to face their adversaries head on and never run away. This also left Tae frustrated even though she always takes care of his injuries asking to Kanjuro to quit being a samurai(possibly asking him to kill himself).

He was then caught by the local authorities. However, the local lord had a problem with his son not being able to smile after his mother died. Kanjuro was sentenced to the '30 day task' of making the lord's son laugh within 30days or commit seppuku. He's given one try a day and if he succeeds, he will be freed.

Kanjuro is taken to a jail though it looks more like house arrest and the 2 guards assigned to him allows Tae to stay with him. From there, he's led to the lord's mansion courtyard everyday to do whatever he can to make the lord's son smile or laugh. The first few tries were really lame and even Tae was embarrassed enough to keep asking Kanjuro to go kill himself. Later, she roped in the 2 guards to help with coming up with ideas though these still managed to fall flat and after a short while, Tae stopped wanting to be involved in the lame tricks Kanjuro was coming up with and all of Kanjuro's efforts continues to fail.

After halfway through the sentence, the senior guard, Kuranosuke, noticed that Tae still wants to help though she hides it and tries to get her reaction by shaming Kanjuro and calling him a 'scabbard samurai'. This is also partly because Kanjuro continues to wear his scabbard without a katana which equates to being useless person in the samurai world. Tae comes down from the loft she was lurking from and defended Kanjuro but Kuranosuke replies that she has no right to say anything since she never contributed any effort. She stormed off but in the night, she asked Kuranosuke if the tasks can be performed outside the mansion.

The first idea Tae came up with was the human cannonball performed at the beach. Since it's outdoors, the 'show' was open to public. Although the performance failed to illicit any reaction from the lord's son, their effort starts to impress the lord. It also generated goodwill from the public and future tasks at the lord's mansion were also open to public.

The 3 bounty hunters from the beginning of the show appears recurringly as a funny sideshow and also to tells what the public is thinking about.

Tae's ideas involved wacky and large scale contraptions(not possibly from that time period) and continued to entertain the adults but there's still zero reaction from the lord's son. Tae noticed one day when a small accident happened which sprayed loose pebbles and hit the lord's son cutting him on his hand causing him to bleed but again, there's zero reaction or movement. He could have been brain dead for all we know.

She got Kuranosuke to bring her to the lord's mansion that night and sneaked into the son's room. She left some medicine and told him how alike he was to her father, both who became dejected after their beloved kin passed away. However, she now thinks that even without his sword, Kanjuro continues to fight(for his life). She told the son that he should fight the sadness from losing his mother but this is not for Tae's father's sake but for his own. All this while the son lies facing away from her.

The next three attempts, the town practically closes down to attend the performances and they managed to get some reaction from the son but no smile. In their last attempt, nature also helped to blow the giant windmill which Kanjuro was supposed to blow using his own breath. The little group found out that windmills are supposed to be the lord's son's favourite object which makes him laugh everytime when he was still 'normal'. However a huge gust uprooted the windmill. Little Tae rushed to support the structure though it's too heavy for her. All the crowd calls Kanjuro to continue blowing but he ignores them and went to help Tae though it still collasped. The crowd was silencedwhen the lord's son stood up and came forward during the commotion though he still had that zombie expression.

By this time, the lord was truly impressed by Kanjuro's attempts and decided to give him one final attempt even though the 30days are up. This final attempt will be when the seppuku is done. Before sentenced performs seppuku, he's allowed to make a final speech or 'death poem' where he's supposed to put all his final thoughts in. The plan is to say something funny during this time.

At the appointed time, the lord got one of his retainers to use a big umbrella to cover his son's face such that no one else can see it except him. Everyone realised that by this act itself, it's as good as a pardon because the lord can declare that his son has smiled whether it's true or not. He even covered the bowl of confetti candy he pops into his mouth each time to declare that Kajuro failed for the past 30days.

However, Kanjuro refused to say anything when everyone is expecting him to. Even the lord is anxious for him as he cannot pardon him if Kanjuro doesn't speak. Tae suddenly realises his intention and screamed for him to say something. He looked at her, smiled and suddenly takes the knife and stabs himself in the stomach. His second, the one who helps to decapitate him before 'pain is reflected in his face' so that it won't shame him was stunned by the act and wanted to swing his sword immediately but Kanjuro stopped him. He completed the act by twisting the knife and cutting sideways. He pulled out the knife and slided it into his scabbard. Now his scabbard was no longer empty meaning he has become a full fledged samurai again. His second knows with that, it was the signal to proceed and swung his sword down(decapitating Kanjuro).

Tae walked out of the lord's mansion and walked all the roads that both she and Kanjuro had taken when he was on the run. At the river, the monk that Kanjuro bumped into earlier in that day on the final trip to the mansion appeared. Kanjuro earlier slipped a letter to the monk and the monk read and sang the contents to her. Kanjuro's final words are here which are basically saying he's at peace now and ask her to experience life as much as possible.

The final scene puts Tae before Kanjuro's grave and suddenly the lord's son appeared beside her paying respect to Kanjuro's tombstone. At that moment, Kanjuro or rather his image appeared and doing the 'disappearing neck' trick he performed before making both the kids laugh and started to play catching. As the scene fades out, it shows both Tae and the lord's son alone playing and laughing together.

It's seldom that the lead doesn't have much speaking lines. Nomi Kanjuro(Takaaki Nomi) hardly says anything except those scripted for his daily performances. He never expressed his thoughts to anyone except in his final letter. He's like the clown in a circus doing the performance while Tae probably has the most lines and is like the circus master being the MC at the performances. Even the 2 guards had much more lines as they came up with the ideas and interacted most with Kanjuro and Tae. That doesn't make Kanjuro any less of a lead as he does all the demeaning tricks that no self-respecting individual would have done.

Tae(Kumada Sea) in my opinion is the star of the show. Irresistibly cute, she also acts headstrong and knows what it demands to be part of a samurai family. Although she repeatedly asks her father to kill himself, what she really wants him to do is man up. She's able to express all the right emotions at the age of 10 and will be someone to watch in the future.

The show is funny though sometimes for its lameness and some humor that only the Japanese might find entertaining having seen similar performances on their TV variety shows. However, it's well worth the time to watch it.

Scabbard Samurai(J)

Go Find a Psychic(J)

Arhh, so funny...i dreamt this morning that i was dating Grace. At least we were hanging out wif frens holding hands...of all people.

Anyway, I was disappointed that TT won the presidential elections by less than 8K votes. No thanks to vote dilution from TKL who secured barely 4%. I'm sure the loss of the $48k deposit is nothing to him. Will the next 6 years be better or worse or just the same?TT wun be contented just being the lame duck Prataman was. He will be active behind the scenes probably contributing lousy ideas as what he has done so all these years in Parliament.

I voted for TCB. It's no secret. Are we so afraid of reprecussions? This shows how much fear people have of their government. It's like in the US where it's known to people whether you are democrat or republicant.

Maybe i have judged her wrongly...tot she will be those that are honest about how she feels but end up treat me like dirt and avoided me.
It sounds just like what she has gone through recently. I also dunno what to think liao.

Disappointed she never replied me...does that mean carry on or she can't be bothered? That sucks but yet I'm still happy whenever she's around and feel like something is missing on her off days. There's both a reassuring feeling and a small awkwardness to her presence.
Actually, I always think the she calls me boss cos she wants to draw a line with regards to our relationship. I can be her boss at work and she will be the boss at home...cheesy but i don't mind =X

I finally told SY my feelings for her but knowingly, there's no reply. I really did feel better now that I let it out of my heart...like letting go of a piece of stone tts making me gasping for breath for the past few weeks. Falling in love is like this. Emotions just accumulate till one day, the dam will burst so its better to release the floodgates before that happens.

I alwats think too much into the future yet when the inevitable arrives, I don't even care about the next hour. I just want to say my piece. A pity I never get to say these in person...sms is so lame but what i said probably is even lamer. But i don't care cos I really mean it which is not something I'm confident of saying in terms of relationship.

I suspect I'm already being blocked on msn. Oh well... the name of my blog says it all. (T_T)

Funny how roles are switched at times...just like what i told her, if we are in a relationship, she would have been the one wearing the pants.
She's the one that drives, puts her leg up on the chair and shakes the other ...and the odder sense of humor. I still can't believe she said rrrrrrrrrroar the moment the guy right behind said to the waitress,"give me a tiger". It really was a wtf situation when i wished i wasn't there at that point. I was like a wife embarrassed by her spouse's boorish behavior.

Well, i was the one that asked her out. I do not know how she feels Is she enjoying the times with moi? I never really expected anything. If anything should happen, then it would have happened and not after 15years. But it felt like obligation and her heart isn't there. After sometime, it's really just passing time.

Chonmage is the top knot samurais tie with their hair while Purin is custard pudding the way Japanese says it just like Shu Cream is for cream puffs. The title gives a small hint of what's to come.

Hiroko(Shiori Kutsuna) is a divorcee with a son and she works as an IT project manager. Because her son, Tomoya, who's only six, she has to fetch him to and from childcare everyday incurring unhappiness from her colleagues and boss despite bringing work home. One day, she sees a guy(Ryo Nishikido of Kanjani8) dressed up like a samurai hiding behind the bicycle shed below her apartments while playing hide and seek with Tomoya. Thinking he was lost and crazy, she suggested he goes to the police post. After some banter where he feels slighted by this lowly woman in his eyes, he draws his sword just as Tomoya appears. Hiroko tried to protect Tomoya but the samurai seeing himself threatening a woman and kid demanded her to bring him to their home.

It's totally unbelievable that she actually brought him up to her apartment as no rational person will bring a crazily dressed person armed with two swords up to their house. For one, they will call the police first as it's illegal to carry lethal weapons in public not to mention the guy has already drawn and threatened you with it.

The samurai introduced himeself as Yasube and after hearing that Hiroko has a surname, he showed more respect (as only nobility have surnames in his time). His stomach started growling from hunger and Hiroko made him dinner. Even microwaved gyoza tasted fantastic to him. After dinner, Tomoya offered him him purin which tasted like heaven to him. Hiroko asked Yasube when he's from and showing him the computer, it shows that he seems to be from 180 years ago. She still thinks he's just crazy and tried to convince him to go to the police. Yasube also started to have doubt about himself and thanking them, he left.

While Tomoya was at childcare, he almost got ran down when he squatted in the middle of the road(this kid have attention issues...). Saved by Yasube, she decided to bring him home when he fainted from hunger. Apparently, he has been wandering on the streets not knowing what to do and where to go and too afraid to speak to anyone. Hiroko decided to let him stay while helping Yasube to find where he stays as she still thinks he's just 'lost'. After searching in vain, Yasube told her that he was praying to a roadside buddha statue when a pool of water formed beneath his feet pulling him in and he ended up in front of the supermarket. She then thinks that he should do the same thing by finding that buddha statue. Unknown to them, the buddha statue is located at the supermarket's rooftop in a veranda hidden from their view. Yasube decided that he will tend to all their domestic affairs to return the favor of allowing to stay with them.
Even though he has earlier made MCP remarks that women should stay at home while men work, he realises that this is a different time and place and he can accept the reversal in roles.

The amazing thing is Yasube managed to turn into a professional domestic worker overnight, shopping for groceries at the supermarket, what sales items to look out for, how to do the laundry with the washing machine and cooking with the various electrical appliances. Yet, the first time Hiroko called on the phone to ask him to pick up Otmoya from the childcare, he doesn't know where the ring tone came from and even went for his sword ending up with Hiroko instructing him over the voice recording how to pick up the handset. Yasube evetually found an interest in cooking especially desserts spending his time watching afternoon cooking shows on TV.

Seemingly unbelievably comfortable to leave her household and son in the hands of a strange man, Hiroko was able to concentrate on her work and even got promoted to project lead. Even when Tomoya was sick, Yasube did not inform Hiroko in order not to disturb her while he takes care of Tomoya himself. It was during this time that he made his first Purin as a treat to Tomoya( made with extra eggs for more energy).

Yasube soon graduated to making cakes(this part made me really yearn for cakey!) and made a full assortment of them for his adopted family when they invited friends for Xmas. This lead to one of their friends to secretly enter him for a Dad cake baking contest. He made it to the finals only to find out that Tomoya will have to help him then. However, when asked by the event organisers, Tomoya blurts that he isn't his father and risking that he might get disqualified. However, Yasube tells the organisers he lives under the same roof, takes care of both mother and son with Hiroko agreeing leading the organisers to think that they are going to get married. After a eventful marathon(10hrs!!) giant cake baking contest, Yasube and Tomoya won. A judge who owns Pâtisserie wants Yasube to work for him. Of cause, Hiroko agreed happy for Yasube.

This becomes a turning point as Yasube becomes busy at work and no longer have the time to take care of the house and Tomoya reverting the situation of the household back to when he did not exist. The job lead to Yasube turning into a regular salary man going to work at 4am and coming home only late at night after Tomoya's bedtime still trying to work on his skills. This affected Tomoya badly crying every night blaming himself for getting Yasube to join the contest and eventually winning it at the price of taking him away. Unhappiness also started to return at Hiroko's office.

Hiroko decided to talk to Yasube asking him to keep Tomoya company at least an hour a day. However, Yasube thinks that now he has a career, he can no longer do so especially when's he's going to be promoted soon. He now thinks of himself as able to provide for the household instead of the freeloader that he has been. Hiroko is disappointed that Yasube said that all the things he has done is just a way of paying back for letting him stay with them. To solve the household problem, Yasube suggested that Hiroko becomes a fulltime mum while he brings home the bacon. From the beginning of the show, Hiroko told Yasube the reason for her divorce which is the exact same reason he just suggested which hurts her. She asks him to leave immediately...which he did.

One day, Tomoya disappeared from childcare while sick and Hiroko had no choice but to call Yasube thinking that Tomoya will most likely go look for him. Yasube rushed out with his katana thinking that Tomoya might have been abducted. This part was a little silly but Tomoya was found in the delivery truck for his shop but it lead to a fight he unwittingly caused when he jumped into of the truck resulting in it swerving into path of an oncoming car full of gangsters. I honestly felt that this part could have been left out but i guess it's really to show his samurai skills by defeating the gangsters who took his katana with a spatula(used for speading frosting on cakes). It was also to show Hiroko's feelings for Yasube by protecting him while he's out cold.

On the way back, Yasube told Hiroko that he was actually a useless samurai with no proper job idling all day living off his family who is also not well to do. He was praying for a proper job to do when he got sucked into the time slip. He also realises what is important to him which is Tomoya and Hiroko being together with him. It's like a confession here. However, at his time, water started to pool around Yasube and he starts to sink into it unable to move. Yasube knows that he's going back to his time as his prayers have all come true(experience a real job). He pushes Tomoya and Hiroko away who were trying to pull him out, promising to see them again next time. Tomoya keeps asking of their purin promise as he has promised to make it for them as it's Tomoya's favorite.

Flash to Tomoya's graduation, Tomoya declare to everyone that he's going to be a samurai when he grows up. They then walked to where Yasube thought he lives when they were searching for his home. They passed by a teahouse and decided to have a bite. Hiroko noticed some pudding at the counter. The counter girl explained to her it's traditional pudding from Edo and showed her the history of the maker. I guess we all know that it's Yasube with a painting of him albeit aged but it still shows the heart strapy attached to the handphone Hiroko gave him sticking out of his clothings. Yasube has landed back in his time, quit his samurai duties and started a dessert shop thus inventing purin. In this, he has fulfilled his promise of making purin for Tomoya.

The movie illustrates a common scenario of work-life balance that most household will go through in this era. Who does what is what a couple must agree on. I guess never discussing the eventual will lead to conflicts in a marriage. However, I thought it's just strange that the ex-husband just disappeared like as if he never existed and Tomoya never really showed a yearning for a father figure. Romance between Yasube and Hiroko is also very subtle with Hiroko making all the initiatives(cougar hunt) though it never took off. Yasube have much more attachment to Tomoya compared to Hiroko. It could be due to Hiroko(33) much older than Yasube(25) and such scenarios are likely nonos during Edo period and it took Yasube longer to accept willingly.

I really like this genre of shows, lighthearted and heartwarming and perhaps inspiring to do something with my life. My sis has also been on a pudding making mission the last 2 weeks and I really wanted her to watch this with me but she's out of town at the moment. Too bad I'm on leave and needed some entertainment thus unable to wait for her. The credits must be watched for a while as it shows bits that have been cut out but are rather interesting. Parts that I though would have been able to link the storyline a little better such as how Yasube adapted to the modern times.

Overall an 8/10 score for me. Will try to make purin too when the sis gets back.

Initially when I first read the short description of the film, I tot it will be crap but I was bored and went ahead and watched it. Turns out to be pretty good. It's probably the most multicultural Korean movie I ever watched lol.

The movie started off with a mother and sun running away on the streets. What is strange is that the son is wearing a bandage around his eyes and also have a prosthetic leg. It then shows them eating in a house with the mother telling the boy never to take off his bandage and that she will do everything for him. The boy asks why as there's nothing wrong with him but his mother never replied. A man then storms into the house. Turns out it's the husband who's into domestic violence and have tracked them down. After he hits the wife silly, the son finally tears off his bandage. Everyone just stops moving. The man and boy moved into the streets and then the man just used his own hands to break his own neck. Turns out the boy has psychic powers to control a person. Later, the mother brought both of them to a river thinking since life is such a despair, they should both die and proceed to strangle the boy. Somehow, the boy spat something tearing a whole through the bag over his head that has been preventing him from seeing. He then took control of his mother and walked her towards the torrential river. He stopped right before she stepped into the river and disappeared. 19 years later, he grew up a loner only confident in his powers. He(Kang Dong-Won) is seen checking into a hotel paying by a huge wad of cash. Btw, the character's name is Cho-in but in the entire show, his name is never mentioned.

Im Kyu-nam(Ko Soo) worked at a scrapmetal yard and his two best buddies were Boba and Ali who were from Ghana and Turkey respectively though they speak Korean perfectly. They were celebrating their off day and as they dropped Kyu-nam off for the night, they threw him a jacket as his birthday present. Too happy, he proceeded to try the jacket on in the middle of the street only to get ran over by a truck. He landed up in hospital in cast all over but his friends told him that the nurses mentioned that he's healing very fast. However, he got fired from his job.

Kyu-nam found a job at what seems to be a pawn shop according to the movie description even though there's no sign of it being a pawn shop(the boss is pretty blind and no items around). I think it's more of a money lender as the boss says he's in the financial service. There's also the boss's daughter Yong-Sook(Jung Chae Eun(not to be mistaken for singer Chae Eun Jung though they look alike too!)) who's preparing to be an air-stewardess. She introduces herself as Rachel Young Samantha though it could be that her late mother is actually a white Caucasian.

Boba and Ali visited one day and had lunch. Just then, Cho-in came in and everyone froze. He controlled the boss to hand over the cash. Just then, he noticed that Kyu-nam is moving his fingers and slowly struggling against his mind control. He is shocked as Kyu-nam got on his feet and confronted him though his movements are still sluggish. He got Boba and Ali to attack him but he shrugged them off. Just then, Yong-Sook stabbed him in the back. He got the knife out and went on to attack Cho-in but as he approached, the boss is ordered to use the stun gun on him the boss somehow pushed his head through the security grill and to reach him but missed. Kyu-nam punched Cho-in a few times and went back to help the boss get out of the grill who is hanging on the grill only by his neck. However, the boss is still trying to attack Kyu-nam with the stun gun and succeed as Kyu-nam cannot release him without him choking himself. Kyu-nam is rendered unconscious and when he woke up, he's in the hospital gurney being rushed towards emergency with the boss in front. He leap up and help pushed the boss faster but it is too late with the boss passing away.

The 3 friends went back to the office to recover the security tape of the cctv, the only evidence of the event. Cho-in also have the same idea and had the his controlled minions chase after them. All three managed to escape and Kyu-nam managed to waylay Cho-in and learnt how Cho-in can control all the people he can see.
After getting attacked by minions again, Kyu-nam managed to stun Cho-in using the stungun and brought him to the police station along with the security tape. Of course, the police were rather doubtful of his account even after watching the tape. They took off the bag that was covering Cho-in's head and we can guess what happened.

Kyu-nam tracked him to a subway station and when Cho-in got everyone on the platform to tackle him, he managed to break free showing what could be his inhuman strength. Cho-in resorted to getting a woman to throw her baby onto the tracks. Kyu-nam jumped to catch the baby crashing into an incoming train which sent him smashing into a pillar. The baby was safe and Cho-in released his powers. It's kind of tragic to see everyone ignoring the bloody Kyu-nam on the floor clutching the baby. Even the mother hit him when she was searching for the baby thinking he stole the baby. The loophole here is that if Cho-in can only control those people that he can see, what about those out of line of sight? Shouldn't there be people coming into the train station and notice everyone frozen? Anyway, Kyu-nam somehow dragged himself to a bench and Cho-in came up and sat next to him while Kyu-nam started to bleed all over the place. Kyu-nam slumped onto Cho-in's shoulders and Cho-in checked that he's no longer breathing. Satisfied, he left but suddenly felt strange. Most likely, he has started to felt the effects of over using his powers. The scene went back to Kyu-nam seemingly dead but after awhile wiggled his nose as he's just sleeping.

Cho-in went back to his own place now his vision filled with spots and found police searching his rooms. Angry that they messed his stuff, he got all of them to shoot themselves. Meanwhile Kyu-nam went back to the scrap yard looking perfectly fine. However, Ali is doubtful why he's trying to take on Cho-in by himself when it should the job of the govt and wanted him to turn himself in. However, Boba decided to help and all 3 decided to hunt Cho-in down by going around all the money lenders and ask if they had the same unusual experience of having money disappearing with a loss of memory.

Cho-in robs a bank and went back to his mother's place. Police has tracked him back to there though how they managed to do so is just amazing especially since they do not have his details and that she has not seen him for almost 20years. Cho-in wanted to kill his mother to end her suffering but even in her mind controlled state, her tears fell and he couldn't do it and left leaving the money with her. He also got all the police to jump into a manhole flooded with rushing water.

The 3 were ambushed by Cho-in and lured Kyu-nam to an apartment block(which reminded me of NTU hall). To remind Kyu-nam of his powers, he held the residents hostage and had some of them jump off to their doom. Thinking that he's the cause of their deaths, Kyu-nam ran off. Cho-in was attacked by Boba and Ali lying in wait with their DIY flare gun thinking it can blind him but it didn't work on him and they got captured. Kyu-nam was also captured while searching for them and all 3 ended up being hung in the office. Only Kyu-nam managed to escape but the other 2 didn't make it. Yong-Sook who happens to be walking towards the office when Cho-in left got taken.

This lead to a car chase with Kyu-nam in their old trusty van. Cho-in got drivers to ram the van but soon his powers were causing him to lose his senses and his car crashed. Seeing Kyu-nam slowly catching up with the van that's on the verge of breaking down, he sent all the cars at a cross junction at Kyu-nam. Just then, Ali and Boba's spirits appeared and pointed to a switch on the dashboard urging him to flip it which he did. I think Nitro kicked it zooming the van past all the cars before they all converged on him. Cho-in fired at the van with the gun he stoled breaking the steering wheel and ran off with Yong-Sook as his vision got worse.

They all went on to the roof of a building for the final showdown. Cho-in shot Kyu-nam as he held Yong-sook hostage. Just as he is going to shoot Kyu-nam in the head, Kyu-nam asked him what's his name. He was stunned by that question and just then his power faded and he turned away to see Yong-Sook collapsing. Kyu-nam took the opportunity to throw both of them off the building. As he fell, he thought who will know or remember him. Most likely,with all the mind control of almost everyone he sees, no one has ever had a proper conversation with him or even asked his name which is why it was never mentioned.

The two of them crashed right down onto Kyu-nam's van which happened to be nicely parked too coincidentally there flattening it, just as the thunder stuck and rain poured. On the roof, it's seen that Yong-Sook didn't fall from the building and woke up in the rain wondering where she is. I'm not sure the last flare of "eye power" from Cho-in during the fall has helped. Kyu-nam is then seen crawling out of the van and found the figurine Cho-in has painted at the beginning of the show which seems to depict himself waving. Cho-in's body is then shown lying in the flattened van. Kyu-nam is heard thinking to himself if the two could have been friends if they met under different circumstances. This is most likely because they both are abnormal with powers.

Sometime later Kyu-nam seen sending Yong-Sook off at a the train station. Yong Sook has became a flight attendant while Kyu-nam has ended up in a motorised wheelchair seemingly paralyzed from the neck down and only able to move his fingers to drive the wheelchair. He's also unable to speak and Yong Sook has to wipe the drool from his mouth. Yong Sook is most likely taking care of Kyu-nam as she asks him to be patient while she tries to pass her driving test.

Just then, there's a scream as a girl has fallen onto the tracks. Could be another loophole but again Korea train stations do not have any emergency button? Yong Sook left Kyu-nam there to take a look and he noticed that the train is coming soon. He tries to drive the wheelchair towards the scene but the incoming train passes him. Just then, he screams and takes control of his body. All the pedestrians screamed as the train rolled over where the girl is and remained there even as passengers alighted. As the train moved off, they saw Kyu-nam has grabbed the girl and jumped onto the opposite platform smiling back at Yong Sook looking perfectly fine. Kyu-name must be like Wolverine and Flash combined with his healing powers and the speed to catch up with a train, going around the pedestrians and grabbing the girl. 

Overall, the action was pretty non-stop with comic relief from the 2 'foreigners'.e are of course some plot holes like what the police should be doing when all their officers end up dead but these are very minor. It's certainly entertaining. For the first time, I decided to give an overall rating to these shows I watch and for this, I am giving 7/10.

Watched 3 anime movies the past week. They are:
1) Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer
2) Unlimited Blade Works
3) The Disappearance of  Haruhi Suzumiya.

Coincidentally, it's also ordered inversely according to Merit. Gundam 00 was a huge disappointment with a really lousy storyline and WTF ending. All those fighting with aliens who attack indiscriminately only to find that it's all a huge misunderstanding. There's also no character development of the characters at all. This is really just an attempt by Bandai to milk the franchise.

Unlimited Blade Works is the movie version of Fate Stay Night with a slight difference in the story line. It also assumes that you have already watched the serial as it starts off with little explanations. The focus is on Archer and his obsession to kill Shirou. Those who watched the serial will know that Archer is Shirou or rather, his future heroic spirit.

Saigo wa, The disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya. I must say I actually love this movie to bits. After the trauma of the endless summer arc in season 2, I didn't even complete the season. For most parts of the movie, Haruhi is not even it but the title would have given that away. The setting is in Dec and of cos Xmas is like one of the biggest holiday in commercialised Japan.

Everything starts off normally with Haruhi wanting a xmas party  and for 2 days, the prep was on the way. However, Kyon went to school on the 18th only to find that things have changed when Asakura appeared. In the serial, Asakura tried to kill Kyon and was vanquished by Nagato. Kyon went crazy wondering why she's back and then found out that non of his class remembers who Haruhi is. He found that Kozumi's entire class has disappeared and Asahina does not know him. Making his way to the clubroom, he stormed into it to find Nagato in it shocked and frightened by his entrance. Nagato has never shown any emotions as she's an alien data interface and Kyon realised that she's really a normal person now.

Kyon settled down into the clubroom and realised that the PC that they won from the Computer Club is there but found no clues to the change. It's only on the 2nd day when he found a bookmark note from the original Nagato to assemble the key to turn things back to normal. He then proceeded to go around finding out what is the key and why. Seems like someone has alternated the timeline as all history are aligned until one year ago. Haruhi and Korumi never came to North High and went to another school. He seeked them out and only the fact that he has gone back to the past and helped Haruhi draw  "crop circles" triggered her acknowledgment. Of cos Haruhi being herself. goes on a rampage and gathered all the members of SOS tai in the clubroom even if the rest have no idea what's going on. Turns out that the key is the presence of all the SOS tai members. It was with this that Kyon realised that Nagato has kept his memories intact so that Kyon alone can make the decision if he wants to following the existing timeline or reverse the changes. Is the existance of Haruhi better or without?

I shall leave it as that but character development of Kyon was brilliant here. The portrayal of the shock that things have totally changed that he actually turned to violence to shake the truth out of people. Of course, I was taken by Nagato's surface of emotions. The shy way of  pulling Kyon by the sleeve to get him to stay for dinner and the pain when Kyon handed the Literary Club membership form.

One fun fact is to stay and watch the credits roll till the end. There's a short clip of Nagato reading in the public library. I think there's 2 significance to this. She's no longer that shy and doesn't takes the books back to the school clubroom to read and there's also a scene where a small boy help a girl to make a library card membership reminding Nagato of when Kyon helped her to do the same. This is a MUST WATCH if you enjoyed the serial. If you didn't, this will surely make it all up for it. For those that never watched the serial, please go watch it(in the right order) or else you will not understand the importance of Haruhi to Kyon as well as certain scenes such as the use of John Smith.