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Contrast (Japanese Series)

By Golu
This is basically a high school BL where two guys who have nothing going on in common somehow end up getting really close to each other, and that's kind of the whole point of the title too. There's barely any drama or fluff packed in here, it stays pretty straightforward the whole way through. A little bit of friction pops up here and there, but it's nothing compared to what you'd normally get in this kind of show. Runtime wise you're looking at 8 episodes, each one sitting around 25-30 minutes. The two guys carrying the story are Akira and Kanata, and funny enough they knew each other's faces way before they ever knew each other's names. Kanata's the type everyone likes, always got people around him, popular guy, but there's this distance to him that people can't quite place. Turns out he had an injury that ended his football days, and that's what pushed him into being more withdrawn, and it only got worse once his younger brother got picked...
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Wake Up, Leonard

By Golu
Part comedy, part self-help nightmare; this film is just weird and a one man show that would have been much better as a solo theatre act than movie. The film actually starts off well and after first awkward 10 minutes, I even got into the lead's acting of the character but then it just goes nowhere. It goes into this spiritual philosophical self help that it just gets boring.

Leonard is 30 something gay man who is just moving his apartment. His ex texts him out of the blue and they decide to meet in the evening. But Leonard is extremely nervous about the meeting because he think he will give into his needs as always. He reaches out to his random therapist to fix his vibrations and aura and this is where the film just turns bizarre and really doesn't add much to the story. Even the simple things such as finding the perfect shirt increase his anxiety. From hereon, it's a slowburn one man’s quest for wellness while failing miserably to stay on his vibe. 

I think the film maker wanted to take a different route here to show and tackle mental health issues using humor and comedy, but I am not sure if it worked for me. Maybe its the new use of the genre that I was unable to connect with. This odd film dabbles in both the surreal and impressionistic layers of Leonard’s reality. The actor playing the lead role actually does a good job with his character but I think screenplay is a big miss here. Throughout the film, Leonard is asked by many if he is OK. This triggers a vulnerable state, causing him to flee. However, Leonard discovers that his stress is a unit of his situational avoidance and that true solace is found through one’s own choice of being at peace. The film didn't jam with me at all despite a decent first 20 minutes. (3.5/10)
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