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Making 'Bad' Animation Beautiful: An Interview with ChaO Director Yasuhiro Aoki
"with ChaO, I just did what I wanted to do, and I've always liked looking at things from a different angle, and finding something different, and I think…
Review: Gold or Shit (2024)
Gold or Shit 走走停停 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 103 mins. Director: Long Fei 龙飞. Rating: 8/10. Beautifully written and played light comedy of manners centred on a loser…
Strawman (稻草人, Wang Tung, 1987)
The literal “strawman” at the centre of Wang Tung’s colonial era satire is a scarecrow who occasionally narrates the events of this small village where, he laments, almost…
Review: The Midsummer’s Voice (2024)
The Midsummer’s Voice 倒仓 China, 2024, colour, 1.85:1, 100 mins. Director: Zhang Yudi 张裕笛. Rating: 6/10. A coming-of-age-one-summer movie, set among teenagers in a provincial opera school, is…
Review: To Gather Around (2024)
To Gather Around 胜券在握 China, 2024, colour, 2.35;1, 135 mins. Director: Liu Xunzimo 刘循子墨. Rating: 7/10. A dark satire of big-business ethics and corporate culture that loses its…
Pluto: The Series
by Frank Hecker, Okazu Staff Writer Believe it or not, there are Thai yuri novels written by Chao Planoy that are not part of the GAP extended universe;…
King Boxer (天下第一拳, Jeong Chang-hwa, 1972)
An earnest martial arts student squares off against a corrupt rival school in Jeong Chang-hwa’s seminal kung fu drama.
Affair, Streaming on Youtube
After GAP and Blank we now have Affair, a recently completed Thai live-action yuri series available on YouTube. Like those series, Affair is based on a novel by…
Review: Give Me a Ride (2024)
Give Me a Ride 出门在外 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 101 mins. Directors: Fan Chao 范超, Chen Yizi 陈一孜. Rating: 5/10. Blackly comic mystery centred on various shady characters…
Review: Life Hotel (2024)
Life Hotel 来福大酒店 China, 2024, colour, 1.85:1, 118 mins. Director: Liu Bowen 刘博文. Rating: 7/10. A strong, characterful cast, led by Huang Xuan and Liu Yan, make this…
Animating The Stage And The Passion Behind It: Oshi no Ko S2 Production Notes
Oshi no Ko S2 has had to navigate tricky waters to be able to animate a stage play with the type of authenticity that the source material didn’t…
Site Updates: July 2024
Check out July's updates to My Unico Fans. More information added in various sections, figures, food items, and more.
Review: Strangers When We Meet (2024)
Strangers When We Meet 朝云暮雨 China, 2024, colour, 1.85:1, 107 mins. Director: Zhang Guoli 张国立. Rating: 8/10. Fan Wei and Zhou Dongyu show terrific screen chemistry in this…
Review: Leap (2020)
Leap 夺冠 Hong Kong/China, 2020, colour, 2.35:1, 134 mins. Director: Chen Kexin 陈可辛 [Peter Chan]. Rating: 8/10. Celebration of women’s volleyball in China’s modern development is shaded by…
Review: Full River Red (2023)
Full River Red 满江红 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 156 mins. Director: Zhang Yimou 张艺谋. Rating: 6/10. A top cast, led by comedian Shen Teng, initially makes this costume…
Site Updates: January 2024
January has come and gone in a blink of an eye! Check out the "My Unico Fans" updates we've made to the site.
Spotlight: Unico Related Books We Enjoy
Learn about some of the Unico related books we enjoy! You'll find information about the gift books and a few children's books.
Site Updates for August!
While August was a busy month, we've managed a few Unico related updates around the site. Please check out the updates! Unico bags, shirts, and more!
Review: All These Years (2023)
All These Years 这么多年 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 116 mins. Director: Ji Zhuqing 季竹青. Rating: 7/10. A high school-to-adulthood unrequited love story that’s utterly generic but beautifully executed…
A Woman (孔秀, Wang Chao, 2022)
Wang Chao’s steely drama charts an ordinary worker’s path through the Cultural Revolution and gradual disillusionment with Maoism before achieving her dreams of becoming a novelist in a…
Delicious Romance (爱很美味, Leste Chen & Hsu Chao-Jen, 2023)
The enduring friendship between three women is strained by the demands of the contemporary society in the big screen sequel to the hit TV drama.
Rebels of the Neon God (青少年哪吒, Tsai Ming-Liang, 1992)
Youngsters find themselves lost under the skies of a changing city in the debut feature from Tsai Ming-Liang.
Introduction to Oshi no Ko’s Team: Maximizing Impact Through An Adaptation
Oshi no Ko’s massive, worldwide impact with its first episode is no fluke. Its team is led by savvy, inventive, and sometimes kinda superhuman individuals who tweaked and…
DINER Osamu Tezuka Sofubi Figure Chao is Out!
DINER released a new soft vinyl figure of Chao (aka Katy) from Unico!
Review: Ping Pong: The Triumph (2023)
Ping Pong: The Triumph 中国乒乓之绝地反击 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 137 mins. Directors: Deng Chao 邓超, Yu Baimei 俞白眉. Rating: 6/10. A decent but over-long light drama centred on…
Ping Pong: The Triumph (中国乒乓之绝地反击, Deng Chao & Yu Baimei, 2023)
A changing China tries to recapture its sense of possibility by regaining its reputation as a ping pong powerhouse in Deng Chao & Yu Baimei’s rousing table tennis…
Review: Five Hundred Miles (2023)
Five Hundred Miles 交换人生 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 108 mins. Director: Su Lun 苏伦. Rating: 6/10. Body-swap comedy is pleasant enough but lacks real heft and originality, despite…
Site Updates!
We're back with more updates on the site! Check out the Unico related additions. Spanish and Korean voice actors, coloring books, and more!
New Tezuka Moderno Hologram Stickers!
New holographic stickers featuring the Tezuka Moderno designs are available in Japan.
The Cabbie (運転手之戀, Chen Yi-wen & Chang Hwa-kun, 2000)
The crazy freewheeling life of a lovestruck taxi driver eventually takes a turn for the contemplative in Chen Yi-wen & Chang Hwa-kun’s infinitely charming comedy.
Review: Close to Love (2022)
Close to Love 我们的样子像极了爱情 China, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 121 mins. Director: Wang Zijun 王梓骏. Rating: 6/10. Excellent chemistry between the young leads gives this “platonic” rom-com a fresh…
Osamu Tezuka x GraffArt Collaboration Announced
Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the manga Astro Boy, the Osamu Tezuka Characters x GraffArt Pop Up Shop will be held.
Before Next Spring (如果有一天我将会离开你, Li Gen, 2021)
A Chinese restaurant becomes a kind of home for a disparate collection of travellers and unanchored locals in Li Gen’s poignant drama.
Review: New Five Golden Flowers (2022)
New Five Golden Flowers 你是我的一束光 China, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 97 mins. Director: Wang Qiang 王强. Rating: 4/10. Messily constructed rom-com set in Yunnan province can’t decide what it…
Review: Before Next Spring (2021)
Before Next Spring 如果有一天我将会离开你 China/Hong Kong, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 107 mins. Director: Li Gen 李亘. Rating: 6/10. Well-acted, authentic portrait of Chinese expats in a Tokyo suburb is…
Ode to the Spring (没有一个春天不会来临, Zhou Nan, Zhang Chi, Dong Yue, Tian Yusheng, Rao Xiaozhi, 2022)
With an all star cast and five top directors, Ode to the Spring celebrates the efforts of frontline workers in Wuhan during the pandemic.
Review: Stay with Me (2022)
Stay with Me 我是真的讨厌异地恋 China, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 107 mins. Directors: Wu Yang 吴洋, Zhou Nanshen 周男燊. Rating: 3/10. Though glossily packaged, this generic millennial romance has zero…
Review: I Dreamed a Dream (2021)
I Dreamed a Dream 梦境人生 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 105 mins. Director: Duan Qihua 段祺华. Associate directors: Shen Yue 沈悦, Jiang Xiaoxiao 蒋笑笑. Rating: 4/10. Ambitious drama set…
Review: Nice View (2022)
Nice View 奇迹 笨小孩 China, 2022, colour, 1.85:1, 104 mins. Director: Wen Muye 文牧野. Rating: 7/10. Young actor-singer Yi Yangqianxi makes a strong lead as a do-or-die entrepreneur…
Site Updates!
We've made several updates to the Italian section as well as other language releases!
You Have To Kill Me (我是自願讓他殺了我, Chan Chun-Hao, 2021)
An earnest policeman’s world is shaken when he’s dispatched to investigate his girlfriend’s murder in Chan Chun-hao’s noirish drama
Review: Be Somebody (2021)
Be Somebody 扬名立万 China, 2021, colour/b&w, 2.35:1, 122 mins. Director: Liu Xunzimo 刘循子墨. Rating: 6/10. Richly written and staged, this period Shanghai crime comedy is over-long and gets…
Review: The Curious Tale of Mr. Guo (2021)
The Curious Tale of Mr. Guo 不老奇事 China, 2021, colour, 1.85/2.35:1, 134 mins. Director: Xu Chao 徐超. Rating: 4/10. Long-limbed love story, set across 50 years and two…
Review: Knock Knock (2021)
Knock Knock 不速来客 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 104 mins. Director: Liu Xiang 刘翔. Rating: 7/10. Lightly comic crime puzzler, set in a grubby flat, holds the attention thanks…
Cloudy Mountain (峰爆, Li Jun, 2021)
Estranged father and son engineers must find a way to work together in order to save the town in Li Jun’s big budget disaster movie.
The Personals (徵婚啓事, Chen Kuo-fu, 1998)
Fleeing romantic trauma a young woman gains an insight into contemporary dating mores after placing a personal ad looking for a husband in Chen’s sophisticated dramedy
Review: Lie Detector (2021)
Lie Detector 测谎人 China, 2021, colour, 2.35:1, 91 mins. Director: Yang Yuanhan 杨沅翰. Late-stage director: Qian Guowei 钱国伟. Rating: 5/10. Wry, well-cast comedy about two opposites disappointingly fails…