A blocked romance writer and a lovelorn young woman discover unexpected connection in Okinawa in Cho Sung-kyu’s charming dramedy.
Mar 4, 2025 • Subscribe
More like this
Hijack 1971 (하이재킹, Kim Sung-han, 2024)
An airline pilot shunned for a controversial judgement call is faced with a similar decision when his plane in hijacked in Kim Sung-han’s real life thriller.
A Song Sung Blue (小白船, Geng Zihan, 2023)
A lonely teenage girl discovers another side to life while drawn to a flightly older friend in Geng Zihan’s melancholy drama.
![Featured image for Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240401/1711978570.81877.120627.jpg)
Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A powerful reminder of the sexual transgressions that structurally plague the Japanese film industry
Herstory (허스토리, Min Kyu-dong, 2018)
A female business owner ensures now elderly victims of wartime sexual slavery will have their voices heard in Min Kyu-dong’s empathetic drama.
Okinawa Booklist Review *
Title: Okinawa Volume: Complete in one volume Mangaka: Susumu Higa Translator: Jocelyne Allen, Andrew Woodrow Butcher, Christopher Butcher US Publisher: Fantagraphics Age Relevance: High School & Up How Essential Is It?: Essential…
The Prayer (간호중, Min Kyu-dong, 2020)
A caregiving android’s awakening spirituality and poor grasp of human empathy present a series of ethical questions in Min’s existential sci-fi drama
Death Note Festival: Death Note (2006)
The new Death Note movie has arrived to Netflix and I decided that before I watched it I decided to watch the previous movies that were released in…
Blue Period (ブルーピリオド, Kentaro Hagiwara, 2024)
An ennui-ridden teen finds the world opening up to him after he discovers the power of art yet fears he can’t live up to his new epiphany in…
Blue Imagine (ブルーイマジン, Urara Matsubayashi, 2024)
A young woman finds the strength to fight back against her mistreatment thanks to a sense of female solidarity in Urara Matsubayashi’s timely drama.
Susumu Higa's OKINAWA picked for the USBBY 2024 Outstanding International Books List
A major award for Okinawa, and we're so incredibly proud!
Character of the Month: Sung Jinwoo
Greetings, fabulous people of the Internet! Hanime on Anime here, and welcome to the monthly tradition on this blog, which is Character of the Month. This month’s pick…
Kingmaker (킹메이커, Byun Sung-hyun, 2022)
An earnest politician finds himself conflicted by the increasingly unethical strategies of his campaign manager in Byun Sung-hyun’s contemplative political drama.
Peafowl (공작새, Byun Sung-bin, 2022)
A trans woman begins to step into herself after reclaiming her traditional culture to make peace with the past in Byun Sung-bin’s poignant indie drama
Astro Note
I started watching the anime Astro Note. I like the concept of their homeshare, and that they have breakfast together. Their new chef makes delicious meals for them…
Programming Note
We’ll be away from computers for most of the weekend, so all episode reviews will be delayed. —RABUJOI STAFF
Programming Note
Starting today and through next Friday it will be a bit quiet here … about as quiet as a campsite at dawn. That’s because we’ve been inspired by Yuru…
Tesla Note
Oh wow. A seemingly intelligent sci-fi anime that seemingly looks interesting. I mean, when you attach Tesla’s name to the title, you are most likely to think that…
Death Note
A manga about a genius teenager who comes into possession of a Death Note that allows him to kill anyone by writing their name in it. Continue reading…
Programming Note
We’ll be out for at least the next week on vacation to parts unknown. We’re also not quite sure if we’ll be continuing the cycle of posting first…
Episode 275 - Teekyu... and technically Ro-Kyu-Bu!?
This week, Shaun thinks he has found the perfect way to get Remington to enjoy a sports anime; by having it be a short-form comedy instead! Will 12…
Cho voice actor interviews, February 2022
One of the most interesting surprises in Yamato 2205 was not only the unexpected return of Sukeji Yabu, but also his presence as one of the emotional touchstones…
Episode 560, "Babarnuki" (with SungWon Cho)
On this week's episode of The One Piece Podcast we have hosts Zach, Ed, Steve and Alex with special guests Stephen Paul (translator for One Piece in Shonen…
Episode 560, "Babarnuki" (with SungWon Cho)
On this week's episode of The One Piece Podcast we have hosts Zach, Ed, Steve and Alex with special guests Stephen Paul (translator for One Piece in Shonen…
#Alive (#살아있다, Cho Il-hyung, 2020)
Lone survivors of a zombie apocalypse rediscover solidarity in togetherness in Cho Il-hyung’s existential thriller.
INTERVIEW: Susumu Higa, on OKINAWA
A treat for paid subscribers, our interview with Susumu Higa from the print edition of Okinawa.
Episode 23: Writing from Okinawa
Check out Episode 23 of the Read Literature podcast. Transcript available. In this episode, we’re talking about writing from Okinawa. The history of the Ryukyu Islands, especially the…
Okinawa Longlisted for Carnegie Medal
A round up of some of the recent amazing press that Susumu Higa's "Okinawa" has received.
466 – One Shot 62 – Okinawa
This week we talk about Lord Hades's Ruthless Marriage, Cowboy Bebop LIVE, and Yaruki Nante Arimasen! Then we review Susume Higa's fantastic historical manga Okinawa, published through Fantagraphics…
Episode 2, "Death Note" (2006) & "Death Note" (2017)
Hosts Sam & Jill discuss the latest One Piece Netflix news and delve deep into the 2006 live-action Japanese adaptation of "Death Note" and the 2017 live-action Netflix…
Gangnam Zombie (강남좀비, Lee Soo-sung, 2023)
A struggling YouTuber takes on sexism, classism and the zombie apocalypse in Lee Soo-sung’s office-bound horror.
Bear Man (웅남이, Park Sung-kwang, 2023)
A pair of bare cubs decide to become human with entirely different results in Park Sung-kwang’s zany comedy.
Sunday League (선데이리그, Yi Sung-il, 2020)
An embittered former football prodigy gains a new lease in life after reluctantly agreeing coach a trio of hopeless amateurs in Yi Sung-il’s sporting dramedy
Sung Jin-woo, Our Glorious King, Awakens!
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 7 Review Anyone who’s read this blog’s reviews of Solo Leveling should know its stance on Sung Jin-woo by now: he…
Space Sweepers (승리호, Jo Sung-hee, 2021)
Cynical space junkers find themselves conflicted on discovering a missing little girl in Jo Sung-hee’s epic sci-fi adventure.
Summer’s Camera (여름의 카메라, Divine Sung, 2025)
Summer can’t bring herself to press the shutter button on the last four exposures left on the unfinished roll of film her father left behind. Her unwillingness to…
Road to Boston (1947 보스톤, Kang Je-kyu, 2023)
The right to participate in a foreign marathon becomes a victory for the Korean in people in Kang Je-kyu’s sporting period drama.
Spring 2024 Impressions: Henjin no Salad Bowl, Astro Note, WIND BREAKER
Henjin no Salad Bowl Short Synopsis: The 7th Princess of a royal line is hunted down, only to flee to our world where she ends up living and…
The Singer (소리꾼, Cho Jung-lae, 2020)
When his wife is kidnapped, a pansori singer has only his singing to rely on in Cho Jung-lae’s Joseon-era tale of social oppression and resistance.
Cho-Gattai Majutsu Robo Ginguiser: Episode 10
Salome: Oh Great Crystal Ball, will we see more recycled Ginguiser footage in this episode? *Crystal ball turns black* Salome: This show really needs to stop cutting corners.…
Kanda Gokura-cho Shokunin Banashi: Sakaue Akihito
One of the many cool things about bookstores in Japan is they generally have sample booklets of a few of the manga on display, so you can check…
Astro Note – 03
Seems like at least half the schedule is effectively on the bubble this season, and Astro Note is certainly no exception.
A quick note!
Contrary to appearances, I’m still here. Life just took a few turns that kept me from being able to sustain the mood and energy for writing – and…
You Might Want To Sing It Note For “Note”
OK, this is a squealing girl anime, where a grouping of divergent female types somehow get together to help each other with their particular struggles, one in another…
The “China Threat”Theory and Okinawa
The post The “China Threat”Theory and Okinawa appeared first on The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus.
Ep. 100: Okinawa, by Susumu Higa
It's the 100th episode, and the team are doing something special! This week David and Chip take over, interviewing translator Jocelyne Allen and Editor...
Okinawa Girl #01 — Text On Screen
Taking the correct lesson from status screen shows, I see. Impressions: I would say that it lived up to my expectations, but I expected it to be a mix…
A Hometown in Heart (마음의 고향, Yoon Yong-Kyu, 1949)
A lonely boy longing for his mother bonds with a grieving widow in Yoon Yong-Kyu’s tale of oppressive religiosity and the necessity of love
All Hail Sung Jin-woo, our Glorious King
Solo Leveling: Arise from the Shadows S2 Ep 13 Review It pains me to say this, but the second season of Solo Leveling has come to a close.…
Iron Mask (만분의 일초, Kim Sung-hwan, 2023)
A young man seeking revenge sets his eyes on kendo glory in Kim Sung-hwan’s sporting drama.
Sung HIM-Woo, the Black Air Force Hunter
RJ Writing Ink’s (hilarious) recap of Season One of Solo Leveling Sung Jin-Woo, the main protagonist of the Korean manwha Solo Leveling and the black air force Hunter.…