Okay...I saw Moon Child only this week even though it released years ago. I simply never had the motivation to watch it before. But after becoming a Gackt fan, this was a must watch. After all, shame on you if you're a Gackt fan and you haven't watched it (I'm only just quoting a Gackt fan I saw online, these are not my words). Anyway, since this is a movie review, let me write it the way movie reviews are written...
Movie: Moon Child
Year: 2003
Starring: Gackt, Hyde (Hideto Takarai from L'Arc En Ciel), Leehom Wang, Kanata Hongo and a few other people
Directed by: Some quack I want to whack (okay I'll stop kidding; it's Takahisa Zeze).
Rating: 2.5/5
Let me begin. This is not one of those movies that will leave you feeling satisfied at the end of it (however, if you're a Gackt fangirl, it is your moral obligation towards him to watch the movie)...But hey, let me still go ahead with the review...
The movie starts with Japan facing a major economic crisis in the year 2014 because of which the people have to move to mainland China. Cut to a city called Mallepa (yes, it's fictional) where live three young boys. The three boys, Sho (played by Kanata Hongo...the one actor I didn't want to slap across the face), Sho's brother - Shinji and Toshi make a living out of pickpocketing. One day, when their thievery goes wrong, Sho meets a young man named Kei (played by Hyde...aaarrrggghhh!!!!). During that encounter, he also finds out that Hyde is actually a vampire.
Fast forward to some years later - Sho is now a handsome young man of around 20-25 (okay, I'll admit I'm being biased because Sho is now Gackt). He still survives by robbing people and is aided by Kei and Toshi. During one of his robberies against a gang, he meets Son (played by my beloved Leehom Wang), a Taiwanese man, who's there to attack the gang leader because the latter raped Son's sister Yi-Che. And thus, they become friends...
A few years later again, we see an older Gackt, now married to Yi-Che and the father of a six year old, who is also growing as a mafia leader in Mallepa. His journey through it all and the way he rises in the criminal world is what forms the story of Moon Child.
Now, first things first, the story wasn't exactly faulty but the way it was put together, very much was. It took me quite a while to understand what was going on (although that may well be because of the horrible picture quality that I had no choice but to tolerate). The actors, I'm sorry to say, seemed kind of forced with their performances. Gackt in the first half, especially. Gackt as a dork is very hard to imagine, what with his elegant image. Sure, he says he's a dork in real life but there seemed nothing natural about his entire dork act. On the contrary, he looked too old and stupid to carry it. What he needs to realize is Gackt should be Gackt. If Gackt tries to become like the Arashi guys, it'll flop miserably. Because Gackt is elegant, mature...which is why I was glad to see him back to normal in the second half of the film (phew!). Also his look in the first half, just didn't go down too well with me. The long hair is fine but it just looked a little strange (that's just me...a lot of people might have liked it, I dunno...). Hyde, what do I say about him? No doubt a fabulous singer, he did an okay job acting. His vampire scenes seemed a little stupid but that's okay, totally understandable. Leehom again made the perfect older brother and was good but then again, he didn't have too many scenes, what with Gackt hogging the limelight...And while Yi Che (I'm sorry I don't know her real name!) didn't have too many dialogues, her casting as the silent sufferer was apt.
The background score was something I kinda liked. Most of the time in the 120 minute movie, you can hear Orenji no Taiyou (performed by Gackt and Hyde) playing in the background. While it's not a song I liked the first time I heard it, it slowly caught onto me. And it made me cry too, thus solving its purpose.
All in all, not exactly something I would recommend, no. But it still deserves that 2.5 for all the effort that was put into it and also for the background music. And I can't exactly say there weren't some touching scenes. Like the part where Sho's brother, Shinji gets shot when he goes to meet Chan, a gang leader who appoints Son in his gang in the later parts. That whole sequence with Orenji no Taiyou playing at the back and all the little children being shown is just way too sad. Then again, Gackt also did a good job in some scenes (the few scenes when I didn't want to slap him hard) like the one where Sho talks to Son about Yi Che's disease and also when he goes to meet Kei in jail and shows him his daughter's picture. The latter was simply too sweet; Gackt showcasing his fatherly side...! Anyway, to round it up, I'll say, not exactly horrible but it's not what I would want to order online and pay extra for. So do watch it if you can get a good torrent or something or if it airs on television but not otherwise! Thank you! ^^
Movie: Moon Child
Year: 2003
Starring: Gackt, Hyde (Hideto Takarai from L'Arc En Ciel), Leehom Wang, Kanata Hongo and a few other people
Directed by: Some quack I want to whack (okay I'll stop kidding; it's Takahisa Zeze).
Rating: 2.5/5
Let me begin. This is not one of those movies that will leave you feeling satisfied at the end of it (however, if you're a Gackt fangirl, it is your moral obligation towards him to watch the movie)...But hey, let me still go ahead with the review...
The movie starts with Japan facing a major economic crisis in the year 2014 because of which the people have to move to mainland China. Cut to a city called Mallepa (yes, it's fictional) where live three young boys. The three boys, Sho (played by Kanata Hongo...the one actor I didn't want to slap across the face), Sho's brother - Shinji and Toshi make a living out of pickpocketing. One day, when their thievery goes wrong, Sho meets a young man named Kei (played by Hyde...aaarrrggghhh!!!!). During that encounter, he also finds out that Hyde is actually a vampire.
Fast forward to some years later - Sho is now a handsome young man of around 20-25 (okay, I'll admit I'm being biased because Sho is now Gackt). He still survives by robbing people and is aided by Kei and Toshi. During one of his robberies against a gang, he meets Son (played by my beloved Leehom Wang), a Taiwanese man, who's there to attack the gang leader because the latter raped Son's sister Yi-Che. And thus, they become friends...
A few years later again, we see an older Gackt, now married to Yi-Che and the father of a six year old, who is also growing as a mafia leader in Mallepa. His journey through it all and the way he rises in the criminal world is what forms the story of Moon Child.
Now, first things first, the story wasn't exactly faulty but the way it was put together, very much was. It took me quite a while to understand what was going on (although that may well be because of the horrible picture quality that I had no choice but to tolerate). The actors, I'm sorry to say, seemed kind of forced with their performances. Gackt in the first half, especially. Gackt as a dork is very hard to imagine, what with his elegant image. Sure, he says he's a dork in real life but there seemed nothing natural about his entire dork act. On the contrary, he looked too old and stupid to carry it. What he needs to realize is Gackt should be Gackt. If Gackt tries to become like the Arashi guys, it'll flop miserably. Because Gackt is elegant, mature...which is why I was glad to see him back to normal in the second half of the film (phew!). Also his look in the first half, just didn't go down too well with me. The long hair is fine but it just looked a little strange (that's just me...a lot of people might have liked it, I dunno...). Hyde, what do I say about him? No doubt a fabulous singer, he did an okay job acting. His vampire scenes seemed a little stupid but that's okay, totally understandable. Leehom again made the perfect older brother and was good but then again, he didn't have too many scenes, what with Gackt hogging the limelight...And while Yi Che (I'm sorry I don't know her real name!) didn't have too many dialogues, her casting as the silent sufferer was apt.
The background score was something I kinda liked. Most of the time in the 120 minute movie, you can hear Orenji no Taiyou (performed by Gackt and Hyde) playing in the background. While it's not a song I liked the first time I heard it, it slowly caught onto me. And it made me cry too, thus solving its purpose.
All in all, not exactly something I would recommend, no. But it still deserves that 2.5 for all the effort that was put into it and also for the background music. And I can't exactly say there weren't some touching scenes. Like the part where Sho's brother, Shinji gets shot when he goes to meet Chan, a gang leader who appoints Son in his gang in the later parts. That whole sequence with Orenji no Taiyou playing at the back and all the little children being shown is just way too sad. Then again, Gackt also did a good job in some scenes (the few scenes when I didn't want to slap him hard) like the one where Sho talks to Son about Yi Che's disease and also when he goes to meet Kei in jail and shows him his daughter's picture. The latter was simply too sweet; Gackt showcasing his fatherly side...! Anyway, to round it up, I'll say, not exactly horrible but it's not what I would want to order online and pay extra for. So do watch it if you can get a good torrent or something or if it airs on television but not otherwise! Thank you! ^^