Koda Kumi(倖田來未) - DNA Album Thoughts(J-pop)

CD Tracklist

1. Introduction ~My music is designed from my DNA~
2. HUSH
3. Dangerous
4. WATCH OUT!! ~DNA~
5. ScREaM
6. CHANCES ALL
7. 会えなくなるくらいなら
8. HAIRCUT
9. Guess Who Is Back
10. HOT HOT
11. 心からi love u; Sincerely i love u
12. Work That
13. PIN DROP

    Our ero-kakkoi styled singer Koda Kumi is back with her sixteenth album titled DNA. It's only been a couple of months since her last album AND. This newest music effort by the popular songstress screams an artists that is in artistry limbo. She's actually been quietly screaming this for quite a while but no other release has her showcase her running around like a chicken about to be beheaded quite like this album. I'm a hopeful fan of Kumi since her music used to light up my life during my earlier days when the label actually knew what they wanted to do with her. Let's just face the facts, Koda Kumi is shook as hell right now. After those disappointing sales of her last album AND where at the album's release, it only hit number six, ending her number one album streak. Who's bright idea was it to have her release an album that's in the format of a damn concert dvd anyway?! I wasn't feeling this release and neither was half of her fanbase thus was why that album only made it to the number six spot on the Oricon charts then fell to the forty fourth spot a week later. She made the same mistake as Ayumi Hamasaki and Japan is not forgiving when you make the wrong release choices. The Japanese public will throw you away while moving on to another fresh new female artist real quick. DNA's tracklist can ultimately be described as played out to the max. What I will state though is that through all the desperate attempts at trying to stay relevant in a new age of Japanese music, Koda at least has some tracks that remind listeners why she was so great back in the early 2000s. Haircut is the best song she has release in a LONG time that actually gives the same special female empowered energy that classics like Taboo radiated. Her producers have been playing with this pop electronica sound that was a success in Haircut.  Those tired rap lines even work out in the song solely thanks to her attitude and the song being meant for her vocals. Hush was another song that could have been an extra on an album back when Koda was that bad bitch. Hot Hot has her seducing the man she is lusting after in it's provocative lyrics(hope it's her husband..). I love how sexy she sounds on this track that clearly brings out the trait that made her so shockingly popular prior. Guess Who's Back is a throw back to her experimenting with rock music similar to her other albums minus the hip hop influence. This track and Pin Drop sound a bit mess on volume levels at the bridge before the chorus that it leads to. I still like both tracks based on them being catchy, Especially Work That and Pin Drop, for that booty shaking vibe that the music has. I don't have much to say about the recycled use of ballads. All of them sound the same from each album. Once upon a time, she had good ballads but that time is long gone. Sincerely I Love U sounded better to me vocally though. Most of the songs I didn't mention means that I skipped these tracks a few minutes into listening to them. She's married with a child so the sexy look isn't helping her sell CDs like the image used to. Meanwhile, her label is running out of idea to reinvent her. The situation isn't looking to good for Koda Kumi. DNA sold slightly better than AND but It's just that her privileges to laugh at Ayumi Hamasaki for struggling to get the top spot on the charts again or "queen" status has been revoked. Welcome to the club of "never getting another number one spot," Miss Kumi. You and Ayumi can cry together in a dark corner while Namie Amuro takes her big fat check from all them final album sales to the bank and while Utada Hikaru loses no sleep at night. 

     I'm not a huge fan of Koda Kumi rapping. If the track is good then I don't mind her trying to rap. The whole production of Koda's music is just the same tired old gimmick that's not even as good as her old music. I hope revamps happen inside her future releases. Keeping songs that are good and fit her musically don't count. 

   AND has a few good tracks that recycle her past greatness. I miss the Koda Kumi that always had good material being released where there was no room to doubt her music. At one time, she was really on top of her game. Now, not so much…...

My Teacher(先生!) Japanese Film Thoughts(2017)

   My Teacher as the English title of this film is very easy to digest. That is until you look at the long Japanese title which would translate as "Teacher! Is It Alright For Me To Love You?". Foreign viewers can do without that long as hell title, so thanks distribution company for making things simple for us. Anyway, Miki Takahiro directed the film while, Okada Mari rewrote the story based on the original manga created by Kalahari Kazune. Hirose Suzu, Ikuta Toma, Ryusei Ryo, Morikawa Aoi, and, Higa Manami are the cast in the film. The original manga has sold over five million copies in Japan.



   A female student suddenly finds herself having feeling for her school's history teacher after she wrongly sends her friend's lover letter to him. She knows her feelings are wrong but she can't stop herself from wanting to have a closer relationship with the older man. How will she fair with these feelings and what if the teacher starts to like her back!?

   I felt very awkward when I was watching My Teacher. No, it's not what you're thinking. I didn't feel weird because of the situation between student and teacher having a romantic relationship. I was more affected by the idea of two people having a relationship knowing damn well that such a relationship could never survive normally like others. This film almost seemed like I was setting myself up for wasting my time. Still, something in the trailer drew me to watch this film. Curiosity was probably that something. Most of the film is the school life of a girl as she tries to figure herself out on top of traversing this new feeling called love. There's also a bit of chase given by the female student in her pursuit of the teacher. The story doesn't make you think that what's happening on screen is dirty or morally wrong. Instead the film does it's best to make you sympathize with all of the characters during their times of broke heartedness. Lets face it, No relationship between people in a place of education ever ends well. People's feelings of love don't matter. A student is still classified as a child in the public eye. No matter how "mature" they might seem for their age. All these negative facts that could happen don't overturn the film's plot flow though. My Teacher actually keeps a consistent pace through out the whole film. One of the main reasons being that the script doesn't only rely on their juvenile relationship to carry the film. Under the subject of forbidden love, High school life in general has a part in the reason why the film was so impactful. You realize toward the end that viewers really go through this character's high school life with her. She grew a lot from all the problems she had to push herself through. The end result of her hard work is a good one as well. My Teacher creates an otherwise appalling romance, then teaches viewers the reasons why this type of relationship isn't that bad. Whether you choose to believe it is good or bad is up to you. I still believe this type of situation isn't good however, I did enjoy the way the film handles the relationship in the end.

   The scenery was very in your face for a high school romance film. A lot of Japanese High School romance films don't have such beautiful scene transitions. My Teacher shows the inter area leading to the outskirts of the town from a shot film up above the scenery. This scene is shown at different intervals in the day. I love the way it looked during the time of sunset. Some scenes appear that also have to do with the beach which looked more artistic than normally shown in film productions like these. I guess the director wanted a bit more of a mature tone given the subject matter of the script.



    Every single character in this film had some kind of growth that took place during the film. I'm not going to give too much away. It's just that the actors had to play characters that were put in very uncomfortable situations. Running around with a student will give you a heart attack. It wasn't enough that the other characters also had their own love struggles going on. Comedy that goes on when the character's interact with one another had some priceless moments. The acting for the romantic scenes was attention grabbing too. Many of the actors and actresses playing the students come across as pure enough until it came to getting their person on interest. I had to wonder who was the adult and who was the student at times. Some of those students started to become mature as hell in the cast performances. Toma was the perfect actor to play the teacher. He had a deep voice, big hands, and had a nurturing vibe about him.

  My Teacher exceeded my expectations. This could have very well been a cheesy film with a flimsy story that reminds why this kind of relationship is morally wrong. I got a feel good film based on a slice of high school life instead.(Dating your teacher is NOT needed to have a good school life… just saying….)
 

Ayumi Hamasaki(浜崎あゆみ) - TROUBLE Mini Album Thoughts(J-rock)

    Ayumi Hamasaki is known as Japan's Queen of Pop because of her huge success over the years. Her reign as Queen last for a very long time until Ayumi got tired of being a cash cow for her record label. This caused her to start to acting out in her music by releasing the exact opposite of what the Japanese public desired from the singer. Album sales began to fall but not too bad since the woman has yet to have a release not chart in the top ten on the Oricon charts. She was known as the Queen for constantly being at the very top of the Japanese music charts years ago. Recent times show that Ayumi's album never get top spot anymore and this is damage that can't be repaired(?). Trouble is her newest album after a break away from the music industry.

Tracklist:

01. We are the QUEENS
02. æternal
03. WORDS
04. W
05. The way I am

   Trouble pretty much has the songstress doubling down on the music choices that she has made in her past releases. Well, the release that got her that number five spot on the charts that shocked fans and music critics alike some years ago. Hamasaki screwed up her on place on the throne when she tried to be too adventurous in creating music. She is allowed to spread her wings forth into new ground as an artist. Every singer does this as time passes and new trends become the focus. Problem was that Ayumi didn't need to change up her musical style like Namie Amuro or Utada. Japan was actually content with the women doing the same musical style for the rest of her life. Nothing more was really expected from her music outside of ballads and pop rock anthems. She didn't stick to the basics so now she will spend the rest of her career wishing that she had counted her blessings where the hell she was originally. Production of this little mini album is no doubly top notch. It just the same old style that millions love her for. We Are The Queens takes a road into a metamorphosis during the opening minutes till about the middle of the song where there is a dark pop rock beat introduced using a orchestra. The track is Hamasaki's home turf as it oozes a commanding presence in the guitar riffs side by side to the base beat. aeternal comes on after as the popper sister of the opening number. Cute track that wasn't my walk in park solely based on Ayumi's vocals during certain times on the track. I'll get into her vocals in the next paragraph….. Words and W are both pretty good pop rock tracks for fans that liked Ayumi's Rock N Roll Circus era.(The era I really became a fan..) If I had to choose one that I liked more, I would say W because the chorus is a bit catchier. Words was more on the ballad rock side musically which was still pulled off very well. The Way I Am might be the best highlight for the album based on Ayumi's vocal performance. The classical scores added in her music have always been beautiful. From the violins to the soft playing of the piano.  Like I said above, This track is a ballad that isn't anything new if you're a hardcore fan, however fans that love this song from her will be satisfied. Not much growth to be found on Trouble musically, plus I wasn't expecting much anyway. I was more afraid that she would try to sing songs that she should know she doesn't have the vocal talent for. [COVERS FACE WITH HANDS.]

   Ayumi will always be known as a unconventional vocalist. Don't try to say i'm a hater either. Her fanbase even says that her voice is screechy at times. What do you except from a woman that was discovered in a karaoke place? The guy that discovered her said that she had a nice tone but needed vocal lessons too(lessons that he claimed she never went to at the beginning of her career.)….  Of course, this didn't stop Japan from making her one of the best selling Japanese artists of all time. I like that she didn't shy away from the fact that she knew she wasn't originally suppose to be a vocalist and did talk about it in interviews in the past at lest. I'll admit that some of her songs like Dearest and Heaven are some of my most favorite Japanese songs of all time. However, there are songs that she can pull off then there are some that she can't touch with a ten feet pole. Listening to Ayumi sing tracks that are not meant for her vocal level makes me want to kill myself, bring myself back to life then kill myself again… That's how bad she sounds when the tracks don't match her vocal ability.

   I still haven't checked to see how well Trouble did on the charts. I'm going to guess that it was defiantly in the top ten… While the album wasn't a new musical direction for Miss Hamasaki, Trouble is a good album overall.

South Club(남태현) - 20 Mini Album Thoughts(K-rock)

    Nam Taehyun is a singer that used to be signed under YG Entertainment in the idol group known as WINNER. He left the group suddenly for artistic reasons but he didn't hesitate to apologize to fans of WINNER before making his departure. I'm so late to Kpop news that I didn't know that he had made his exit from YG Entertainment until this band called South Club came up on my radar. The band is Nam Taehyun's current project, who have released two albums. 20 is their second mini album.

Track List:
01. 왕따 (OUTCAST)
02. Blues Of D
03. Blues Of A
04. GROWN UP 
 

   South Club's sound is a mixture of 80's rock and pop punk. The songs sound like Taehyun's release into freedom. A freedom that allows him to do whatever kind of music he's in the mood for that day. Outcast's upbeat party vibe connects to a catchy chorus that's easy to sing along with. Blue D & A pick listeners up in a time machine then takes them back in time using two songs that are vintage in every way of the word. Vocals and the band come across as put the dime in the diner music box from the eighties era to hear the style South Club was clearly inspired by. Grown Up also takes much of it's blueprint from the Beetles but it's nice to hear more rock bands coming out of South Korea. Nam's English is good in the short phrases used in the Korean songs as well. I just have a hard time understanding everything he sings when he sings English songs. This isn't a huge deal to me. I thought that I would make note of this though.

   Nam Hyun's vocal ranges sound more flexible in South Club's songs than it did in WINNER's music. Maybe this is because he wasn't required to use all of his ability in a group since other singers are there too. He defiantly lets it all hang out in his singing. Hitting high notes then yelling out after guitar solos. I enjoy this side of him. He's less robotic, more human.

   Why is Nam Hyun's name in front of the band's name? My guess this is to promote the band using his name. Whoever did this needs to realize that people who listen to WINNER might not listen to South Club because rock music isn't their thing. The fans that do follow him will get some good music from both albums they have released. The music isn't enough to make them the best in the K-indie rock scene but South Club is making their mark.

iKON(아이콘) - NEW KIDS: CONTINUE Mini Album Thoughts(Kpop)

   iKon is apart of the new generation of idol boy groups from YG Entertainment along with WINNER and Blackpink. These new groups are another opportunity for the label to make more money during a period of time where their other huge money making groups such as Big Bang and 2NE1 are pretty much nonexistent. I didn't join the new generation Kpop train simply based on the quality of music not meeting the same standard that the YG groups before them had set. Even if you consider Big Bang's drop in music quality over the years, the early years of Kpop murders what is currently being released now. iKON still manages to survive through all the mess ups of their company. NEW KIDS: CONTINUE is their latest long awaited release.

Track List:
01. 죽겠다 (KILLING ME) 
02. 바람 (FREEDOM)
03. ONLY YOU
04. 칵테일 (COCKTAIL)
05. 줄게 (JUST FOR YOU)
 


    I'm not a fan of iKON but the title track of this mini album did catch my attention. Emotional dark suffering exist in the lyrics of the title. Signaled by the deep and sad tech pop beat the graces the track. This beat gets a whole solo line in the chorus which tends to not be my cup of tea. Strangely enough, sometimes I like it. The beat really is very catchy as it gets into your bones, forcing you to move. Killing Me isn't anything special in the new world of Korean pop obsession based on the fact that the track uses the same old dance pop methods to create a leading song. Its a good song, Just not anything that would create a new beginning for the K-genre. Freedom was a nice addition to the title track when I didn't expect much else from New Kids as an album. YG's group's special take on pop rock was always one of the qualities that I enjoyed. iKON will probably make a dance choreograph to the track which would be interesting to see. Freedom has a sensation of youthful rebuttal that comes from the vocals paired together to the instruments and fun pop sweetness. New Kids's remaining tracks are about the same type of Kpop that has gone sour thanks to every group doing similar styles. I've lost all willingness to listen to sleeper hits… Well, sleeper hits in MY opinion. New generation Kpop fans please enjoy till you can't no more. Stage left is calling my name. [MIC DROP***]

   iKON sounds like the little brother to WINNER to me vocally. YG Entertainment has good vocalists(especially rappers) in general most of the time….. I did enjoy WINNER'S music a bit more until recently.

   This was the first iKON album that I have ever listened to. It might be the last depending on what their future releases sound like. At least I like some of their music now though. Aren't you proud of me? [INSERT ME LAUGHING]

Stray Kids(스트레이 키즈) - I am WHO? Mini Album Thoughts(Kpop)

  Stay Kids is another rookie idol group under the big South Korea JYP Entertainment. Their debut song called Hellevator gained them attention as a digital single then they released their first mini album; I am NOT. They've unveiled demos of songs that didn't make the official first album release as well two mini albums in total. I am Who is their second mini album.

Track List:
01. WHO?
02. My Pace
03. Voices
04. Question
05. 불면증
06. M.I.A.
07. 갑자기 분위기 싸해질 필요 없잖아요
   


    I liked Stray Kid's first song but didn't care for their releases after that. I didn't listen to their first mini album either. The title track didn't peak my interest in amy way. My Pace is Stay Kids chosen track to promote the album. It honestly sounds like two songs in one. One song that plays until the hook then the chorus plays out like another song. The section closing out the chorus is kinda childlike to the degree that it feels stupidly fun. My Pace is that song that you love to hate because you actually like the song while trying to hate it. I am Who stays pretty cohesive as an album after the wacky title number with tracks such as Voices and Question. Producers are etching a place in Korea's music industry as the catchy pop kings as their music is energized using dance beats in strong  strategy that makes Stay Kids create their own unique style of music. JYP could have simple made this boyband a GOT7 rip off. I wouldn't advise that though since GOTZ isn't doing as well as they use to though. While GOT7 grasps at straws to find a new music style that they really own, Stray Kids continues to use Kpop friendly familiar traits inside their music in their own special way. Question really surprised me when it came on the speakers in spunky attitude, pushing out a different side to the boys to showcase. I love how this track is hip hop inspired but uses all the members equally for a manly youth pop vibe. The rappers shine in their raps consisting of legit bars that gloss over Question's production. Each guy's voice couldn't sound more different from each other, this does stop the vocals from flowing together well however. Voices isn't usually a track that I would frequently listen to. Stray Kids green lights an addictive dance pop genre that's a bit dark in lyrical content unlike other groups and the vocal parts weave through the dance breaks without letting the beat take over the track completely. Hellevator was a good track because of these exact reasons. Their experiences in some of Stray Kids's lyrics are the emotion that become the inner structure of all tracks on the album. From a nonkpop fan who hates fandoms point of view, tracks 1-5 are pretty good for a idol group you would expect to be generic or unoriginal as hell. Tracks 6 & 7 are generic Kpop that I love to avoid.

   The rappers shined as much as the vocalists in these songs. Rappers are normally the members of the group to make them look cool for a few lines. Care is never taken in making idol rappers be more than the hype man. Stay Kids solved the problem by letting the rapper perform the same amount of time as the vocalists. It even seemed like the rappers were singing at some parts.

  I am Who? exceeded my expectations a little bit. I wasn't expecting to find Bops but I apparently did. Stay Humble and work hard boys. Also, please don't inspire to be like BTS. Be yourself guys. Stay on the look out for these rookies everyone.

Shi Shi(孙盛希) - Woman(女・人) Album Thoughts(Mando-pop)

   Shi Shi is a Taiwanese singer that is best known for participating in the singing show, Chinese Million Star where she finished in sixth place. Her background is actually Korean and Taiwanese descent so she speaks both languages fluently. She was born in South Korea as well as attended college there as an English major. The Golden Melody awards gave her a nomination for best new artist in 2015 but she didn't win. Woman is the singer's third studio album to date.

1	分裂 (Chaos) 孙盛希 (Shi Shi)
2	内疚 (Guilty) 孙盛希 (Shi Shi)
3	原来你是这样的人 (In The Mirror) 孙盛希 (Shi Shi)
4	听起来像藉口吗？ (Reason) 孙盛希 (Shi Shi)
5	We Can't Be Together 孙盛希 (Shi Shi)
6	自然凋谢 (Almost) - 三立週五華劇<姊的時代>插曲 孙盛希 (Shi Shi)
7	自我愈合 (Self-Healing) 孙盛希 (Shi Shi)
8	闯空门 (In And Out) 孙盛希 (Shi Shi), J.Sheon
9	有多美丽 (Love Yourself) 孙盛希 (Shi Shi)
10	很晚的晚安 (A Late Goodnight) 孙盛希 (Shi Shi)

  

   Woman is my first exposure to Shi Shi's music. There's already been two albums released for this girl so you can assume that she's doing things in her career. I kinda expected this album to be more pop RnB inspired than what it actually was. Especially after the trailblazing duet called In and Out with indie RnB singer J.Sheon(I've talked about him in a post awhile ago..). The track isn't strictly RnB with its slick beat that creates the rhythm while making an impression last like a long fading echo, however the track does feature soulful vocals from both singers. It's a song that belongs on an RnB album. Guilty is yet another track that forced me to think that this album was going to be amazing because the vocals and the composition of the instrumental sound like something different for Mandopop music. The vocal mixed together in the motion of the chorus's beat are just perfect as an introduction to show a window into what Shi Shi can do. That is until you take a listen to Woman, then you find out that they album is nothing like either one of these hit worthy songs. Woman falls very short in giving listeners the same vibe that these two tracks brought to the table. As a result, you find yourself listening through the first half of the album full of pop ballads that don't excite or make you want to listen to them more than a minute(Unless this type of music is your thing… It can be mine sometimes, depending on the song.). The middle of the album brings out a more soulful acoustic side of Shi Shi that did wake me up from the twilight sleep a had fallen into after the two best songs on the album came and went. I would like her to focus on making this style as strong as possible because it fits her as a musician so well. RnB and Pop are good genres for her too. Just don't be afraid to try out these kinds of music completely. Overall, Women is horribly inconsistent with it's content. Having one main set style on top of experimenting with a more RnB sound on the side would have worked in her favor more. 

   

   Most of the time I think that Shi Shi's voice is alright. On the other hand, she has special moments when she really gives great vocal performances. I honestly think that this depends on the song she is singing. Her acoustic pop songs are very good since this is where she seems most comfortable.

  Woman has more than one good track. The problem is that there are more skippable tracks than I would like to count. She still has two of the best songs out in Mandopop right now though. That's defiantly something right there.

FT Island(FT아일랜드) - What If Mini Album Thoughts(K-pop/Rock)

   FT Island has made their return right before summer was coming to an end. The band is pretty much on legendary status with numerous awards to their name that were rightfully earned over the years. They've never broke a sweat catering to the masses in Korea and Japan adding a range of ballads to acoustic and hard rock traits to their sound. Their last album; Where is the Truth? took them to one of the darkest emotional places in their music so I wondered what direction their new music would take at the crossroad of artistry. What if is their newest mini album for the closing period of summer.

Track List:

01. 여름밤의 꿈 (Summer Night’s Dream)
02. Dance With U
03. Nowhere
04. Fade Out (Feat. 유나 of AOA)
05. Who I Am
06. Paradise (Korean Ver.)

    FT Island is just coming from a rebellion phase of doing the music they wanted to do without the pressure of album sales. I do truly believe that they suffered in the sales department because their music on Where Is The Truth? didn't sound like anything that would be on the mainstream stations in Korea. What if is complete damage control as an answer to their past musical choice that clearly not all their fans were here for. I'm not saying that FT Island gave two fucks about doing whatever they hell they wanted in the studio cause they probably had none to give, and I don't care because Where Is The Truth? was one of their best albums in my opinion. I'm more than certain that their record label cared though. As a result, What If is very tame in terms of their previous releases. They went back to being very pop rock with an acoustic vibe which isn't a bad style on them musically. It's just a step back from the epic direction their music was going in. FT Island has owned the hell out of this style of music more than once in the past causing it to be nothing new for long time fans. Summer Nights Dream is a good song for what it's worth. I like the sultry feel of the ukulele played along side the band and the maraca in the background. If you are missing that special someone during the summer, this song is for you. The rest of the tracks are disappointing to me except for the little upward moment in the form of the track called Fade Out. FT Island literally wouldn't let their dark emotional sound get erased completely. There's a good balance of background piano and the band's playing over a violin led pop beat. Yuna from AoA pulled off her feature on the track using the grace of a seasoned singer. She could have easily been awfully out of place. At least I got two songs out of this album that I liked. Too much of the album sounded similar to overused pop songs that are heard repeatedly in Kpop. Please stop singing songs with an English phrase being said multiple times…. Find a new method to making catchy songs.


   Hongki can sing anything. This is the main reason FT Island music genre transitions happen so diligently. He has a great band of guys with him too that support him firmly with their vocals and occasional raps. They keep getting better and better signaling no slow down point for them in sight.

    What If wasn't for me personally. I kinda of saw this type of album coming before I gave it a listen. I got something out of it but I hope FT Island can continue to spread their wings freely through the music THEY want to create.

Operation Red Sea(红海行动) Chinese Film Thoughts

   Directed by Dante Lam, Operation Red Sea stars Zhang Zi, Huang Jingyu(Johnny Huang), Du Jiang, Hai Qing, and, Henry Prince Mak. Feng Ji wrote the script to the war film which became the the seventh highest grossing film of 2018 in China and was deemed the first modern naval film. It also won best film at Beijing's international festival.


   A Chinese naval assault team is sent to rescue Chinese citizens from Yemen's southern port of Aden.

   Operation Red Sea keeps every ounce of the film a hundred percent truthful throughout the entire film. There's more than just a little hint of realism, audiences get the whole raw uncut presentation of war. Not only war, but also the experiences of the solider and citizens involved. It was a bit surprising how to script was wrote in a way that was faltering yet unflattering to the Chinese army at the time. Keeping to realism must have been more important to the writer than keeping up appearances. Operation Red Sea is loosely based on the events from 2015 where the Chinese naval force rescued six hundred Chinese citizens from Yemen during the Yemeni civil war. Considering leaving all the uncensored events out on the table would be a good idea but the director and writer didn't have to do that if they didn't want to. Maybe watching a film of the Chinese army just having the day like making cherry pie wouldn't have been appealing to an audience that knew better. The Yemeni war was some of the most dangerous acts of war that have ever been seen on the earth. So Operation Red Sea capitalized on the riveting fact that War brings about loss in the face of human sacrifice. This film doesn't slow down on the action as it seems that the battle never stops until the closing credits. I was very interested in the mindset of the army when going to rescue civilians. The army was original there to ONLY rescue Chinese people. Meaning that all the other people were as good as rubble on the ground. Most races care about their own and its even more apparent in East asian races such as Chinese, Japanese, and, Korean. There will be times that you will care more about someone who looks like you however, never forget that at times of occurrences that affect more people than just your race, we should all come together in order to help everyone. You can see the shift in a colonized racial mindset that realizes more than just their own race needed help. This was one of the qualities that I enjoyed the most about Operation Red Sea's script. I just want to let you know that this film can be VERY graphic so don't watch if you have a weak stomach or you don't like graphic scenes of violence.

   This film was defiantly one of the best looking war films out of China that I have seen in a long time. Those explosions kept the tension high for viewers and the slow motion effects of bullets flying into the air made me feel sorry for the person getting shot at. I though I was playing an old school James Bond shooting game, then remembered that I wasn't….. Do those games even get made anymore?

   I honestly watched this film for Johnny Huang because I never watched him in anything else outside of Addicted(Chinese Web Drama). The actors and actresses energy levels should be praised instead of their acting…. It must have been hot as hell filming in the dessert wearing all the equipment. They all had to learn basic techniques for the war scenes too. The acting was good for what they had to work with…. Not award winning in my opinion. Johnny should have gotten an award for Addicted but China banned the drama.

    Lovers of war films should give this film a watch. The story is pretty honest without be super patriotic toward China.  I'm going to have to find out what else Johnny has been up to.