Two Asian Blokes

In this episode we celebrate our return from Japan with two movies - one centred around two Japanese schoolgirls and one where the opening scene involves a bunch of Yakuza getting killed.

Look Back is a 2024 Japanese animated coming-of-age drama film based on the one-shot web manga of the same name by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The two main characters, Fujino and Kyomoto couldn't be more different, yet their shared passion for drawing manga unites these two small-town girls. This movie is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

The Shadow Strays is a 2024 Indonesian action crime thriller film written and directed by Timo Tjahjanto. The film sees Codename 13, a 17-year-old assassin,  suspended due to a sloppy mission in Japan. She meets 11-year-old Monji, who loses his mother, and sets out to rescue him. This movie is currently streaming on Netflix.

Is there more than meets the eye in Look Back? Are the Mo Brothers paving the way for a new genre? Let's discuss.

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00:00 The Start
03:33 Look Back review
26:57 SPOILERS for Look Back
49:29 The Shadow Strays
1:10:15 SPOILERS for The Shadow Strays

Did you enjoy these movies?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]

Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok @twoasianblokes.

#lookback #theshadowstrays #anime #netflix #martialarts

In this episode we invite special guests Rhiannon and Margaret, hosts of the podcast Character Chaos, to discuss Kim Jee-woon's 2003 horror classic, A Tale Of Two Sisters.

This was Rhiannon and Margaret's first viewing of A Tale Of Two Sisters. Did they enjoy it as much as us? Will their pitch for a Disney remake successfully make Thavy puke? Let's find out!

Also, check out Character Chaos anywhere you can get your podcasts!

YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/@characterchaospod

Spotify -- https://open.spotify.com/show/6IZHpDU5li96q1OUqoGfjy?si=3f1cbb4a555b4eb2

Linktree -- https://linktr.ee/characterchaos

Also follow them on Instagram and TikTok @character.chaos


00:00 The Beginning
02:06 Halloween in the UK
11:11 Scary movies
19:00 A Tale Of Two Sisters
29:00 The first twist
34:00 Confusion
47:50 Sadness
51:00 The House
57:30 The Performances
1:10:35 Disney remake
1:31:44 The Uninvited

Did you enjoy A Tale Of Two Sisters? Do you prefer the remake?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]
Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.

Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram @twoasianblokes.

In this week's episode, Danh takes a break and Thavy invites his good friend Angel on the show to look at some music.

Angel has dabbled in piano and is well-versed in the traditional Chinese instrument, the Pipa. Not ordinarily utilized in heavy metal music, Thavy of course wanted to get Angel's thoughts on some heavier bands that he's into.

(Apologies for the watermark on Hitsujibungaku. You can blame SONY Music for that)

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00:00 Introducing Angel
04:33 Addiction by Hitsujibungaku
12:05 Suffocate by Knocked Loose

What did you think of these songs? Any others from these bands that Angel should check out?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]

Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok @twoasianblokes.

#hitsujibungaku #knockedloose #heavymetal #jrock

In this week's Halloween Special we reviewed five big spooky releases of this season! No spoilers unless otherwise stipulated.

Strange Darling - a 2023 American thriller film written and directed by JT Mollner and starring Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner. Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer's vicious murder spree.

The Substance - a 2024 satirical body horror film written, directed, and co-produced by Coralie Fargeat, starring Demi Moore and Margeret Qualley. Elisabeth Sparkle, renowned for an aerobics show, faces a devastating blow on her 50th birthday as her boss fires her. Amid her distress, a laboratory offers her a substance which promises to transform her into an enhanced version of herself.

Speak No Evil - a 2024 American psychological horror thriller film written and directed by James Watkins, starring James McAvoy, Scoot McNairy and Mackenzie Davis. A remake of the 2022 Danish-Dutch film the film sees dream holiday turns into a living nightmare when an American couple and their daughter spend the weekend at a British family's idyllic country estate.

In A Violent Nature - a 2024 Canadian slasher film written and directed by Chris Nash, and starring Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, and Lauren-Marie Taylor. When a group of teens takes a locket from a collapsed fire tower in the woods, they unwittingly resurrect the rotting corpse of Johnny, a vengeful spirit spurred on by a horrific 60-year old crime. The undead killer soon embarks on a bloody rampage to retrieve the stolen locket, methodically slaughtering anyone who gets in his way.

Handsome Guys (핸섬가이즈) - a 2024 South Korean black comedy horror film written and directed by Nam Dong-hyeop, starring Lee Sung-min, Lee Hee-joon, Gong Seung-yeon, Park Ji-hwan, and Lee Kyu-hyung. A remake of the 2010 Canadian horror-comedy film Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, the film centres around self-proclaimed tough guy 'Jae-pil' and 'Sang-gu' who finally move into their dream European-style house, when unwanted visitors arrive, awakening a sealed evil spirit in the basement.

Which of these movies are our favourites? Are remakes doomed to fall short of the originals? Let's discuss.

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00:00 The Start
04:38 Strange Darling
13:08 The Substance
26:35 Speak No Evil
35:23 SPOILERS for Speak No Evil
45:49 In A Violent Nature
54:50 SPOILERS for Handsome Guys

Which of these movies have you seen? Which was your favourite?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]

Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.

Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok @twoasianblokes.

#strangedarling #thesubstance #speaknoevil #inaviolentnature #handsomeguys #halloween

In this week's episode we talked the latest in the NewJeans vs HYBE scandal, Shōgun winning big at the Emmys, as well as mini-reviews for Blumhouse's afrAId and Alex Garland's Devs, before going to the main review for this episode - Terminator ZERO.

Terminator Zero is a science fiction action anime series developed by Mattson Tomlin for Netflix. It is set in the Terminator universe created by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd. Animation services were provided by Production I.G under the direction of Masashi Kudō.

How does this series compare to the rest of the franchise? Is it too anime? Does Netflix have a subtitling issue? Let's discuss.

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00:00 The Start
03:07 NewJeans vs HYBE
17:13 Shogun wins some Emmys
22:34 afrAId
29:29 Devs
33:20 Terminator ZERO (spoiler-free)
56:46 SPOILERS


Did you enjoy this series?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]

Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok @twoasianblokes.

#terminatorzero #terminator #netflix #newjeans #shogun

In this week's episode we had a big whinge about two bad modern remakes of classic films from the 80s and 90s, John Woo's The Killer and as Rupert Sanders' The Crow.

The Killer (2024) is directed by John Woo and stars Nathalie Emmanuel and Sam Worthington. It is a remake of the 1989 classic also directed by John Woo, starring Chow Yun Fat, about a professional killer who accidentally blinds a woman while on a job.

The Crow (2024) is directed by Rupert Sanders and stars Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs. It is a remake of the 1994 cult classic directed by Alex Proyas, starring Brandon Lee, about a musician who after being murdered alongside his lover, is resurrected as an immortal avenger to exact vengeance on those that wronged him.

Spoiler alert: we prefer the originals.

Where do the remakes fall down? Are we just a couple of old guys that can't let go? Let's discuss.

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00:00 We LOVE The Killer (1989)
09:09 We HATE The Killer (2024)
15:20 No love for the original
19:00 The action and chemistry
25:22 The main character
32:15 Not John Woo enough
40:20 Alternative versions
41:40 We LIKE The Crow (1994)
48:50 We HATE The Crow (2024)
55:40 Good gore though
1:00:48 Plot holes
1:09:17 The action
1:15:00 The end
1:24:00 Lack of charisma
1:28:30 Closing thoughts


Remakes or originals?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]

Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok @twoasianblokes.

#thekiller #thecrow #johnwoo #BillSkarsgård #FKAtwigs

In this week's episode we reviewed three horror movies, two bad ones and one good one. Which is which - who's to say?

Trap (2024) is a tense thriller about a serial killer escaping from a pop concert. Starring Josh Hartnett and one of M. Night Shyamalan's daughters, M. Night self-funded this odd duck of a movie as a means to support his daughter Saleeka's singing career.

Ma Da: The Drowning Spirit (2024) is a Vietnamese ghost story about a malevolent spirit that haunts the Mekong River.

Alien: Romulus is the good one.

How do we feel about nepotism in the film industry? Why couldn't we get on board the only Asian movie of this episode? Why should everyone be watching Alien: Romulus in 4D? Let's discuss.

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00:00 Trap review (SPOILERS)
22:37 Ma Da review (SPOILERS)
44:19 Alien: Romulus review (spoiler-free)
1:10:43 SPOILERS

Which of these movies did you enjoy?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]

Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok @twoasianblokes.

#alienromulus #alien #trap #mada #horrormovies

In this week's episode we talked the Paris Olympics, the Terminator ZERO trailer (with a side of zankensoki action), and Squid Game season 2 (with a side of Mr. Beast controversy). Danh also has a big whinge about spoilers on the internet and Thavy gives a mini-review of a Filipino horror anthology, before we do our main review for this episode, Third World Romance, currently streaming on Netflix.

Third World Romance (2023) is a Filipino romance film written and directed by Dwein Baltazar, starring Charlie Dizon and Carlo Aquino. The film centres an outspoken cashier and a laid-back grocery bagger as they navigate the path to happiness, despite the challenges of blue-collared living in a world where nothing comes for free.

This is one of the best romance films we've seen this year.

What sets this movie above it's contemporaries? Let's discuss.

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00:00 The Start
01:44 The Olympic Games Paris 2024
08:29 Terminator ZERO trailer
11:27 BLEACH: Rebirth of Souls 
15:17 Squid Game season 2
18:48 Mr. Beast controversy
22:23 Danh has a big whinge
30:50 Shake, Rattle & Roll
36:10 Third World Romance (non-spoilers)
1:00:00 SPOILERS


Did you enjoy this movie as much as we did?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]

Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok @twoasianblokes.

#thirdworldromance #asiancinema #moviepodcast #charliedizon #carloaquino #netflix

In this week's episode we talked about the passing of Cheng Pei-pei, Shogun cleaning up at the Emmys, as well as the trailer for the American remake of The Killer by John Woo. We also offer up mini-reviews for Long Legs and The Acolyte, before getting onto the main review for this episode - a Thai film called How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.

How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies (หลานม่า) is a 2024 Thai drama film directed and co-written by Pat Boonnitipat, starring Putthipong Assaratanakul and Usha Seamkhum. The film centres around M, a university dropout low on money and luck, volunteers to take care of his terminally ill Amah in the hopes for an inheritance.

This is one of the very few movies that could squeeze tears from Danh's cold, unfeeling eyes.

Why and when? Let's discuss.

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00:00 The Start
02:09 RIP Cheng Pei-pei
04:54 Shogun at the Emmys
07:36 The Killer remake
08:34 Long Legs mini-review
20:30 The Acolyte mini-review
32:05 How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies


At what point in this movie did you cry?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]

Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok @twoasianblokes.

#howtomakemillionsbeforegrandmadies #หลานม่า #LanMa #LahnMah #thaimovie #moviepodcast

In this week's episode talk about four movies we saw as part of this year's Sydney Film Festival:

-Kinds of Kindness directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons
-Black Box Diaries directed by Shiori Ito
-A Different Man directed by Aaron Schimberg, starring Sebastian Stan, Adam Pearson, and Renate Reinsve
-The Contestant directed by Claire Titley

With a good mix of A24 weirdness and Japanese based documentaries, which of these movies did we like the most? Let's discuss.

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00:00 The Start
04:39 Kinds of Kindness
19:45 Black Box Diaries
32:58 A Different Man
45:20 The Contestant
1:02:31 The End

Did you go to the Sydney Film Festival this year? What did you watch?

Let us know in the comments or contact us at [email protected]

Also, join our Friends of Two Asian Blokes Facebook group if you want to discuss this topic further.
Thanks for listening! Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts for weekly shows about vaguely Asian stuff. You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok @twoasianblokes.

#kindsofkindness #blackboxdiaries #adifferentman #thecontestant #moviereview