True demon movie hiding in “Kakurenbo: Hide and Seek” but weak story and characters need more work to bring out the monsters
Shuhei Morita, “Kakurenbo: Hide and Seek” (2004) A very lavish short film that uses cel-shaded
Tag: Japanese Films
Reviews of Japanese-language films I find significant or interesting.
Cat Soup: surreal meditation on life and death, time, religion and the universe
Tatsuo Sato, “Cat Soup” / “Nekojiru-so” (2003) Here is a beautifully animated surreal short film
13 Assassins: good guys fight bad guys in a changing world where old traditions and values are redundant
Takashi Miike, “13 Assassins” / “Jusannin no Shikaku” (2010) Is there a genre of film
Anxiety about industrialisation and technology and their effects on individuals and society in “Tetsuo: The Iron Man”
Shinya Tsukamoto, “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” (1989) Once again Tsukamoto has remade “Tetsuo: The Iron
Rashomon: still a timely investigation into human nature and its need for approval, and how truth is lost
Akira Kurosawa, “Rashomon” (1950) For this film, director Kurosawa used a blend of two short
Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors: uneven animated movie with strident tone preaches a nationalistic message
Mitsuyo Seo, “Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors” (1945) Japan’s first full-length animated movie is a World
Kiki’s Delivery Service: charming film about maturity, finding oneself and never giving up hope
Hayao Miyazaki, “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (1989) A charming coming-of-age film about a young witch who
Symbol (dir. Hatoshi Matsumoto): polished and slick slapstick comedy on nature of the universe
Hatoshi Matsumoto, “Symbol” (2009) A slapstick comedy about interrelationships and the impact one person can
Profound themes of evolution, maturity, cycles of life and death, and Japan’s modern history in Katsuhiro Otomo’s “Akira”
Katsuhiro Otomo, “Akira” (1988) In an alternative but parallel universe in 1988, a scientific experiment
Early Summer: visually stunning film with message about effects of change on families
Yasujiro Ozu, “Early Summer” (1951) Calm and serene with a thin plot, “Early Summer” looks