Japan
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Tokyo Ghoul is an ambitious adaptation of Sui Ishida’s dark fantasy manga by first-time filmmaker Kentaro Hagiwara. It includes a number of intriguing elements from vampire lore and superhero mythology,… Read More
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Samurai warriors and alien invaders exist side-by-side on the streets of Edo period Japan in Yuichi Fukuda’s big-screen adaptation of Hideaki Sorachi’s bestselling manga. While this chaotic mash-up of sci-fi… Read More
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Adapted from Morio Kita’s beloved children’s book of the same name by La La La at Rock Bottom director Nobuhiro Yamashita, My Uncle is a typically heart-warming affair, anchored by… Read More
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Anchored by an energetic central performance from 18-year-old Suzu Hirose, Let’s Go, Jets! repackages the well-worn sports drama into an engaging coming-of-age tale about competitive cheerleading at a remote Japanese… Read More
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Few pastimes are less fruitful than watching someone else play a video game, although this full-length feature does its utmost to prove otherwise. Unlike the seemingly endless stream of Milla… Read More
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Following the success of last year’s What a Wonderful Family!, veteran Japanese filmmaker Yoji Yamada reunites the Hirata clan for a second round of family misfortunes. Read my review Read More
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Japanese studio Nikkatsu’s successful run of “roman porno” reboots stumbles with its fourth offering, a leery and unimaginative tale of infatuation and jealousy. Read my review Read More
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Based on the manga by Yoshitoki Oima, A Silent Voice – also translated onscreen as The Shape of Voice – depicts two lonely souls who struggle to connect with their… Read More
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Seldom one to be praised for his positive representations of women onscreen (remember Virgin Psychics ?), Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono takes encouraging strides towards a more feminist outlook in Antiporno,… Read More
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One of the most enduring themes in Japanese cinema is the clash between old and new, the struggle of older generations to relate to their successors and preserve traditional aspects… Read More
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Directed by Isao Yukisada (best known for the 2004 teen-romance tearjerker Crying Out Love, in the Centre of the World), this second title of Nikkatsu studio’s new wave of rebooted… Read More
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In the mid-1970s, Japan’s oldest studio, Nikkatsu, looked to combat dwindling box office returns with a series of softcore “Roman Pornos” (meaning “romantic pornography”) Read my review Read More
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Almost as ubiquitous as stories about provincial country life, or tales of strained relationships between parents and their children, Japanese cinema is awash with the misadventures of struggling young musicians.… Read More
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Following her impressive comeback in 2014’s Pale Moon , once-controversial actress Rie Miyazawa gives a heart-wrenching performance in Her Love Boils Bathwater as a terminally ill matriarch determined to reconcile… Read More
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Bursting with anarchic energy and awash with lurid colours, The Mole Song: Hong Kong Capriccio surpasses its 2013 predecessor in sheer entertainment value as a consistently ridiculous crime caper. Read… Read More
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Body swapping, time displacement and comets of mass destruction all feature prominently in Makoto Shinkai’s heart-wrenching adolescent romance. Read my review Read More
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King Kong vs Godzilla. Freddy vs Jason. Cinema loves staging high-stakes bouts between its most iconic characters for our entertainment. Read my review Read More
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Japanese action star Tak Sakiguchi makes a welcome return to the screen in this stripped-down action thriller that sees a deadly super soldier forced out of seclusion and back to… Read More
The James Marsh film review archive 