A melancholy sharpshooter finds himself caught up in conspiracy when hired by fascist revolutionaries in Kiyoshi Nishimura’s paranoia thriller.
Jan 25, 2024 • Subscribe
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Golden Partners (黄金のパートナー, Kiyoshi Nishimura, 1979)
Two aimless best friends team up with a young woman looking for her missing father to find long lost wartime gold in Kiyoshi Nishimura’s breezy adventure.
Target (薔薇の標的, Toru Murakawa, 1980)
A young man seeks justice for a fallen friend in Toru Murakawa’s grimy neo-noir.
Target (標的, Shinji Nishijima, 2021)
Shinji Nishijima’s documentary follows former Asahi Shimbun journalist Takashi Uemura as he continues to fight for press freedom in an increasingly authoritarian Japan.
The Creature Called Man (豹は走った, Kiyoshi Nishimura, 1970)
A policeman on a mission squares off against an assassin intent on executing an exiled dictator in Kiyoshi Nishimura’s thorny geopolitical thriller.
Wife of a Spy (スパイの妻, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2020)
An upperclass housewife finds herself pulled into a deadly game of espionage in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s dark exploration of the consequences of love
Three Women of the North (北の三人, Kiyoshi Saeki, 1945)
Three female radio operators become the backbone of a moribund war effort in the last propaganda film produced before the war’s end.
Pick of the Week: White Roses
SEAN: It’s an embarrassment of riches the first week of 2021. There’s the new Ascendance of a Bookworm novel, the new Sweat and Soap, and any number of…
Too Young to Die (死ぬにはまだ早い, Kiyoshi Nishimura, 1969)
An adulterous couple begin to reassess their relationship when caught up in a hostage situation in Nishimura’s tense interpersonal drama
Dear Summer Sister (夏の妹, Nagisa Oshima, 1972)
A young woman travels to Okinawa in search of a boy who may or may not be her half-brother in an uncharacteristically breezy effort from Nagisa Oshima
Funeral Parade of The Roses (1969) review
“A highly experimental and intense exploration of how the images we clothe ourselves with makes us blind for what truly grounds us as subject.”
Casino, The (1972)
Director: Chang Tseng-chai Starring: Yueh Hua, Lily Ho, Shih Kien, Fan Mui-shang, Chiang Nan Entering a casino and casually cleaning out the House, Luo (Hua) demonstrates his gambling…
The Guard From Underground (地獄の警備員, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1992)
Kiyoshi Kurosawa positions an office building as an industrial hell but suggests it’s only one of many hazards to be aware of for a woman in the corporate…
生成AIの台頭と知的活動の隔絶の心配
AIが発達しても好奇心旺盛な人間、自己顕示欲が強くこだわりが強い創作者、頭の良さがずば抜けている人たち、天邪鬼、変人、狂人は創作や研究において頭角を現し続けるであろう。これは変わらないと思う。しかし頭のねじが壊れていない、その他大勢の方々は知的探求において受け身に甘んじたり思考が単純化しそうで怖い。 趣味の世界で没頭できる余裕がある人は大丈夫だろうけど、駆け出しの十代や日々の生活でかつかつな人たちからすればじっくり研究したり徐々に技を磨く工程が「贅沢な道楽」となってしまうのではないだろうか。 努力せずともそこそこ面白い想像や探究が可能とするAIだが、思考や論理組み立ての基礎が脆弱な段階からAIに依存するとカンペだよりと同じ結果になりそう。計算機を使う前に基礎的な計算方法を知らないとミスが発生しても対応に苦慮するのと同じである。計算機やAIをけなしているのではなく、それを使いこなす教育の不十分さと人間の怠慢さを危惧しているのだが…… また創作や研究への情熱を理解できない人はその重要性を「有効性」「生産性」や「人気」でしか図ることができなくなり、ますます人間の特権である遊び心の領域が退化する不安が先走る。杞憂であればよいのだが。 そもそも知的作業を営む人間の数がごく一部になってしまい、最先端にいる人とその他大勢の間に大きな隔たりが生まれると中世ヨーロッパのように「ラテン語の出来る人とできない人」のように認識能力においてかなり決定的な差異が発生しかねない心配をしている。 中世においてラテン語ができれば古代の知識や遠方の人間との交流を可能とする学術の言語だった。ラテン語ができれば自らの研究が共有されやすく、他者の知的探求を認知しやすくなる。いっぽうラテン語ができない人間は他者（権力者その他）による解説に依存することにある。 これまで人は創作や研究における競争が行き過ぎると、その内容ではなく人格攻撃やプラットフォームでの上げ足取りや人気取りの小手先を重要視する傾向がある。もちろんこれは兼光の個人的な印象でしかないが、日米を比較したり、これまでのメディア業界の歴史を振り返るとそのような事象が目立つのだ。巨大な統一プラットフォームでの勝ち組負け組形成による不均衡の増大より、複数のプラットフォームで色々な競争があったの方が文化は豊かになると思っている。 プラットフォームの集約と生成AIの問題は別だが、片方がもう片方を悪化させる可能性は否めないのではないだろうか。 すごい作品ばかりが立ち並ぶ領域にいきなり立たされると人は委縮しやすい。最初は身近な箱庭がいい。家庭の中で、学校で、同人誌即売会の中で――ローカルで技を磨き、やがて本当に上を目指す人はより大きなステージへ。 しかし生成AIから手軽に研究・創作できると最初からグローバルでの競争となるために、気軽に身近な場所で下手の横好きから創作・研究が始められず、挫折する人が増えそうな気がして仕方ない。 これがすべて50代中盤のおっさんの身勝手な心配であればいいのだが……
Pick of the Week: Everything’s Coming Up Roses
ASH: While there are quite a few manga being released this week, many of them great, my pick will likely be obvious. It’s a long time coming, but…
War of Roses Indie Otome Review
War of Roses is a short slice-of-life indie otome/dress up game developed by one of my absolute fave indie developers, Jellyfish Parade. Take on the role of Rose as…
Jack the Poetical Private / 詩的私的ジャック
Despite its focus on STEM, the S&M series sure seems to have an aversion to formula. While the previous book broke the mold by moving from...
Trail Of Blood (1972) review
Ikehiro stylishly celebrates the Matatabi film of the past and offers the chanbara-enthusiast enough sword-fighting action to satisfy him/her.
Laughing Target
Orphan concludes (for now) its Rumiko Takahashi festival with the third Rumic World OVA, 1987's Warau Hyouteki ( Laughing Target ). This is...
Death Note, Laughing Target, Milky Passion: Dougenzaka - Ai no Shiro, Nozomi Witches, One Pound Gospel
Sailor Moon R: The Movie – A Taste of Roses
I have plenty of old shames when it comes to my anime watching career. One of them is never watching Naruto, so I know the bare minimum about…
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Pick of the Week: It Must Have Been the Roses
SEAN: Come on. We all know what it is. This is the last time we can pick it, so it HAS to be the 5th and final volume…
The Guard From Underground 地獄の警備員 (1992) Remaster Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
The Guard From Underground 地獄の警備員 (1992) Remaster, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, is a solid slasher film that features a psychotic sumo wrestler smashing the world of corporate Japan.…
Serpent’s Path Le chemin du serpent 蛇の道 (2024) Dir: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Serpent's Path Le chemin du serpent 蛇の道 (2024), by director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, is an updating of a film made nearly 30 years ago. Its setting switched from Japan to France…
Interview Jr. 6, "Trina Nishimura"
Episodes that cover a specific news or event not related to a Manga chapter or an Anime episode. These episodes often include special guests or revolve around a…
Interview Jr. 6, "Trina Nishimura"
Episodes that cover a specific news or event not related to a Manga chapter or an Anime episode. These episodes often include special guests or revolve around a…
New Moomin 38/52 - The Curse of the Red Moon (赤い月の呪い) (1972) (English subtitles)
Every lunar eclipse, swarms of bats arrive in Moominvalley, and these bats are said to be vampiric. When it turns out that Snufkin has been taking care of…
The Fearless Avenger (1972) review
A satisfying sequel to `Trail Of Blood` that delivers everything a fan of the genre desires – blood, betrayals and lots of sword-fighting.
Golden Time (Volume 1) – The Hand of Fate Holds Roses
It’s Tada Banri’s first day at college and he’s lost. Luckily, there’s another guy with the same envelope as him so he must be going to the same…
New Moomin 39/52 - The Laughter Mask (笑いの仮面) (1972) (English subtitles)
It's the day of the Mask Festival, and Sniff wants a special laughter mask that the old mask-maker doesn't want to give him at first. Eventually, he relents,…
Historical drama review: Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
I’m starting to work on the review of Yuru Camp S3. I should have something to say about it, even if I already wrote about the first two seasons,…
Rumik World: THE LAUGHING TARGET (1987)
I revisit one of Rumiko Takahashi's lesser known works.
Adventures in the Key of Shoujo: Stepping on Roses Vol.1
Stepping on Roses Vol. 1 | By Rinko Ueda | Published by Shojo Beat | Rated: Older Teen, Ages 13+ Ah, getting back to old habits can be…
1972: The Year Anime Got Groovy
Japanese animation, anime, cartoons, manga, 1960-1990, Tezuka, Miyazaki, Ishinomori, Matsumoto, Yamato, Gatchaman, Star Blazers, Captain Harlock
New Moomin 47/52 - Slip Out Of the Land of Ice (氷の国をぬけだせ) (1972) (English subtitles)
Winter is starting to arrive in Moominvalley, and Moomin and pals go ice-skating in the morning. However, after an accident, they find themselves in a strange icy wonderland,…
New Moomin 43/52 - Arion's Lyre (アリオンのたて琴) (1972) (English subtitles)
Pappa waxes lyrical about the stars, and tells Moomin the tale of Arion and his lyre to convey to him the power of beautiful poetry. The next day,…
Arion, Maku, Moomin, Moomin, New Moomin
OVA October: Hell Target
With this entry, I had a note that the anime youtuber Hazel mentioned this title at some point. I’m not sure in a good or bad way, but…
Bara no ki ni bara no hana saku / 薔薇の木にバラの花咲く / (‘Roses Bloom on the Rose Bush’, 1959)
Obscure Japanese Film #136 Ayako Wakao Rieko Sumi and Ayako Wakao Reiko (Ayako Wakao) is a senior university student majoring in English w...
Entrepreneur Mariko Nishimura Bridges Tech and Culture
Mariko Nishimura wears many hats: programmer, marketer, media creator, businesswoman and entrepreneur. She makes them all look good, combining a high-energy, outgoing personality with a deep-seated curiosity about…
Hokkyoku Hyakkaten no Concierge-san: Nishimura Tsuchika
If you’ve ever been to Japan, you know the service pretty much everywhere is top notch, something that always leaves me disoriented when I return to Canada and…
New Moomin 35/52 - Pappa's Old Shoes (パパの古い靴) (1972) (English subtitles)
While searching for his ball in the storeroom, Moomin discovers Pappa's old shoes. As Mamma explains, they are a memento of the hardships he went through when he…
New Moomin 14/52 - Sorry-oo's Own Home (メソメソ君のマイホーム) (1972) (English subtitles)
Sorry-oo has been too mischievous and destructive lately, and no one in Moominvalley can stand having him anymore, not even the Snork family. Eventually, the kids decide to…
The History of Mushi Pro – 05 – Farewell to Tezuka (1970-1972)
From a Tezuka-centered perspective, the legacy of the Animerama films is difficult to assess. They were certainly pioneering, but the studio had to pay a heavy toll for…
Rintarō, “New Moomin” (1972), and the Last Days of Mushi Pro
Last year marked the 50th anniversary of a rather little-known series in Japanese animation history. New Moomin was the second TV anime to be based loosely on Finnish…
Tokyo Roses: A History & Growing Guide
Get to know some of the most beautiful made-in-Japan roses as well as the history of roses in Japan.
Sweet Home (スウィートホーム, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1989)
A documentary film crew encounter a vengeful ghost while investigating a creepy mansion in an early gothic horror adventure from Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
Cloud (Cloud クラウド, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2024)
“We wanted to make easy money,” a down-on-his luck reseller admits, “is life easy now?” Factory worker Ryosuke (Masaki Suda) rebels against capitalism by subverting it through buying…
Tokyo Sonata (トウキョウソナタ, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2008)
Orphaned salarymen are the soulless ghosts haunting an increasingly empty city in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s eerie tale of urban anxiety
Cloud クラウド (2024) Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Cloud クラウド (2024) Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa is his chilling warning of how people are dehumanised by materialism/technology, as told through a thriller/home invasion format and a strong performanc…
The history of Studio Dove: Studio Sunrise’s hidden trump card – Nobuyoshi Nishimura Long Interview
If you've watched any Sunrise anime from the 1980s or 1990s, chances are you've encountered Nobuyoshi Nishimura’s work or become aware of his name.
The Queen Of Roses Charolette vs The Bloodbath Princess Vanica! Black Clover Chapter 277 BREAKDOWN
You know: I expected none of this. I was full prepared to see what Jack and Nacht could do against Dante. But I’m SO GLAD I was wrong…
The Apothecary Diaries Episode 22 Review – Make The Roses Bloom Mad
Maomao’s incentive for making the blue roses is to be a hater. That’s it.