A gangster laying low realises there is no escape from his sense of ennui in Toshio Masuda’s post-modern re-imagining of his earlier Red Pier
Apr 16, 2021 • Subscribe
More like this
Toshio Masuda on Yamato, 2007
Right from the beginning, Yoshinobu Nishizaki wanted Space Battleship Yamato to be different from all previous anime productions. One way to achieve that was to hire Toshio Masuda,…
Zero (零戦燃ゆ, Toshio Masuda, 1984)
The Zero Fighter has taken on a kind of mythic existence in a romanticised vision of warfare, yet as Toshio Masuda’s Zero (零戦燃ゆ零戦燃ゆ, Zerosen moyu) implies its time…
Red Handkerchief (赤いハンカチ, Toshio Masuda, 1964)
A pure-hearted former policeman embarks on a noirish journey of retribution after discovering his partner may have betrayed him in Masuda’s stylish crime drama
Flowing (流れる, Mikio Naruse, 1956)
The denizens of a moribund geisha house contemplate visions of independence in post-war Japan Mikio Naruse’s thriving ensemble drama.
Crimson Wings (紅の翼, Ko Nakahira, 1958)
An earnest pilot’s mission to deliver the tetanus vaccine to a little boy is disrupted by a fugitive yakuza hitman in Ko Nakahira’s lighthearted thriller.
Whirlpool of Flesh (おんなの渦と淵と流れ, Ko Nakahira, 1964)
A intellectual professor and his wounded wife find themselves trapped in a toxic marriage after returning from Manchuria in Ko Nakahira’s fatalistic drama
Japan Stories それぞれの日本
A beautifully written patchwork of stories of contemporary Japan each of which focuses on and mainly revolves around one person with associated minor characters who, though obviously less…
Tokyo Drifter (東京流れ者, Seijun Suzuki, 1966)
A recently released yakuza attempts to join the new society by going straight but finds his efforts frustrated by upstart gangsters in Seijun Suzuki’s postmodern noir.
Episode #89 (S11E9) – Tokyo Drifter [東京流れ者] (1966)
Director Seijun Suzuki is a really unique figure in the world of Japanese cinema, with a style all his own. In this episode, Japanese film scholar Jennifer Upton…
Murder in the Crimson Manor / 紅蓮館の殺人
Murder in the Crimson Manor is lit. Actually, I think it’s just okay, but “Murder in the Crimson Manor is lit” seemed like a snappier opening, and obliques…
Under the Stars (星の子, Tatsushi Omori, 2020)
A young woman raised by devotees of a new religion comes to question her worldview when confronted with its otherness in Tatsushi Omori’s coming-of-age drama.
A Movie Capital (映画の都, Toshio Iizuka, 1991)
As the opening of Toshio Iizuka’s A Movie Capital (映画の都, Tokyo no Miyako) makes plain, 1989 was a year of turbulence all over the world but also perhaps…
Wandering Shore / 流離の岸 / Ryuri no kishi (1956)
Obscure Japanese Film #180 Terumi Niki Sachiko Murase Chiho (Terumi Niki) is a young child left alone in the country to be raised by her...
Eleven Samurai (十一人の侍, Eiichi Kudo, 1967)
Faced with dissolution, a wronged clan plots revenge against a selfish and entitled young lord in Eiichi Kudo’s nihilistic jidaigeki.
River (リバー、流れないでよ, Junta Yamaguchi, 2023) [Fantasia 2023]
The staff of a hotel along with its guests find themselves trapped in an infinite two minute loop in Junta Yamaguchi’s strangely poignant farce.
それ Sore vs その Sono #learnjapanese
Learn Japanese with Me - https://bit.ly/4drmyU2
Volicia of Pluto, (忘星のヴァリシア) Guest Review by Cryssoberyl
Yuri and mecha have a long history together. The recent Gundam: Witch From Mercury will no doubt be top-of-mind for many people when I say that, but there…
Shroud of Snow / 雪の喪章 / Yuki no mosho (1967)
Obscure Japanese Film #105 Ayako Wakao The story begins in 1930 in Kanazawa, a city located on the west coast of Japan’s main island…
Family of Strangers (閉鎖病棟 それぞれの朝, Hideyuki Hirayama, 2019)
A collection of patients at a psychiatric clinic eventually find new strength to accept themselves through mutual solidarity Hirayama’s empathetic social drama
Apart from Life (地の群れ, Kei Kumai, 1970)
Marginalised communities turn against each other while locked out of an increasingly prosperous society in Kei Kumai’s uncompromising post-war drama
Gundam Aerial Rebuild: Anime and Gunpla Full Reveal! #水星の魔女
The following may contain spoilers for episode 12 of Gundam the Witch from Mercury. I just got off watching the first part finale for Gundam the Witch from…
Gundam Aerial Rebuild: Anime and Gunpla Full Reveal! #水星の魔女
The following may contain spoilers for episode 12 of Gundam the Witch from Mercury. I just got off watching the first part finale for Gundam the Witch from…
Libido / 性の起原 / Sei no kigen (‘The Origin of Sex’, 1967)
Obscure Japanese Film #253Taiji Tonoyama An unnamed 51-year-old man (Taiji Tonoyama) suffering from some kind of nervous breakdown is recuperating in a mental hospital when he learns about the death of an…
アニメ業界の今とそのこれから – NAFCA代表ロングインタビュー
The post アニメ業界の今とそのこれから – NAFCA代表ロングインタビュー appeared first on fullfrontal.moe.
Sword of Destiny (孤剣は折れず 月影一刀流, Yasushi Sasaki, 1960)
A wandering swordsman winds up in intrigue on returning to his fencing school to find his old master murdered in Yasushi Sasaki’s jidaigeki adventure.
星屑家族
Hoshikuzu Kazoku is a two-volume graphic novel set in an alternate universe where parents are required to obtain a license to raise children. To qualify for a license,…
The Thing 遊星からの物体X (1982) Dir: John Carpenter
The Thing 遊星からの物体X (1982) Dir: John Carpenter
Today on Suletta Sunday: Gundam Aerial Upgraded Form Tease! #水星の魔女
Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury has delivered a special Christmas present as it returns from a one-week break to deliver what would be the start of…
The Wife of Seishu Hanaoka (華岡青洲の妻, Yasuzo Masumura, 1967)
A mother and a wife become locked in an absurd battle of one-upmanship volunteering as test subjects for a husband’s experiments in Yasuzo Masumura’s ironic relationship drama
Mad About Madhouse: Toshio Hirata
Toshio Hirata briefly talks about the origin of Japanimation, the revolution of limited animation, Masao Maruyama’s unusual and pivotal role in Madhouse, and his prior work, such as…
The Last-Minute New Gundam: X-EX01 Gundam Calibarn #水星の魔女 #G_Witch
The following may contain spoilers for the latest episode of Gundam the Witch from Mercury. One of the things Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury did quite…
星星之舟 by Yuka Murayama (村山由佳) (Review)
(A dedication to Akatsugi & Sae) When suicide becomes beautiful, it’s romanticism. Romeo and Juliet was one of the greatest love story ever written, but one thing that…
501 – Movie Machinations 2 – Velvet Goldmine
This week we discuss the end of Nobunaga no Chef and the connection of Sunny Sunny Ann! with Glaeolia 2! Then, we examine the glam-rock Velvet Goldmine for…
BlackMilk: Queen Beryl Velvet Maxi Jacket
BlackMilk Surprise Release! 11 months after BlackMilk’s first Sailor Moon Collection drop, they release this...
Blue Velvet and Sk8 the Infinity
As a very recent (aka lifelong) Chelsea fan, I have been absolutely reveling in their Champions League...
Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions
Team up with Loid Forger, Kaiju No. 8, and more manga characters in this strategy puzzle game about how one boy's imagination gets him through trauma.
A Movie Capital 映画の都 Dir: Toshio Iizuka (1991) [Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival]
Get a glimpse of the inaugural Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival and learn why this festival space became the leading place for discussion amongst people. A Movie Capital…
Episode #74 (S10E3) – A Colt is My Passport [拳銃は俺のパスポート] (1967)
In this episode, we dip into Nikkatsu’s noir catalog. Illustrator Joey Weiser joins the show to discuss A Colt is My Passport, a fun noir film featuring Joe…
Little Red Sweet (紅豆, Vincent Chow, 2024)
A young woman finds herself fighting an uphill battle after giving up her dream job to save the family sweet soup shop in Vincent Chow’s touching drama.
The Bobby Book: Toshio Hirata Interview
Interview with director Toshio Hirata on Bobby's Girl from The Bobby Book.
Theory Confirmed! “Gundam the Witch from Mercury” #14 Plot Reveals #G_Witch #水星の魔女
The following will obviously contain spoilers for the latest episode of Gundam the Witch from Mercury. Read at your own risk. We are just two episodes into the…
Koudou Ryou no Seizana Hibi, Volume 1 (黄道寮の星座な日々)
One again, this review comes with a story. I was standing in Animate in Shibuya and saw a book I had been meaning to read for a while,…
Koudou Ryou no Seizana Hibi, Volume 2 (黄道寮の星座な日々)
In Volume 1, a young woman is sent to the Zodiac Dormitory by her sister with the admonition to “Take care of Alice.” And so, in Koudou Ryou…
Waver Velvet Is Such a Relatable Character!
I say this after writing about Fate/Zero and watching the Lord El-Melloi’s II Case Files {Rail Zeppelin} Grace Note -Special Episode- which came out last week over the…
Backlog update - Softly With Teeth: Velvet Bite
Review collection for everything I finished from my backlog in 2025.
Kita no Onna ni Tamesaretai (北の女に試されたい)
Hokuryuu Aya, who is a tall, cool woman, meets Kuromizu Suzuka who is also a tall, cool woman and both are surprised that the other is as tall…
それが
An interesting conjunction - How to Japanese - September 2023
Let’s Have A Dream (九ちゃんのでっかい夢, Yoji Yamada, 1967)
Fearing he has a terminal disease a young man falls into despair little knowing he is the heir to a Swiss fortune in Yoji Yamada’s nonsense comedy.
Touching the Skin of Eeriness 不気味なものの肌に触れる (2014) Dir: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
“Touching the Skin of Eeriness” turns from coming-of-age drama to supernatural mystery and is packed full of absorbing physical performances. 不気味なものの肌に触れる (2014) Dir: Ryusuke Hamaguchi…