A wandering samurai squares off against a corrupt postmaster in Hideo Gosha’s uncharacteristically aventgarde chambara.
Dec 21, 2022 • Subscribe
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Samurai Wolf 2: Hell Cut (牙狼之介 地獄斬り, Hideo Gosha, 1967)
Kiba is again confronted with the duplicities of late Meiji society after being pulled into intrigue at a disused mine in Hideo Gosha’s striking chanbara.
Violent Streets (暴力街, Hideo Gosha, 1974)
A former yakuza’s attempts to leave the underworld behind are frustrated by gang intrigue and changing times in Hideo Gosha’s intense gangland drama.
The Geisha (陽暉楼, Hideo Gosha, 1983)
The coming of the railroad spells doom for one of the most prestigious geisha houses in Japan in Hideo Gosha’s adaptation of the Tomiko Miyao novel.
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Horror of the Wolf (狼の紋章, Masashi Matsumoto, 1973)
A traumatised werewolf is drawn into teen gang intrigue after returning to Japan in Masashi Matsumoto’s visually striking exploitation movie.
Daimajin (1966) review
“A wonderful and refreshing blend between the jidai-geki/chanbara and the kaiju genre.”
Irezumi (1966) review
“Masamura delivers a phenomenal narrative, a true post-war classic.”
RISE AGAINST THE SWORD (1966): When Toshiro Mifune No Longer Needed the Seven Samurai
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The Wolves (狼, Kaneto Shindo, 1955)
Post-war desperation drives a collection of otherwise honest men and women towards a criminal act that for all its politeness they are ill-equipped to live with in Kaneto’s…
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“When you’re a cartoonist and working at home you sit at your desk pretty much all day,” Kentaro Miura once said in an interview. “You get most of…
Black Tight Killers (1966)
A stylish and visually dazzling romp with lots of action and sensuality
Ringu (リング, Hideo Nakata, 1998)
A reporter finds herself the victim of a dark and mysterious curse while investigating the strange death of her niece in Hideo Nakata’s landmark J-horror.
Episode 35: 005: Hideo Kojima's 002
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Here’s a more conventional sports anime episode for you. Leo still refuses to take off his ninja headgear and Big Bird is still squawking up a storm in…
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Is Leo the stealth main character of Taiso Samurai? This episode certainly pointed in that direction, taking a prime opportunity for father-daughter bonding and making it a ninja-daughter…
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Wolf Children
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I may have jumped the gun on this one, y’all. Taiso Samurai’s first episode was so strange that I couldn’t help but root for it, but the second…
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Taiso Samurai is a sports anime about a gymnast in the twilight of his career who rekindles his love for the sport.
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Samurai Reincarnation
The late Kinji Fukasaku is most fondly remembered for his hold-no-bars yakuza flicks, characterised by their hard-as-nails anti-heroes and brutal action. However, in the late 1970s, the director…
Seven Samurai
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Samurai Ben
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Spice & Wolf: merchant meets wise wolf episode 1
Note: Because I find this title obnoxiously long, I will hereafter be titling these Spice & Wolf (2024). Rating: B+ The base concept here seems simple enough: a…
Loli-con Complex: Azuma Hideo and Aoyama Yuki
Tokyo Scum Brigade.
Yoru no Hana / Night Flower by Mizuno Hideo
A friend of mine turned me onto a series of lectures about manga and so I am currently listening “Shojo Manga: The Power and Influence of Girls’ Comics,”…
The Threat (脅迫, Kinji Fukasaku, 1966)
An ambitious executive is confronted with the emasculating nature of the salaryman dream when escaped convicts invade his home in an early thriller from Kinji Fukasaku.
Taiso Samurai – 06 [Samurai Father and Daughter]
I’ve been opening these posts with some variation of, “I can’t believe Jotaro wasn’t the focus of this episode!” for three weeks now, so it’s about time I…
Wolf Guy v2
When Orphan released Wolf Guy back in 2016, I noted , "The laserdiscs came from two sources. The first three volumes are from Erik's collec...
Spice and Wolf
It’s “Stonks: The Anime!” No, but really. A mature, slow burn romance in a fantasy setting with several entertaining economic thrillers along the way. A change of pace…
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A lovelorn bookseller is drawn into a world of romantic confusion by a high school girl with a hopeless crush and and his own requited love in Jojo’s…
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Reclaim (一家之主, CJ Wang, 2022)
A disillusioned middle-aged woman begins to reclaim her sense of self while trying to repair her fracturing family in CJ Wang’s touching family drama.
Samurai Gay Story
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Taiso Samurai – 03
「決闘ザムライ」 (Kettou Zamurai) "Dueling Samurai" I could talk about how gorgeous the CGI gymnastics were. But I've always preferred to write up case studies into characterisation. So here goes.
Taiso Samurai – 09
「ニンジャ&ザムライ」 (Ninja & Zamurai) "Ninja & Samurai" There are two kinds of injuries that affect an athlete's performance. The perceivable physical injuries. And invisible emotional strains that can be equally…
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The most creatively bankrupt aspect of Samurai Warriors 5 is by and large its combat.
Taiso Samurai – 02
「どん底ザムライ」 (Donzoko Zamurai) "Rock-Bottom Samurai" In MAPPA we trust.
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「ザムライ娘。」 (Zamurai Musume.) "Samurai Daughter." Being the daughter of someone in the public limelight doesn't seem easy. Especially when said person has been the focus of negative press.