Summer Wars – Review

February 6, 2010
summer wars mamoru hosoda cover

In the near future, the creation of a virtual city of OZ has changed the way people live. Through this service, people can be represented anywhere in the world through the use of their avatars—digital representations of themselves, which can take any shape and identity—exploring the city of OZ and as their needs see fit. We then enter Kenji, a normal high school student who works part time as a programmer to help develop OZ further. He is then suddenly approached by Natuski—the girl of his dreams—and unexpectedly gets invited to attend a family celebration, where he is to pose as her fiancé. If that wasn’t strange enough, things begin to get even more bizarre when OZ is suddenly hacked into while at the celebration, and with Kenji becoming the prime suspect, the house—and eventually the world—is turned upside down.

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Japan Society Film Showing: Destiny’s Son

February 4, 2010
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In Kenji Misumi’s breakthrough film, Ichikawa seeks revenge and redemption after his family is murdered by a rival clan. An astonishing, dreamlike samurai film written by Kaneto Shindo, Destiny’s Son is a demonic masterpiece: designed with quasi-expressionist artistry, awash with surreal landscapes, and subsumed in an otherworldly beauty that fuses Zen and sword.

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Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion – Review

February 2, 2010
code geass lelouch of the rebellion

Set in an alternate universe in which Japan is conquered by what is known as the Holy Britannian Empire, the Japanese have been stripped of all rights, freedoms, and have had their country renamed to Area 11. A high school student known as Lelouch Lamperouge is a Britannian prince who gave up his right to the throne after his mother was murdered, and has vowed to destroy his father, the Emperor, and Britannia. He gains the ability through the mysterious power of the Geass, becoming Zero, the leader of the resistance movement to fulfill his two wishes: to seek revenge for his mother and to construct a world in which his beloved sister can live happily.

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The Sky Crawlers – Review

January 31, 2010
the sky crawlers

Stemming from the five-volume novel series by author Hiroshi Mori, The Sky Crawlers follows a group of eternally young fighter pilots known as Kildren and their experiencing the sudden loss of innocence as they battle the enemy in astonishing dogfights above the clouds. With his only childhood memory consisting of intense flight training, the fearless teenage pilot Yuichi’s dogfights coexist with his struggle to find his missing past. When his beautiful, young female commander Suito is reluctant to discuss the fate of the pilot that Yuichi is replacing – or the strangely perfect condition of that pilot’s former aircraft – Yuichi’s curiosity becomes heightened.

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Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald – Review

January 29, 2010
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A radio play is going to go on air at a Tokyo radio station. It is a weepy melodrama written by housewife Miyako, who is the winner of the competition run by the station. Suddenly, the hot-tempered lead actress Nokko decides she wants the name of her character to be Mary Jane and not Ritsuko. That leads to the chain of events will change the play completely.

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Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone – Review

January 27, 2010
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Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone is the first installment in a 4-part film series known as the Rebuild of Evangelion that reimagines the story first told in the critically acclaimed anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion.

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First Squad: The Moment Of Truth – Review

January 22, 2010
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Set during the opening days of World War II on the Eastern Front, First Squad – The Moment Of Truth follows a group of Soviet teenagers with extraordinary abilities; the teenagers have been drafted to form a special unit to fight the invading German army. They are opposed by a Schutzstaffel (SS) officer who is attempting to raise from the dead a supernatural army of crusaders from the 12th-century Order of the Sacred Cross and enlist them in the Nazi cause for world dominance. Only one young woman by the name of Nadya can stop them.

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Cencoroll – Review

January 20, 2010
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Cencoroll tells the story of a provincial Japanese town under attack by a mysterious monster, and a young girl—Yuki—and boy—Tetsu—who hold the secret to fighting back: a strange and even-more-mysterious pet called Cenco. When another Cenco user discovers Tetsu, the two will ultimately duel for control and dominance, involving the entire city as their battleground.

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Audition – Review

January 16, 2010
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Seven years after the death of his wife, company executive Aoyama is invited to sit in on auditions for an actress. Leafing through the resumés in advance, his eye is caught by Yamazaki Asami, a striking young woman with ballet training. On the day of the audition, she’s the last person they see. Aoyama is hooked. He notes her number from her file, calls her and takes her to dinner. He hesitates to call again, worried that he’ll seem too eager. When he does, Asami knowingly lets the phone ring for some time before answering. She’s alone in her darkened room – alone, that is, apart from the writhing victim she has tied up in a sack on the floor…

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Densha Otoko – Review

January 11, 2010
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Computer engineer Otaku (the Japanese term for “geek”) is an average young man, dressed in unstylish clothes and dorky glasses. But as luck would have it, he encounters a pretty young woman on a commuter train and saves her from a lecherous molester, falling in love with her at first sight. A few days later he receives a thank-you message from the woman along with a set of Hermes teacups. Having never had a girlfriend or received a gift from a girl in his life, Otaku seeks out his pals on his BBS website for advice using his codename Densha Otoko (Train Man): “How should I ask her out?”

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