Category Archives: Reviews
High School of the Dead – Review
Takashi Komuro is a normal high school boy, until an infection breaks out that turns people into zombie-like creatures. Along with his friends and the school nurse, they fight their way out of their school and continue their journey to find out what exactly has happened to the world around them. READ MORE
Moshidora – Review
Minami Kawashima, a female high school student, unexpectedly becomes the manager of Tokyo’s Hodokubo High School baseball team to help her best friend, Yuki Miyata. READ MORE
Patisserie Coin de rue – Review
Natsume is a young woman who travels from Kagoshima to Tokyo to find her boyfriend. Natsume fins a job at “Patisserie Coin de rue”, a pastry shop run by husband and wife tandem Yuriko and Julian. At “Patisserie Coin de rue” Natsume works with talented patissier Mariko and her fascinating creations. READ MORE
Ranma 1/2 – Review
Tendo Akane is a boyish girl of martial arts who is fervently determined to inherit her father’s dojo. However, her father makes a unilateral decision that his successor should be a man. Moreover, he has already chosen Saotome Ranma as Akane’s husband-to-be, unaware of Ranma’s one strange habitude…he changes into a girl when splashed with water! READ MORE
Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva – Review
Professor Layton, true English gentleman and the world’s greatest amateur super sleuth, embarks on his most daring adventure yet when he receives a letter from his old student, the famous opera diva Janice Quatlane. READ MORE
Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below – Review
A young girl named Asuna who spends her solitary days listening to the mysterious music emanating from the crystal radio she received from her late father as a memento. One day while walking home she is attacked by a fearsome monster and saved mysterious boy named Shun. READ MORE
Puella Magi Madoka Magica – Review
In this world, there exist strange creatures that have the power to grant one wish to a chosen girl. However, in exchange, that girl must then become a magical girl and use their powers to fight against witches, evil creatures born from darkness that are responsible for murders and suicides. READ MORE
High School Debut – Review
Haruna Nagashima gave her all to softball in middle school, now that she has made her high school debut, she has decided to give her all for a new goal: getting a boyfriend and falling in love. However, she has one small problem—since she never paid any attention to fashion or trends in middle school, she has no idea how to go about attracting her yet-to-be-found love. READ MORE
Fireworks from the Heart – Review
On September 9th, the day of the Katakai Fireworks Festival, high school student Hana comes home from the hospital after six months of treatment for leukemia. She then discovers that her older brother Taro has become a social recluse. Taro used to be tender, smart and proud of his younger sister, but now he even turns his back on her and stays in his room. READ MORE
Paradise Kiss – Review
Yukari Hayasaka is a high school student who has become tired of her life of constant schooling. She then comes across a group of student fashion designers in need of a model for their “Paradise Kiss” clothing label. Yukari knows nothing about the fashion world and is taken back by the group’s eccentric ways, but she soon comes to admire their free thinking ways and ability to pursue their dreams with a one track mind. READ MORE
Kimi ni Todoke – Review
Well-meaning, but socially awkward, Sawako Kuronuma is nicknamed “Sadako” by her classmates because of her similar hair cut with the main character from the horror movie “Ringu”. Her life then takes a turn when Shota Kazehaya, the most popular boy in school, falls for her. Shota Kazehaya is classmates with Sawako. Unlike Sawako, he is outgoing and popular with all the students. READ MORE
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya – Video Review
A video review of the 2010 anime film “The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya” by Miguel Douglas. The film’s director(s) are Tatsuya Ishihara and Yasuhiro Takemoto. READ MORE
Sayaka: The Cute & Careless Girl – Review
Sayaka Tsuzumi is a pure and dainty girl with a big H-cup bust. Being a virgin but curious about sex, she’s so into daydreaming that she even moans over a hotdog. She adores Yuki Ito, the handsome athlete and school idol, but she’s almost given up on him thinking he’s totally out of her league. But one day he comes to her and says, “Would you tutor math for me before the exam?” READ MORE
Baccano! – Review
In the year 1711, a group of alchemists are granted an elixir of immortality. The now-immortal group unanimously decides it wasn’t worth it and destroy the elixir; but one of them, Slizard Quates, starts to kill off his fellow immortals. To reduce the risk of Quates tracking them all down, the group separates and goes their separate ways. Neither of them crosses paths again till 1930, Manhattan. READ MORE
Runway Beat – Review
Based on the mobile phone novel by author Maha Harada, Runway Beat tells the story of transfer student Biito “Beat” Mizorogi, a troubled youth who lost his mother when he was younger and has a conflicted relationship with his fashion mogul father. Believing that his father abandoned his ailing mother to concentrate on his own career, Beat holds a grudge against him for not being there when he needed him the most. READ MORE
Gantz: Perfect Answer – Review
Beginning several months after the events of the first film, Kurono is still fighting aliens under the order of Gantz, a mysterious giant black orb, and he is close to reaching the score he needs to resurrect his deceased friend Kato. Outside his nighttime missions, Kurono continues to live his normal life, spending time with his new girlfriend Tae. READ MORE
Eden of The East the Movie II: Lost Paradise – Review
Takizawa returns to Japan and hits the ground running. As he makes his final move against the Selecao, he fights to uncover the secrets of his mysterious past. The deck is stacked against him; he faces accusations of terrorism, and the truth behind his ties to the Primer Minister could be his undoing. Takizawa’s not the only one feeling the heat. Saki’s high-tech crew is in the crosshairs too—along with every citizen in the nation. READ MORE
Piecing Me Back Together – Review
A young woman named Izumi suffers the loss of her boyfriend Junichi, who died from a fatal motorcycle accident. The shock from her boyfriend’s sudden death causes Izumi to lose her memory from the time of the accident. To reclaim her memories, Izumi goes to a mental facility for therapy. There, Izumi meets the lawyer Makiko to help her make an inquiry into the accident. They work together to remember the final moments of her boyfriend’s life. READ MORE
Eden of The East the Movie I: The King of Eden – Review
The deadly game that began in Japan now intensifies on the streets of New York City. The rules are the same: Do whatever it takes to win. Die if you lose. Takizawa prevented Japan’s destruction—and then he vanished. Six months later, clues lead Saki to the Big Apple in search of her missing friend. Meanwhile, the remaining Selecao are plotting their final move. READ MORE
Ninja Scroll – Review
Jubei Kipagami, a ninja mercenary, wanders the countryside in search of work. On his travels, he encounters Kagero, a female ninja whose poisoned blood causes her pale skin to be lethal to the touch. Jubei rescues the woman from Tessai, a creature made of rock. They later find that Tessai is one of the Eight Devils of Kimon, who are involved in a plot to overthrow the Shogun. READ MORE
Space Runaway Ideon: Be Invoked – Review
Above the Buff Clan homeworld rises their complete fleet of battleships and heavy mobile mechas, dominated by the awesome majesty of their latest and most deadly superweapon. And even with all these forces, Supreme Commander Doba is troubled – he has staked the future of his entire people on this military might. Can the lethal weaponry prepared by the Ome Foundation truly prove sufficient to slay the Giant God of legend, Ideon? READ MORE
Space Runaway Ideon: A Contact – Review
After colonizing the planet Solo of the Andromeda galaxy, earthling scientists uncover ancient mechanisms built by a lost nation from long ago. They find that these mechanisms can combine to create a giant mecha called Ideon. READ MORE
The Science of Anime: Mecha-Noids and AI-Super-Bots – Review
Anime, the name given to Japanese superhero animation, has swept the United States. More than two-dozen Japanese cartoon series already appear on U.S. television, with more on the way. And with the vast leaps being made in animation technology, the anime explosion shows no sign of abating. One of the main topics of anime is advanced technology and how it will affect the human race. READ MORE
Sawako Decides – Review
Sawako has lived in Tokyo for five years, is working her fifth office job, and is dating her fifth boyfriend, who is also her boss at the office. Her life with Kenichi, her boyfriend, and his daughter from a previous marriage, Kayoko, feels like a “compromise,” and she endures each day feeling distressed about her career and love life. One day, she receives word that her father, Tadao, who runs a freshwater clam processing business in her hometown, has fallen ill. READ MORE
Deadman Wonderland – Review
A massive earthquake ravaged Japan’s mainland and destroyed most of Tokyo, sinking three-quarters of it into the ocean. Ten years later, the story shifts to Igarashi Ganta, a seemingly ordinary student attending Nagano Prefecture’s middle school. An escapee, a survivor of the great earthquake, Ganta has no memories of the tragedy and has lived a normal life. This all changes when a strange man covered in blood and crimson armour floats through his classroom windows. READ MORE
Cold Fish – Review
Shamoto is the nerdy proprietor of a store dealing in tropical fish. Shamoto’s home life isn’t especially happy — his second wife, Taeko, has a sharp tongue and an eye for other men, while his teenage daughter, Mitsuko, has little use for either of them. One night, Mitsuko is picked up for shoplifting at a supermarket, but another customer, Murata, unexpectedly steps in to help. Murata, who owns a much larger fish store, offers to give Mitsuko a job, and Shamoto is grateful for his help. READ MORE
Monkey Business: New Writing from Japan – Review
Monkey Business: New Voices from Japan is the first annual English-language edition of the acclaimed literary magazine. Edited by Motoyuki Shibata (curator, along with Roland Kelts) and Ted Goossen. READ MORE
The Borrower Arrietty – Review
Beneath our floorboards and inside our walls live a tiny race of people known as the Borrowers. They scuffle along at night to capture items within our households, taking small items to use for their survival. One such family consists of Pod, Homily, and their adventurous daughter Arrietty and they make up one of the few Borrower families that still exist in our world. READ MORE
Colorful – Review
Upon reaching a purgatory-like state after death, a dejected soul is informed that he will be awarded another chance at life. He is placed in the body of a 14-year-old boy named Makoto Kobayashi, who has just committed suicide. Watched over by a neutral spirit named Purapura, the soul must figure out what his greatest sin and mistake in his former life was before his time limit in Makoto’s body runs out. READ MORE
Welcome to the Space Show – Review
In a small countryside town in Japan, five primary school kids have come together in this idyllic spot in order to spend their summer holidays at a camp. At first the children enjoy carefree days amidst unspoiled nature far away from adult supervision. But their life changes dramatically when they come across what they believe to be a small dog, badly in need of help. READ MORE
Villain – Review
Raised by his grandparents, loner Yuichi Shimizu is a young man working as a civil employee in a decaying fishing village in Nagasaki. One day, Yuichi meets Yoshino Ishibashi through an online dating site and the two become very close. When Yoshino unexpectedly decides to end their relationship, Yuichi tragically murders Yoshino, but not all is what it seems. READ MORE
DOCUMENTARY of AKB48 to be continued – Review
From theater performances to the national stage, AKB48 has become one of the most recognizable and popular idol groups in Japan. With over 1000 tapes used to capture the super-sized idol group’s road to success over 2010, the best footage used was compiled to make the film DOCUMENTARY of AKB48 to be continued. READ MORE
Otaku Social Pariahs Within Japan
In anime, otaku are used as kind-spirited comedy founder or take up the role of the sadly misunderstood misfit. Their obsessive traits are endearing to their audience, since it is a mirror of them. It could be seen as a kind of reassurance to the audience that are neither scary nor threatening, despite what the majority of Japanese people think. This brings us back to the question that this essay will address, why are otaku social pariahs in Japan? READ MORE
Episode #003: Evangelion 2.22 Review
In this episode, we will be discussing FUNimation’s release of Evangelion 2.22. Taking a look at some of the intricacies of the film, we analyze the plot, character development and the future of the franchise given the outcome of the film. READ MORE
Episode #002: Evangelion 2.22 English Dub Review
In this episode, we will be discussing FUNimation’s English dub release of Evangelion 2.22. Taking a look at the voice actors/actresses that have lent their talent towards this release, we will be giving our thoughts and opinions on the casting. READ MORE
Love Fight – Review
Minoru and Aki have grown up together from a young age. Contrary to easily scared Minoru, Aki, who normally looks ladylike, is very strong at fighting; hence Aki has always protected Minoru from being bullied. Their dynamics remains the same into their high school years. Wanting to break out of this situation, Minoru starts going to a boxing gym run by Oki, whom he met by chance. However, Aki, who gets wind of it, is fascinated with boxing as well, and joins the same boxing club. Minoru feels depressed, as he is again unable to break free of Aki’s influence. Through boxing, however, Minoru realizes that he has been running away from Aki and not facing her properly until now. READ MORE
Episode #001: The Youtube Anime Reviewer
In our inaugural podcast, we at Visual Nippon discuss the nature of the Youtube anime reviewer–its history, our memories, and its current state. We have our good friend Justin (JMO) joining us. He was one of the original anime reviewers on Youtube alongside us. Please join us on this journey down memory lane! READ MORE
Cast Me If You Can – Review
Forever supporting actor Hiroshi’s real life seems to mimic his minor acting career. When he walks out on the street he is often mistaken for a shop clerk, staff member, security guard or even a kidnapper. At home, his famous play-writer father Kenta Matsuzaki treats him like an idiot. One day, Hiroshi’s life turns upside down when he meets the woman of his dreams, aspiring actress Aya. While attempting to court Aya, Hiroshi also tries to play the lead in his own life. READ MORE
Norwegian Wood – Review
Set in Japan in the 1960′s, high school student Toru Watanabe loses his dear friend Kizuki, who suddenly commits suicide for no apparent reason. Toru, now looking to rebuild his life, enters a university in Tokyo. By sheer chance, Watanabe meets Kizuki’s ex-girlfriend Naoko. They begin to hang out and grow increasingly close as they share the same loss. As Toru and Naoko grow even more intimate, Naoko’s sense of loss for Kizuki also grows as well. After Naoko’s 20th birthday, she leaves for a sanitarium in Kyoto to better her psychological state. Watanabe, devastated by her sudden departure, meets pure-hearted Midori during the spring semester. Watanabe begins to ponder his relationship to both women as he ultimately decides the direction of his life. READ MORE
Sweet Little Lies – Review
Satoshi and Ruriko have been a married couple for roughly three years, remaining childless over this period. Despite living together without interference from their in-laws and friends, their relationship remains empty as they distance themselves from one another, both emotionally and physically. Extending their physical desires to other individuals, their relationship secretly begins to unravel as they each begin to have separate affairs, eventually affecting their marriage as well as their outlook on love. READ MORE
Teke Teke – Review
Yuko Oshima stars as Kana, a schoolgirl whose normal life is turned upside-down when her best friend is found brutally murdered, having been cut completely in half at the waist. Soon, Kana hears about the urban legend of “Teke Teke,” the ghost of a legless woman who was found dismembered years ago and now haunts the railway station. If you see her, in three days you will be killed. In a race against time, Kana must search for the truth in order to escape the horrific fate that awaits her. READ MORE
Confessions – Review
On her final day as the teacher of her middle school class, Moriguchi makes a startling confession in front of them—that two students from her class were responsible for the murder of her young daughter. Contemplating the boundaries of the legal system and their handling of underage child suspects, she explains that it doesn’t allow for true justice to be served. Knowing full well the consequences of her confession though, the remainder of the class begins to exact vengeance upon the two young killers through the act bullying, with the killers own personal confessions coming to light as they deteriorate mentally and physically from the systematic abuse. Slowly revealing their crushing agony, Moriguchi plots her next move to initiate her final plan for ultimate revenge. READ MORE
Gantz – Review
The last thing Kei remembers is the train running over his body. Now he is in a room filled with strangers, all resurrected by the featureless black sphere known only as the Gantz. But their reprieve from death may only be temporary, for unless they undertake the brutal missions that the Gantz assigns, none of them will live long enough to leave the room. Is it a game? A nightmare? All Kei knows is that if they fail, they will die again. READ MORE
Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro – Review
When master thief Lupin III, a.k.a. “The Wolf” inadvertently steals a fortune in counterfeit bills from a casino, he is quick to realize the high-quality printing plates that made them are worth even more. Tracing the source of the money to the small European country of Cagliostro, Lupin and his team of colorful outlaws cross swords with the nation’s mysterious monarch over his forthcoming marriage to the last princess of the Cagliostro family. It’s a fast-paced adventure as Lupin must battle fearsome ninjas, rescue a damsel in distress and uncover the key to the lost Cagliostro fortune. READ MORE
Ninja Attack! True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws – Review
Ninja. The word is loaded with connotations, most rooted in fantastic flights of pop culture. But the truth behind these shadowy assassins is more mind-blowing that any manga, more astounding than any anime, more fascinating than any martial arts flick. Ninja Attack! True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws introduces dozens of unforgettable real-life ninja straight out of the annals of Japanese history—many of whom are all but unknown outside of their home country. A product of years of research, and the result is everything you wanted to know about the ninja…but were too afraid you’d get a shuriken in the eye to ask. READ MORE
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind – Review
A thousand years after a global war, a seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the few places still populated. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley are engaged in a constant struggle with powerful insects called Ohmu, who guard a poisonous jungle that is spreading across the Earth. Nausicaä and her brave companions, together with the people of the Valley, strive to restore the bond between humanity and the Earth. READ MORE
I Just Didn’t Do It – Review
Kaneko Teppei catches the commuter train one day on his way to a job interview. With the train being over capacity, he is unwillingly forced into a crowded spot. As he gets off the crowded train, a high school girl runs up to him and accuses him of sexual harassment, in which the police apprehend him. At the police station, the police and his court-appointed attorney advise him to simply confess, in which then he would be released after settling compensation with the victim. Teppei rejects this offer stating he is entirely innocent of the crime he’s accused of, therein beginning a battle within the court system to prove his innocence. READ MORE
Time Traveller: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time – Review
It’s been roughly 30 years since Yoshiyama Kazuko, the heroine of the original novel, had her time traveling adventure. She has since grown up to become a researcher, still looking for a formula that will enable her to travel back in time. However, a tragic car accident sends her into a coma. Hearing a story about her mother’s first love in 1972, Kazuko’s daughter Akari believes that discovering and bringing back her mother’s first love will make her awake from her coma. Following the formula prescribe by her mother, Akari accidentally time travels back to the year 1974, a full two years after her mother’s first love. READ MORE
Outrage – Review
In the Tokyo underworld, dominated by the Sanno-kai crime organization & ruled by Chairman Sekuichi, rival clans clash for dominance while temporal alliances and betrayals become indistinguishable. Kato, the underboss of the Sanno-kai group, warns regional crime boss Ikemoto about his increasingly friendly dealings with rival regional crime boss Murase. In order to appease Chairman Sekuichi’s suspicions of any type of planned coup, Ikemoto orders Otomo, crime boss for the smaller Otomo group, to take action against the Murase group. What follows is a brutal game of retaliation as the three rival clans battle each other for control over territory. READ MORE
Departures – Review
Departures follows Kobayashi Daigo, a man unsure of what to do with his life. Having lost his job as cellist in an orchestra, Daigo and his wife leave Tokyo and move back to his hometown in order to restart their lives. Daigo answers an ad for what he believes is a travel agency, but turns out to be an encoffinment agency. Taking the job anyway, he begins a new life as an encoffinment specialist under the austere owner Sasaki. READ MORE
Sankaku – Review
Momose, a 30-year-old who is somewhat of a deadbeat, is currently living with his girlfriend Kayo. Their relationship is not exactly where they would like it to be though, and they find themselves growing distant from one another as the days pass. Things suddenly change when Kayo’s 15-year-old sister Momo comes to stay with them during her summer vacation. While exciting for everyone at first, Momose and Momo slowly begin to express feelings for one another without the knowledge of Kayo. What soon develops is a love triangle that will put to the test their relationships with one another and question the boundaries of family and love. READ MORE
Death Tube – Review
One day, Inoue Satoshi stumbles upon a supposedly popular video site named “Death Tube”. The site apparently showcases real people playing games in order to survive, and if they fail, certain death is the outcome. Viewers of the site can also comment on the atrocities seen onscreen in real time. After viewing one such situation, Inoue thinks nothing of it and passes it off as simply a fake. The next day, Inoue wakes up to find himself within the very game he viewed earlier, this time vying for his own life. He meets other contestants as well, and they must cooperate to escape the game or die trying. READ MORE
Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential: How Teenage Girls Made a Nation Cool – Review
She’s part samurai, part geisha, and is taking on the world. Whether it’s in anime and manga like Sailor Moon and Neon Genesis Evangelion or in videogames like Street Fighter, the Japanese schoolgirl has become the new icon of Japanese cool. With chapters covering everything from sailor-suited pop-idols and cult movie vixens to the power of shopping and uniform fashion, Japanese Schoolgirls Confidential discovers the secrets behind this iconic creature. Learn from the origins of their famous sailor-style uniforms, and how they became a brand used to sell anything from kimchi to insurance. Discover why these girls have become such a symbol of girl power, and why they are so very, very cool! READ MORE
Shibyo Osen – Dead Rising – Review
Viewed as a side-story to the Dead Rising 2 video game, Shibyo Osen – Dead Rising takes place within a world where a destructive virus has infected a majority of the population. Areas of extreme infection are sectioned off from the remainder of the world, leaving the uninfected residents to battle the vicious hordes of the infected—otherwise known as zombies. The story follows two brothers by the name of George and Shin who happen to find themselves within one of the infected areas within Japan. As they plan their escape, they deal with both the dead and undead in a reluctant game for survival in a chaotic world. READ MORE
Detroit Metal City – Review
Soichi Negishi is a sweet and shy young man who dreams of becoming a trendy singer songwriter. But for some reason, he is forced into joining the worshipping death metal band “Detroit Metal City”. In full stage make-up, he transforms into his alter-ego “Johannes Krauser II”, the vulgar-mouthed lead vocalist, and against Negishi’s will, DMC rises to stardom. The band is adored by their head-thrashing fans, but Soichi himself is too embarrassed to admit he’s in the band and even worse, the girl of his dreams hates DMC even more than he does. Even worse for Soichi, the now the legendary king of death Jack II Dark himself is challenging DMC to a duel. What is the fate of the innocent Negishi as he climbs to the top of the death metal world? READ MORE
Evangelion 2.22: You Can [Not] Advance – Video Review
A video review of the 2009 anime film “Evangelion 2.22: You Can [Not] Advance” by director(s) Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki, and Masayuki. READ MORE
Parade – Review
Based on the novel by Shuichi Yoashida, Parade follows four roommates: Naoki, who works in a movie distribution company, Mirai, a illustrator, Ryosuke, a college student and Kotomi, who is unemployed. With four of them sharing an apartment together, they see one another everyday but know little of each other’s personal life. Never something to consider important, the four seemingly believe they know each other on a personal level. This is called into question though when a stranger by the name of Satoru mysteriously begins sleeping and using the apartment all of a sudden, which prompts the four roommates to question why he’s there. When the truth is discovered, they decide let him stay with them, but disturbing reports of local murders around the vicinity of their apartment brings into the question who Satoru truly is—as well as their own relationships with one another. READ MORE
My Darling is a Foreigner – Review
When aspiring manga artist Saori and writer Tony decide to go out with one another, things apparently seem to be on the right path. In love, moving in with each other, and considering the notion of getting married, the two feel as though they are on the right path towards happiness. This suddenly changes when Saori’s father expresses his distaste for their relationship, with the primary motive being that Tony is a gaijin—a foreigner within Japan. This in turn creates an uneasy foundation between Saori and Tony, both who want to love one another, but are in dispute over their cultural backgrounds. How will this relationship development if Saori’s father doesn’t approve of Tony, and even worse, will it last? READ MORE
Shodo Girls!! Watashitachi no koshien – Review
Satoko is the granddaughter of a calligraphy master living in an old factory town. A talented calligrapher, she’s only interested in getting the individual prize in the annual inter-school calligraphy tournament rather than getting the glory for her school with the fellow members of the school club. Her philosophy changes with the arrival of the club’s new advisor Ikezawa, who comes up with the idea of turning calligraphy into extravagant performance in order to gather popularity. Finding this suggestion rather informal considering the craft, Satoko is slowly inspired by Ikezawa and her club mates, especially Kiyomi who wants to utilize this new approach towards calligraphy to rejuvenate her family’s stationary shop. READ MORE
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac – Review
Based on the novel by author Gabrielle Zevin, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac tells the story of Naomi Sukuse, an ordinary high school student who goes to an international school in Tokyo, Japan. One day, she falls down a staircase and ends up losing her memory concerning the past 4 years. The only thing she can remember during that period is one boy kissing her, but can’t put her finger on the exact individual. Gradually she begins to search for her own identity, and even when her memory returns, she keeps on looking for her real self, and what she truly loves in life. READ MORE
The Social Network – Review
On a fall night in 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer programming genius Mark Zuckerberg sits down at his computer and heatedly begins working on a new idea. In a fury of blogging and programming, what begins in his dorm room soon becomes a global social network and a revolution in communication. A mere six years and 500 million friends later, Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in history…but for this entrepreneur, success leads to both personal and legal complications. READ MORE
Ghost in the Shell – Review
In the year 2029, a vast electronic network that permeates every aspect of life has interconnected the world. That same network also becomes a battlefield for Tokyo’s Section Nine security force, which has been charged with apprehending the master hacker known only as the Puppet Master. Spearheading the investigation is Major Motoko Kusanagi, who — like many in her department — is a cyborg officer, far more powerful than her human appearance would suggest. And yet as the Puppet Master, who is even capable of hacking human minds, leaves a trail of victims robbed of their memories, Kusanagi ponders the very nature of her existence. READ MORE
Castle in the Sky – Review
Having scored a box office success with Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Hayao Miyazaki was on his way to becoming a respected animator in his native country of Japan. Yet this was only the beginning; with the help of Isao Takahata, Miyazaki enlisted the backing of their financial distributor, Tokuma Shoten, to establish their own animation company, known today as Studio Ghibli. Under this new facility, Miyazaki directed his third feature—and the first to be produced under the “Ghibli” banner – a rollicking, fast-paced action-adventure tale called Laputa: The Castle in the Sky. READ MORE
Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water – Review
In the mid 1970′s, prior to obtaining his well-deserved status as Japan’s greatest animator ever, a young Hayao Miyazaki was hired by Japanese movie giant Toho to develop ideas for TV series. One of these concepts was “Around the World Under the Sea’, based on Jules Verne’s literary classic “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” Although it was never produced, Toho nonetheless kept the rights to the story outline. Miyazaki would reuse elements from his original concept in later projects of his, notably the Sci-Fi series Future Boy Conan and the action-adventure feature Castle in the Sky (this explains why Anime fans often find similarities between the show I’m about to review and the latter film). Ten years later, Japanese animation studio GAINAX was commissioned to produce this very scenario. READ MORE
Cowboy Bebop – Review
The year is 2071 AD. The future is now. Driven out of their terrestrial eden, humanity chose the stars as the final frontier. With the section-by-section collapse of the former nations, a mixed jumble of races and people came. They spread to the stars, taking with them the now confused concepts of freedom, violence, illegality and love, where new rules and a new generation of outlaws came into being. People referred to them as Cowboy Bebops. Spike Spiegel is bounty hunter looking for such people, and together with his partner Jet Black, traverse the known galaxy in search of the next bounty. READ MORE
Love on Sunday 2: Last Words – Review
Nagisa is a high school girl who has been given three months to live. Without telling her widowed father where she is going, she sets out from the city to the small town of Chiba where she was born—as well as had her first love. She recalls her youthful memories as well as her rekindled love for childhood friend Satoshi. However, she is shocked to discover that Satoshi is having an affair with Eriko, a married woman. With the limited time Nagisa has left, she contemplates whether to tell Satoshi her true feelings concerning her longstanding love for him. READ MORE
Perfect Blue – Review
Pop singer Mima Kirigoe looks forward to a bright new career when she quits her chart-topping trio to become an actress. When she lands a role in a sexually charged murder mystery television series titled Double Bind, Mima’s life begins to fall apart. Reality and hallucinations merge into a terrifying netherworld where innocence is lost and dreams become nightmares. Quickly descending into a dangerous state of paranoid delusions, Mima discover Internet sites describing every intimate detail of her life. Helpless and afraid, she watches as her associates are threatened and by a mysterious stalker. READ MORE
Bashing – Review
Yuko volunteered to be an aid worker in Iraq and was taken hostage there. When freed she returned to Japan, but after being home six months she is still the ongoing object of harassment from her own countrymen. READ MORE
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – Review
Scott Pilgrim’s life is so awesome. He’s 23 years old, in a rock band, “between jobs,” and dating a cute high school girl. Everything’s fantastic until a seriously mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable, roller blading delivery girl named Ramona Flowers starts cruising through his dreams and sailing by him at parties. But the path to Ms. Flowers isn’t covered in rose petals. Ramona’s seven evil exes stand between Scott and true happiness. Can Scott defeat all seven of the bad guys and get the girl without turning his precious little life upside-down, before the game is over? READ MORE
Yuriko’s Aroma – Review
Yuriko is a 30-something aromatherapy masseuse. Her specialty is healing tired souls with her exquisite choice of aromas and her sensitive touch, but she has a dark secret—it’s a 17-year-old high school boy named Tetsuya. Drawn to his special aroma, Yuriko and Tetsuya begin to form an awkward relationship. As Yuriko struggles with her dilemma over Tetsuya, their secret relationship is steadily becoming unraveled. READ MORE
Bandage – Review
One day, high school student Asako is invited by her friends to attend a concert by indie band Lands. She immediately becomes infatuated with both the band and its lead singer Natsu. By mere coincidence, she becomes the band’s co-manager, and she quickly discovers the hardships that exist within the music industry, despite developing a friendship with Natsu. When the band contemplates whether to leave artistic integrity behind for fortune and fame, will Asako’s loyalty to the band—and especially Natsu—be put to the test? READ MORE
Kakera: A Piece of Our Life – Review
Haru is a college student ignored by her boyfriend yet believes she is still in love with him. One day at a café, Haru meets Riko, a medical artist (prosthetist) who creates body parts in order to disguise clients’ missing pieces, lost due to accident or disease. Both were alone, but struck up an immediate friendship and closeness. Riko doesn’t care about gender when it comes to relationships, and believes that love itself is the most important thing a human can achieve. Haru struggles in her life between friendship and a deeper relationship with Riko. READ MORE
Frog River – Review
Tsutomu has it rough when it comes to his masculinity. Shamed when he was younger due to an unlikely dare that he couldn’t commit to, he has always lived under the shadow if his peers and never fully stands up for what he believes in. He has since become an aspiring DJ and works as a clerk at a record store where he can play all the music he wants too without being bothered. This all changes though when he meets up with his peer from the past, the ever oppressive and bullying Shiba. READ MORE
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland – Review
Welcome to the fantasy world of “Little Nemo,” filled with dreams of enchanted lands and new friends, amazing magic and fun-filled adventure. A place where anything is possible and the only boundaries are those of the imagination. In this major motion picture, Nemo journeys to the Kingdom of Slumberland. READ MORE
Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai – Review
Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was an unrivalled swordsman in the days when internal wars in Japan had virtually ended. Nevertheless, he wrote a master treatise on military strategy, The Book of Five Rings and sought “the way” to enlighten his spirit and cultivate his mind. But could this image have been fabricated by the generations that followed? Mamoru Oshii will take on an unusual portrayal of this legendary and aloof warrior, between spectacular duels and a tragic life in pursuit of greatness. READ MORE
The Man Who Stole The Sun – Review
Makoto, a high school science and chemistry teacher, has decided to build his own atomic bomb. Before stealing plutonium isotopes from a nearby nuclear power plant, he is involved in the botched hijacking of one of his school’s buses during a field trip. Along with a police detective, Yamashita he is able to overcome the hijacker and is publicly hailed as a hero. READ MORE
Go Find a Psychic! – Review
Once a year, on Christmas Eve, Cafe Telekinesis holds a real psychic party. At the party, psychics gather together to show off their abilities while for the rest of the year they hide their abilities. Yone Sakurai is a program director for a psychic variety TV show called “Asunaro Psychic”. Yone actually believes in psychic abilities, and by an audience request, a new plan is set out for the program—a plan that requires the show to uncover real psychics. Yone is selected to find these people throughout the nation, but ends up empty handed each time. Before Yone ends her search she makes one last stop at Cafe Psychic on Christmas Eve. Can the true psychics there, who all despise Yone’s TV show, hide their abilities from Yone? READ MORE
Nobody to Watch Over Me – Review
When two children are found murdered, an eighteen-year-old high school student becomes the prime suspect, and the case quickly becomes a media sensation. As both the press and an angry public descend on the home of the accused, his family finds themselves at the mercy of strangers unconcerned with their welfare. Takumi Katsuyoshi is a veteran police detective who is assigned to look after Saori, the fifteen-year-old sister of the accused; while he initially regards the assignment as frivolous, it isn’t long before he sees what kind of toll the attention has taken on the family, and he becomes all the more concerned when he witnesses the reckless behavior of the paparazzi. READ MORE
Halfway – Review
Popular high-school basketball player Shu overhears Hiro rehearsing declaring her love to him and decides to ask her out on a date. However, his plans to move away to attend Waseda University after high school soon put a strain on their developing relationship, and the conflicting choice to stay with her or go is put to the test. READ MORE
Scrap Heaven – Review
Pharmacist Saki, timid policeman Shingo and toilet-cleaner Tetsu find their lives turned upside down when their bus is hijacked by a crazed businessman. When the ride turns violent, the three strangers are forever linked by the incident. Months later, Tetsu talks Shingo into collaborating on a most unique business venture: revenge-for-hire. Anyone with a problem can come to them and they’ll take appropriate, vengeful measures. Meanwhile, Saki, disillusioned and increasingly anti-social, also wishes to take out her own revenge on society. READ MORE
Akihabara Geeks – Review
Akihabara is a neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan known as “Electric Town” for its rows of one-meter wide discount computer and electronics stores. In more recent years Akihabara has evolved into a full-blown Mecca for computer enthusiasts anime and manga fans doll or “figure” collectors video gamers and “Otaku” of all kinds. Because Akihabara caters to interests outside of mainstream Japanese society it captivates an entire subculture of devotees. Join us as we peruse the shops streets and Maid Cafes to present an engrossing day in the life view of Akihabara and focus on the unique people who are passionately plugged into this town. READ MORE
Blood and Bones – Review
In 1923, the young Kim Shun-Pei moves from Cheju Island, in South Korea, to Osaka, in Japan. Along the years, he becomes a cruel, greedy and violent man and builds a factory of kamaboko, processed seafood products, in his poor Korean-Japanese community exploiting his employees. He makes fortune, abuses and destroys the lives of his wife and family, having many mistresses and children and showing no respect to anybody. Later he closes the factory, lending the money with high interests and becoming a loan shark. The film is told from the perspective of Masao, his legitimate son by his abused and degraded wife, who knows nothing about his father other than to fear him. READ MORE
Tenshi no Koi – Review
17-year-old high school student Rio is always the center of attention due to her beauty. Yet, Rio has never cared about anyone but herself due to her traumatic past. Her friends and boyfriends exist only so she can use them for her gains and she is only interested in attaining money. Then one day she meets 32-year college professor Ozawa Kouki and falls in love for the first time. Intrigued by his personality and demeanor, Rio becomes attracted to Kouki and learns what it means to cherish a fragile life and how important it is to treat others the way one wants to be treated. Although Kouki becomes interested in Rio as well, there is a reason he can’t pursue the relationship. He learns that he is diagnosed with malignant brain tumor, and it leaves him with only a few years to live. READ MORE
Be Sure To Share – Review
Shiro’s struggle with his father’s cancer and impending death leads to a realization that he must communicate his love and admiration for him before it’s too late. A series of flashbacks reveals their relationship over time, and the trouble Shiro faced connecting to his strict father who was also his teacher and soccer coach. With a consuming secret of his own, Shiro, now in his late twenties and about to get engaged, must eventually learn how to share it with his loved ones. READ MORE
Pale Cocoon – Review
In a dystopian future where humans have overpopulated and devastated the surface of the Earth and forced to live deep underground, Ura works in the Excavation Department that uncovers and restores records from the prosperous time that has passed him by. While Ura is fascinated by the past that is unfolded to him daily, his colleagues along with the general population become more and more depressed and disinterested over time. One day, Ura restores a record that motivates him to find out the truth about the world above the surface and attempts to visit the world he had worked for so long to understand. READ MORE
The Suicide Manual – Review
After the group suicide of four people, journalists Yuu and Rie investigate the reasons behind an endless cycle of suicides, blamed on an infamous Suicide Manual, hidden in a tag-less DVD disk. Said manual is shot in an infomercial fashion, with examples of the best methods to kill yourself and demonstrations by real people. When investigating further, Yuu and Rie find out that in Buddhist beliefs, when a person kills himself, he or she is sent to a certain hell, from which they induce other people to commit suicide. But is this what is really happening? READ MORE
The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya – Review
Adapted from the fourth Haruhi Suzumiya novel, the story of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya takes place from December 17 until December 24 a month after the cultural festival. On December 17, everything is normal—the SOS Brigade plans to have a nabe party for Christmas. However on December 18, Kyon arrives at school to find everything has changed—Haruhi Suzumiya is missing, and Ryoko Asakura is a normal student. Kyon is the only one who notices anything different. Nagato is an ordinary human, and Mikuru does not recognize him. The only clue is a bookmark left by the alien version of Nagato, which leads Kyon on a quest back in time, where he interacts with the storyline from “Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody”, trying to sort out the mystery and return to his own time line. READ MORE
Strawberry Shortcakes – Review
Based off the manga of the same name, Strawberry Shortcakes follows four women and their lives within Tokyo. One woman is Satoko, who just got dumped by her boyfriend and works at a local call girl service as a receptionist. One of Satoko’s friends—and a call girl herself—is Akiyo, who sleeps in a coffin and is saving up money in order to commit suicide. We then have artist named Toko, who is angry to find out her ex-boyfriend is going to be married to another woman soon, and suppresses displaying her emotions by creating artwork. Her roommate Chihiro, is an office worker who has a boyfriend, but is still finding herself lonelier than Toko is. These four women strive to find happiness within their lives all the while attempting to deal with their insecurities amidst the bustling city life. READ MORE
Topless – Review
The ever-lively and upbeat Natsuko tries to mend a broken heart by carrying on with a string of short-lived affairs after her break-up with Tomomi. But when Tomomi announces her plans to marry – a man – Natsuko becomes inconsolable. While all this is taking place, Natsuko’s straight male roommate is grappling with his own feelings for her, and a young high school girl comes to Tokyo searching for the mother that long ago left her for a female lover. READ MORE
Trigun: Badlands Rumble – Review
The story is set in Makka, a town surrounded by quicksand. With rumors spreading that the legendary robber Gasback has his sights set on the town, the mayor Kepler has brought together bounty hunters to protect the town. These bounty hunters have been following Gasback from town to town in hopes of bagging the prize. Meryl and Milly have come to town to assess the situation as insurance agents, but are shocked by this turn of events. Moreover, Vash the Stampede is also in town, along with the female bounty hunter Ameria and Nicholas D. Wolfwood. READ MORE
Pornostar – Review
A man walks down a crowded street. He stands out from the rest, an outcast so to speak. From a single look at him, you can tell something just isn’t right. It appears to be he defies society; seemly walking past it like it doesn’t even matter. This is a man who is on his own; a rebel that has a cause, a man is taking matters into his own hands no matter what the cost is. READ MORE
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance – Review
Unable to afford proper care for his sister dying from kidney failure, Ryu turns to the black market to sell his own organs only to end up cheated of his life savings. His girlfriend urges Ryu to kidnap the daughter of wealthy industrialist Dong-jin, who recently laid him off. Ryu agrees, but unforeseen tragedies turn an innocent con into a merciless quest for revenge. Bound by their personal losses and deep-seated anger, the two men are thrust into a spiral of destruction. READ MORE
Eden of the East – Review
On November 22, 2010, ten missiles strike against uninhabited areas of Japan, claiming no victims. This apparent terrorist act is referred to as “Careless Monday” and disregarded by most people. The series begins three months later, with a young Japanese woman named Saki Morimi visiting Washington D.C. as part of her graduation trip. When she gets into trouble, a mysterious Japanese man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, helps her through it. The man appears to have no memory and is completely naked, carrying only a gun and a cell phone charged with 8.2 billion yen in digital money. READ MORE
Serial Experiments Lain – Review
We’re all Connected. The world around us, made of people, tactile sensation, and culture has begun to blur with the wired world inside the computer, of images, personalities, virtual experiences. The day after a classmate commits suicide, Lain, a thirteen year-old girl, discovers how closely the two worlds are linked when she receives an e-mail from the dead girl: “I just abandoned my body. I still live here…” READ MORE
Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance – Review
Evangelion 2.0, You Can (Not) Advance continues the story of Shinji Ikari, who has chosen a path of struggle and combat against the mysterious and awesomely powerful beings known as Angels. Joined by Asuka, Rei and a previously unknown heroine by the name of Mari, the true purpose behind NERV, SEELE, the Angels, and the looming apocalypse begin to be revealed… READ MORE
Halo Legends – Review
Halo Legends is a collection of seven animated short films set in the Halo science-fiction universe. Financed by Halo franchise overseer 343 Industries, the stories were created by five Japanese production houses: Bones, Casio Entertainment, Production I.G., Studio 4°C, and Toei Animation. Shinji Aramaki, creator and director of Appleseed and Appleseed Ex Machina, serves as the project’s creative director. READ MORE
Nasu: Summer in Andalusia – Review
It’s one September day in Andalusia and the sky is clear. The landscape is desolate with no vegetation except for bushes and cacti. No trees to stop the sandy wind nor provide shade for the unforgiving 113 ℉ heat outdoors. This is the stage in the cycling competition known as La Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain). Here Pepe, the film’s protagonist, will be forced to face his past and forge his future. READ MORE
Summer Wars – Review
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. READ MORE
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion – Review
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. READ MORE
The Sky Crawlers – Review
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. READ MORE
Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald – Review
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. READ MORE
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone – Review
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. READ MORE
First Squad: The Moment of Truth – Review
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. READ MORE
Cencoroll – Review
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. READ MORE
Audition – Review
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… READ MORE
Densha Otoko – Review
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?” READ MORE
Black Rain – Review
Mr. and Mrs. Shizuma and their niece Yasuko make their way through the ruins of Hiroshima, devastated by the atomic bomb. Five years later, Yasuko is living with her aunt and uncle, and her senile grandmother, in a village containing many survivors of the bombing. Yasuko does not appear to be affected, but the Shizumas are worried about her marriage prospects, fearing that she might succumb to radiation sickness at any time. READ MORE
Anime Essentials: Every Thing a Fan Needs to Know – Review
Anime is Japanese animation…an avant-garde artistic medium and a pop culture phenomenon, with hundreds of millions of fans and just as many opinions on what it’s all about. READ MORE
She and Her Cat – Review
Director Makoto Shinkai’s She and Her Cat is his first anime project that he directed. The short film has won Shinkai praise for his artistry, including that of winning the 2000 DoGA CG animation contest Grand Prix. What’s surprising to note is that Shinkai produced the film entirely himself, going as far as to personally voice the main character of the short feature. READ MORE
Love & Pop – Review
With his first foray into live-action cinema, director Hideaki Anno delivers an exposé on the Japanese practice of compensated dating and the culture that surrounds it. Based on the novel Tokyo Decadence by author Ryu Muramaki, Love & Pop presents an intimate vision concerning a subject that is ripe with social controversy within Japan. READ MORE
The End of Evangelion – Review
The End of Evangelion is one of those particular anime films that when it was released, caused such a controversy amongst the fan base that viewers were divided over how to handle what they actually witnessed, quite similar to the division found amongst viewers concerning the end of the television series. READ MORE
Tekkonkinkreet – Review
Based off the manga Black and White by author Taiyo Matsumoto,Tekkonkinkreet tells the vividly arousing tale of two orphaned street kids who must protect their city from harmful outsiders. Directed by Michael Arias (who is the first non-japanese to direct a major anime feature film) the film has won numerous awards, including that the 2008 Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the year. READ MORE
Angel’s Egg – Review
Considering both director Mamoru Oshii and popular Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano were involved in the creation of Angel’s Egg, it really comes at little surprise to me that this film is, how should I say this, different. Given the fantastic yet odd artistry in Amano’s works and Oshii’s contemplative handling of his own films, Angel’s Egg is a deliberately slow and mesmerizing animated film. READ MORE
Tokyo Sonata – Review
Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa has been one of Japan’s rising directors within the last decade. With many surprising and memorable titles already under his belt, he’s always been an advocate of promoting social issues through the medium of his films. His latest being Tokyo Sonata, is perhaps his most direct confrontation with the societal ills that persist within the modern age of Japan. READ MORE
This World of Ours – Review
Director Ryo Nakajima wrote the script for this film at only 19 years of age, and filmed it when he was 23. Previous to his experience in film-making, he was what the Japanese call a “hikkimori”—a reclusive individual who have chosen to withdraw from social life—and spent numerous years in a self-imposed isolated state. READ MORE
Ringu – Review
The highest grossing horror film in Japan, Hideo Nakata’s 1998 film Ringu is what many consider the advocate for the Japanese horror boom. It’s a film, through all its subjectivity, that is considered the most frightening horror film in Japan and has received worldwide recognition for being so, eventually leading to the 2002 American remake, The Ring. READ MORE
Noriko’s Dinner Table – Review
A sequel to 2002’s cult-status film Suicide Club, director Sion Sono’s Noriko’s Dinner Table tells the compelling and profound tale of the collapse and reconstruction of the family unit. The story follows Noriko Shimabara (Kazue Fukiishi), a seemingly unhappy teenager who lives with her mother, father, and younger sister. READ MORE
Anime from Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation – Review
A professor of Japanese Literature and Culture at the University of Texas at Austin, Susan J. Napier is heralded as one of the top Japanese animation scholars in America. Her 2001 book entitled Anime From Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle: Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation contains a collection of analytical essays and commentaries on the different elements that are explored within the context of anime. READ MORE
Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded The U.S. – Review
Ronald Kelts is a fiction and nonfiction writer, an editor of the literary journal A Public Space, and a lecturer at the University of Tokyo. His 2007 book Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the U.S. explores the conceptual history regarding the use of Japanese pop culture and its influence within the Western world. READ MORE
Robot Ghosts and Wired Dreams: Japanese Science Fiction From Origins to Anime – Review
Consisting of a collection of essays based around Japanese science fiction, Robot Ghost and Wired Dreams: Japanese Science Fiction from Origins to Anime explores the influential and visual impact that Japanese science fiction has had throughout the world and also investigates some fundamental relations and differences between both traditional prose science fiction and science fiction animation. READ MORE
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