Anime Blog Tracker

Nagi’s Island (2022) review [Camera Japan Festival]

The power of Nagasawa’s narrative does not simply lie in the engaging emotional rhythm, as dictated by the musical decorations, but in the genuineness that oozes from every…

psycho-cinematography

22 hours ago • Subscribe

Prior Convictions (2022) review [Camera Japan Festival]

“A very relevant exploration of the fact that the criminal act is, in many cases, born from an antagonistic relation between the subject and the Other.”

psycho-cinematography

4 days ago • Subscribe

Alivehoon (2022) review [Camera Japan Festival]

Shimoyama hits all the common beats of the sports-genre, but succeeds in elevating his exploration of the art of drifting by framing the battling cars in an exciting…

psycho-cinematography

7 days ago • Subscribe

It’s All My Fault (2022) review [Camera Japan Festival 2022]

A touching narrative that explores how difficult it is for subject to assume a place for himself, a place from where he/she can desire, without the structuring influence…

psycho-cinematography

10 days ago • Subscribe

Straying (2022) review [Camera Japan 2022]

A pleasant and charming exploration of the fact that, within the game of love and romance and beyond, subjects often rely on acting-out to reveal to the other…

psycho-cinematography

13 days ago • Subscribe

A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse (1975) review

It is via the splatter of blood, the concatenation of sexual acts, and the ghostly revenge that Yamaguchi presents the male spectator his truth: that he, beyond fantasy…

psycho-cinematography

16 days ago • Subscribe

Summer Time Machine Blues (2005)

A fantastic time-travel narrative that will not only please sci-fi fans but also please spectators who love Japanese comical narratives.

psycho-cinematography

19 days ago • Subscribe

Dancing in Her Dreams (2019)

“A wonderful experience that does not only present a touching exploration of the pain of longing but also functions as an exquisite and elegant celebration of the art…

psycho-cinematography

22 days ago • Subscribe

In Another Language (2021) review

An enjoyable indie romance narrative that elegantly plays with the fact that lie and truth are fundamentality interwoven within a subject’s speech.

psycho-cinematography

a month ago • Subscribe

A Girl On The Shore (2021) review

“Ueda’s engaging film is all about two subjects trying to escape their phantasmatic identification with the notion of trash.”

psycho-cinematography

a month ago • Subscribe

Pale Flower (1964) review

“A ‘seductive’ nihilistic masterpiece that explores the unescapable subjective problems created by the rhythmic capitalistic machinery.”

psycho-cinematography

Aug 27, 2022 • Subscribe

Short movie time: Laundromat on the Corner (2020)

“A very pleasant horror-romance short narrative.”

psycho-cinematography

Aug 24, 2022 • Subscribe

The Women (2021) review  

“A narrative with many beautiful touching moments but not a satisfying whole.”

psycho-cinematography

Aug 21, 2022 • Subscribe

Shaman’s Daughter (2022) review [JFFH 2022]

A genre mish-mash – a cocktail of light-hearted comedy, family drama, bloody thriller, and ghostly romance – that is not only pleasant but offers the spectator a rich…

psycho-cinematography

Aug 18, 2022 • Subscribe

The Vampire Doll (1970) review

“Sounds, music, performances, and darkish visuals all blend beautifully together to deliver an unsettling but enchanting account of vampirism in Japan.”

psycho-cinematography

Aug 15, 2022 • Subscribe

My Broken Mariko (2022) [Fantasia Film Festival]

Tanada offers a compelling exploration of the emotional turmoil a female subject caused by the sudden death of someone important.

psycho-cinematography

Aug 12, 2022 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia

The Pass: Last Days Of The Samurai (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]

A very engaging samurai narrative that does not only offer an intriguing glance at one of the most important crossroads of Japanese history, but also a melodramatic exploration…

psycho-cinematography

Aug 10, 2022 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia, The Samurai

The Pass: Last Days Of The Samurai (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]

A very engaging samurai narrative that does not only offer an intriguing glance at one of the most important crossroads of Japanese history, but also a melodramatic exploration…

psycho-cinematography

Aug 9, 2022 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia, The Samurai

Convenience Story (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2022]

Miki delivers a great psychological mystery narrative, yet it might not be for everyone.

psycho-cinematography

Aug 6, 2022 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia

What To Do With Dead Kaiju (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2022]

“An extremely well-structured genre-blend that does not only provides the laughs and giggles with its pleasant political satire, but also allows the spectator to immerge himself into the…

psycho-cinematography

Aug 3, 2022 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia

The Fish Tale (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]

A very heart-warming and touching narrative that shows that a subject does not necessarily need to make use of the neurotic solution to inscribe himself within the societal…

psycho-cinematography

Jul 31, 2022 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia

Shin-Ultraman (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]

Higuchi and Anno deliver an impressive love letter to their childhood, yet their devoted love, which is sensible in every aspect of the narrative, might not be able…

psycho-cinematography

Jul 28, 2022 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia

The Mole Song: Final (2021) review [Fantasia Film Festival]

Miike’s narrative delivers everything a fan of the previous narratives desires and even succeeds in inviting newcomers to delve into Reiji’s past exploits.

psycho-cinematography

Jul 24, 2022 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia

Masquerade Hotel (2019) review

A pleasant narrative that provides an interesting mystery, a nice exploration of hotel-philosophy, and offers an engaging dynamic between the two leads.

psycho-cinematography

Jul 22, 2022 • Subscribe

Eleven Greed (2022) [JFFH 2022]

Despite its obvious low-budget nature, Soejima delivers a highly entertaining and engaging action-thriller.

psycho-cinematography

Jul 19, 2022 • Subscribe

I’ve Died a Lot Lately (2021) review [JFFH 2022]

Kanemoto proves that he has the talent to create, with a limited budget, a narrative that is not only creative but able to give the spectator a good…

psycho-cinematography

Jul 16, 2022 • Subscribe

Dark Blue Forest (2021) review [JFFH 2022]

A great experimental thriller-mystery narrative about borders and the destructive nature of prejudice.

psycho-cinematography

Jul 13, 2022 • Subscribe

One Day, A woman (2022) review [JFFH 2022]

“Mihiro Kaneko’s incredibly rich performance does not only engages the spectator from start to finish, but allows Yuko’s subjective turmoil, her flight from the societal Other, and her…

psycho-cinematography

Jul 10, 2022 • Subscribe

Five Films Not To Miss [Fantasia Film Festival 2022]

Let us present 5 Japanese films that should already be high on your to-watch list.

psycho-cinematography

Jul 8, 2022 • Subscribe

Girl from Phantasia

Short movie Time: The Stolen Ocean (2022) review [JFFH 2022]

Noaya Asanuma proves that he has a creative voice worth listening too.

psycho-cinematography

Jul 7, 2022 • Subscribe

Short movie time: Reason To Oblivion (2021) review [JFFH 2022]

A pleasant horror short-narrative that showcases Miyahara’s talent.

psycho-cinematography

Jul 4, 2022 • Subscribe

Stone Steps (2022) review [JFFH 2022]

A great indie narrative that highlights the need for the parental and the traditional Other to aid the subject to embark on the path of his own desire.…

psycho-cinematography

Jul 1, 2022 • Subscribe

Kingdom of The Apes (2022) review [JFFH 2022]

Shugo Fujii proves that he is the master of indie-thrillers.

psycho-cinematography

Jun 27, 2022 • Subscribe

What she Likes (2021) review [22nd Nippon Connections]

“Kusano succeeds in delivering a quite atypical romance narrative.”      

psycho-cinematography

Jun 25, 2022 • Subscribe

The End Of The Pale Hour (2021) review [22nd Nippon Connection]

Matsumoto delivers an amazing narrative that allows the spectator to realize that imaginary pleasure offers little protection against the oppressing demands of the society and imaginary injuries de…

psycho-cinematography

Jun 22, 2022 • Subscribe

One Day, You will reach the Sea (2022) review (22nd Nippon Connection)

A splendid experience whose themes of loss, failed encounters, and unresolved desires do not fail to touch the spectator deeply.

psycho-cinematography

Jun 19, 2022 • Subscribe

My Brother, The Android and Me (2022) review [22nd Nippon Connection]

“A compelling exploration of how certain subjects, psychotically structured, attempt to mend the problematic nature of the symbolic and the imaginary.”

psycho-cinematography

Jun 16, 2022 • Subscribe

Popran (2022) review [22nd Nippon Connection]

“A great narrative that questions in a light-hearted way the relation between the male subject and his member as well as the role the real member plays within…

psycho-cinematography

Jun 13, 2022 • Subscribe

Ninja Girl (2021) review [22nd Nippon connection]

“A political satire that will not fail to please audiences, but lacks the thematical punch to make a statement that will long linger in the spectator’s mind.”

psycho-cinematography

Jun 10, 2022 • Subscribe

Any Crybabies Around? (2020) review [22nd Nippon Connection]

“A great drama that sketches out the destructive effect of the gap between one’s signifiers and one’s acts on others and shows the spectator that what the marital…

psycho-cinematography

Jun 7, 2022 • Subscribe

Intolerance (2021) [22nd Nippon Connection]

Yoshida’s narrative hits all the right emotional notes for the audience and that its message will long linger in the spectator’s mind.

psycho-cinematography

Jun 4, 2022 • Subscribe

Backlight (2021) [22nd Nippon Connection]

An elegantly constructed and highly impactful exploration of the inhibiting fear of being rejected by one’s beloved.

psycho-cinematography

Jun 1, 2022 • Subscribe

Just Remembering (2022) review [22nd Nippon Connection]

An experience that will stir the spectator’s unconscious and affect his heart.  

psycho-cinematography

May 29, 2022 • Subscribe

They Say Nothing Stays the Same (2019) review [22nd Nippon Connection]

An exquisitely shot meditation about the impact change has on society and subjectivity.

psycho-cinematography

May 26, 2022 • Subscribe

A Madder Red (2021) review [Nippon Connection 2022]

Machiko Ono and Yuki Katayama breathe extra-ordinary life and realism into the pain, the hopes, the white lies, the tears, the smiles, and the anger of contemporary female…

psycho-cinematography

May 24, 2022 • Subscribe

22nd Nippon Connection: Recommendations

This list does not only reveal the variety of unique perspectives that mark Japanese Cinema, but also echoes that what directors, from a cinematic perspective, put into question…

psycho-cinematography

May 22, 2022 • Subscribe

Stigmatized Properties (2020) review

“A horror without well-developed horror and a romance story without satisfying romantic moments.”

psycho-cinematography

May 20, 2022 • Subscribe

Travels of Hibari and Chiemi 2: The Lovebird’s 1000 Ryo Umbrella (1963) review

“A highly enjoyable sequel that, once more, delivers heart-warming light-heartedness, comical action-sequences, and touching musical moments.”

psycho-cinematography

May 17, 2022 • Subscribe

Umbrella

Travels of Hibari and Chiemi: The Tumultuous Journey (1962) review

“This film remains, after all these years, a highly enjoyable narrative that succeeds to please the spectator with heart-warming light-heartedness, comical action, and beautiful musical momen…

psycho-cinematography

May 14, 2022 • Subscribe

Gonza the Spearman (1986) review

“A fabulous narrative that offers a satisfying exploration of the tragedy of phallic ambition and the destructive potential of desire.”

psycho-cinematography

May 11, 2022 • Subscribe