A detective begins to lose his grip on reality while investigating the murder of an old woman in Wei Shujun’s ’90s-set Sino-noir.
Oct 5, 2023 • Subscribe
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Review: Only the River Flows (2023)
Only the River Flows 河边的错误 China, 2023, colour, 1.85:1, 101 mins. Director: Wei Shujun 魏书钧. Rating: 5/10. Darkly-shot psychodrama-cum-whodunit is a brave stab at a China Noir but…
Muddy River (泥の河, Kohei Oguri, 1981)
The innocent friendship between two boys is disrupted by the post-war reality in Kohei Oguri’s quietly devastating drama
Heaven Rain Flows Sweetly (Li Shasha, 2023)
In her personal essay film Heaven Rain Flows Sweetly, Li Shasha finds herself meditating on her rootless life and traditional attitudes to the natural world when confronted firstly…
River (2023) [Film Review]
River; or, The Edge of Afternoon What will you wish for? The year 2023 is coming to an end soon, but I managed to find some time…
Review: Full River Red (2023)
Full River Red 满江红 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 156 mins. Director: Zhang Yimou 张艺谋. Rating: 6/10. A top cast, led by comedian Shen Teng, initially makes this costume…
River (2023) review [Fantasia Film Fest 2023]
If you like low-key humour and some time-twisting fun, you should not miss Yamaguchi’s latest.
Redemption with Life (兄弟, Zhang Wei, 2023)
A young man with old-fashioned values is slowly consumed by the contradictions of the modern China in Zhang Wei’s indie drama.
The Ebbs and Flows of Content
Every content creator experiences the hit of incredible amounts of inspiration and then the lull that comes after it, and I’m no exception to that. But now? I…
The Ebbs and Flows of Content
Every content creator experiences the hit of incredible amounts of inspiration and then the lull that comes after it, and I'm no exception to that. But now? I…
Jack the Poetical Private / 詩的私的ジャック
Despite its focus on STEM, the S&M series sure seems to have an aversion to formula. While the previous book broke the mold by moving from...
The Only Good Anime of Winter 2023
WARNING: Many words ahead. More than I expected.
Bungo Stray Dogs, The Fire Hunter, In/Spectre, Sugar Apple Fairy Tale
Review: One and Only (2023)
One and Only 热烈 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 123 mins. Director: Da Peng 大鹏 [Dong Chengpeng 董成鹏]. Rating: 6/10. Comedian Huang Bo’s performance as a wily manager is…
The Ark (方舟, Wei Dan, 2020)
An elderly woman suffering with a non-Covid medical condition is cared for by her children and grandchildren in Wei Dan’s documentary.
Full River Red (满江红, Zhang Yimou, 2023)
A bumbling corporal is swept into intrigue when charged with retrieving a compromising document in Zhang Yimou’s Song Dynasty mystery.
Director’s Comment: The Takatsu River
Dir. NISHIKORI Yoshinari 錦織良成監督
The Soul (緝魂, Cheng Wei-Hao, 2021)
“Affection is the greatest obstacle on the path to success” according to the villain at the centre of Cheng Wei-Hao’s philosophical mystery, The Soul (緝魂, Jī Hún). Adapted…
Father of the Milky Way Railroad (銀河鉄道の父, Izuru Narushima, 2023)
Izuru Narushima’s prestige drama explores the story of Kenji Miyazawa from the perspective of his devoted father, Masajiro.
Pick of the Week: Red River, Red River, Let Manga Come Iver
SEAN: Just as kids these days have no idea what I'm talking about when I mention watching a cartoon "in syndication", I imagine there are manga readers who…
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.
Lost in the Stars (消失的她, Cui Rui & Liu Xiang, 2023)
A frantic husband searches for his missing wife with the aid of a steely international lawyer in Cui Rui & Liu Xiang’s twisted mystery thriller.
Jujutsu Kaisen – 22 – Crossing the River
Yuuji, Nobara, and Megumi are driven by Asst. Supervisor Nitta Akari (a new face) to Saitama to investigate a string of curse-related deaths involving a malfunctioning automatic door.…
Fish Memories ((真)新的一天, Chen Hung-i, 2023)
A middle-aged man’s comfortable if emotionally empty existence is disrupted by his relationship with a pair of teenagers in Chen Hung-i’s poetic drama.
The Manga Review: Scrolling Down the River
Kicking off this week's news round-up is Shueisha's announcement that it will launch its own manga app in 2024. The twist? Jump Toon will publish stories in a…
Jang-Gae: The Foreigner (醬狗, Chang Chih-Wei, 2020)
An angry young man struggles to reintegrate his fracturing sense of identity in Chang Chih-Wei’s sensitive coming-of-age drama.
One and Only (热烈, Dong Chengpeng, 2023)
An aspiring street dancer from an impoverished background just can’t seem to catch a break no matter how hard he works in Dong Chengpeng’s inspiring dramedy.
You shouldn’t swim in the Meguro River
But there is a great place to swim right next to it. The photo above shows a view of the river from a bridge that you can find…
Thousand Autumns (山河剑心) Impression **Spoilers**
“Yan Wushi had walked a path full of blood and corpses. He did not believe in the good nature of humanity. Even more so, he did not believe…
LBW Liuzhou River Style Instant Rice Noodle Cup (No River Snails) Review
This is one very interesting instant noodle cup out of China. The first thing I'll mention is that no river snails were actually harmed or ...
My Heavenly City (我的天堂城市, Yu Sen-I, 2023)
A collection of Taiwanese migrants live unwittingly connected lives while otherwise lonely in New York in Yu Sen-I’s melancholy drama.
Lonely Eighteen (我們的十八歲, Tracy Choi Ian-Sin, 2023)
The contrasting fortunes of two friends trying to make it in the ’80s entertainment industry are explored in Tracy Choi’s meandering drama.
Review: River of Salvation (2020)
River of Salvation 一江春水 China, 2020, colour, 1.33:1, 108 mins. Director: Gao Qisheng 高启盛. Rating: 5/10. Well-played study of a 30-something woman in workaday central China doesn’t really…
Review: River of Salvation (2020)
River of Salvation 一江春水 China, 2020, colour, 1.33:1, 108 mins. Director: Gao Qisheng 高启盛. Rating: 5/10. Well-played study of a 30-something woman in workaday central China doesn’t really…
English Eerie Campfire Tales: The Lost River Love
This post is an entry to Jon Spencer’s October Discord Server Event, English Eerie. I was unsure about doing this at first, but it sounded fun and I…
Target (標的, Shinji Nishijima, 2021)
Shinji Nishijima’s documentary follows former Asahi Shimbun journalist Takashi Uemura as he continues to fight for press freedom in an increasingly authoritarian Japan.
Carmen from Kawachi (河内カルメン, Seijun Suzuki, 1966)
Suzuki’s anarchic take on Bizet’s opera sees its heroine transcend the forces which oppress her to find true freedom and independence.
Labyrinth of Dreams (ユメノ銀河, Sogo Ishii, 1997)
“If both held their courses they would collide in nine seconds, and catastrophe would be inevitable” according to the voiceover which opens Sogo Ishii’s ethereal psychodrama Labyrinth of…
If Only I Could Hibernate (Баавгай болохсон, Zoljargal Purevdash, 2023)
A teenage boy finds himself torn between his dreams and responsibility towards his family in Zoljargal Purevdash’s gentle coming of age drama.
"The Only Truth You'll Find"
The Flame is its own reflection Thanks to KYDB for lending his 👌 voice for this atrocity Subscribe to KYDB: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFaIXgd8idAF99ke2hqjiVg And to me if you aren't ;) https://www.youtube.com/c/funebure?sub_confirmation=1 This was supposed to…
The World God Only Knows
Visit the post for more.
Tomb of the River (강릉, Yoon Young-bin, 2021)
A noble gangster is pulled towards the dark side in an internecine battle with pure evil over a lucrative resort in Yoon Young-bin’s purgatorial gangland drama
Only Yesterday
Only Yesterday is a 1991 Slice of Life Drama anime film by one of the most beloved animation studios in the world, Studio Ghibli. Compared to other studios…
Only Tezuka…
Young Okuchin, a good-for-nothing student with no prospects for the future, is visited by a strange young man who tells him he’s a thief that steals the futures…
Only Tezuka…
Young Okuchin, a good-for-nothing student with no prospects for the future, is visited by a strange young man who tells him he’s a thief that steals the futures…
Naka River / Hakata Bay Sightseeing Cruises
Three companies operate sightseeing boats in Fukuoka City along five courses starting from Fuku-Haku Deaibashi Bridge in Tenjin Central Park, and passengers can enjoy Fukuoka’s cityscape from the w…
Dreaming of the Meridian Arc (大河への道, Kenji Nakanishi, 2022)
Dedicated civil servants do their best to put their town on the map while celebrating a local hero in Kenji Nakanishi’s warmhearted dramedy.
The Tycoon / 傷だらけの山河 / Kizudarake no sanga (1964)
Obscure Japanese Film #144 Ayako Wakao and So Yamamura Having delivered a mega-hit for Daiei studios with Shinobi no mono (1962) and also...
The River: Poem of Wrath [Kawa, ano uragiri ga omoku]
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The Winter of 1905 (1981) Director: Yu Wei-Cheng [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2024]
The Winter of 1905 (1981), directed by Yu Wei-Cheng, is a solid dramatisation of Li Shutong’s time in Japan and the influences that would lead him to become…
Review: ONLY THE RING FINGER KNOWS
Central Park Media might have been the first manga publisher to tackle BL, but DMP became famous for publishing nothing but BL, starting wit...
The World God Only Knows II
Title: The World God Only Knows IIGenre: Comedy, Romance, SupernaturalRating: 8.2/10 Summary: Season 2 of The World God Only Knows Review: Ah I just feel like taking a break from the anime bashing for…