A touching and visually pleasing narrative about the importance of finding an address for one’s signifiers of suffering
Dec 15, 2023 • Subscribe
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“Pilot” Balloon
Are dragons back in vogue again? Were they ever out of vogue? Or even in “Vogue”? It’s just that I am seeing an uptick in dragon shows, or…
Trapped Balloon, ippo, Blind Mind, The Hitmen – Kakitsu no Uakyu Ikki, Dream Collaboration Festival Japanese Film Trailers
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Cosplay Beats: Balloon Miku
Our cosplayer Paris is back, this time with something you may not have seen before—balloon cosplay! Wut?? Check out the shots below of this surprisingly cool and accurate…
Cosplay Beats! Balloon Bakugou
Just in time for a brand new season of My Hero Academia, our cosplayer Paris returns with another cosplay by Neverland Balloons. This time, she gathers all her…
Issue #85: Seventh Jet Balloon
Discussing the new 7th Jet Balloon album, J Soul Brothers's "R.Y.U.S.E.I." and Sasuke Haraguchi's brain-sizzling DJ sets
Balloon Knots and Patron Saints
The Japanese trade in beer for balloons on Saint Patrick's Day
Trapped in references
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Gurren Lagann, Inferno Cop, Little Witch Academia, Promare, Space Patrol Luluco
SKRYU takes flight with his Balloon
I’ve gotta give it to SKRYU, he likes to lay on the levity in his music videos. In the case of his newest track Balloon, he’s gone for…
Balloon Fight: Playing in Tribute to Mr.Iwata
The unfortunate news broke late Sunday evening in my timezone and hit me quite unexpectedly. I have so much respect and admiration for Mr.Iwata. It was obvious in…
Trapped in a Dating Sim
By Andrew Osmond. Many readers of this blog will know what a dating sim is. It’s a computer game where your character develops a romantic relationship with someone…
Goku is a Trapped Character
An anime and manga blog, devoted to all kinds of amazing things from Japan. Reviews, articles, lists and more!
Willingly Trapped in Farming Sims Hell
Farming Sims have a particular problem that is hard to solve. The usual farming sim has a predefined town filled with colorful characters, a premise of starting small…
First Impression: Trapped in a Dating Sim
Blackmailed (?) by his little sister into playing an otome game to 100% in order to unlock all the cutscenes for her, a Japanese man engages in a…
Cue! – Episode 6 – The Balloon that Brought the Girls Together
Episode impressions of Cue! Episode 6 as the other girls finally get some time in the spotlight as Riko, Mahoro, Aya, and Miharu moves into the dorms. Yes,…
Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Crash Lands Into Building in Akihabara
TOKYO, Japan – An object suspected of being a surveillance balloon originating from China was reported to have crash landed on top of a commercial building in the…
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Cafune (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
A very strong debut by Haruki Kinemura.
Mizuiro 2003 01 - Trapped in the Closet II
This is yet another project I'd had sitting around for awhile; I'd thought that TSunDere was going to do it, but IIRC it got removed from...
Village (2023) review
Introduction Michihito Fujji might not be a big name in Japanese cinema, but he has, over the last few years, put himself on the international map, be it…
2023 in Review
A year of retreads and repeats, none of them good: War in Ukraine. War in the Middle East. Covid, flu, and RSV. Donald Trump and Joe Biden r...
Laughing Salesman, Noel's Fantastic Trip, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Tomo-chan Is a Girl!, Undead Murder Farce
Review: Cyberheist (2023)
Cyberheist 断网 Hong Kong/China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 109 mins. Director: Huang Qingxun 黄庆勋 [Danny Wong]. Rating: 5/10. Crime drama centred on an IT specialist targeted by a money-laundering…
Review: Flashover (2023)
Flashover 惊天救援 China, 2023, colour/b&w, 2.35:1, 113 mins. Director: Peng Shun 彭顺 [Oxide Pang]. Rating: 5/10. Solid, procedural firefighting movie is short on character development and has a…
Review: Hachiko (2023)
Hachiko 忠犬八公 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 124 mins. Director: Xu Ang 徐昂. Rating: 8/10. A high-quality heartwarmer, inspired by a true story of canine loyalty, that features strong…
#Manhole (2023) review
A highly engaging and twist-rich narrative that beautifully illustrates the continued importance of the image for the subject as well as the disastrous effects of the frustration of…
Review: Papa (2023)
Papa 学爸 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 117 mins. Director: Su Liang 苏亮. Rating: 5/10. A working-class widower becomes obsessed with his young son’s education in this light drama…
Review: Godspeed (2023)
Godspeed 人生路不熟 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 99 mins. Director: Yi Xiaoxing 易小星. Rating: 5/10. A comedy road movie centred on a dysfunctional family is strongly cast, starts promisingly…
Monster (2023) review
Kore-eda succeeds in delivering an utterly engaging narrative about the fundamental misunderstanding that underpins our fabrication of our truth.
Undercurrent (2023) review
Imaizumi delivers an engaging but understated emotional experience that explores the deceptive nature of imaginary veil that binds two subjects together.
Review: Revival (2023)
Revival 回廊亭 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 98 mins. Director: Lai Mukuan 来牧宽. Rating: 4/10. Atmospheric, well-cast whodunit, set in a remote villa, is severely unbalanced by an over-twisty…
Immersion (2023) review
Spectators looking for something new and fresh will find little to like about Shimizu’s latest.
Yoko (2023) review
A complex full-bodied filmic wine that cannot but stir the spectator’s emotions.
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Winny (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Matsumoto offers a serene insight in how the Other of the law curtails a subject and, indirectly, sabotages the prospects of a new industry.
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Plastic (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Miyazaki creates a moody narrative that highlights the equivocal functionality of music for the subject as well as the destructive impact of not being able to create an…
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Single8 (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2023]
Konaka offers the spectator a heartwarming invitation to re-find, within oneself, one’s (nearly extinguished) passion for creation.
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The Manga That Trapped Us In A Lie [Recommendation]
As many may know, I fell in love with the series My Star (Oshi no Ko) as of late thanks to a passing mention from some youtubers I…
Urasekai Picnic – Episode 5 – Trapped in the Urasekai, Again
Episode impressions of Urasekai Picnic Episode 5 as Sorawo finally saved Toriko from falling into a trap, you thought that she would learn her lesson. Sadly, she asks…
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Side by Side (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
A peaceful dream-like visual experience that celebrates both the impact subjects have on each other as well as the manner in which the subject remains opaque to himself…
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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.
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Ice Cream Fever (2023) review [Japannual 2023]
A gorgeous stylish exploration of the subjective struggles and the solutions subjects invent within the field of love and desire.
Anime Boston 2023 Review
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Review: Ocean Rescue (2023)
Ocean Rescue 深海危机 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 92 mins. Director: Shen Dong 沈东. Rating: 4/10. Routine, poorly plotted action movie, with Mainland operatives taking on terrorists with a…
Review: Death Notice (2023)
Death Notice 暗杀风暴 Hong Kong/China, 2023, colour/b&w, 2.35:1, 99 mins. Director: Qiu Litao 邱礼涛 [Herman Yau]. Rating: 6/10. Despite a shapeless script, this serial-killer mystery is largely entertaining…
Review: Moscow Mission (2023)
Moscow Mission 93国际列车大劫案 莫斯科行动 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 127 mins. Director: Qiu Litao 邱礼涛 [Herman Yau]. Rating: 6/10. Action-packed crime story, based on a real event, with Chinese…
Review: Wolf Hiding (2023)
Wolf Hiding 怒潮 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 105 mins. Director: Ma Yuke 马浴柯. Rating: 7/10. A hard-driven, stygian tale of gangsterly ambition, deceit and murder is a striking…
MAD CATS (2023) review
A dose of cinematic pleasure that does not only provides the laughs but also engages the spectator with well-choreographed action.
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: Hidden Blade (2023)
Hidden Blade 无名 China, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 128 mins. Director: Cheng Er 程耳. Rating: 9/10. Cracking WW2 spy drama set among collaborationists in Japanese-controlled Shanghai is challenging but…
Review: Moonlight Warrior (2023)
Moonlight Warrior 月光武士 China, 2023, colour, 16:9, 109 mins. Director: Hong Ying 虹影. Rating: 5/10. Decent but conventional light drama between a young teenage boy and an older…
January 2023 Manga Review
Brought to you by an infinite supply of Pon de Ringu.
Lonely Glory (2023) review
Sakon succeeds in infusing his narrative about selfish benevolence with a rough emotional naturalness that engages and affects the spectator.
Review: Death Stranding (2023)
Death Stranding 困兽 China/Hong Kong, 2023, colour, 2.35:1, 96 mins. Director: Peng Fa 彭发 [Danny Pang]. Rating: 5/10. Generic, Hong Kong-style crime drama is poorly scripted, but watchable…