Anime Blog Tracker

Sumiko 22 (スミコ22, Sawako Fukuoka, 2024)

A young woman fears she’s losing her sense of self but begins to regain an interest in the world through a series os surreal encounters in Sawako Fukuoka’s…

Windows on Worlds

Mar 8, 2024 • Subscribe

Sumiko

Sumiko 22 スミコ22 (2024) Director: Sawako Fukuoka [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2024]

Sumiko 22 スミコ22 (2024), sees editor/writer/director Sawako Fukuoka draw upon her own experiences to make a quirky comedy/drama about the everyday pressures and small-scale strangeness experienced b…

Genkinahito

Mar 18, 2024 • Subscribe

Sumiko

Snowdrop (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A complex character portrait that touchingly illustrates how easy it is to misrecognize the logic of the subject-supposed-to-be-in-need.

psycho-cinematography

a month ago • Subscribe

Suton (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

Rikako Watanabe’s narrative succeeds to echo the unvocalized ‘pandemic’ truth of many.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 2, 2024 • Subscribe

Amalock (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A narrative that fluidly combines comedy and tragedy to deliver an experience of smiles and tears.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 17, 2024 • Subscribe

Sumiko 22 スミコ22 (2024) Director: Sawako Fukuoka [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2024] Second Draft

Sumiko 22 スミコ22 (2024), sees editor/writer/director Sawako Fukuoka draw upon her own experiences to make a quirky comedy/drama about the everyday pressures and small-scale strangeness experienced b…

Genkinahito

Mar 18, 2024 • Subscribe

Sumiko

Wash Away (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A pleasant narrative that offers a fresh but familiar exploration of the subject’s fundamental desire for recognition/love and the problematic yet medicative function of consumption.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 23, 2024 • Subscribe

Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A powerful reminder of the sexual transgressions that structurally plague the Japanese film industry

psycho-cinematography

a month ago • Subscribe

Memories of this Scent (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

An endearing and fragrance rich tale of subjective change.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 8, 2024 • Subscribe

Faraway Family (2023) review [OAFF 2024]

A very touching narrative that explores the frail position of the father and how his structural failure can cause subjective struggles and inhibitions.

psycho-cinematography

24 days ago • Subscribe

Short Movie Time: Perfect・Nervous (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

An exquisitely crafted narrative that touchingly shows that a simple encounter, a simple exchange of signifiers, can turn a wish to die into a desire to life.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 26, 2024 • Subscribe

Performing Kaoru’s Funeral (2023) review [OAFF 2024]

Yuasa’s narrative shows that the unavoidable presence of death during a funeral can allow a subject to re-route his own trajectory.

psycho-cinematography

21 days ago • Subscribe

Short Movie Time: On a Boat (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

The exploration of the frail stability of an obsessional neurotic does not miss its impact on the spectator.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 20, 2024 • Subscribe

Melody

Ask For The Moon (2022) review [OAFF 2024]

A satisfying narrative that illustrates how the subject’s ego is but a response to his complexes and struggles.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 5, 2024 • Subscribe

Short Movie Time: Ririka of the Star (2024) review [OAFF 2024] 

A narrative that does not merely emphasize the beauty of moving female body, but reveals that such beauty can change subjects.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 11, 2024 • Subscribe

Author Journey (April 22, 2024)

I came into the week expecting a fairly quiet and relaxed run of things… and then, the day job thought otherwise! Starting to feel like they are exploiting…

The Otaku Author

6 days ago • Subscribe

Author Journey (January 22, 2024)

After a couple of crazy weeks, things finally settled down, allowing me to get a better idea of how my schedule will work… most of the time! It…

The Otaku Author

Jan 22, 2024 • Subscribe

Cafune (2023) review [OAFF 2023]

A very strong debut by Haruki Kinemura.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 28, 2023 • Subscribe

Seiyuu Veteran Shirakawa Sumiko Passes away

  Shirakawa Sumiko aka Shirato Sumiko she was 80 and was famous for her role in Doraemon as Dekisugi and recently Sazae-san as Nakajima-kun. Shirakawa’s final episode on Sazae-san as Nakajima-…

The CyberNauts Cast Podcast

Nov 29, 2015 • Subscribe

Doraemon, Sazae-san, Sumiko, Doraemon

News Update - Mon, 22 Apr 2024

Matrix-level Hint-dodging On Display. Allen is on point today with The Dangers in My Heart: Season 2, which he finds even better than the first season. Sometimes, massive weirdos…

THEM Anime Reviews

6 days ago • Subscribe

The Dangers in My Heart

News Update - Mon, 22 Jan 2024

I Spy With My Little Eye.... So yeah, this show shoulda been up a bit earlier, but here's Spy x Family, Season 2, courtesy of, once again, Allen. And…

THEM Anime Reviews

Jan 22, 2024 • Subscribe

Angry Son (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

“An incredibly rich and deep narrative that not only delivers a satisfying coming-of-age story but also an elegantly delivered social commentary on some of the frictions marking Japanese…

psycho-cinematography

Mar 18, 2022 • Subscribe

Random Call (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

Ohkanda’s narrative proves that one does not need a big budget to deliver a narrative that touches the spectator.

psycho-cinematography

Apr 20, 2022 • Subscribe

Melting Sounds (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

“Kahori Higashi’s debut is impressive.”

psycho-cinematography

Apr 14, 2022 • Subscribe

Goto-san (2021) review [OAFF 2021]

“Gokan expertly reveals the position of the freeter as an attempt to escape the capitalistic machinery but also as a position that most easily falls prey to the…

psycho-cinematography

Apr 24, 2021 • Subscribe

Short Movie Review: Natsuko (2020) [OAFF 2022]

“A splendid debut by Shuna Iijima.”

psycho-cinematography

Mar 27, 2022 • Subscribe

Sweet Bitter Candy (2021) review [OAFF 2021]

“An amazing exploration of the clash between a sweet youthful romantic desire and the bitter urge of a wounded subject to defend his subjective wounds.”

psycho-cinematography

Apr 30, 2021 • Subscribe

Our House Party (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

Kawanobe delivers a very touching and emotional story about homosexuality in Japan.

psycho-cinematography

Apr 11, 2022 • Subscribe

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…

psycho-cinematography

Mar 19, 2023 • Subscribe

OAFF 2022 Special

 Hello everyone, In this special episode of Heroic Purgatory, John and Jason discuss their favorite movies from the wonderful 2022 Osaka Asian Film Festival. Timestamps:2:53 - Media Consumption19:12 - News23:42…

Heroic Purgatory

Mar 28, 2022 • Subscribe

OAFF 2022 Special

 Hello everyone, In this special episode of Heroic Purgatory, John and Jason discuss their favorite movies from the wonderful 2022 Osaka Asian Film Festival. Timestamps:2:53 - Media Consumption19:12 - News23:42…

Heroic Purgatory

Mar 28, 2022 • Subscribe

OAFF 2022 Special

 Hello everyone, In this special episode of Heroic Purgatory, John and Jason discuss their favorite movies from the wonderful 2022 Osaka Asian Film Festival. Timestamps:2:53 - Media Consumption19:12 - News23:42…

Heroic Purgatory

Mar 28, 2022 • Subscribe

The Manga Review, 4/22/22

Back in the roaring aughts–when earnest manga fans posted reviews on LiveJournal and Blogger–link posts were a simple, effective way to connect with like-minded readers. The widespread adoption…

Manga Bookshelf

Apr 22, 2022 • Subscribe

The Manga Review, 7/22/22

Great news for fans of Fumiyo Kouno: the crew at Mangasplaining has teamed up with UDON to publish Kouno’s Giga Town: Manpu Zufu (A Catalog of Manga Symbols). Giga…

Manga Bookshelf

Jul 22, 2022 • Subscribe

Short Movie Time: Outsourcing (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

“A very satisfying satirical short thta shows that, within the job-seeking process, only the image matters.”

psycho-cinematography

Apr 17, 2022 • Subscribe

Far Away, Further Away (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

“A beautiful film that elegantly explores the role the imaginary plays in marital failure as well as in the beginning of a new romantic bond.”

psycho-cinematography

Apr 2, 2022 • Subscribe

A New Wind Blows (2021) review [OAFF 2021]

A great film that shows that the madness of the male subject is often function of a woman, of a woman that unknowingly puts the by a man…

psycho-cinematography

Apr 20, 2021 • Subscribe

Japanese Documentary Filmmaker Haneda Sumiko: Authorship and Gender Di...

Japanese Documentary Filmmaker Haneda Sumiko: Authorship and Gender Discourses The Japan Foundation, London partnered with Birkbeck, University of London to present a two-part event: “Japanese Documentary Filmmaker Haneda Sumiko:…

Japan Foundation

Oct 22, 2021 • Subscribe

Sumiko

Review #22 – Area 88

Name: Area 88Format: BluRayRelease Date: February 1985 (OVA), January 2004 (TV)Age Rating: 16+ (OVA), 13+ (TV)Themes: military, fighter pilots, drama, warLanguage Watched: English du…

Tenjoubito's Blog

Jun 18, 2023 • Subscribe

Area 88

Short Movie Time: Bagmati River (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

“A beautiful poetic short that elegantly plays with the contrast between life and death.”

psycho-cinematography

Mar 24, 2022 • Subscribe

The Burden Of The Past (2023) review [OAFF 2023]

With his latest drama film, Funahashi’s delivers a contender for this year’s best Japanese film.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 13, 2023 • Subscribe

The Light Of The Spring (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

“An experimental ‘dramamentary’ that succeeds to charm and touch the spectator with its rich mundane and genuine interactions.”

psycho-cinematography

Mar 20, 2022 • Subscribe

Sanka: Nomads of the Mountains (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

“A visually enticing narrative that elegantly explores the unresolvable tension between the societal Other and the subject.”

psycho-cinematography

Apr 8, 2022 • Subscribe

This Week: Tokyo Area Events for April 22 – 28, 2024

Here are some of the best family-friendly Tokyo area events we've handpicked out for the last week of April.

Savvy Tokyo

7 days ago • Subscribe

TSUTAYA Weekly Manga Sales Ranking: January 22 – January 28, 2024

There have been some changes to the reporting style here on the Blog. Please refer to the post here for further information. All of the data you find…

Erzat

Jan 29, 2024 • Subscribe

Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest, Cooking Papa, Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World, Saga of Tanya the Evil

Your Anime Rankings - Best of Winter 2024, Jan 22-28

We've never seen a top 3 so steady, but Solo Leveling is climbing fast! How far do you think it will level up? Find out how your favorite…

Anime News Network - Views

Feb 2, 2024 • Subscribe

Solo Leveling

POP! (Japan, 2021) [OAFF 2021]

Jason Maher reviews Masashi Komura's surreal coming-of-age tale POP!

VCinema

Apr 27, 2021 • Subscribe

Ito (Japan, 2021) [OAFF 2021]

Jason Maher reviews Satoko Yokohama's comedy-drama Ito.

VCinema

Apr 14, 2021 • Subscribe

JOINT (Japan, 2020) [OAFF 2021]

Jason Maher reviews Oudai Kojima’s debut feature JOINT.

VCinema

Apr 5, 2021 • Subscribe

Howling (Japan, 2022) [OAFF 2022]

Jason Maher reviews M Haris Sheikh's neo noir Howling.

VCinema

Apr 18, 2022 • Subscribe