Anime Blog Tracker

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

Suton (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

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

psycho-cinematography

Mar 2, 2024 • Subscribe

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

Sumiko 22 (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

A subtle but playful narrative about a subject who slowly tries to crawl out the hole of emptiness and diminished self-worth.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 14, 2024 • Subscribe

Sumiko

Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]

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

psycho-cinematography

Apr 1, 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

Apr 4, 2024 • Subscribe

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

An endearing and fragrance rich tale of subjective change.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 8, 2024 • 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

Apr 7, 2024 • 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

Cafune (2023) review [OAFF 2023]

A very strong debut by Haruki Kinemura.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 28, 2023 • Subscribe

V. Maria (2025) review [OAFF 2025]

The neatly interwoven narrative fabric, which evokes the dimension of loss in various forms, beautifully sketches out the importance for the subject to construct a narrative to support…

psycho-cinematography

Mar 27, 2025 • Subscribe

Yoyogi Johnny (2025) review [OAFF 2025]

Kimura’s choice to give the tragical dimension of love a deadpan comical twist pays off, creating a unique narrative that will resonate with youth and those who have…

psycho-cinematography

Apr 29, 2025 • Subscribe

Kanon

Melting Sounds (2022) review [OAFF 2022]

“Kahori Higashi’s debut is impressive.”

psycho-cinematography

Apr 14, 2022 • Subscribe

Good Luck (2025) review [OAFF 2025]

Shin Adachi utilizes the dynamic of the encounter to examine the problem of desiring within the societal field and the way desire give rise to misunderstanding between subjects.

psycho-cinematography

Apr 2, 2025 • 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

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

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

I Am Kirishima (2025) review [OAFF 2025]

A timely narrative that highlights the inert quality of a societal field structured by capitalism and right-wing nationalism.

psycho-cinematography

Apr 19, 2025 • 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

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

“A splendid debut by Shuna Iijima.”

psycho-cinematography

Mar 27, 2022 • 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Short movie time: North Shinjuku 2055 (2021) review [OAFF 2022]

“A pleasant experimental short.”

psycho-cinematography

Mar 30, 2022 • Subscribe

When morning comes, I feel empty (2023) review [OAFF 2023]

A slow moving narrative that accumulates in a subtle but touching shift in the subjective position of its protagonist.

psycho-cinematography

Apr 12, 2023 • Subscribe

Belonging (2024) review [Japannual 2024]

Higashi delivers a touching exploration of love after death.

psycho-cinematography

Nov 3, 2024 • Subscribe

People Who Talk to Plushies Are Kind (2023) review [OAFF 2023]

Kaneko convincingly shows that the symptomatic usage of the plushie attempts to repair the tensive bond with the Other or subdue its overbearing presence.

psycho-cinematography

Mar 16, 2023 • Subscribe

Summer Wedding (Japan, 2022) [OAFF 2022]

Jason Maher reviews Azusa Hieda’s short film Summer Wedding.

VCinema

Jun 24, 2022 • Subscribe

Gotō-san (Japan, 2020) [OAFF 2021]

Jason Maher reviews Hiroshi Gokan's capitalist critique Gotō-san.

VCinema

Apr 9, 2021 • Subscribe

Melting Sounds (Japan, 2021) [OAFF 2022]

Jason Maher reviews Kahori Higashi's debut feature Melting Sounds.

VCinema

Jul 7, 2022 • Subscribe

Random Call (Japan, 2022) [OAFF 2022]

Jason Maher reviews Riki Ohkanda's comedy-drama Random Call.

VCinema

Apr 3, 2022 • Subscribe

Bagmati River (Japan, 2022) [OAFF 2022]

Jason Maher reviews Yusaku Matsumoto's short film Bagmati River.

VCinema

Apr 7, 2022 • Subscribe

Charlotte

Review: Upstream (2024)

Upstream 逆行人生 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 120 mins. Director: Xu Zheng 徐峥. Rating: 6/10. A black but ultimately warm comedy, set among Shanghai’s community of food deliverers, shows…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Nov 1, 2024 • Subscribe

Jinsei - Life Consulting

Review: Successor (2024)

Successor 抓娃娃 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 133 mins. Directors: Yan Fei 闫非, Peng Damo 彭大魔. Rating: 7/10. Comedian Shen Teng and the Ma Hua FunAge gang come up…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Feb 6, 2026 • Subscribe

Review: Yuanyanglou (2024)

Yuanyanglou 鸳鸯楼•惊魂 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 94 mins. Director: Wang Shenghe 王晟赫. Rating: 6/10. Surprisingly effective horror film, anchored by undervalued actress Li Meng, simmers for an hour…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Mar 5, 2025 • Subscribe

Review: Decoded (2024)

Decoded 解密 China, 2024, colour, 2.35:1, 155 mins. Director: Chen Sicheng 陈思诚. Rating: 8/10. Belated return to form by film-maker Chen Sicheng is a strongly written, subtly played…

Sino-Cinema 《神州电影》

Oct 13, 2024 • Subscribe