A cynical ronin spots a business opportunity when he rides into a town beset by gangsters in Tokuzo Tanaka’s samurai western.
Feb 5, 2025 • Subscribe
More like this
Sword Devil (剣鬼, Kenji Misumi, 1965)
A gentle samurai who just wants to grow flowers finds himself consumed by courtly intrigue and a cruel destiny in a visual tour de force from Kenji Misumi
Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs (０課の女 赤い手錠, Yukio Noda, 1974)
A former police woman is charged with rescuing a
![Featured image for Episode #78 (S10E7) – Red Beard [赤ひげ] (1965)](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240313/1710314171.80803.119236.jpg)
Episode #78 (S10E7) – Red Beard [赤ひげ] (1965)
In this episode, Ian Buckley joins the show to discuss Red Beard, one of Kurosawa’s most renowned films. With a lot of similar themes to Kurosawa’s earlier film,…
Red Handkerchief (赤いハンカチ, Toshio Masuda, 1964)
A pure-hearted former policeman embarks on a noirish journey of retribution after discovering his partner may have betrayed him in Masuda’s stylish crime drama
New Moomin 38/52 - The Curse of the Red Moon (赤い月の呪い) (1972) (English subtitles)
Every lunar eclipse, swarms of bats arrive in Moominvalley, and these bats are said to be vampiric. When it turns out that Snufkin has been taking care of…
Ken (剣, Kenji Misumi, 1964)
A rigid young man dreaming of a “pure life” is forced to confront the contradictions of the modern society in Misumi’s melancholy masculinity drama
Red Post on Escher Street (エッシャー通りの赤いポスト, Sion Sono, 2020)
The extras reclaim the frame in Sion Sono’s anarchic advocation for the jishu life.
Kekkon Afro Tanaka
The latest in the Afro Tanaka comedy series about the life of afro haired Hiroshi Tanaka that focuses on his life as a newly married man who is…
Bayonetta: Bloody Fate
Bayonetta: Bloody Fate (2013) This film adaptation precedes Gonzo’s bizarre decision to focus on NFTs by a few years – and despite that choice dampening my esteem for…
Hand (手, Daigo Matsui, 2022)
A young woman meditates on emotional distance and the impossibility of intimacy while fixating on older men Daigo Matsui’s contemporary Roman Porno.
Furin / 不倫 (1965)
Obscure Japanese Film #126 Ayako Wakao Saburi (Keizo Kawasaki) is a writer who has just won the Newcomer of the Year Award for…
Abashiri Prison (1965) review
Teruo Ishii delivers an interesting exploration of the frailty of the social bond between criminals as well as the trauma that, in some cases, animates the criminal reflex.
PARALLEL (Daiki Tanaka, 2021)
A wounded young woman in search of a protector and a nihilistic serial killer fight for the meaning of existence in Daiki Tanaka’s dark romantic drama
Akemi Tanaka 1959 - 2021
In sad news this week we learned of the passing of Akemi Tanaka. She died of cancer on Monday 7th June 2021. Many anime fans will remember A...
Meet Director TANAKA Daiki
Born in Tokyo in 1994, freelance film director, Tanaka, is a graduate of Nihon University College of Art's film directing course. Tanaka’s genre-defying thesis film, Filament, won awards…
Pistol (手枪, Lv Huizhou, 2021)
A hopeless young man begins to take revenge on society on discovering his fingers shoot bullets in Lv’s indie street punk noir
Pistol (手枪, Lv Huizhou, 2020)
A hopeless young man begins to take revenge on society on discovering his fingers shoot bullets in Lv’s indie street punk noir
いい歳
How to Know You're in the Good Old Days - How to Japanese - May 2021
Tokyo Olympiad (1965) [Documentary Review]
Tokyo Olympiad or, Faster, Higher, Stronger The Olympics are a symbol of human aspiration When it comes to sports-oriented movies, ther...
Another Abashiri Prison Story (1965)
An enjoyable thriller – a straight-forward yakuza flick with many pleasant moments, but not the sequel the first narrative deserved.
Angel Oil by Tanaka Tatsuyuki
I apologize in advance for the up-coming flood of weird manga that I’m going to be reviewing here. I’ve started a new podcast (not, unfortunately for fans of…
Sexy Tanaka-san: Ashihara Hinako
How can you not read at least one volume of a manga called Sexy Tanaka-san? If you are able to resist such an absurd title, I commend you…
Anime Central 2023 Interview: Tanaka Rie
Tanaka Rie is a veteran voice actor with over two decades’ experience in anime. How would you describe the voice acting industry back when you first started versus…
The Tanaka Family Reincarnates, Vol. 1
By Choko and kaworu. Released in Japan as “HTanaka-ke, Tensei Suru” by Dragon Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sasha Schiller. OK, this was…
Tanaka Perseveres – Haikyuu!! To The Top
Tanaka has the heart of a champion.
The Tanaka Family Reincarnates, Vol. 2
By Choko and kaworu. Released in Japan as “Tanaka-ke, Tensei Suru” by Dragon Novels. Released in North America by J-Novel Club. Translated by Sasha Schiller. I was a…
Kinuyo Tanaka: A Life in Film
Runs August & September at BFI Southbank
The Penguin & The Bloody Tracks Home
This week we talk about The Penguin HBO series and some games Im playing. Then later in the show I share final thoughts on some manga I finished…
OtakuGeneration.net :: (Show #682) BAYONETTA: Bloody Fate
Shownotes :: (show 682) :: (website) :: (podcast feed) :: (direct download) :: (direct iTunes link) With BAYONETT: Bloody Fate (Beyonetta: Buraddi Feito), recorded live July 1st, 2018.…
Overlord (Episode 12) – The Bloody Valkyrie
Lord Ainz prepares to fight Shaltear. He’s tracked the one responsible, but they are far away and he can’t work out what their game plan is. Either way,…
Takashi Miike - A "Bloody" Good Director
Takashi Miike is a truly one-of-a-kind film director, not only in terms of the outrageous and freaky films that he makes, but also the asto...
いろいろ December 2023
I ran out of space over at the newsletter this month, so I thought I’d share the いろいろ section on the blog instead. Podcast link at the bottom!…
A Story Written With Water (1965) review
An exquisitely layered psychological drama that unveils how a subject’s fixation on a phantasmatic image disrupts his ability to commit himself romantically to the female other
![Featured image for Episode #79 (S10E8) – Kwaidan [怪談] (1965)](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240320/1710922571.81177.119684.jpg)
Episode #79 (S10E8) – Kwaidan [怪談] (1965)
Podcaster Mike Lund visits the show to discuss Kwaidan, an adaptation of four of Lafcadio Hearn’s Japanese ghost stories. We discuss our favorite stories from this anthology, some…
い Particle
The i い particle in Japanese, found in phrases like nandai なんだい, sou kai そうかい, ganbaru zoi がんばるぞい, and akireta wai 呆れたわい.
Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
Pretty Heart (心裏美, Terry Ng Ka-wai, 2022)
An idealistic teacher finds herself questioning her views on education while confronting her traumatic past in Terry Ng Ka-wai’s gentle drama.
Rei (莉の対, Toshihiko Tanaka, 2024)
As the opening title cards of Toshihiko Tanaka’s Rei (莉の対, Rei no Tsui) somewhat paradoxically explain, Rei is a kanji character that has no real meaning on its…
Bloody Sweet Volumes 1-2 Manhwa Review
This is a good series to check out if you like more bite with your vampire romances.
The Bloody, Beautiful End; Castlevania’s Final Season
Castlevania Season Four. Holy. Shit. I won’t lie. I mean, I wouldn’t be a good critic if I ever did lie, but especially in this instance, I can’t…
Babanbabanban Vampire Episode 3 Review – Bloody Misunderstandings
When a girl falls for a gay vampire…
Hellsing Ultimate: Still a Bloody Good Time?
Greetings, fabulous people of the Internet! Hanime on Anime here, and it has once been said that I am a fan of Hellsing Ultimate. Ladies and gentlemen, I like Hellsing…
Spiraken Manga Review Ep 530: Bloody Sweet
In this episode, Xan reviews a rom com Korean web comic about a Skitch and a western Vampire. How is it? Well, sit back and find out as…
Cosplay Beats! My Bloody Valentine (Yuno Gasai)
Valentine’s Day is about romance, chocolates, and…yandere? Well, I hope there’s no yandere in your life! But why not enjoy the most famous of them all, Yuno Gasai,…
Bloody Escape -Jigoku no Tōsōgeki- Film Review
My review of Bloody Escape -Jigoku no Tōsōgeki- is now up over on Anime News Network. Check it out!
Obake no Q-Taro (1965) – Episodes 01A & 12B
Based on the gag manga by the duo known as Fujiko Fujio, here’s the very first segment of the original black and white anime. The first series featured…
Daughter-in-Law (민며느리, Choi Eun-hee, 1965)
A sense of female solidarity eventually develops between a dutiful young woman and her tyrannical mother-in-law in Choi Eun-hee’s lighthearted directorial debut
Is it Wrong to Say いえ Instead of いいえ? #learnjapanese
Learn Japanese with Me - https://bit.ly/4drmyU2
The Goldfinger (金手指, Felix Chong Man-keung, 2023)
A duplicitous entrepreneur enters into a cat and mouse game with an earnest ICAC officer in Felix Chong Man-keung’s stylish financial thriller.
Hand Rolled Cigarette (手捲煙, Chan Kin-long, 2020)
A cynical former British soldier and a South Asian street thief find unexpected solidarity in Chan’s gritty neo-noir
Uraroji Romanya Monogatari (裏路地浪漫屋物語)
Uraroji Romanya Monogatari (裏路地浪漫屋物語) is a collection of Yuri stories by creator Kumosuzume. It’s a nice collection, with a variety of tones. The title story tells of a…