“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.”
Apr 30, 2021 • Subscribe
More like this
Bitter Bitter Sweet. Oregairu Kan – Episode 9
Coming off the back of last week’s heavy episode, this week’s one was surprisingly light. Or, at least on the surface. I came out of my first viewing…
Episode 242, "Sweet Sweet Candy!"
On this episode of The One Piece Podcast, Zach and Ed go through a Manga Recap for chapter 685, “My Name is Momonosuke” and an Anime Recap for…
Episode 242, "Sweet Sweet Candy!"
On this episode of The One Piece Podcast, Zach and Ed go through a Manga Recap for chapter 685, “My Name is Momonosuke” and an Anime Recap for…
Pokemon Horizons Episode 19 Review – Bitter And Sweet Memories
This was a very sweet episode, figuratively and literally!
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…
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…
Ito (Japan, 2021) [OAFF 2021]
Jason Maher reviews Satoko Yokohama's comedy-drama Ito.
POP! (Japan, 2021) [OAFF 2021]
Jason Maher reviews Masashi Komura's surreal coming-of-age tale POP!
Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible – 11 – So Bitter, So Sweet
The long-awaited movie adaptation of Shiraishi’s favorite manga is finally out. When Kubo learns this, she doesn’t hesitate. She liked the manga when he lent it to her.…
JOINT (Japan, 2020) [OAFF 2021]
Jason Maher reviews Oudai Kojima’s debut feature JOINT.
yes, yes, yes (Japan, 2021) [OAFF 2021]
yes, yes, yes (Japan, 2021) [OAFF 2021]
Sweet & Spicy Quarterly Review #3 | Oct – Dec 2021
Nine months into our Sweet & Spicy journey: The end of the year brings a sense of closure on the progress made thus far, and excitement for new…
Sweet & Spicy Quarterly Review #2 | July – Sept 2021
Another 3 months has passed so it’s time for part two of our Quarterly Review series! We highlight our biggest achievements, re-cap our reviews, and talk about our…
Sweet & Spicy Quarterly Review #1 | March – June 2021
This review is a review of Sweet & Spicy Reviews; specifically, our first three months. We’ll go over some of the milestones we reached, reviews we posted, and…
Gotō-san (Japan, 2020) [OAFF 2021]
Jason Maher reviews Hiroshi Gokan's capitalist critique Gotō-san.
Melting Sounds (Japan, 2021) [OAFF 2022]
Jason Maher reviews Kahori Higashi's debut feature Melting Sounds.
Short movie time: North Shinjuku 2055 (2021) review [OAFF 2022]
“A pleasant experimental short.”
Devil’s Candy Vol 1 Review
Devil’s Candy is an OEL (Original English Language) manga that has a surprisingly long history. Written by Bikkuri and with art by Rem, this title began as a…
Three Sisters (South Korea, 2020) [OAFF 2021]
Three Sisters (South Korea, 2020) [OAFF 2021]
The Slug (South Korea, 2020) [OAFF 2021]
The Slug (South Korea, 2020) [OAFF 2021]
Keep Rolling (Hong Kong, 2020) [OAFF 2021]
Keep Rolling (Hong Kong, 2020) [OAFF 2021]
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.
Cafune (2023) review [OAFF 2023]
A very strong debut by Haruki Kinemura.
Suton (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
Rikako Watanabe’s narrative succeeds to echo the unvocalized ‘pandemic’ truth of many.
Amalock (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A narrative that fluidly combines comedy and tragedy to deliver an experience of smiles and tears.
Manga Recommendation: Bitter Virgin
Given the recent political developments surrounding sexual assault, violence, and rape, I thought it would be an appropriate time to recommend one of my favorite manga. Bitter Virgin…
Interview with JOINT Director Oudai Kojima [OAFF 2021]
Jason Maher talks to JOINT Director Oudai Kojima.
Review: Sugar Sweet Temptation
Bake your way to these girls' hearts in this heartwarming story of romance and dreams!
Among Four of Us (Japan, 2020) [OAFF 2021/JAPAN CUTS 2021]
Jason Maher reviews Mayu Nakamura’s short Among Four of Us.
AniMarch Madness 2021: Sweet Sixteen (Day Three)
Round three continues with two match-ups today, one from each of two our four “regions.” You can vote on the match-ups below, but we also encourage you to…
AniMarch Madness 2021: Sweet Sixteen (Day Four)
Round three concludes with two match-ups today, one from each of two our four “regions.” You can vote on the match-ups below, but we also encourage you to…
AniMarch Madness 2021: Sweet Sixteen (Day One)
Welcome to week two of AniMarch Madness! Week was was spectacular—we had more than 8,000 votes pour in for the 18 matches, the most we’ve ever had. While…
AniMarch Madness 2021: Sweet Sixteen (Day Two)
Round two continues with two match-ups today, one from each of two our four “regions.” You can vote on the match-ups below, but we also encourage you to…
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…
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.
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.
Melting Sounds (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
“Kahori Higashi’s debut is impressive.”
Blue Imagine (2024) review [OAFF 2024]
A powerful reminder of the sexual transgressions that structurally plague the Japanese film industry
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.
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.
Spiraken Manga Review Ep 417: Candy Flurry
In this episode, Xan reviews a Shonen battle manga about candy. Is it as sweet as the power giving toy toy candy? Well find out as he reviews Candy…
Interview with Masashi Komura, Director of POP! [OAFF 2021]
Jason Maher talks to Masashi Komura about his surreal comedy POP!
Interview with Satoko Yokohama, Director of Ito [OAFF 2021]
Jason Maher talks to Ito director Satoko Yokohama.
A Bittersweet Return: Evanescence — The Bitter Truth Album Review
Evanescence is a strange band all right. They went mainstream overnight with their massively popular first two albums, Fallen and The Open Door. Unfortunately, things got complicated within…
My Bitter Sweet Home, TOKYO BHUTAN, Yumemiru Petoro, Itsumo Ushiro ni, Uso to Honto Japanese Film Trailers
My Bitter Sweet Home, TOKYO BHUTAN, Yumemiru Petoro, Itsumo Ushiro ni, Uso to Honto, Japanese Film Trailers
86 – 03 – The Bitter Truth
The third episode of Eighty Six begins ominously, with Lena apologizing for the loss of Kirschblüte, and another pilot looking ready to explode into a tirade. But before we…
Sweet Reincarnation Anime Series Review
This show is an uncomfortable combination of engaging and utterly dull.
Chocolatefest Knoxville 2024 Review: Sweet!
So 2024 is off to an unusual start with the conventions that I attended as I find myself at my first ever chocolate con. Now as someone who is…
Our House Party (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
Kawanobe delivers a very touching and emotional story about homosexuality in Japan.