A classic that, as a critique of capitalism and materialism, has not lost any of its relevance.
Jul 16, 2021 • Subscribe
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Giants and Toys
By Tom Wilmot. As three caramel companies, World, Giant and Apollo duel for market share, fresh-faced World employee Nishi (Hiroshi Kawaguchi) assists his ambitious boss, Goda (Hideo Takamatsu)…
Conflagration (1958) review
A narrative that serenely depicts the possible outcome of a subject’s failure to find, in a post-war landscape, someone to carry the Name-Of-The-Father.
Yasuzo Masumura’s “Giants & Toys” Announced By Arrow Video For Release on May 11, 2021!
As a new recruit to the marketing department of World Caramel, fresh-faced graduate Nishi (Hiroshi Kawaguchi) is eager to impress his ambitious and hard-nosed boss Goda (Black Test…
Haruhi’s Five Ways: On Philosophers and Giants
It seems it’s not necessary to philosophize about the SOS Brigade to enjoy the clever, absurd comedy of the Haruhi franchise. On the other hand, it may be…
Two Giants, Five Publishers, and all the Fixings
In this week's Please Save My Money, Krystallina explores a lawsuit involving Amazon and eBooks that feels familiar to a lawsuit in 2011.
R.I.P Takatoku Toys
So, the venerable Japanese toy company Takatoku Toys, which started in 1917, finally declared bankruptcy and went out of business forty years ago TODAY! So let’s take a…
Toys vs. Nazis
On a stop-motion classic by Hermína Týrlová.
Manhwa Review | Vargoth’s Magical Toys by sodapie
Eunwoo only has one goal: to become a viral vlogger. Unfortunately, there’s not much to see or do to go viral in his small, rural town. To add…
Artefacts of Geek Days Past: Toys and Figures
Recently I went back to my parents' home and took a week out to work on my thesis. Didn't end up doing as much writing as I had…
Giants in the Mist – Shingeki no Kyojin Chapter 130 Review
This is a review of the Shingeki no Kyojin monthly manga, Chapter 130: Dawn of Humanity.
PRINCE PLANET: YUSEI SHONEN PAPII CANDY TOYS AND MORE
The 1965 classic anime, Yusei Shonen Papii 遊星少年パピイ (Planet Boy Papii) is the staple of my childhood memories known as none other than Prince...
OtakuGeneration (Show #129) Vinyl Toys
NOTE: This was also cross posted in the otakugeneration LJ community. Shownotes :: (show 129) :: (website) :: (podcast feed) :: (direct download) :: (direct iTunes link) With Vinyl Toys,…
2001: 21st-Century Digital Toys
Alexandra Roedder is finishing her Ph.D. in musicology at the University of California, Los Angeles, writing about Joe Hisaishi's Ghibli so...
The Prince of Tennis, Cardcaptor Sakura, Grave of the Fireflies, Hyouka, Mahoromatic - Automatic Maiden
The Precipice / 氷壁 / Hyoheki (1958)
Obscure Japanese Film #119 Kenji Sugawara When salaryman Uoza (Kenji Sugawara) returns from a mountaineering trip and encounters his frien...
The Giants that Make Great Apes Look Small
Dragon Ball Daima Ep 13 Review After a week off, Dragon Ball Daima is back for the new year, and it’s gearing up for the latter half of…
The Toys R Us Drama Continues
Despite entering bankruptcy and emerging as a new company, Toys R Us executives aren't able to escape the past quite yet, as Krystallina looks at their latest troubles…
Japanese Self-Pleasure Toys for Women
Find your bliss with this Savvy Tokyo guide to Japanese self-pleasure toys for women for every taste and budget.
Why? To Sell Toys, Of Course! – Frame Arms Girl Spoiler Review
Some franchises exist primarily for merchandise. In all honesty, there are certain time periods and genres (like older Mecha shows) where this is true even of strong and…
Toys R Us Plots Its Comeback…Again
If you thought Toys R Us was finally done, you'd be wrong! Krystallina talks about Toys R Us plotting another comeback in this week's column.
McFarlane Toys Reveals “Avatar” Action Figure Line
With Avatar: The Way of the Water finally coming out in theaters this December, McFarlane Toys has revealed their upcoming Avatar action figure line. Do note that these…
Wind, Woman and Road (風と女と旅鴉, Tai Kato, 1958)
A wanderer returns home and finds himself torn between a desire for acceptance and revenge in an early Tai Kato jidaigeki.
THE LOYAL 47 RONIN (1958) – A Samurai Masterpiece
I’ve seen five Japanese films about the story of the 47 Ronin, made from 1941 to 1994. There were dozens more films about this famous incident from the…
Oyafuko dori / 親不孝通り (1958)
Obscure Japanese Film #168 Hiroshi Kawaguchi and Yoko Katsuragi Katsuya ( Hiroshi Kawaguchi) is a cynical student who studies as little ...
Equinox Flower (彼岸花, Yasujiro Ozu, 1958)
An ageing patriarch struggles to accept his declining authority in Ozu’s first colour film
Crimson Wings (紅の翼, Ko Nakahira, 1958)
An earnest pilot’s mission to deliver the tetanus vaccine to a little boy is disrupted by a fugitive yakuza hitman in Ko Nakahira’s lighthearted thriller.
Girumasu - Episode 6 - Alina Plays with Cat Toys
Alina refused to accept the idea of marrying anyone she had met at work. Going home and playing with cat toys was her dream. Girumasu - Episode 6
Toys R Us Plots Its Comeback…Yet Again
Toys R Us is now making another entrance into brick-and-mortar sales, which Krystallina questions in this week's Please Save My Money.
New Toys!!! & A Recap Of Things So Far
I just came from Fanime 2013 and was introduced to some Tokusatsu fans and have now been watching Kamen Rider and to be honest I am currently enjoying…
Flesh Pier (女体桟橋, Teruo Ishii, 1958)
An undercover cop’s mission to crack a trafficking is disrupted when he runs into an an old flame in Teruo Ishii’s early B-movie noir
The Giants Dance in Attack on Titan: The Musical's U.S. Premiere
Titan ballads, giant balloons and puppets, and aerial artistry brought Hajime Isayama's iconic manga to life.
Leaked Chinese Toys are Back! “Rise of the Beasts” Optimus Primal and Optimus Prime
As previously reported, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the follow up to 2008’s Bumblebee was supposed to be released in June 2022 but was instead delayed a full…
Wolves of the Night (夜の狼, Yoichi Ushihara, 1958)
A heartless yakuza becomes conflicted on being confronted with the consequences of his actions in Yoichi Ushihara’s slice of Nikkatsu Noir.
Japanese Animation, 1937-1958: or, more notes on Akira Daikuhara
The origin and core of this piece is my personal interest in Daikuhara, but it will not be another biographical piece like my previous one. I will rather…
The Young Boss (花笠若衆, Kiyoshi Saeki, 1958)
Hibari Misora stars as a pair of twins separated at birth in Kiyoshi Saeki’s musical jidaigeki adventure
Curiosity Pieces: Toys Raider’s “Live Battlefield” 1/12 Action Figures
It’s always incredible when smaller companies open solicitations for figures that look really cool and aren’t connected to any major IP. With the latter allowing them more freedom…
THE BLOB (1958): Criterion Blu-ray of a Sci-Fi Classic
When I was five, I remember standing outside my local movie theater, the Crotona, and seeing a poster for the movie, THE BLOB (1958), with this massive jello-like…
Endless Desire (果しなき欲望, Shohei Imamura, 1958)
A gang returning to dig up the stolen morphine they buried at the end of the war is slowly torn apart by their greed in Shomei Imamura’s darkly…
Maybe I’ll Finally Get This One? Hiya Toys’ Exquisite Super Robocop
I’ve always wanted to add a RoboCop figure in my 6-inch or 1/12 scale collection. I also had multiple chances to get one. There was a Figma version…
Black Cat Mansion (亡霊怪猫屋敷, Nobuo Nakagawa, 1958)
A rationally minded doctor and his sickly wife find themselves trapped in the haunted house of post-war Japan in Nobuo Nakagawa’s eerie gothic horror
Ghost in the Regiment (憲兵と幽霊, Nobuo Nakagawa, 1958)
A treacherous military police officer comes to embody the evils of war in Nobuo Nakagawa’s eerie psychological horror.
The Invisible Wall / 眼の壁 / Me no kabe (‘Wall of Eyes’, 1958)
Obscure Japanese Film #137 Keiji Sada Masao Oda This Shochiku production stars Keiji Sada as Hagisaki, the deputy head of an accounts de...
The Hidden Fortress (隠し砦の三悪人, Akira Kurosawa, 1958)
A fugitive princess offers a new hope for a peaceful and prosperous socitey in Akira Kurosawa’s Sengoku-era epic.
Celebrating 55 Years of "Weekly" Manga Goraku, Manga's Island of Misfit Toys
I've celebrated notable anniversaries (i.e. 5s & 0s) for various manga magazines here over the years, whether it's numerous ones regarding W...
Still Sticking with Action Toys: Mini Gokin Tetsujin 28 FX & 17 Phoenix
The Tetsujin 28 franchise has been getting merchandise attention recently. Good Smile Company released MODEROID versions while Sen-Ti-Nel is doing their high-end RIOBOT figures. As for me, I…
Pure TokyoScope Podcast 99: The Japanese Toys That Made Me! MATT ALT Edition!
Patrick Macias and Matt Alt bring you pop culture from Japan!
Hot Toys is Finally Doing This Concept: Artist Collection Black Panther (Avengers: Mech Strike)
For a couple of years now, Tamashii Nations and Sen-Ti-Nel have been releasing figures with the concept of other Marvel superheroes using Iron Man armors. Sen-Ti-Nel’s thing is…
Girl with the Fire Banner (唄祭りかんざし纏, Kinnosuke Fukada, 1958)
Hibari Misora puts out the fires of the Bakumatsu in another musical jidaigeki adventure.
I Sure Hope This is a Mini Gokin Release: Tetsujin 28 FX from Action Toys
I think I’ve already shared my frustration on having no other figure to go along with my Mini Gokin Tetsujin 28 from Messenger of the Sun Tetsujin 28,…
Gendering Fandom: why women are expected to put their toys away while the men keep playing
Can you call yourself a true fan if you’ve never read a single coffee shop au?
The Ladder of Success / 夜の素顔 / Yoru no sagao (‘The True Face of the Night’, 1958)
Obscure Japanese Film #170 Machiko Kyo in the moonlight scene 1944. Akemi (Machiko Kyo) is a traditional dancer entertaining the troops at...