More like this
Revenge (1964) review
A classic – a jidai-geki that every cinephile should see.
Pale Flower (1964) review
“A ‘seductive’ nihilistic masterpiece that explores the unescapable subjective problems created by the rhythmic capitalistic machinery.”
Takahiro Kimura (1964-2023)
Takahiro Kimura, who died on 5th March, first got the idea that animation might be the career for him when he saw episodes of Armoured Trooper VOTOMS and…
Keiko Nobumoto (1964-2021)
The writer Keiko Nobumoto, who died on 1st December from oesophageal cancer, was one of the stand-out figures of the anime world, quite possibly because her path to…
Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) review [The Godzilla Project]
A splendid Godzilla narrative that does not only delivers Kaiju action in a satisfying and engaging way but also continues the questioning of the blossoming of the capitalistic…
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
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964) review [The Godzilla Project]
A pleasant kaiju film that, nevertheless, constitutes a radical thematical break with the previous narratives.
The Desperate (どろ犬, Takaharu Saeki, 1964)
A bruiser cop railing against the system is pulled towards the dark side in Takaharu Saeki’s icy noir.
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
An Outlaw (ならず者, Teruo Ishii, 1964)
Ken Takakura stars as a China-based hitman dragged into local intrigue when a job goes awry in an early crime thriller from Teruo Ishii.
On the Road Forever (無宿者, Kenji Misumi, 1964)
Wandering sons on opposing sides find themselves united in their quest to avenge absent fathers in Kenji Misumi’s filiality drama
The Hunter’s Diary (猟人日記, Ko Nakahira, 1964)
A serial philanderer’s life is upended when his conquests start turning up dead in Ko Nakashira’s twisted noir.
The Thief in Black (黒の盗賊, Umetsugu Inoue, 1964)
Twins separated at birth kick back against the samurai corruption and growing Tokugawa authoritarianism i Umetsugu Inoue’s politically charged jidaigeki.
Gamera, Hercules, Ninjas and Giant Robots: American International Television, 1964-1970
I recently watched VOYAGE INTO SPACE (1970) on Amazon Prime, a feature compilation of episodes of “Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot,” an English-dubbed live-action Japanese series that…
The Best Secret Agent (天字第一號, Chang Ying, 1964)
A female super spy is forced to sacrifice romantic fulfilment in the pursuit of her duty but with it gains true freedom and independence in Chang Ying’s hugely…
Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven (大闹天宫, Wan Laiming, 1961/1964)
The Monkey King refuses to be bound by the celestial order in this beautifully animated piece of subversive satire
Here Because of You (君たちがいて僕がいた, Ryuichi Takamori, 1964)
Post-war teens take on injustice in the form of a problematic parent at their school in Ryuichi Takamori’s cheerful youth movie.
Spiraken Game Review: Xbox One Review
Hello ladies and gents, boys and girls, reds, blues and all you good folk of the Spiraken community! We’re back discussing your eventually go-to devices for all the…
Bastard!! Season 2 Review [Video Review]
For fans of Bastard who enjoy OVAs, we’re finally treated to an arc that goes beyond the fight against Abigail. As for season 2, it offers a glimpse…
Bustafellows Review
Released: July 30, 2021 Developer: NIPPON CULTURAL BROADCASTING EXTEND INC Publisher: PQube Genre: Adventure, Role-Playing Platform: Nintendo Switch, PC My brothers and sisters in Christ, I have finally…
Review: BOMBA!
Let's take a look at one of the most recent retro releases from this year - a new selection from the vast library of Osamu Tezuka. BOMBA!…
Review: MABURAHO
Well, for once I'm reviewing a harem manga where I understand precisely what the girls see in the lead. It's a terrible reason, but I can co...
Horimiya (Review)
Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy, Romance, School, Shounen What is it about? On the surface, the thought of Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura getting along would be the last thing in people’s…
Battery – Review
Battery isn’t a great show. In fact, I think saying Battery is a good show might be stretching it a little, because out of the all the anime…
Overtake! Review
Overtake! is a drama anime built around the high-speed world of Formula 4 racing. But, is it more of a drama or racing series?
Review: Suzume
The animation is stunning, the voice acting flawless, and the soundtrack expansive, but what makes writer-director Makoto Shinkai’s latest film Suzume so very brilliant is the way it…
Review: BOMBA!
Let's take a look at one of the most recent retro releases from this year - a new selection from the vast library of Osamu Tezuka. BOMBA!…
Inukami! Review
Back when I was at the young age of…. young enough, before Isekai ran rampant and the harem genre was actually a thing on its own, I remember an…
Review: PRETEAR
Spring is finally springing forth at last, and with it comes a month of magical girl manga here at the Manga Test Drive. Our first title is...
Horimiya Review
You know, I still can’t believe that Hori is actually a brunette. The manga doesn’t shade or tone her hair at all, so I assumed for so many…
Review: PRETEAR
Spring is finally springing forth at last, and with it comes a month of magical girl manga here at the Manga Test Drive. Our first title is...
Review: TUNIC
TUNIC is one of those games where there’s more than meets the eye. It’s full of mystery and intrigue and will have you sketching out puzzle solutions until…
Review: KIREPAPA
Well, it's time to dig once more into my inordinately large pile of bad BL and fish out another example to take to task, and this one even…
86 Review
“while the handling of Lena’s story in relation to the concept’s exploration is 86’s best asset, Lena herself is probably its greatest weakness”
Review: FINDER
We are rested and ready to return with a month's worth of bad romance manga! Let's begin with...well, "classic" would be too strong for th...
Review: ARIA
Oh god, I'm totally going to get cancelled for not liking this iyashikei classic. ARIA, by Kozue Amano. First published in 2002 and first ...
Konosuba Review
It may be easy to be fooled by Konosuba’s uneven animation and superficial reliance on tropes, but with its colourful and memorable cast of characters, unapologetic goofiness and…
BoFuri Review
The main characters. BoFuri is a 12-episode anime that aired in the Winter of 2020, telling the story of a young girl who gets into a VRMMORPG because…
Review – Horimiya
Horimiya is an anime comprised of 13 episodes that are based around the existing manga of the same name. Created by CloverWorks studio and aired from January –…
Synergia Review
Note: Review code provided by Top Hat Studios When it comes to yuri settings the most common I run into over the years the top 3 are Slice…
R.O.D. Review
ROD Anome Review by Jon Ever since Cowboy Bebop there have been countless anime that rely on the “rule of cool” to win over audiences, favoring…
Review – “Monster”
I wrote this a long time ago, for a blog that no longer exists (it’s for the best, trust me). I can’t remember if I ever published it…
Kakushigoto – Review
Kakushigoto is a comedy anime that I wish was more focused with its story.
Review: BASTARD!!
Let's escape the stress of the everyday world (if just for a bit) with some fantasy manga. We could all probably use the break. To begin,...
Review: DIVE!!
Swimming events are always some of the most popular events at the summer Olympics. If only this series understood anything about its appea...
Review: Suzume
The animation is stunning, the voice acting flawless, and the soundtrack expansive, but what makes writer-director Makoto Shinkai’s latest film Suzume so very brilliant is the way it…
FLCL Review
This is review number four hundred and fifty three. This anime is part of the Spring 2001 lineup, and it’s called FLCL or Fooly Cooly. It’s a six…
Aggretsuko Review
Unless you're very lucky, you'll have to accept the fact that you'll have to work for most of your life. It is a cruel fate but one that…
Sakugan Review
I’d like to imagine that the boardroom meeting when deciding how to write this show went something along the lines of “But what if we did THIS thing…
Aggretsuko Review
Unless you’re very lucky, you’ll have to accept the fact that you’ll have to work for most of your life. It is a cruel fate but one that…