“A wonderful and refreshing blend between the jidai-geki/chanbara and the kaiju genre.”
Nov 12, 2021 • Subscribe
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Daimajin
By Tom Wilmot. Despite a studio system in decline, monster movies continued to roar on into the Japanese film industry of the 1960s. While icons like Godzilla, Mothra,…
Keibuho Daimajin
A task force digging up unsolved cases leads an unlikely pair of investigators down the rabbit hole of government conspiracies in this exciting and pointed mystery adventure from…
Irezumi (1966) review
“Masamura delivers a phenomenal narrative, a true post-war classic.”
Kentaro Miura (1966-2021)
“When you’re a cartoonist and working at home you sit at your desk pretty much all day,” Kentaro Miura once said in an interview. “You get most of…
Black Tight Killers (1966)
A stylish and visually dazzling romp with lots of action and sensuality
The Daimajin Trilogy (Limited Edition Blu-ray) Unboxing
The classic 1966 kaiju trilogy DAIMAJIN was released on Blu-ray in the UK last year, and I finally picked up Arrow’s limited edition box set.
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Ebirah, Horror Of The Deep (1966) review [The Godzilla Project]
A pleasant Kaiju film that continues to emphasize the imaginary dynamic of us (i.e. societal harmony) against them (i.e. the Otherness that threatens it)
Kentaro Miura (1966-2021): A Tribute
In which I talk about the recent passing of a manga legend.
Stronger than God or Devil, but Mostly God, is Daimajin
Arrow Films released a very nice collection of the Daimajin films in 2021, and I have since watched two of the three. They’re honestly extremely interesting entries into…
The Threat (脅迫, Kinji Fukasaku, 1966)
An ambitious executive is confronted with the emasculating nature of the salaryman dream when escaped convicts invade his home in an early thriller from Kinji Fukasaku.
A Water Mill (물레방아, Lee Man-hee, 1966)
A wandering soul stumbles on a death rite that may in some senses be his own in Lee Man-hee’s haunting feudal drama.
Samurai Wolf (牙狼之介, Hideo Gosha, 1966)
A wandering samurai squares off against a corrupt postmaster in Hideo Gosha’s uncharacteristically aventgarde chambara.
Carmen from Kawachi (河内カルメン, Seijun Suzuki, 1966)
Suzuki’s anarchic take on Bizet’s opera sees its heroine transcend the forces which oppress her to find true freedom and independence.
Green Rain (草雨 / 초우, Chung Jin-woo, 1966)
The false promises of the post-war era are brought home to two romantic youths dreaming of an illusionary future in Chung Jin-woo’s anti-romantic melodrama.
Shojo yutai / 処女受胎 (‘Immaculate Conception’, 1966)
Obscure Japanese Film #146 Ayako Wakao This Daiei production stars Ayako Wakao as Aiko, a modernist oil painter who has hit a creative w...
Yakuza Hooligans (893 愚連隊, Sadao Nakajima, 1966)
A gang of petty criminals get in over their heads while working with the yakuza in Sadao Nakajima’s ironic crime movie.
The Golden Bat (黄金バット, Hajime Sato, 1966)
Skeletal superhero Golden Bat is woken from his 10,000 year slumber to fight for justice when the Earth is threatened with destruction in Hajime Sato’s delightfully silly tokusatsu…
Tokyo Drifter (東京流れ者, Seijun Suzuki, 1966)
A recently released yakuza attempts to join the new society by going straight but finds his efforts frustrated by upstart gangsters in Seijun Suzuki’s postmodern noir.
Hit and Run (ひき逃げ, Mikio Naruse, 1966)
A grief-stricken mother hatches a desperate plan of revenge against the woman who killed her son in Mikio Naruse’s dark psychological drama.
The History of Mushi Pro – 02 – Anime business (1965-1966)
While I’m hesitant to speak of “golden ages”, if Mushi Production had one, it was certainly the years 1965-1966. Still riding on Tetsuwan Atom’s prodigious popularity, the studio…
The Great White Tower (白い巨塔, Satsuo Yamamoto, 1966)
The medical system is just another corporate body filled with egotistical salarymen and dangerously narcissistic careerists in Satsuo Yamamoto’s tense political drama
The Magic Serpent (怪竜大決戦, Tetsuya Yamanouchi, 1966)
A classic tale of intrigue and revenge leads to revolution against the feudal order in Tetsuya Yamanouchi’s tokusatsu ninja movie.
![Featured image for Episode #89 (S11E9) – Tokyo Drifter [東京流れ者] (1966)](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20240911/1726042794.89884.130564.jpg)
Episode #89 (S11E9) – Tokyo Drifter [東京流れ者] (1966)
Director Seijun Suzuki is a really unique figure in the world of Japanese cinema, with a style all his own. In this episode, Japanese film scholar Jennifer Upton…
Rub Out the Past (日本暗黒街, Masaharu Segawa, 1966)
A restaurateur’s attempts to shake off his violent past are frustrated by the nature of his transgressions in Masaharu Segawa’s noirish drama.
The Virgin Witness / 処女が見た / Shojo ga mita (1966)
Obscure Japanese Film #120 Michiyo Yasuda Kazue (Michiyo Yasuda) is an 18-year-old orphan who has been adopted by her uncle and aunt, with...
Toei and early TV anime – Part 2: the rise of gekiga anime (1966-1968)
Many of Tôei’s promising artists, who had for the most part worked on Fujimaru, were determined to follow up on the possibilities the TV show had opened. This…
Cyborg 009, Cyborg 009, Kyojin no Hoshi, Sabu & Ichi's Arrest Warrant, Tiger Mask
The Kamikaze Guy (カミカゼ野郎 真昼の決斗, Kinji Fukasaku, 1966)
A bumbling pilot becomes embroiled in a conspiracy after an encounter on a ski slope in a goodnatured action comedy starring a young Sonny Chiba.
RISE AGAINST THE SWORD (1966): When Toshiro Mifune No Longer Needed the Seven Samurai
On what would have been Toshiro Mifune’s 102nd birthday (I covered his centennial in three blog posts in 2020), I look at a lesser-known historical drama starring Mifune,…
Břetislav Pojar and Miroslav Štěpánek #2: The largely Štěpánek-directed “Hey Mister, Let’s Play!” entries (1966-67)
Watch the films discussed in this article with English subtitles by viewing them on YouTube here! …or, download copies for personal viewing here! When we left off in…
![Featured image for Bastard!! Season 2 Review [Video Review]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20231010/1696909201.70230.106125.png)
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…
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…
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…
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...
Fragtime Review
“It’s in the carefully handled tone where Fragtime finds its success”
![Featured image for Bonnouji [Review]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210802/1627894994.18564.44117.jpg)
Bonnouji [Review]
Zenji Oyamada & Michio Ozawa If there is one thing I hate in a romance manga, it is wasting time. Almost every romance manga I have read has…
D4DJ Review
“Because its DJ gimmick fails to expand, the only talking point, then, is how this is actually a CGI tech showpiece”
SCRAMBLUES Review
In mame march's debut manga, SCRAMBLUES, a musical prodigy and designer learn that they have more in common than meets the eye.
Review: PLUTO
Of course, I can't talk about robot manga without talking about this one. While it's only tangentially connected to one of mecha's foundin...
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…
BNA Review
I don’t usually watch Trigger shows. But when I do, I hear that they’re really good for the niche audience that’s a fan of the style and presentation. …
Psycome Review
Literally Psycho Love Comedy, the title of this light novel is just as what you would expect… with a particularly extreme twist to a classic genre. Written by…
Review: SHIRLEY
This month has mostly been full of duds, so thank god that there's still one good maid manga out there that I hadn't talked about yet. SHIR...
Review: TRIGUN
Let's wrap this month up with a series that's had a recent resurgence, but how does its original source material hold up? TRIGUN ( Toraigan...
Natsunagu! Review
"Natsunagu shows that we all have stories to tell and Natsuna will be damned if her's doesn't end with a happy ending"
Kiznaiver – Review
Kiznaiver was probably the most controversial show of the Spring 2016 season, and for some pretty obvious reasons. Not only is it the product of the divisive studio…
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…
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…
![Featured image for Another [Review]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210801/1627815802.18483.44028.jpg)
Another [Review]
“No matter how many relationships we seem to have, we’re all alone.” – Mei Misaki Overall Score : 8.7/10Story : 8/10Art : 8/10Sound : 9/10Character : 7/10Enjoyment :…
Review: TRIGUN
Let's wrap this month up with a series that's had a recent resurgence, but how does its original source material hold up? TRIGUN ( Toraigan...