As I look for ways to keep my writing brain well-oiled, I will be trying out a more ‘modular’ approach to blog posts: rather than dedicating each post to a singular theme that I hammer out mostly in one sitting, I’m taking a few pages from my old seasonal anime list posts, and compile short […]
Jun 17, 2019 • Subscribe
More like this
Japanese Film Festival 2019 | Reflections: Part II
Samurai Shifters | Isshin Inudo How do I even classify this film? It’s a period drama, romantic comedy, kinda political thriller and even a pinch of musical. This…
Japanese Film Festival 2019 (+ Kore-eda’s The Truth) | Reflections: Part I
Continuing on with the format I established with the SFF earlier this year, I will be sharing some thoughts I had watching a new roster of Japanese cinema,…


Film Festival Week: Wasurenagumo
Wasurenagumo was Production IG’s 2011 young animator training project. I’ve looked at some of these before including Harmonie, Aki no Kanade and Ojisan no Lamp. There have also…
Li'l Spider Girl, Aki no Kanade, Death Parade, Harmonie, Little Witch Academia


Kanazawa Film Festival 2012
If the world ends this year, it won't be because of the whole "2012: End of Days" thing. It will have nothing to do with the Mayan…


Chicago International Film Festival – Cloud
When I was getting in line for this film, I was genuinely surprised at how long the line was. This particular film probably had the biggest turn out…


Film Festival Week: Geu Yeoreum
Geu Yeoreum is a Korean film from Red Dog Culture House. All I know is that it’s a Shoujo ai drama. So, let’s hop right into it. Story:…
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023
For the second year in a row, the Heroic Purgatory podcast is covering the Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF) which took place between March 10 and March 19.…


Tokyo International Film Festival 2022
Anna Yamada in The Mountain Woman. Scheduling conflicts and sold-out screenings meant that I was only able to see three films at TIFF this year, but it was…
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023
For the second year in a row, the Heroic Purgatory podcast is covering the Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF) which took place between March 10 and March 19.…


Film Festival Week: Amazing Nuts
Continuing with this year’s film festival week, we have Amazing Nuts. Which I assume is going to be rare footage of me without trousers. No? That’s good, wouldn’t…
Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023
For the second year in a row, the Heroic Purgatory podcast is covering the Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF) which took place between March 10 and March 19.…


Film Festival Week: Golden Time
Golden Time is a 2013 film from Robot Communications. Yes, the studio behind Tsumiki no Ie. Is this as excellent as that film? Let’s check. Story: We open…


Film Festival Week: Doubutsu Tonarigumi
Doubutsu Tonarigumi is a propaganda film from the early days of World War II. Personally, I’ve always found this type of thing kind of interesting whether it’s blatantly…
Extreme Job (2019) [Film Review]
Extreme Job; or, Fry Hard What’s the point of working so hard if we can’t even eat properly? This time, I decided to watch an action…
G20 Film Festival Showcases Suzume Anime Film in India
A summary of the G20 Film Festival, which screened Suzume, a popular anime film by Makoto Shinkai, in New Delhi on August 12, 2023.


Suzume (73rd Berlinale International Film Festival)
Or: The Indie director who found out that his niche was the mainstream.
Special - Japan Cuts Film Festival 2024
Table of Contents Hello everyone, Once again this year, the Heroic Purgatory podcast is covering the Japan Cuts 2024 film…
New York Asian Film Festival 2023
Table of Contents For the third year in a row, the Heroic Purgatory podcast is covering the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF)…


Film Festival Week: Chikyuu wo Mitsumete
Chikyuu wo Mitsumete is a 2011 film from Nippon animation. The same studio behind Kazoku Robinson Hyouryuuki: Fushigi na Shima no Flone. So, what is this science fiction/…


Glasgow Film Festival Announces 2022 Programme
Runs in Glasgow 2nd to 13th March with selected films screening at partner venues throughout the UK


Film Festival Week: Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha 2nd film A’s
At this point I’ve reviewed quite a few instalments in the Nanoha franchise. Including the first film and the A’s series. Thus far, it’s been a very strong…
[Links] 4-10 September 2019: Paternity Leave Harassment, Japan Film Festival, and Processing Grief in Given
AniFem Round-Up REMINDER: This month the team is republishing classic articles in order to give the team time to focus on implementing the site redesign. [History] Sazae-san and…
Scotland Loves Anime Film Festival 2024 Details
The good folks from Scotland Loves Animation have sent us details for the 2024 run of their festival. The long running and much loved festiv...


Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh Announces 2022 Programme
At Summerhall and Everyman Everyman Cinema Edinburgh 15th to 20th October.


Film Festival Week 7: Starship Troopers- Invasion
Starship Troopers: Invasion is a 2012 Sola Digital Arts film. Obviously it’s based on the same book that the famous ’97 film was based off of. Let’s see…


Film Festival Week: Dragonball Z Dead Zone
I’ve talked about Dragonball, all the Dragonball films and some of the Dragonball Z films. As such, it seems appropriate to talk about the first film that moved…
A different kind of Tokyo film festival
A 2-day international film festival is taking place this weekend in Tokyo, featuring short films from Japan, Norway, Kyrgyzstan, and more. Damah International Film Festival moved to Tokyo…


Film Festival Week: Non Non Biyori: Vacation
Here we are at the close of another year’s film festival. I’ve decided to close things with a look at a film based off of an anime I’ve…


Film Festival Week 6: Taifuu no Noruda
Taifuu no Noruda is a short, original film from Studio Colorido, which I remember as one of the studios behind Burn the Witch and for nothing else. But…


Film Festival Week: DBZ-Chikyuu Marugoto Choukessen
I’ve looked at a lot of films from the Dragonball/DBZ franchise. They’ve mostly been pretty decent. And this year we’re looking at another one. The third film with…
![Featured image for Tokyo Revengers (2021) Review [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210816/1629122594.19484.45175.jpg)
![Background image for Tokyo Revengers (2021) Review [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210816/1629122594.19484.45175.jpg)
Tokyo Revengers (2021) Review [Fantasia Film Festival]
“An exciting blend of satisfying violence, tensive moments, surges of pleasing lightheartedness, and touching emotional moments.”
![Featured image for My Broken Mariko (2022) [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220812/1660277940.41712.71841.jpg)
![Background image for My Broken Mariko (2022) [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220812/1660277940.41712.71841.jpg)
My Broken Mariko (2022) [Fantasia Film Festival]
Tanada offers a compelling exploration of the emotional turmoil a female subject caused by the sudden death of someone important.


Chicago International Film Festival – Super Happy Forever
I headed out once again to Chicago, for the Chicago International Film Festival. With the Kore-eda retrospective finished, there were still three other Japanese films in the lineup…
![Featured image for Shin-Ultraman (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220728/1658971741.40668.70474.jpg)
![Background image for Shin-Ultraman (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220728/1658971741.40668.70474.jpg)
Shin-Ultraman (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
Higuchi and Anno deliver an impressive love letter to their childhood, yet their devoted love, which is sensible in every aspect of the narrative, might not be able…


Resolutions & Reflections
These are the things I want to accomplish in 2023, and some of them have already been implemented these past few weeks or so. These are the days…
![Featured image for Dreams of Fire (2021) review [Fantasia Film festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210825/1629852194.20091.45898.jpg)
![Background image for Dreams of Fire (2021) review [Fantasia Film festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210825/1629852194.20091.45898.jpg)
Dreams of Fire (2021) review [Fantasia Film festival]
“McKie’s film is not only the best dance-film of recent years but might very well be one of the best Japanese films to be released this year.”


Fantasia International Film Festival Confirms Complete 2022 Programme
Runs in Montreal July 14 to Aug. 3


Osaka Asian Film Festival 2023 Announces Complete Lineup
In Osaka 10th to 19th March.


Queer East Film Festival Reveals Full 2022 Programme
In cinemas across London 18th to 29th May
![Featured image for The Fish Tale (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220731/1659234541.40977.70834.jpg)
![Background image for The Fish Tale (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220731/1659234541.40977.70834.jpg)
The Fish Tale (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
A very heart-warming and touching narrative that shows that a subject does not necessarily need to make use of the neurotic solution to inscribe himself within the societal…


Fantasia Film Festival: 7 Films not to miss.
This year, we, once again, explored the wide selection of films screening at the festival to select some films that we, psychocinematography, duly recommend to the audiences.


A Preview of Osaka Asian Film Festival 2025
A preview of the films at Osaka Asian Film Festival 2025!


New York Asian Film Festival Confirms 2023 Lineup
Runs July 14 to 30.


Fantasia International Film Festival Confirms Complete 2024 Programme
In Montreal July 18 to Aug, 4.
![Featured image for Hold Me Back (2020) review [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210813/1628849596.19291.44941.jpg)
![Background image for Hold Me Back (2020) review [Fantasia Film Festival]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210813/1628849596.19291.44941.jpg)
Hold Me Back (2020) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
“Ohku delivers, once again, a refreshing and highly touching romance-comedy.”
![Featured image for Convenience Story (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220806/1659781140.41407.71316.jpg)
![Background image for Convenience Story (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220806/1659781140.41407.71316.jpg)
Convenience Story (2022) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2022]
Miki delivers a great psychological mystery narrative, yet it might not be for everyone.


Fantasia International Film Festival Confirms Complete 2023 Programme
In Montreal July 20 to Aug. 9.


Queer East Film Festival Reveals Full 2021 Programme
In cinemas across London 15th to 26th September


Osaka Asian Film Festival 2022 Announces Complete Lineup
At venues across Osaka March 10 to 20 plus 10-film retrospective selection streaming worldwide March 3 to 21


Japanese Films at the Glasgow Film Festival 2022
A Preview of the One Japanese Film at the Glasgow Film Festival 2022