A naive young man finds himself conflicted when tasked with turfing a farmer off her family land in Chen Ta-pu’s quirky romantic crime drama
Apr 6, 2022 • Subscribe
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Fruits Basket (2019) Episode 25 – Ta Ta for Now!
As expected, this week’s episode of Fruits Basket (2019) was considerably less eventful than last week’s. That being said, I still absolutely adored it! It touched upon two…
Virgin Blue (不要再見啊,魚花塘, Niu Xiaoyu, 2021)
A young woman drifts between fantasy and reality while returning home for a last summer with grandma in Niu Xiaoyu’s surreal drama.
Detective Chinatown 3 (唐人街探案3, Chen Sicheng, 2021)
Qin and Tang Ren are back on the case investigating a locked room mystery in Japan while contending with the mysterious Q in the third instalment of the…
The Goldfish: Dreaming of the Sea (海辺の金魚, Sara Ogawa, 2021)
An anxious young woman begins to overcome her sense of trauma while bonding with a similarly lonely little girl in Ogawa’s lyrical coming-of-age drama
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Mangasplaining Podcast #48: Links and show-notes
As We Like It (揭大歡喜, Chen Hung-i & Muni Wei, 2021)
A romantic exile meanders through an internet free corner of Taipei in Chen & Wei’s all-female adaptation of the Shakespeare play.
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Convention Stories: The Adventure with Ming Chen
So this is a very recent story that happened at Chattanooga Comic Con 2023. During the convention the event offered a Trolley Pub with one of their guests…
Ep. 48: The Blood Red Boy, by Minami Q-ta
This week on Mangasplaining the team reads The Blood Red Boy, a short romantic one-shot comic by Minami Q-ta, published by Starfruit Books!
Ep. 102: Not All Girls Are Stupid, by Minami Q-ta
This week the Mangasplaining gang dig into the edgy 90s shojo manga short stories of Minami Q-ta in Not All Girls Are Stupid! It's a heck of a…
PODCAST: Ep. 102: Not All Girls Are Stupid, by Minami Q-ta
A provactive punk-rock title for a great & edgy 90s shoujo manga collection
Eternal Summer (盛夏光年, Leste Chen, 2006)
A trio of emotionally displaced teens struggle to define themselves in a constant search for acceptance in Leste Chen’s emotionally intense youth drama
The Silent Forest (無聲, Ko Chen-Nien, 2020)
An idealistic student is caught between justice and complicity when he uncovers a culture of bullying and abuse at a school for deaf children in Ko’s hard-hitting drama.
The Personals (徵婚啓事, Chen Kuo-fu, 1998)
Fleeing romantic trauma a young woman gains an insight into contemporary dating mores after placing a personal ad looking for a husband in Chen’s sophisticated dramedy
Chen Uen (千年一問, Wang Wan-Jo, 2020)
Using a mix of interviews and animatics, Wang’s elegantly lensed documentary presents an enigmatic picture of the legendary pioneer of Taiwanese comics
Mama Boy (初戀慢半拍, Arvin Chen, 2022)
A diffident young man begins to step into himself after falling for a middle-aged woman in Arvin Chen’s charming romantic dramedy.
The Invisible Guest (瞒天过海, Chen Zhuo, 2023)
A woman accused of murdering her friend in a locked hotel room finds herself in a cat and mouse game with a helpful policeman in Chen Zhuo’s psychological…
Delicious Romance (爱很美味, Leste Chen & Hsu Chao-Jen, 2023)
The enduring friendship between three women is strained by the demands of the contemporary society in the big screen sequel to the hit TV drama.
Hero (世间有她, Li Shaohong, Joan Chen, Sylvia Chang, 2022)
Li Shaohong, Joan Chen, and Sylvia Chang tell the stories of women in Wuhan, Beijing, and Hong Kong in this tripartite pandemic anthology film.
Monk Comes Down the Mountain (道士下山, Chen Kaige, 2015)
A wandering monk is forced to consider a series of dualities presented by his traditional upbringing and burgeoning modernity in Chen Kaige’s ‘30s wuxia Monk Comes Down the…
My Missing Valentine (消失的情人節, Chen Yu-Hsun, 2020)
A lovelorn woman finds herself forced to reckon with the forgotten past when she somehow misplaces Valentine’s Day in Chen’s charmingly quirky rom-com
Nettaigyo ha Yuki Kogareru, Volume 9 (熱帯魚は雪に焦がれる)
Last week, I reviewed Hana ni Arashi, Volume 10 and it reminded me that I had never finished reviewing this series…and then I remembered why. Nettaigyo ha Yuki…
Nettaigyo ha Yuki ni Kogareru, Volume 8 (熱帯魚は雪に焦がれる)
As we reach Nettaigyo ha Yuki ni Kogareru, Volume 8 (熱帯魚は雪に焦がれる), we’ve hit what I tend to call the “storm before the calm.” Summer is winding down and…
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Nettaigyo ha Yuki ni Kogareru, Volume 7 (熱帯魚は雪に焦がれる)
The connection between Konatsu and Koyuki is extremely tenuous. They both are aware of this, but whenKonatsu begins to avoid club…and Koyuki it comes to a head. Nettaigyo…
Vengeance of the Phoenix Sisters (三鳳震武林, Chen Hung-Min, 1968)
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The Cabbie (運転手之戀, Chen Yi-wen & Chang Hwa-kun, 2000)
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The Emperor’s Sword (乱世之定秦剑, Chen Hao-nan & Zhang Ying-li, 2020)
Retired heroes must rise again when an ambitious courtier attempts to usurp the kingdom through obtaining twin swords in Chen & Zhang’s
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Ito (Japan, 2021) [OAFF 2021]
Jason Maher reviews Satoko Yokohama's comedy-drama Ito.
Ninja Girl (Japan, 2021) [NYAFF 2021]
Rowena Santos Aquino reviews Yu Irie's subversive comedy Ninja Girl.
Barbarian Invasion [NYAFF 2021] (Malaysia, 2021)
Epoy Deyto reviews Tan Chui Mui's meta-film Barbarian Invasion.
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…
Spring 2021!
It’s been about a year now since we’ve all been experiencing (in one way or another) the effects of the global pandemic. I hope that you and yours…
Spring 2021.
Wanna hear something embarrassing? This post has been sitting, complete and ready to post, in my drafts for over a month now. I just lacked the energy to…
Summer 2021
Another 3 months gone and I don’t even know where it’s gone TBH. I had a Moot Court this past Monday and it left me emotionally drained and…
The Dungeon of Black Company, Battle Game in 5 Seconds, Scarlet Nexus, Sonny Boy, The aquatope on white sand
Summer 2021!
Summer 2021 is officially here! So, y’all know the drill.
Fall 2021.
Sweater season is upon us! Not really because it’s Spring in Melbourne but somehow still feels like it’s the middle of Winter. I’ve had hail in my area…
The Vampire Dies in No Time, Musashi, Platinum End, VISUAL PRISON, Blue Period
Farewell, 2021…
Just a quick post about my next plans as 2021 is gonna end soon. Yes, we’re still under the mercy of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I’m hoping that…
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Here's to another good one, friends. 3:02 - 2021 Recommendations 3:13 - Golden Kamuy 4:15 - Hina Change 5:21 - Kaguya-sama: Love Is War 6:57 - Curtains Up, I'm Off 8:01 - The Bones…
Winter 2021
Hello! How many of us are looking forward to the new year?? I know I am! Winter 2021 feels like a brand new start, granted all our problems…
Sweet Bitter Candy (2021) review [OAFF 2021]
“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.”
Drive All Night (USA, 2021) [CAAMFest 2021]
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Winter 2021 to Fall 2021 Anime Power Rankings
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Seobok (서복, Lee Yong-ju, 2021) [Fantasia 2021]
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Mari and Mari (2021) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“A beautiful narrative that seems to bear no relation to our romantic life at first, but ultimately hits close to home.”
Spaghetti Code Love (2021) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“Maruyama’s narrative speaks powerfully to the spectator’s subjectivity – his fears and hopes – and enables his evocation of a glimmer of hope that remains present in this…