A small boy grows closer to the natural world while guiding a tiny samurai on his journey to the sea in Nobuhiko Obayashi’s charming family adventure.
Jun 23, 2022 • Subscribe
More like this
Seven Weeks (野のなななのか, Nobuhiko Obayashi, 2014)
“A death is a history” in Obayashi’s intensely moving tale of the interconnectedness of all things, love, death, war, and memory.
News recap: RIP Nobuhiko Obayashi
Welcome back! Hopefully everyone is following good social distancing guidelines, but in case you need some help, our favorite kaiju heroes are here to help: On to…
Seven Samurai (七人の侍, Akira Kurosawa, 1954)
Desperate peasants recruit samurai protectors in Akira Kurosawa’s classic historical epic back in UK cinemas Oct. 29
Nobuhiko Obayashi Coming to France on Blu-Ray [Announcement]
Hello and welcome to today’s update. No review or editorial this week due to work obligations, but I did not want to leave an empty weekly s...
Casting Blossoms to the Sky (この空の花 長岡花火物語, Nobuhiko Obayashi, 2012)
An emotionally arrested journalist begins to reconnect with the past through wartime stories of Nagaoka in Obayashi’s compassionate plea for a kinder future
Legend of the Cat Monster (麗猫伝説, Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1983)
A young writer falls prey to the dream of cinema while tasked with convincing a reclusive actress to return to the silver screen in Obayashi’s gothic tale of…
The Last Dance (大病人, Juzo Itami, 1993)
A self-involved film director gets a lesson in what it is to live when he discovers that he has terminal cancer in a lighthearted melodrama from Juzo Itami.
The Mannequin House Murders / 人形館の殺人
I didn’t like this book at all. I don’t have much more to say about it.
Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom (金の国 水の国, Kotono Watanabe, 2022)
After centuries of conflict, two feuding countries finally begin to put the past behind them to work for a common future in Kotono Watanabe’s animated fantasy romance.
Death Within the Evil Eye / 魔眼の匣の殺人
It’s difficult to succeed genius. Chrono Cross isn’t as good as Chrono Trigger , Bioshock 2 isn’t as good as Bioshock , and National Treas...
Otona no Yuricon 2020 (大人のユリコン2020)
After a prolonged trip across the ocean, a long-awaited doujinshi has finally arrived at my home. And, like clockwork, the Melonbooks website is down for maintenance, so I…
The Island Closest to Heaven (天国にいちばん近い島, Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1984)
A young woman comes to a new understanding of herself while travelling abroad in Nobuhiko Obayashi’s laidback kadokawa idol movie.
The Black Umbrella Mystery / 体育館の殺人
The Black Umbrella Mystery is a story with the soul of Ellery Queen and the body of an anime protagonist. There are a few Japanese…
Hametsu no Koibito, Volume 1 (破滅の恋人)
We recently had the pleasure of three guest reviews for Plongée dans la nuit, the French edition of Yoru to Umi, by Goumoto. I had read the first…
The Seven Great Detectives / 7人の名探偵
Yukito Ayatsuji ’s The Decagon House Murders was published in 1987, and is credited with kick-starting the shin-honkaku (new orthodox) mov...
House on Fire (火宅の人, Kinji Fukasaku, 1986)
An anxious writer fears collapse under the weight of fatherhood in Kinji Fuksaku’s adaptation of the autobiographical novel of Kazuo Dan.
The Labyrinth House Murders / 迷路館の殺人
The shin-honkaku movement has always been a bit meta. It’s right there in the name: it means “new orthodox,” as it’s a revival of the origi...
Understanding Obayashi: House (1977)
Nobuhiko Obayashi’s House is an incredible film, and here I talk about some of its cultural context and thematic meanings.
Seiyuu Series: Nobuhiko Okamoto
seiyuu, voice actors, nobuhiko okamoto
『戦国魔神ゴーショーグン 時の異邦人（エトランゼ）』のあとがき
『戦国魔神ゴーショーグン 時の異邦人（エトランゼ）』のあとがき
Gundam Aerial Rebuild: Anime and Gunpla Full Reveal! #水星の魔女
The following may contain spoilers for episode 12 of Gundam the Witch from Mercury. I just got off watching the first part finale for Gundam the Witch from…
Gundam Aerial Rebuild: Anime and Gunpla Full Reveal! #水星の魔女
The following may contain spoilers for episode 12 of Gundam the Witch from Mercury. I just got off watching the first part finale for Gundam the Witch from…
The Town of Headcounts (人数の町, Shinji Araki, 2020)
A disaffected young man gets a fresh start in a utopian community but quickly becomes disillusioned in Shinji Araki’s slick dystopian thriller
Today on Suletta Sunday: Gundam Aerial Upgraded Form Tease! #水星の魔女
Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury has delivered a special Christmas present as it returns from a one-week break to deliver what would be the start of…
Three Women of the North (北の三人, Kiyoshi Saeki, 1945)
Three female radio operators become the backbone of a moribund war effort in the last propaganda film produced before the war’s end.
8 Man After (1993)
8 Man After is a short OVA series that I’d recommend to cyberpunk fans or folks who collect 1990s anime – especially if you crave a bit of…
Kuma-chan (1993) [LD]
https://nyaa.si/view/1729151 Fansub credits can be found in the link above. Very excited to release this one. It's been in the works for a f...
![Featured image for Bonobono (Movie, 1993) [v2]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20210226/1614373658.4941.27390.jpg)
Bonobono (Movie, 1993) [v2]
Here it is, finally – the Bonobono movie with the DVD quality raws. I also went through the script one more time, so there are some slight changes…
The Last-Minute New Gundam: X-EX01 Gundam Calibarn #水星の魔女 #G_Witch
The following may contain spoilers for the latest episode of Gundam the Witch from Mercury. One of the things Mobile Suit Gundam the Witch from Mercury did quite…
Rainbow Over the Pacific (夜明けの二人, Yoshitaro Nomura, 1968)
An unserious man begins to grow up while chasing love in Hawaii in a cheerful if ultimately downbeat musical celebration of the centenary of Japanese migration to Hawaii.
銀魂 - 鍋は人生の縮図である (25)
GinTama - The hot-pot is a microcosm of life Episode 25
Like a Savage (野蛮人のように, Toru Kawashima, 1985)
A blocked writer is dragged into intrigue while searching for “adventure in the night” in Toru Kawashima zeitgeisty drama.
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.
Theory Confirmed! “Gundam the Witch from Mercury” #14 Plot Reveals #G_Witch #水星の魔女
The following will obviously contain spoilers for the latest episode of Gundam the Witch from Mercury. Read at your own risk. We are just two episodes into the…
スタジオダブの裏話: サンライズの名作アニメを作った人々 – 西村誠芳ロングインタビュー
The post スタジオダブの裏話: サンライズの名作アニメを作った人々 – 西村誠芳ロングインタビュー appeared first on fullfrontal.moe.
S2E7 - The Wedding Banquet (1993)
Hello everyone, In this episode of Heroic Purgatory, John and Jason return to the coverage of 90s Asian cinema by discussion Ang Lee's 1993 film, The Wedding Banquet. In…
ContAnimeTed October 22-24 1993
CONTanimeTED 1993 - October 22-24, New Cobden Hotel, Birmingham. (the secound Anime convention to be held in Birmingham England). Photos ...
1993 Anime Day File 3
1993 Anime Day File 3 The Con that bit its tongue. April 17th ot 18th. Sheffield, England. Photos and text information, can be found by...
Taiso Samurai – 04 [Samurai Daughter]
Is Leo the stealth main character of Taiso Samurai? This episode certainly pointed in that direction, taking a prime opportunity for father-daughter bonding and making it a ninja-daughter…
Taiso Samurai – 03 [Dueling Samurai]
Here’s a more conventional sports anime episode for you. Leo still refuses to take off his ninja headgear and Big Bird is still squawking up a storm in…
Taiso Samurai – 05 [Battling Samurai]
Here’s another Taiso Samurai outing where the script sidelines Jotaro, who seems to be the main character in name only. Last week it was all about Leo and…
How to Japanese Podcast – S02E10 – 車検 and 人生初めてのカラオケ
The dreaded 車検 (shaken, car inspection) is an expat’s worst nightmare, but it’s not a reason to not get a car. Driving in the Japanese countryside is absolutely…
![Featured image for [Stray Kids] Fairytale](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20230903/1693777121.67721.103105.jpg)
[Stray Kids] Fairytale
I can see right through you, but I’ll pretend I can’t.
Books: Monster Kids
By Jonathan Clements. In his lively new book Monster Kids: How Pokémon Taught a Generation to Catch Them All, Daniel Dockery talks us through the original plans in…
Taiso Samurai – 7-8 [Training Camp Samurai/Intensive Samurai Training]
This is the end of the road for my full Taiso Samurai writeups. Cobbling together this post was like trying to build a bird house with a hammer…
Murderer vs. Maniac / 殺人犯 対 殺人鬼
While some books take a while to get into the action, Murderer vs. Maniac wastes no time. The opening scene is all about the protagonist ...
Farewell My Concubine (1993) [Film Review]
Farewell My Concubine; or, The Hegemon-King Bids Farewell to His Concubine I am by nature a boy… not a girl. Today’s review is somethin...
Amiko Wins Obayashi Prize at 2023 JAPAN CUTS
Prize introduced in 2020 is awarded an independently produced narrative feature from an emerging filmmaker.
Taiso Samurai – 02 [Rock-Bottom Samurai]
I may have jumped the gun on this one, y’all. Taiso Samurai’s first episode was so strange that I couldn’t help but root for it, but the second…
ユダヤ人から見た小林賢太郎氏のホロコーストコント(JPN Editon)
皆さんは情報を発信する時、誰の目に留まるのか意識しているでしょうか？日本人と繋がりの深いユダヤ人から見た小林賢太郎のホロコーストコントに関する本音をお伝えします。(JPN edition of original English post.)