A young woman defies the expectations of a patriarchal society in resisting the rising militarism of the Taisho society in Tai Kato’s historical epic.
Jul 12, 2022 • Subscribe
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Blood of Revenge (明治侠客伝 三代目襲名, Tai Kato, 1965)
An earnest yakuza trying to walk a more legitimate path faces off against a thuggish businessman in Tai Kato’s late-Meiji ninkyo eiga.
日本コンテンツと海外プラットフォーム
最近の作成AIコンテンツや物語性を含まない居心地の良いコンテンツ作りを見ていて憂慮するすることは色々ある。 ネットでただで享受できるコンテンツが爆発的に増えただけならいざ知らず、それらを配布するプラットフォームが一点集中し、興行的成功の落差が激しくなっている。これに加えて作成AIを用いることで一見精度の高そうに見える創作物を大量の生み出され、いわばダンピングが行われてしまい、人の手で創る創作…
In Search of Mother (瞼の母, Tai Kato, 1962)
A lonely yakuza longs to reconnect with mainstream society by finding the mother who was forced to abandon him in Tai Kato’s hugely moving jidaigeki.
Wind, Woman and Road (風と女と旅鴉, Tai Kato, 1958)
A wanderer returns home and finds himself torn between a desire for acceptance and revenge in an early Tai Kato jidaigeki.
The Sea of Genkai (任侠外伝 玄海灘, Juro Kara, 1976)
A petty gangster finds himself confronted by the traumatic past on discovering a stowaway aboard his smuggling boat in Juro Kara’s infinitely bleak drama.
Japan Stories それぞれの日本
A beautifully written patchwork of stories of contemporary Japan each of which focuses on and mainly revolves around one person with associated minor characters who, though obviously less…
Episode #51 – Big Man Japan (大日本人)
Author Patrick Moody makes his JOF debut to discuss Hitoshi Matsumoto’s kaiju mockumentary film, Big Man Japan.
Eighteen Years in Prison (懲役十八年, Tai Kato, 1967)
A former captain of the kamikaze squad finds himself caught between the contradictions of post-war Japan and the American occupation in Tai Kato’s gangster drama.
Episode #54 – Night and Fog in Japan (日本の夜と霧)
In the final episode of the season, Kota of the Against Japanism podcast brings his extensive knowledge of Japanese politics and the Japanese left-wing to bear in this…
Day Off (本日公休, Fu Tien-Yu, 2023)
The wholesome small-town values of an ageing hairdresser place her increasingly at odds with her cynical consumerist kids in Fu Tien-Yu’s poignant tale of changing times.
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.
Road Warriors (あやめ笠 喧嘩街道, Tai Kato, 1960)
A penniless wander is caught up in intrigue after encountering a woman travelling alone for the purposes of revenge in Tai Kato’s Toei chanbara.
Tomorrow There Will Be Fine Weather (明日は日本晴れ, Hiroshi Shimizu, 1948)
A bus breaking down on a mountain pass signals a roadblock on the way to a new Japan in Hiroshi Shimizu’s lighthearted yet melancholy drama.
Sex and Fury (不良姐御伝 猪の鹿お蝶, Norifumi Suzuki,1973)
An orphaned daughter takes revenge against the corruptions of the late Meiji society in Norifumi Suzuki’s pinky violence classic.
Willful Murder (日本の熱い日々 謀殺・下山事件, Kei Kumai, 1981)
A dogged reporter comes to the conclusion an industrialist was murdered but cannot say by whom in Kei Kumai’s searing exploration of the occupation and the economic miracle.
Kanada between 1973 and 1974
One of the most difficult periods to retrace in Kanada’s career is his early days. His first credit dates from late 1970, as an in-betweener on the Tôei…
Darkness in the Light (日本の黒い夏ー冤罪, Kei Kumai, 2001)
Idealistic teen reporters have some questions to ask of mass media and the police in Kei Kumai’s true life drama.
Mahou Tsukai Tai
Long time ago, I decided to give Mahou Tsukai Tai the skip because I thought this was going to be another one of those magical girl series directly…
Japan Organized Crime Boss (日本暴力団 組長, Kinji Fukasaku, 1969)
A recently released yakuza emerges into a changed Japan in Kinji Fukasaku’s proto-jitsuroku gangster picture.
MADE IN JAPAN 日本製造 メイド・イン・ジャパン (2019) Dir: Yusaku Matsumoto
A brutal murder leads one delinquent to milk news sites for money in this critique of how the media works. SAKKA will make Yusaku Matsumoto’s MADE IN JAPAN…
The Art of Kunio Kato
Returning to the "miniature garden."
本心
With「本心」, Keiichiro Hirano (平野 啓一郎) has written a big, old-fashioned novel of ideas. It is set in the 2040s in a Japan in which a tenuous daily life…
本心
With「本心」, Keiichiro Hirano (平野 啓一郎) has written a big, old-fashioned novel of ideas. It is set in the 2040s in a Japan in which a tenuous daily life…
Female Yakuza Tale (やさぐれ姐御伝 総括リンチ, Teruo Ishii, 1973)
Revenge completed, Ochi finds herself swept into conspiracy in the sequel to Nofumi Suzuki’s Sex and Fury
Aim for the Ace! (1973): Growth and Tennis
The Influence of Aim for the Ace This is a strange case where I wish a lot of older series were more popular in the United States. Especially…
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Part of the reason I enjoy watching anime I’m unfamiliar with is the rare occasional discovery of forgotten gems. The Yankee Reppu-tai OVA series is one such forgotten…
Anime’s Invisible Aces: Michiya Kato And CYCLONE GRAPHICS
What does BEASTARS‘ opening sequence have in common with other iconic intros like DRIFTERS and Tatami Galaxy, the filmography of geniuses like Satoshi Kon and Tatsuya Oishi, plus…
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Xu’s largely observational doc follows an unlikely streaming star as she overcomes her sense of futility through boundless optimism.
Anime (1963 - 1973)
Reference for the latest documentary "Anime and the Economic Miracle" https://youtu.be/xYZXTQX_wXE Anime includes: Astro Boy 鉄腕アトム Eight Man エイトマン Galactic Boy Team 銀河少年隊 Gigantor 鉄人28号 Hermit Village 仙人部落 Locus 軌跡…
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Sue to Tai-Chan / Sue & Tai-Chan (Vol 1) by Konami Kanata
I picked up this manga at an amazing used bookstore in Connecticut. It comes from the same author of Chi’s Sweet Home and Fuku Fuku: Kitten Tales. I…
Acro Trip - Episode 1 - Berry Blossom and Mashirou
Berry Blossom and Mashirou operate in obscurity in their town because they face a weak enemy. Can they ever become famous? Acro Trip - Episode 1
Ken Takakura Shoots and Scores: Golgo 13 (1973)
“Name: Duke Togo Nickname Golgo 13 Nationality: Unknown Place of Birth: Unknown Date of Birth: Unknown Occupation: Sniper” Everything in that caption you see above you is all…
Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture (1973) review
Teruo Ishii is unable to deliver what made the first film so enjoyable: the visual celebration of Ocho Inoshika’s phallic fury.
Japanese Plum Blossom Perfumes
Update your scent wardrobe with these sweet Japanese ume (plum) blossom perfumes. Read on to find your perfect early spring fragrance!
S4E8 - Lady Snowblood (1973)
Hello everyone, In this episode of Heroic Purgatory, we resume our fourth season to talk about the iconic revenge film, Lady Snowblood (1973). We talk about the historical significance…
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A pleasant action-narrative that is all about celebrating the character Golgo 13
The Films of 1973, Part 1: Cops, Crime and Kung Fu
1973 offered a wealth of riches for regular moviegoers, particularly those at neighborhood theaters. Hollywood released a ton of exemplary crime films, alternating hard-nosed cops with career crimi…
The Sunday Runoff (決戦は日曜日, Yuichiro Sakashita, 2021)
A naive woman asked to stand for political office in her father’s place finds herself conflicted by the depth of corruption she discovers in Yuichiro Sakashita’s political satire.
Blossom Detective Holmes is on the case!
Welcome, all, again. The last time I posted here about Steve Ahn’s project Blossom Detective Holmes was almost 3 years ago back in January, 2018, when I was…
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I was writing to a former intern at Japan Subculture Research Center, Fresca, and asked her to send me her thesis to read---just as she mailed me. I…
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もし今の私を見れたなら If you could see me now … どう思うでしょう I wonder what you would think … あなたなしで生きてる私を Me, living without you I can’t believe that I’ll never see…
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A pleasant but largely forgettable experience.
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As Yamato Resurrection approached in 2009, this website took on a new dimension when the Yamato saga returned to real time and there was news to report every…
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While out hunting, a king encounters a magical deer, who leads him to an enchanted apple tree that gives birth to a beautiful maiden. As the king promises…
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Our next Kizumonogatari staff interview translation has VFX supervisor and eventual director of photography Michiya Kato give an in-depth chronicle about its production: the deliberate aesthetic mi…
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Vinland Saga S2 – 11 [The King and the Sword]
Welcome everyone, to another week of Vinland Saga! This week sees Canute and Thorfinn enter onto a headlong collision course, meanwhile Ketil runs into an old friend of…
Pokémon Sword: Fightin’ and Dynamaxin’
Well, this post is going to be a first for me. I’ve never talked about a video game before. I’ve even talked about live action tv shows, Food…