Few directors are as skilled as Japanese auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa when it comes to articulating the alienation and paranoia of the digital age. One of his first international breakouts, already decades deep into his career, was 2001’s Pulse, a distressing ghost story about the gradual supernatural invasion of the online world which managed to accurately…
Category: Japanese Cinema
“Cottontail” Review: A Masterful Directorial Debut
The recently bereaved Kenzaburo (Lily Franky), travels to the UK in order to scatter his late wife’s ashes in Lake Windermere accompanied by his son, Toshi (Ryo Nishikido), his wife, Satsuki (Rin Takanashi) and their daughter. Once in London, the fractious relationship between father and son intensifies leading to Kenzaburo deciding to fulfill his wife’s…
Takeuchi Hideki Returns to the Far East Film Festival
Historically, cinema has predominantly engaged with the human body through the lens of science fiction, often depicting miniature characters – reduced to the size of ants – who embark on fantastical journeys within our physical form, confronting its mysteries and the limited special effects technology of bygone eras. Iconic films like Richard Fleischer’s Fantastic Voyage,…
Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment Will Bring the First Film “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle” to Cinemas in 2025
Crunchyroll, the ultimate destination for anime fans worldwide, has revealed a captivating new illustration created by the acclaimed animation studio ufotable. This artwork provides an exciting preview of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle, the opening chapter of a thrilling trilogy slated for an international theatrical release in 2025. During the Thunder Stage event…
JAPAN U-20 TEAM ROSTER OFFICIALLY REVEALED FOR “BLUE LOCK” 2ND SEASON
On November 9th, BLUE LOCK fans were thrilled as Kodansha revealed the lineup for the Japan U-20 National Team, which will challenge the BLUE LOCK XI in the BLUE LOCK anime’s second season. The Japan U-20 team, which debuted in Episode 29, includes formidable players like Oliver Aiku, Ryusei Shidou, and Sae Itoshi—the latter being…
“Bushido”: Exploring Humanity Through the Lens of a Fallen Samurai – An Insight with Director Kazuya Shiraishi
“Any movie that I make, I always think: ‘What is a human being?’” director Kazuya Shiraishi shares as he reflects on his latest project Bushido. The samurai period drama, or jidaigeki, tells the story of ronin Yanagida Kakunoshin (Tsuyoshi Kuanagi) who has fallen into poverty but has found peace in a humble living with his…
26th Far East Film Festival: “Bushido” Review
The jidaigeki, or samurai period drama, has been done a thousand times in a thousand different ways, but it can still feel refreshing like Kazuya Shiraishi’s Bushido. Based on rakugo, or comic storytelling, the narrative follows Kakunoshin Yanagida (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) a humble ronin who has fallen on hard times and lives in a small community…
26th Far East Film Festival Returns with 79 Films from 12 Countries Celebrating Asian Cinema
The Far East Film Festival is back and it’s bigger than ever for its 26th edition, which boasts 79 films from 12 countries, all celebrating Asian cinema. Taking place in Udine, Italy, from 24 April to 2 May, the esteemed film festival will host a number of exciting stars to present their movies to cinephiles….
“Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead” Review
Creating bucket lists to achieve goals or experience new things is a common occurrence for many individuals, but what stops us from fulfilling them? These problems are reflected in the 2023 film adaptation of Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead. Based on the popular manga comics first created in 2018, the narrative follows Akira…
“Finding Her Beat” Review
Drums typically represent the most ancient musical tools within any society, and the Taiko has a historical presence dating back over 2,000 years in ancient Japan. Archaeological and anthropological studies suggest that during the Jomon era, people used drums as a means of communication or in religious rituals. However, the percussion instruments of that time…
VIEW OF THE ARTS 