Oppai Volleyball (2009) Movie Review

All that most male viewers probably need to know is that “Oppai Volleyball” translates as ‘breast volleyball’ and that it stars the gorgeous swimsuit model turned actress Haruka Ayase as a teacher who tries to inspire a young school boy volleyball team by promising she will show them her breasts...

November 7th, 2009 | Read More

Lala Pipo: A Lot of People (2009) Movie Review

Having been scripted by Tetsuya Nakashima, the award winning writer director of the excellent “Kamikaze Girls” and “Memories of Matsuko”, it comes as no surprise that “Lala Pipo” is another slice of colourful Japanese pop culture craziness. Marking the directorial debut of Nakashima’s assistant...

October 30th, 2009 | Read More

Palisades Tartan’s Asian Horror: Essential Collection Review

Just in time for Halloween, Palisades Tartan has grouped together three of the most successful Asian horror films of recent years in one region 2 DVD collection. Although terms such as ‘essential’ are woefully overused when it comes to such compilations, in this case it certainly rings true, as the...

October 30th, 2009 | Read More

Samurai Princess (2009) Movie Review

More Japanese gore madness arrives from 4Digital Asia in the shapely form of “Samurai Princess”, the cover art not coincidently bearing a striking resemblance to that of its recent sister in slaughter, “Chanbara Beauty”. The film’s pedigree should certainly give fans of the form reason to be...

September 29th, 2009 | Read More

Big Man Japan (2007) Movie Review

“Big Man Japan”, now available on region 2 DVD via Revolver, marks the directorial debut of noted Japanese comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto, one half of the popular duo Dauntaun. Here, as well as scripting, he also takes the central role in a mockumentary following the daily life and exploits of Masaru...

September 22nd, 2009 | Read More

20th Century Boys: Chapter Two – The Last Hope (2009) Movie Review

The epic Japanese “20th Century Boys” trilogy, based upon the hugely popular manga by Urasawa Naoki, continues with its second instalment, “The Last Hope”. Director Tsutsumi Yukihiko (previously responsible for cult hits such as “2LDK” and “Forbidden Siren”) returns to continue the sprawling...

September 12th, 2009 | Read More

Dororo (2007) Movie Review

Manga adaptations have been hitting Japanese screens en masse in recent years, though fantasy sword epic “Dororo” does at least have an impeccable pedigree to set it out from the crowd, being based upon a long running series from the 1960s by the masterful Osamu Tezuka (who also created the much...

August 8th, 2009 | Read More

Tokyo Gore Police (2008) Movie Review

In many ways, “Tokyo Gore Police” represents a culmination of the recent trend of Japanese ultra violent splatter sci-fi cinema. The film was directed by Nishimura Yoshihiro, whose pedigree in the field is impeccable, having worked on the special effects for other recent genre cult hits such as “The...

August 5th, 2009 | Read More

Grotesque (2009) Movie Review

In these post-’”Hostel” days, with the so called torture porn genre having largely taken over the horror field, viewers have consistently been let down by cheap rip-offs and anaemic pretenders which fail to deliver the gore goods. As such, it is no small relief to report that “Grotesque” not...

July 27th, 2009 | Read More

Ichi (2008) Movie Review

“Ichi” has an interesting premise, being a reimagining of the enduringly popular Japanese tale of Zatoichi, the blind masseur and master swordsman, who was previously the subject of a long-running film and television series from the 1960s to 80s, and the 2003 blockbuster from Kitano Takeshi. Here,...

July 27th, 2009 | Read More

Meatball Machine (2005) Movie Review

Originally released back in 2005, “Meatball Machine” was one of the films to kick-start the current trend of Japanese ultra violence and sci-fi gore which has resulted in the likes of “Machine Girl” and “Tokyo Gore Police”. The film was co-directed by Yudai Yamaguchi (also responsible for...

July 26th, 2009 | Read More

Goth: Love of Death (2008) Movie Review

“Goth: Love of Death” is director Takahashi Gen’s live-action adaptation of the award-winning novel by Japanese author Otsuichi, which had previously been adapted into a popular manga by artist Kendi Oiwa, and which has apparently been optioned for a Hollywood version. Thankfully, despite its title,...

July 26th, 2009 | Read More

Cutie Honey (2004) Movie Review

A live action version of the enduringly popular Japanese manga and anime series, “Cutie Honey” was directed by Hideaki Anno of “Neon Genesis Evangelion” fame. Originally released back in 2004, the film now arrives on region 2 DVD via MVM Entertainment, finally giving fans a chance to revel in...

May 24th, 2009 | Read More

The Machine Girl (2008) Movie Review

“The Machine Girl” was always destined for cult fandom due to the simple fact that it revolves around a cute Japanese schoolgirl with a machinegun arm, who goes out for revenge against the bullies and yakuza who killed her brother. With an unbeatable premise such as this, the quality of the film...

May 10th, 2009 | Read More

20th Century Boys (2008) Movie Review

“20th Century Boys” has been one of the most eagerly anticipated events in Japanese cinema for some time. The adaptation of the best selling 24 volume manga by Naoki Urasawa is to be made into a trilogy of films, with a massive total budget of 6 billion yen, setting a new record for the industry....

April 14th, 2009 | Read More

Chanbara Beauty (OneChanbara: The Movie, 2008) Movie Review

If you actually went out and spent the time to hunt down and watch “OneChanbara” (aka “Chanbara Beauty”), since it’s unlikely you’ll stumble across it while surfing your local channels, you really have no reason to complain about the film’s shortcomings. The movie sells itself: a bikini-clad...

April 5th, 2009 | Read More

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) Movie Review

Although not entirely a new concept, Asian Westerns have certainly been enjoying a minor surge in popularity of late with acclaimed Korean director Kim Ji Won’s “The Good, the Bad and the Weird” and eccentric Japanese auteur Takashi Miike’s “Sukiyaki Western Django”. The latter has now been...

February 3rd, 2009 | Read More

The (One-Armed) Machine Girl (2008) Movie Review

Ami (Minase Yashiro) is your typical high school student. She hangs out with her friend, plays basketball, and watches over her younger brother, Yu (Ryosuke Kawamura), who, unbeknownst to her is being bullied by the son of a yakuza and his friends. The gang extorts money from Yu and his friend Takeshi,...

June 30th, 2008 | Read More

Kite Liberator (2008) Movie Review

The original “Kite” was a controversial, yet fascinating exercise in style and mood. Thematically similar to Luc Besson’s near-classic “Le Femme Nikita,” which was, at its core, a remake of the classic tale ‘Pygmalion,’ “Kite” explored the dark and seedy subjects of child abuse, emotional...

May 5th, 2008 | Read More

Bright Future (2003) DVD Review

“Bright Future” is a recent effort from acclaimed Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, finally released on region 2 DVD via Tartan. Although Kurosawa is best known for horror films such as “Kairo”, “Séance” and “Cure”, his works have always had an appeal...

November 10th, 2007 | Read More