Author Archives: kevingilvear

Koara kachô, 2005 Friendly koala to all, Tamura Keichi, is just an average salaryman trying to hold down a job within the stressful pickle industry. At ‘Rabource Pickling Co. Ltd’ he has come up with the proposal of a corporate … Continue reading →

Okuribito, 2008 When Takita Yojiro voiced his disbelief upon winning ‘Best Foreign Film’ at the 2009 Academy Awards, it was easy to understand where he was coming from. Certainly the underdog amongst a chosen few, Departures traverses some serious territory … Continue reading →

Pochi no Kokuhaku, 2005 Meet family man Takeda (Shun Sugata): a lowly beat-cop with a physique likened to that of a bear, but who just so happens to have a heart of gold. After inadvertently impressing his superintendent, Takeda is … Continue reading →

Anaakii in jyapansuke, 1999 Takahisa Zeze is another name from a notable list to have emerged from the pink scene and onto becoming a much-respected director of commercial features, with hits such as Rush, Moon Child, and the more recent … Continue reading →

Sērā-fuku to kikanjū, 1981 Based upon the novel of the same name by prolific author Jiro Akagawa, Sailor Suit and Machine Gun tells the story of Hoshi Izumi – Koizumi to her friends – (Hiroko Yakushimaru) – a young schoolgirl … Continue reading →

Jigyaku no Uta, 2007 Based upon the popular serialised manga Jigyaku no Uta from Yoshiie Gouda, Happily Ever After condenses the tale of the strip’s most famously dysfunctional figures, Isao Hayama and Yukie Morita. Successful mainstream director Yukihiko Tsutsumi tackles … Continue reading →

Bakuretsu Toshi, 1982 Sogo Ishii was twenty-five years of age when he unleashed the seminal Burst City upon an unsuspecting audience in 1982. Prior to this he had made several short films, with Burst City’s precursor Crazy Thunder Road – … Continue reading →

a.k.a. Synchronicity, 2004 Asuka (Reika Hashimoto) has recently arrived in Tokyo to pursue her modelling career, and while she’s become familiar with some of the local models, she finds herself sharing so very little in common with them. Feeling somewhat … Continue reading →

Shiroi Kyotō, 1966 Warning: The Following review is filled with unintentional puns. Novelist Yamazaki Toyoko’s 1966 Shiroi Kyotō is one of the most reworked stories in Japanese cinema and television history, having enjoyed no less than four subsequent productions in its home … Continue reading →

Chō Inran: Yareba Yaruhodo Iikimoch, 2008 Lying on his deathbed, Takashima’s (Koji Makamura) life is about to flash before his eyes. Confronting a mysterious young woman (Yuria Hidaka) at a lonely beach, who responds only with “Eiga” when asked of … Continue reading →