Reviews from Japan

Superlative - everyone should see this

Great, a must-see if you like the genre

Good, a decent example of the genre

Watchable, but only for serious genre fans

Unwatchable

Half stars could have gone either way depending on mood.

Movie Name / Release Year	Summary	Date	Reviewer
Hana-Bi (1997)	Close to cinematic perfection	2021-08-10	Simon
All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001)	Beautiful and harrowing	2021-08-08	Simon
Undo (1994)	Love unravelling	2021-08-05	Simon
Shinjuku Triad Society (1995)	A distinctive early Miike outing	2021-08-03	Simon
Origin: Spirits of the Past (2006)	Interesting idea but dull development	2021-08-02	Simon
Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)	Sequel switches onto a different track	2021-08-01	Simon
Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning (2021)	A strange film to end the series on	2021-07-30	Simon
Hydra (2019)	Very low budget but a great calling card for the crew	2021-07-24	Simon
Yakuza Apocalypse (2015)	Something of a return to form for Miike	2021-07-24	Simon
Yakuza Weapon (2011)	Some highlights and some lowlights	2021-07-24	Simon
Ghost in the Shell (1995)	Who are you?	2021-07-17	Simon
Gemini (1999)	A surreal and sumptuous period horror from Shinya Tsukamoto	2021-07-07	Simon
Vital (2004)	An unclassifiable enigma	2021-07-06	Simon
Female Convict Scorpion: Grudge Song (1973)	...read review...	2021-07-06	Simon
Tezuka's Barbara (2019)	Rather lifeless interpretation of a manga	2021-07-02	Simon
Female Convict Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973)	Good rather than great	2021-06-29	Simon
Female Convict Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (1972)	Super stylish and metaphorically rich	2021-06-22	Simon
Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (2021)	The legend returns	2021-06-19	Simon
Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion (1972)	A genuine classic	2021-06-19	Simon
Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (2014)	Good if not quite great conclusion	2021-06-17	Simon
The World of Kanako (2014)	An astonishing glimpse into a disturbing world	2021-06-12	Simon
Rurouni Kenshin (2012)	A slick and fresh take on the martial arts genre	2021-06-06	Simon
Wonderful Paradise (2020)	My kind of party	2021-06-05	Simon
My Blood And Bones in a Flowing Galaxy (2021)	Sabu in dark mode	2021-06-04	Simon
Big Bang Love: Juvenile A (2006)	Enigmatic and thought provoking, but is it art?	2021-06-01	Simon
Laplace's Witch (2018)	Competent but generic murder mystery	2021-05-20	Simon
Shin Godzilla (2016)	Mostly awful but Godzilla is pretty awesome	2021-05-17	Simon
Red Post On Escher Street (2020)	My face isn't a crowd	2021-05-15	Simon
Hanagatami (2017)	If war is worth dying for, so is a festival	2021-05-14	Simon
Ninja Scroll (1993)	Peak ninja	2021-04-24	Simon