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
The Trap (1996)	A lesser final entry but still great	2024-01-01	Simon
Dangan Runner (1996)	Absurdity becomes transcendence	2021-03-11	Simon
The Way To Fight (1996)	Enjoyable low-key drama	2005-06-12	Simon
Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)	One of the greatest movies ever made?	2002-03-17	Simon
Gonin 2 (1996)	worth watching, if not unforgettable	2002-07-08	Simon
Fudoh (1996)	Hilariously transgressive	2002-03-17	Simon
The Stairway to the Distant Past (1995)	Dazzling	2024-01-01	Simon
Shinjuku Triad Society (1995)	A distinctive early Miike outing	2021-08-03	Simon
Ghost in the Shell (1995)	Who are you?	2021-07-17	Simon
Tokyo Fist (1995)	Peak Shinya Tsukamoto	2020-05-23	Simon
Another Lonely Hitman (1995)	Down-beat Yakuza tale	2005-10-12	Simon
Osaka Tough Guys (1995)	Not recommended	2012-05-22	Simon
Love Letter (1995)	Beautifully crafted, haunting movie. Iwai is a master of his art!	2002-04-17	Simon
Gonin (1995)	Really really violent	2001-06-19	Simon
The Most Terrible Time in My Life (1994)	Smart, stylish and funny	2024-01-01	Simon
Undo (1994)	Love unravelling	2021-08-05	Simon
Kamikaze Taxi (1994)	A very quirky, contemplative film that is never predictable	2004-12-10	Simon
Getting Any? (1994)	Enjoyable piece of total lunacy from a master	2003-04-19	Simon
Ninja Scroll (1993)	Peak ninja	2021-04-24	Simon
Sonatine (1993)	Beautifully meditative take on the yakuza film	2013-12-15	Simon
Bodyguard Kiba (1993)	Worth a watch	2004-08-12	Simon
A Scene At The Sea (1991)	A quieter, more contemplative Kitano film	2021-01-17	Simon
Boiling Point (1990)	Stylish and whimsical	2020-07-24	Simon
Roningai (1990)	Gently paced but ultimately satisfying samurai film	2005-08-18	Simon
Heaven And Earth (1990)	Waste of time (theirs and mine)	2004-07-01	Simon
Black Rain (1989)	Not as traumatic as I'd been expecting	2023-09-29	Simon
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989)	Perhaps the strangest thing you will ever see	2013-06-10	Simon
Violent Cop (1989)	A landmark in Japanese cinema	2020-07-11	Simon
Akira (1988)	A landmark in animation and sci-fi	2020-09-17	Simon
Sukeban Deka (1987)	Cheesy, violent fun	2005-07-15	Simon