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
Karate Bear Fighter (1975)	Chiba is on peak form	2012-05-22	Simon
Karate Kiba (1973)	Grimy and stylish	2023-12-16	Simon
Karate Killer (1973)	More stylish grime	2023-12-16	Simon
Karate-Robo Zaborgar (2011)	Another Japanese kids show revival project	2013-02-10	Simon
Kikoku (2003)	Disappointingly generic Yakuza movie from Miike	2005-03-16	Simon
Killing Machine (1976)	Worth a look for Chiba fans, non-essential for everyone else	2012-05-22	Simon
L: Change The World (2008)	poorly conceived and badly written	2008-02-15	Simon
Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974)	Sequel switches onto a different track	2021-08-01	Simon
Like A Dragon (2007)	Miike finds another fresh way to take on the Yakuza genre	2012-12-05	Simon
Lion-Girl (2023)	Total trash, by design	2024-04-20	Simon
Love Exposure (2009)	It's holier than a hard-on. It's about love.	2021-01-16	Simon
Meatball Machine (2005)	Budget constrained but imaginative	2020-05-10	Simon
Meatball Machine: Kodoku (2017)	One of the great works of cinema	2020-05-10	Simon
Moon Child (2003)	Futuristic sci-fi vampire action film... what's not to like?	2004-03-15	Simon
Ninja Scroll (1993)	Peak ninja	2021-04-24	Simon
Nuigulumar Z (2014)	Love is a teddy bear!	2022-02-12	Simon
Okinawa Yakuza War (1976)	A strong but predictable Yakuza film	2024-04-21	Simon
Origin: Spirits of the Past (2006)	Interesting idea but dull development	2021-08-02	Simon
Osaka Tough Guys (1995)	Not recommended	2012-05-22	Simon
Rainy Dog (1997)	One of Miike's strongest and most well balanced films.	2002-12-13	Simon
Raivu (2014)	Something went horribly wrong here	2020-05-10	Simon
Red Blade (2018)	It all starts when the book sucks your blood	2021-02-14	Simon
Red Tears (2011)	Rather tepid action/horror/splatter film	2013-11-16	Simon
Return Of The Streetfighter (1974)	Neither as gory or as good as the original	2006-03-14	Simon
Returner (2002)	Entertaining for a couple of hours	2003-03-23	Simon
Rise of the Machine Girls (2019)	A fun throwback to the Golden Age of Japanese Splatter	2022-05-21	Simon
Road To High & Low (2016)	TV series condensed to incoherent 90 minute film	2020-09-26	Simon
Roaring Fire (1981)	Tons of fun	2024-02-27	Simon
Robogeisha (2009)	A vehicle for an amazing imagination	2010-10-14	Simon
Rurouni Kenshin (2012)	A slick and fresh take on the martial arts genre	2021-06-06	Simon