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
Tokyo Raiders (2000)	The future of action films?	2001-06-02	Simon
Unlucky Monkey (1998)	Crime and punishment	2021-03-15	Simon
Sharkskin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1998)	Clever, funny and well-made	2002-03-17	Simon
Rainy Dog (1997)	One of Miike's strongest and most well balanced films.	2002-12-13	Simon
Full Metal Yakuza (1997)	Super-cheap but gleefully twisted and inventive	2002-12-03	Simon
Down To Hell (1997)	Interesting curio	2003-06-14	Simon
Black Angel (1997)	Vague recommendation	2012-05-22	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
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
Osaka Tough Guys (1995)	Not recommended	2012-05-22	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
Ninja Scroll (1993)	Peak ninja	2021-04-24	Simon
Bodyguard Kiba (1993)	Worth a watch	2004-08-12	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
Roaring Fire (1981)	Tons of fun	2024-02-27	Simon
Samurai Reincarnation (1981)	Sounds more fun than it actually is	2021-09-25	Simon
Golgo 13 - Assignment Kowloon (1977)	Poorly written, acted and directed	2007-06-06	Simon
Okinawa Yakuza War (1976)	A strong but predictable Yakuza film	2024-04-21	Simon
Killing Machine (1976)	Worth a look for Chiba fans, non-essential for everyone else	2012-05-22	Simon
Graveyard of Honour (Fukasaku) (1975)	A reminder that Yakuza are generally not nice people	2021-10-03	Simon