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
A Bride For Rip Van Winkle (2016)	Maybe marriage isn't for some people	2021-04-02	Simon
A Scene At The Sea (1991)	A quieter, more contemplative Kitano film	2021-01-17	Simon
Another Lonely Hitman (1995)	Down-beat Yakuza tale	2005-10-12	Simon
Balloon Club, Afterwards (2006)	The limitless potential of youth	2021-02-08	Simon
Black Rain (1989)	Not as traumatic as I'd been expecting	2023-09-29	Simon
Blessing Bell (2003)	Not my favourite Sabu film	2023-03-31	Simon
Bloody Chainsaw Girl (2016)	Another high school splatter comedy	2021-08-29	Simon
Calamari Wrestler (2004)	Not quite brilliant, but interesting enough to receive a recommendation	2006-07-13	Simon
Crab Goalkeeper (2006)	There must be something only a crab can do?	2020-08-22	Simon
Cutie Honey (2004)	Super-cutie and super-silly	2004-11-08	Simon
Dai Kaiju Mono (2016)	Don't you want to be a big strong man?	2021-04-03	Simon
Dead Run (2005)	Bleak but powerful film that is worth a watch	2006-12-18	Simon
Dead Sushi (2012)	Any sushi that sings that good can't be all bad!	2013-01-26	Simon
Death Trance (2006)	Similar to Versus but not as good	2012-05-22	Simon
Female Convict Scorpion: Beast Stable (1973)	Good rather than great	2021-06-29	Simon
Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence (2004)	Pretentious as hell, but undeniably beautiful	2004-11-08	Simon
Girl's Blood (2014)	Largely inexplicable fusion of elements but somehow it works	2019-11-16	Simon
God's Puzzle (2008)	Miike takes on the universe	2015-01-25	Simon
Graveyard of Honour (Fukasaku) (1975)	A reminder that Yakuza are generally not nice people	2021-10-03	Simon
Graveyard Of Honour (Miike) (2002)	I'd hoped for something more	2003-03-15	Simon
Hard Revenge Milly (2008)	More Japanese ultra-violence	2010-10-14	Simon
Hausu (1977)	Off the wall	2020-07-19	Simon
High Kick Girl (2009)	Good Karate showcase disguised as a film	2013-03-31	Simon
Himizu (2011)	It's tough to be a teenager.	2012-10-24	Simon
Hydra (2019)	Very low budget but a great calling card for the crew	2021-07-24	Simon
Karate Killer (1973)	More stylish grime	2023-12-16	Simon
Ley Lines (1999)	One of Miike's least plot-driven film	2021-08-12	Simon
Linda Linda Linda (2005)	No great surprises	2005-12-16	Simon
My Blood And Bones in a Flowing Galaxy (2021)	Sabu in dark mode	2021-06-04	Simon
Okinawa Yakuza War (1976)	A strong but predictable Yakuza film	2024-04-21	Simon