Japanese films that make their way across the Pacific can generally be grouped into three main categories. There are, of course, the science fiction and horror films including everything from Godzilla to the Ring. There are the samurai epics of Akira Kurosawa. Lastly there are the animated movies which have a rabid fanbase like few other genres.

Yet Japan has many more films than those typically shown over here. One of Japan's most famous directors, Yasujiro Ozu, is relatively unknown here in America outside of the true film buffs and Japanophiles. His films are subtle, understated and gentle yet they convey a slice of life that sadly most Americans would consider dull. Exhibit A is a little film called Late Autumn and is two hours of the everyday problems of an arranged marriage in 1960.

The film opens at the memorial service for a man who passed several years ago. His three closest friends meet up and decide that the daughter of the deceased is just the right age to think about marriage. They then set to arrange a marriage for her and then later for her young widowed mother. Despite their best intentions both women seem to be content as to where they are in life.

If there was one word to describe Late Autumn it would be subtle. Nothing seems overdone. There is almost no comedy or tragedy and we just seem to be getting a quick snapshot into the lives of some average people. Even the color pallate of the film is subtle with its muted colors and earth tones.

This brings me to my next point about the film, the fashion. Now I am far from fashionable and I would make the snobs on What Not to Wear weap and yet I found myself really appreciating the outfits of the young people in the film. While I could certainly get away with wearing any of the suits worn by the male characters, I have a feeling many of my female friends might turn their noses at the rather conservative but fitting dresses of the young ladies in the film. Still, one never knows and that look may come back.

The DVD release by Panorama was a bit subpar. Many lines were not subtitled and many that were had misspellings, grammatical errors and just clumsy translations. I guess being that it was a Region 3 DVD release from Hong Kong, I cannot complain too much. I bought this film years ago and now there is apparently a Criterion Collection release which, I have no doubt, rectifies all these errors.

All in all, Late Autumn is certainly worth watching. It's not a groundbreaking or lifechanging film but it certainly is a worthwhile way to spend two hours if you have any interest in Japanese films or culture.

Labels: 31 days of film, Classics, Japanese

War of the Gargantuas (or Frankenstein no kaiju: Sanda tai Gaira) is a sequel of sorts to Frankenstein Conquers the World.

In this film a Frankenstein monster, now covered in a green algae like fur emerges from the ocean and attacks some ships and eating people. Frankenstein is blamed although scientists are baffled since Frankenstein neither lives in the ocean, nor does he eat people.

The military sets up attacks and does surprisingly well considering their record in past kaiju movies. All mysteries are solved when a second Frankenstein's monster, known as Sanda, shows up seemingly to help the sea-Frankenstein (Gaira.)

War of the Gargantuas was one of the last of the great Japanese kaiju films on my list to be watched. In a way, I'm almost a little sad knowing that the list is so small that when gems like this are finally released here my list gets shorter and shorter.

Either way, for a kaiju film it's a good one with plenty of monster scenes, tons of action and the human drama is kept to a minimum. It's defintely worth picking up.

Also, I've reviewed Rodan twice before so I'm not going to review it again. Just get this disc and enjoy!

Labels: 31 days of film, Japanese, Kaiju, Tokusatsu

Tonight in the middle of a marathon of shows I managed to finish up the first volume of the 1972 tokusatsu series, Kikaida (aka Kikaider.)

Kikaida is about a humanoid robot named Jiro who was created by Dr. Komyoji to fight against the evil Destructoids (evil robots) of the DARK organization that the doctor was forced to build. He goes around fighting a new monster each week while he and Dr. Komyoji's children seaarch for their lost father.

The show is really just another of the many Japanese live action shows for children made in the 1970s with one major exception, every character here is human sized. As is the case with these types of shows, everything is rather silly since the target audience was the under 10 year old male demographic so don't take it too seriously.

DARK is a strange organization lead by the sinister and somewhat eccentric Professor Gill. For whatever reason their main robots have names and characteristics consisting of a color and an animal. Their foot solders on the other hand look like luchadors from Mexican wrestling and they go around chanting "DARK" in a rather annoying fashion similar to the Miniblin from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

Kikaida is a lot of fun but if I have to say anything bad about the release it's that it's rather expensive. I know that such niche shows are seldom cheap, though I have been spoiled by the releases of Iron King and Super Robot Red Baron as well as all the super cheap subtitled Godzilla and kaiju releases. I could definitely see myself picking up the rest of this show tomorrow if it averaged out to $1 or so an episode but for now I'll just keep watching the used bins, Amazon and eBay for the rest.

Labels: Japanese, Tokusatsu, TV Shows

Last night in honor of Halloween (a holiday that I normally have no love for) I did manage to get in one monster film. As is expected for me, it was a Godzilla film.

Terror of Mechagodzilla or Mekagojira no Gyakush? ( ????????) is the last of the Showa or original series of Godzilla films. It's also one of the best.

The film is a direct sequel to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and generally picks up where the last movie left off. INTERPOL is searching for the remains of Mechagodzilla, apparently to study its technology. Strangely they can't find any space titanium but they do find a giant aquatic dinosaur which destroys their sub. It turns out this is Titanosaurus, a new monster, under the control of the mad scientist Dr. Mifune who has teamed up with the aliens of the Third Planet of the Black Hole. Teaming with Titanosaurus is a new upgraded version of Mechagodzilla.

The film, despite scoring the lowest ticket sales of any Godzilla film is a return to the greatness of much earlier Toho monster films without being flat out weird like Hedorah. While there are some rather silly elements to it (e. g. Godzilla saving some children from Titanosaurus) and the horrors of the dead and dying on the mass scale are kept relatively minimal, there is a dark and somewhat depressing look at the Mifunes, especially Dr. Mifune's daughter Katsura. Akira Ifukube's score is wonderful and it certainly fits the dark nature of the film.

I definitely say to watch this one but to skip the English dubbed version. There's an annoying intro tacked on with a completely innacurate narration. The Japanese version also has some scenes not included in the dubbed version.

Labels: Classics, Godzilla, Japanese, sci-fi

Moving away from the theme of finding a "twinkle" Volume 5 of Sugar talks more about the relationship between Saga and Sugar as well as Saga with her friends. Saga goes through quite a bit in this volume including losing her mother's piano to her friend and rival, Greta. These episodes were quite nice and actually I'm seriously considering marathoning the series after I finish it, or at least parts of it.

Sugar is a show that is readily growing to become one of my favorite shows made in the last decade. It is steadily growing to show the different layers it contains. Between the fairy tale fantasy, silly comedy and wonderful music it reminds me in many ways what it was like to be a child and also reminds me of a time when I tended to enjoy just about every anime I watched. While many claim I'm a huge pessimist about shows made after the move to more computer animation techniques (and they'd be right) Sugar is a show that makes even someone like me step back and realize that not everything out there is trash, just 90% of it.

Labels: Anime, Cute, Japanese

Diving into the backlog is another volume of the incredibly strange movie about some mixed up aliens.

Urusei Yatsura is a show that I'm really unsure of how to take. The show seems to go to great lengths to establish Lum as a likable character and while I do feel for her fruitless attempt to keep Ataru faithful, there are times I wonder why she doesn't just give up.

I have one more disc of this and perhaps if my backlog was zero I'd get some more but for now, the show is continuing to be quite blah.

Labels: Anime, Comedy, Japanese

Whenever I want to see a great comedic action anime, I always reach for Lupin the 3rd first. This disc brings the show to 32 episodes out of 155 total so there's still a ways to go. Therefore the show is still pretty fresh and exciting with one episode on this disc (Lupin Dies Twice) that actually had me guessing as to how the world's greatest thief could steal himself away from an assassin's bullet.

I really enjoy Lupin and while many will argue that the movies are a bit more solid and enjoyable, the show is undoubtably a classic and is something every anime fan should watch. That is, if they can put down their CGI flashy shows and appreciate this admittedly dated classic.

Labels: Anime, Japanese, Lupin

Anyone who has known me for a while should know my fondness for the original Japanese Godzilla films. When Godzilla 2000 hit theaters I was first in line to see it. I anxiously bought each and every film I could find. Then I somehow found myself bored. I suppose looking back it's not difficult to realize that there are only so many times you can watch the same 25 or so films. While new films were coming out, after Godzilla X Mechagodzilla, I decided to call it quits.

After watching the otaku orgasm known as Final Wars I was in no hurry to check out SOS. It's too bad as it seems to be the only semi-decent Godzilla film of the Millennium era outside of Godzilla 2000.

Tokyo SOS is a sequel to the incredibly boring Godzilla X Mechagodzilla. In this new timeline Godzilla has appeared in 1954 and was killed and later Japan decides to dig its bones up and use it as the framework for a new version of Mechagodzilla. After losing the first fight, the Japanese try again and this time Mothra's in for the ride. What we end up having is nothing more than a setup to a 45 minute long battle between the three monsters which, while exciting at times does drag on and I kind of wish they had made the characters somewhat more likable.

The real treat of the film is the first appearance of Hiroshi Koizumi since 1984. Here he reprises the roll of Dr. Chujo from the original Mothra film. It's a nice surprise and he plays the part nicely.

The biggest problems that this and the other Millenium films is that it seems to have become old hat. Godzilla, Mothra and Mechagodzilla have all been pretty much used too much. The Mothra trilogy of the 90s breathed some new life into the kaiju genre and it would be nice to see something like that. Unfortunately my guess is if they do start making Godzilla films again, they will be as stale and tired as this one.

I wonder if it's possible to go back in time and ask Toho to write a whole mess of Godzilla scripts using the sort or imagination they had then. If only ...

Labels: Godzilla, Japanese, sci-fi

Four more episodes of this adorable little anime are sure to make your teeth rot. It delivers some good stories centering around the fairies while allowing us to look more into Saga's life and how she deals with it all. Usual cuteness warnings apply.

As I get further along with Sugar, the more it is certainly growing on me. When I first started the show I found it almost too cute to get through although now I find myself enjoying it more and more. I guess my main advice to those thinking about the show is that you might have to invest some time and watch a bunch of episodes before giving up on it.

Labels: Anime, Cute, Japanese

In the thrilling climax and conclusion to Chobits the true origins of Chi are revealed as well as all the secrets that everyone has been hiding suddenly come out to the forefront. It's quite the clash at the end and the ending actually had me guessing for a while.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

No, not a sequel or a straight remake for that matter. The inappropriately named Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2 is actually a reimagining of Godzilla's foe and his duel with him.

Here Mechagodzilla is not created by aliens but is actually a machine created by a division of the UN to counter Godzilla. So instead of wasting all that money on scandals and child prostitutes like the United Nations usually does, they also created a counter-Godzilla operations department as well as selected several aces to pilot their anti-Godzilla weapons.

Okay, so this film is a real piece of work. On the good side you have some pretty cool monster fights between Godzilla and his mechanical doppelganger. Rodan actually makes an appearance as well and he holds up quite well although giving him a breath weapon in my view wasn't quite the best thing. Mechagodzilla looks quite nice here and his modernized look here I prefer over the version made in 2003, although the retro version is the best.

What's not to like is the fact that the film does drag for long periods. I ate this stuff up as a teenager and yet today it just doesn't seem as fun as the originals. Toho also tried to make this film more "internationally friendly" it seems with more CGI and a more international cast. What I mean by that is that they seem to have hired any white tourist off the street who looked the part. Their lack of acting ability was somewhat masked in the English dub but since that is not available here, their wooden deliveries are here for all to see.

That said, if you are a completionist, the disc only cost $5 from Hong Kong and it does have English subtitles. The video quality isnt reference material but it's not bad either. So go ahead, you don't have much to lose.

Labels: Godzilla, Japanese, sci-fi

Tonight I tackle the next disc of Lupin the 3rd. As episode three Hitler no Isan (Hitler's Legacy) was skipped on the first disc due to fears it may taint the run on Adult Swim they put it off until this volume to show it. Due to this we get a full six episodes here instead of the usual five.

The episodes on here were quite good, actually and I can see myself going back to rewatch them at some point in the future. I especially enjoyed the episodes which focused more on Goemon and Jigen as I feel that at times they tend to be neglected.

I also loved the copious amount of classical music featured here with selections from Carmen as well as the Voice of Spring making appearances in the soundtrack.

Labels: Anime, Japanese, Lupin

Bottle Fairy is the adorable and educational story for four little fairies who wish to become human. Before they can do that, however, they must first learn the ways of the average Japanese person which leads to some rather silly situations.

This is a show that I can easily recommend to the casual viewer as well as the otaku. Due to its length at just 13 episodes with each episode running about 12 minutes there is not a great time investment needed to understand the show. One other aspect that is inviting is the fact that it is so easy to just pick up an episode here and there without having to remember what happened in the last episode.

I definitely recommend it but, as always, watch for sales.

Labels: Anime, Cute, Japanese

Since today was a rather dreary and somewhat lethargic day it almost seemed appropriate to liven things up with a little Sugar.

Here on this disc we get a nice story arc centered around a group of traveling actors who put on a show about a bear who plays the piano. The whole town seems caught up in it including Saga and the season fairies. During the course of events Saga meets up with Vincent, the man in the bear costume and the relationship between the two as he teaches her about the piano is done in a rather nice manner and the whole show gives you a warm fuzzy feeling after watching it.

That said, Sugar is still best taken in small doses, but a few episodes now and then is good for just about anyone.

Labels: Anime, Cute, Japanese

After giving the first disc a less than favorable review two years ago I honestly thought I was done with the series. I eventually changed my mind, however, when RightStuff offered the rest of the show at $4 a disc.

Burn-Up, for those unfamiliar is a franchise of anime that started back in 1991. The original show was fairly standard in terms of comedy, fanservice and action, although later elements like Excess seemed to rely more on the fanservice. With Scramble they decided to take the tried and true characters of the originals and totally reinvent them with a completely different art style. What they ended up with is a sort of Tenchi in Tokyo scenario where fans of the original series may be completely turned off and new fans may not understand the big deal.

The Burn-Up franchise is admittedly something that is not a favorite of mine. While I do own a Burn-Up W laserdisc, I have yet to watch the DVD sitting in my backlog for several years now. I think the problem with a show like Burn-Up was that back when I was in high school I could enjoy just about any anime as long as it had a large supply of busty women. Strangely I suppose I have grown up and the fanservice shows don't seem to interest me as much and Scramble doesn't have enough comedy to keep me that interested.

At $4 a disc, I don't feel too ripped off but I doubt I will rewatch this anytime soon.

Labels: Action, Anime, Comedy, Ecchi, Japanese

Plastic Little is an odd little anime that I first picked up a few years ago. Over the years I have tried a few times to actually watch it and yet I was never able to actually finish it. After finally watching the entire movie, I can understand why.

What you have here a basic sci-fi and action anime with hefty doses of fanservice. Despite what should be a winning combination I found myself bored throughout most of the movie due to the rather bland plot. Therefore I can't recommend it although someone out there may find it interesting.

Labels: Action, Anime, Comedy, Ecchi, Japanese

Classic Media strikes again with another release from their line of classic Godzilla films but does it measure up to the high standards of the last two?

Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monsters is a milestone for Godzilla movies. This is the first film in which Godzilla is fighting on the side of the Earth. It is also the first Godzilla film to feature Rodan and the last film to feature the Peanuts.

While the film is quite interesting and a lot of fun at times it does drag quite a bit during the middle. I suppose I am a bit harsh on the film as it is, in my opinion, the weakest of the first half dozen Godzilla films.

The DVD itself is great. Classic Media has included both the original Japanese version as well as the classic English dubbed version. While I watched the subtitled version primarily, I did check the dub and it was just as I remember it from my old Vestron Video copy I bought years ago.

Godzilla fans have never had it any better, in my view. Right now the only film of the Showa series without a DVD release is Megalon (although there were versions put out by companies who thought the film was still in the public domain.) Of course King Kong vs. Godzilla and Destroy all Monsters are both dub only but at least they were released. As far as the Heisei series goes, Universe Laser and Video in Hong Kong has picked up the slack on that for the mediocre American releases. Yes, it is a good day for Godzilla fans.

Now where is my bilingual Mothra Trilogy set that I've dreamed of?

Labels: Godzilla, Japanese, Kaiju

While not technically a backlog or real DVD in the sense of what I usually review, I did watch the next five episodes of Dragon Ball Z on the DVD-R I made from my old fansub tapes. I have debated on buying the R2s which, amongst other things, have have great cover art and definitely have better video quality than the crappy old tape prints I have.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 9 - Vegeta Saga II - Ultimate Sacrifice

The battle against the Saiya-jin continues on with Tenshinhan meeting his fate along with Piccolo as the warriors still wait for Goku to return and help them fight the alien invaders off. These episodes are particularly poignant for fans of the original Dragon Ball as it is in some ways the last elements of the older show are literally being killed off in favor of the bigger and stronger bad guys that would follow.

With this the last release of Dragon Ball Z Ultimate Uncut edition I'm afraid my watching habits will now have to change to the fansubbed tapes I copied to DVD-R. While their quality is garbage, at least the aspect ratio is correct. Sad that FUNimation is the top selling anime company in America after doing garbage transfers and then screwing up Dragon Ball Z even worse than before. At least I bought the ultimate uncut used ...

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 8 - Vegeta Saga II - Saiyan Invasion

The showdown with the Saiya-jins has begun. Gohan, Piccolo, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Chaozu and Yamucha stand ready to face the evil warriors and the first major battle in Dragon Ball Z is about to begin. This is the last major fight where some of the major secondary characters from Dragon Ball such as Yamucha and Yajirobe are relevant and it's sad that this is their last hurrah.

For those unfamiliar with this series, or at least with the way the show works, it can basically be assumed that when there is a battle it will not end for many episodes. Just one segment of a fight or even one attack can take up an entire episode. Seeing this for the first time can either turn you off of the show or, in my case, fascinate you and keep you hooked.

Dragon Ball Z has its fans and detractors. If you like it, you probably already own this DVD. If not, you can get it used for dirt cheap on Amazon.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 7 - Vegeta Saga I - Back From the Dead
After several discs of filler the show gets down to business. Goku finally meets Kaio-sama for training and the Saiya-jin appear on the Earth with Goku still in the other world a day late. This disc seems to have more plot than the last three combined and while it would have been nice to perhaps extend Goku's training, it's time to let the battle against the Saiya-jin commence.

These are really the last silly episodes of the show with the rest of the series being more about the fighting and the next big enemy. So cherish them while they last as there's a whole lot of yelling and fighting to come.

One side note: I'm really quite amazed that I made it through 7 discs (21 episodes) of a show so fast. I almost never do that.

Labels: Action, Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Melty Lancer - Vol. 1: Alpha

I'm really not even sure where to start with a title like Melty Lancer. It's almost a stereotype in itself. We have a show where several hot girls are formed into a counter-terrorism group. No, this isn't Burn-Up! as that would be giving it way too much credit. Instead it's a steaming pile of waste based on a Playstation Game.

I find myself losing patience with the younger breed of anime fans. I had a coworker about 2 years ago who loved the latest and greatest shows and I remember him declaring once that GONZO made the best anime. Well, here we have a GONZO show that left me not only bored but had me wondering if this was the kind of show that appeals to the new otakus on the block. Hopefully I'm wrong and this is just a turkey.

Skip this.

Labels: Action, Anime, Crap, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 6 - Vegeta Saga I - Doomed Heroes

The filler episodes wind down a bit as Gohan begins training with Piccolo and Goku finally makes it to the end of the Serpentine path to the home planet of the great Kaio-sama for training. Meanwhile Yamucha, Kuririn, Tenshinhan and Chaozu all train at Kami's place fighting Saiya-jin from the far past to see just how weak they really are.

This disc is certainly one of the more interesting ones as we build up for the coming of the Saiya-jin. I'm really enjoying this series again and I believe that the show has great rewatchabiliy as I find myself feeling as though this is the first time I've seen the show, despite the fact that I have seen these episodes countless times uncut on old fansubs.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Lupin the 3rd - Vol. 04: Thieves' Paradise

It's no secret that Lupin is one of my favorite anime characters of all time. Strangely while I was putting out the money for things like Fujiko figures and such I never put out the dough for the DVDs. Luckily it was RightStuf to the rescue which allowed me to buy most every disc I had been missing.

The episodes here were fairly good. I really liked the Goemon centered episode which allowed us to look a bit into his past as well as find out more of what's going on inside his head. The rest were all classic Lupin with plenty of fanservice, hijinks and adventure. Of note I had to smile at one scene where Lupin and Fujiko were playing Pong against one another. Ahh, the 70s!

One of the aspects of Lupin that may appeal to some American fans is the sheer episodic nature of the show. There aren't long story arcs but instead just simple 23 minute adventures. Because of this Lupin the 3rd is a show that isn't exactly for every anime fan and its age does show. Still, Lupin is a classic and deserves to be seen.

Now I just wonder if we'll get the original 1971 show.

Definitely a reccomended viewing for those not afraid of a show with some age.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Dragon Ball Z: Vol. 5 - Vegeta Saga I - Goku Held Hostage

Another disc of Dragon Ball Z and we have three more episodes to prepare for the coming of the Saiya-jins. Watching these brought back some memories and at the same time surprised me a bit too with things I had forgotten.

While these are more filler, the show is still entertaining in the comedic way that would be abandoned later on. Basically all that happens of interest on this disc is that Goku has some perils along the Serpentine Path and Gohan decides to try going home.

This disc also has the episode that featured the infamous "Home For Infinite Losers" censorship which made me smile and simultaneously cry remembering how cut up this show used to be shown.

Labels: Anime, Dragon Ball Z, Japanese

Hyper Police - Vol. 6

Natsuki and Co. continue with the adventures of the dome from the last disc and expand upon it with time travel as well as coming to terms with the mingling of the beast world and the human world. Natsuki is given the chance to live in the human world where beasts never coexisted with humans which leads to perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the show with Natsuki shown as an ordinary teenage schoolgirl.

If I was to have any complaints about the disc it would be the ending. Personally I would've either have liked to see something more conclusive or more episodes of the show.

I saw Hyper Police not long after I started getting into anime seriously. While I had been buying anime dubbed back in 1997 or so, it wasn't really until 1999 that I was seriously buying fansubbed VHS tapes. One of the first shows for me to get my filthy mitts on was Hyper Police which I watched to death back in the day. For that reason it, along with my other early fansub finds Saint Tail and Wedding Peach hold a special place for me in my collection.

Hyper Police is an easy show to recommend as it is a nice blend of comedy, action, catgirls and fanservice yet not being too overly ambitious in one area over another and still maintaining a decent plot. The discs are fairly cheap so pick them up if you can!

Labels: Action, Anime, Comedy, Japanese

Chobits - Vol. 5: Disappearance

Chi, as the volume title suggests, has gone missing and in plain sight. It turns out she was abducted by a persocom enthusiast who want to know the secrets of Chi and Chobits but it seems he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

With this being the next to last volume of Chobits, the show is really commencing to build up the suspense as well as reveal that this is no ordinary fanservice anime. As Hideki searches for Chi he is reminded over and over that Chi is a machine and not a human as Ueda (the shop owner where Chi works) tells his tragic story of falling in love with his persocom and how it was no Coppelia-like comedy. This brings up some very deep thoughts from the usually clueless Hideki and seems to only make his desire to find Chi stronger.

I definitely recommend this volume and personally I can't wait for the conclusion to see how this all ties together.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Vol. #1:

This show begins with a strange story shown in the form of a grainy student film apparantly made by our main characters. It is certainly interesting, especially after seeing many such "fan films" myself over the years and the fanservice wasn't so bad, either.

Haruhi Suzumiya should be a normal high school girl. She excels in sports, gets good grades and is quite easy on the eyes. However it seems she is determined to find aliens, time travelers, espers and other such supernatural things. She drags a poor first year student, Kyon, who sits in front of her in class into her little club. What comes next is a series of misadventures with poor Kyon caught up in a world of insanity that unfolds around him.

It's not very often that I buy new releases of anime but for some reason Haruhi seemed to catch my eye. Perhaps it was the box or maybe the massive Haruhi dance at Anime Boston.

Labels: Anime, Comedy, Japanese, sci-fi

Frankenstein Conquers the World:

The heart of the legendary beast Frankenstein is found in war ravaged Germany and smuggled to Japan for various experiments. However just as Japanese scientists start their experiments the atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima and the heart is exposed to massive amounts of radiation causing Frankenstein to regenerate and this time he grows and grows! Of course, he then has to fact the Godzilla-like monster Baragon who just happens to show up at the same time.

This is one of Toho's weirder movies but it's also one of the most fun. The Frankenstein monster isn't really the same as what we are used to and a giant monster version seems a bit ludicrous at best. Baragon isn't too inspired as a monster, but he looks cool enough on his own. On the flip side the special effects are typical for Toho and Eiji Tsuburaya in that period and finally seeing the infamous devilfish scene was quite a treat.

The biggest strength here is the cast. We have many Toho regulars including Tadao Takahima and Kumi Mizuno with many of the regular Toho actors in minor roles. Of course the notable addition to the cast is Nick Adams, whom I refer to as the most underutilized actor in history. Watching him and Kumi Mizuno together here (and in Monster Zero) it's no wonder the Japanese tabloids had a field day speculating on the two of them.

I really am glad that I can see the day that many of Toho's kaiju and tokusatsu (special effects) films can be found so freely in America. I remember back when people were buying bootlegged VHS tapes or, like me, buying raw Japanese copies on laserdisc or settling for English dubbed versions. Back then we would have killed for releases such as this. Big props to Media Blasters for giving us what we've wanted for so long.

Highly Recommended!

Labels: Japanese, Kaiju, sci-fi

Chance Pop Session: Session Two:

The trio of friends continue in their quests to become singers and they are met with failure, success, setbacks and even a wardrobe malfunction. We also learn some interesting revelations about Akari and Yuki and about their early lives and how they are connected.

Chance Pop Session seems to continue along at a rather steady pace and while the show is completely predictable, it still is a decent time waster.

What I find quite fascinating about this show is the fact that Akari is a Christian. I think this is the only anime I've seen where a character is a practicing and apparently Protestant Christian. While the show doesn't seem to really go into that much, it is an interesting aspect since sadly so few in Japan are Christians.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Ai Yori Aoshi Vol. 4: Truly Yours: Today I sat down and watched five more episodes of Ai Yori Aoshi. This above average harem show does take some getting into but at the same time it seems to have a charm that others seem to lack.

In this disc we are introduced to the last member of the harem, Chika. She is Taeko's cousin and seems to think that Kaoru is just perfect for Taeko. Thus she seems to try and push them together a lot leading to some rather amusing scenes and situations.

The disc was quite enjoyable and I know I'll have to take some screenshots of Tina as a tiger gal and Taeko as a cow girl (but not in the Dale Evans model unfortunately) and just the general cuteness of the show.

If you liked the others, no reason to stop here.

Labels: Anime, Comedy, Japanese

Wedding Peach Vol. 10 - DX: Ending the classic Wedding Peach series is a four episode OAV which takes the show and expands upon it in ways the original never did before.

As anyone familiar with my anime taste knows, I am a big fan of Wedding Peach and have been ever since I saw the first four episodes in high school. This was back when Techno Girls were subtitling and Animerica was telling us how bad this show was. Strangely while I always knew more of the series existed and my belief it would never be picked up, I never got the rest of it. At least now, after probably eight years of first learning of it, I have finally seen Wedding Peach DX.

I had heard that DX was different and yet I had no idea just how different. The OAV seems to pick up right where the TV show left off in some ways acting like a few "lost episodes" yet with the benefit of an OVA budget they were able to have somewhat better animation. Being released straight to video also seemed to allow the fanservice to be upped a notch or two. What was once a tame show for young girls now has cleavage, panty and bra shots. Not that I'm complaining, of course but it is certainly different.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Chobits - Disc 4: Love Defined: Finishing up the night is the fourth volume of a rather enjoyable anime series. Chobits seems good at being a good silly and ecchi show when it wants to be.

On the other hand, beginning with the last episode the show is starting to add a decidedly more serious side, especially when it comes to the notion of people falling in love with their persocoms and thus avoiding the real world. I wonder if this is perhaps Clamp's way of telling us that we need to get off of our computers and away from our technology lest we be engulfed by it. Or perhaps I'm looking into it too much.

Labels: Anime, Japanese, sci-fi

DiGi Charat Nyo! - Vol. 1: Nyo Arrival: After close to two years of delays Di Gi Charat Nyo finally comes to DVD. I preordered this title when it was announced and forgot about it when it was delayed until I got an email that the card used for this order was long expired. I guess when something is delayed for two years it's not a surprise that cards would expire before then. Still, depite all this it's now in my grubby hands.

The show itself is fantastic. I am a DiGi Charat fan and have been ever since I saw Panyo Panyo so long ago. While Panyo was more of a show for little kids and the original being more of an "otaku only" show, this one is quite interesting in retelling the original series but in a more accessible story format.

If I had a complaint, it would be the dub. The ADV dub of Panyo was almost preferable to the original but the dub here is a little on the weak side. That's not to say it's bad, I'll just watch the show subtitled is all.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Lupin The III: The Castle of Cagliostro: Here we have the first of the Lupin the 3rd movies. In this film Lupin instead of selfishly stealing great treasure instead uses his skills to help rescue a princess in need.

I have to say after watching it I have a bit of mixed feelings over it. On the one hand it was a fabulous adventure. The sheer scope and magnitude of the castle and the lengths Lupin went to rescue the princess were amazing. I was literally on the edge of my seat during most of the film.

On the other hand, I kept thinking to myself during the film that it really didn't seem like Lupin. He seemed a bit too kind in a way and I expected him to be more of the letch and con-man that we've all come to know and love and yet here we see a more kind and caring Lupin. That's not to say it's a bad thing, it's just different.

This film has taken a life of its own thanks to its director, Hayao Miyazaki. Before creating Studio Ghibli and creating such classics as Totoro and Spirited Away, Miyazaki was an animation director for a few Lupin the 3rd TV episodes and was chosen to direct this film. This is most certainly the reason for the changes and the art style of the film is very Ghibli-like.

I definitely recommend this film to all anime fans and also to those looking for a good movie. After checking it out, though, I suggest you go check out the Lupin the 3rd TV series next.

Labels: Anime, Classics, Japanese

Lupin the 3rd - Vol. 3: Family Jewels: After Anime Boston I decided it would be a good idea to watch anime and then update this blog. Since I bought an awesome figure of Fujiko, Lupin was an obvious choice of anime.

Lupin the 3rd is one of those vastly underrated series here in the States. Part of the reason is the age and the general look of it but getting beyond the surface you have perhaps one of the most fun anime series ever released.

Definitely recommended!

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Ai Yori Aoshi Vol. 3: Hugs & Kisses: In a little over two weeks I'll be going to Anime Boston. Because of this, I am going to be reviewing quite a bit of anime in the time being. Unfortunately I have a lot of papers due at the same time, so I shouldn't expect regular reviews.

Ai Yori Aoshi is another typical harem show and in this disc, more harem things happen. We are introduced to a new character, Mayu. Mayu is another girl enamored with Kaoru, our male lead. Of course this leadds to jealousy between her and Aoi and, of course, she ends up living with them.

The show is progressing nicely and while there's nothing wrong with a good harem show now and then, the premise has been done dozens of times before.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Sister Street Fighter: As anybody who knows me can tell you, I do a lot of shopping from the dollar DVD bin. There are many titles which show up in the dollar bins regularly which I pass up. After seeing this film in the bin enough times, temptation finally won and I brought this disc home.

After watching this film, I can certainly see why it is a cult film. After all, it has a hot lead in the form of Sue (Etsuko) Shiomi kicking some serious ass. The martial arts choreography is great and the plot actually makes sense. To top it off the cinematography and music aren't bad either. This film was obviously made by people who knew what they were doing and it has an excitement lacking in today's films.

The print was surprisingly widescreen, although not anamorphic, but while it was watchable many parts appear washed out and there is a general softness to the film. I've been told BCI's release of the Sister Streetfighter box set is better, but I've not seen it.

Labels: Cult Films, Japanese

Chobits - Disc 3: Darkness Descends: Moving on to something much better is Chobits Disc 3. Here were have the further misadventures of Hideki and Chi in what is turning out to be one of the best anime shows I've seen in a long while.

The highlight of this disc has to be the last episode where Hideki is loaned a DVD player and video game system. I certainly found the whole online gaming experience to be portrayed quite nicely, especially in the sense that it showed how many hours are wasted by people on them. I'm sure that doesn't sit well for those who devote months of their lives to World of Warcraft, but oh well.

Chobits is cute, funny and most of all it's just plain entertaining. I can't wait to start disc 4.

Labels: Anime, Japanese

Vermilion Pleasure Night - Vol. 2: Vox Stimuli: Two more episodes of the avant-garde late night Japanese TV show are presented here with more of the same from Volume 1. What's sad is while the last disc was somewhat entertaining, I found myself reaching for the skip button more and more.

As I watched the show I realized it reminded me in many ways of Robot Chicken, which is not a good thing for me. Still, for those who like that sort of thing, it should be right up your alley.

Vox Stimuli? Vox Humbug.

Labels: Crap, Japanese

Godzilla vs. Mothra: Continuing down the road of the Heisei films is this remake of the classic Mothra vs. Godzilla, which I reviewed earlier this week. Of course this film adds in some elements from the original Mothra movie while also adding in one of the coolest monsters ever, Battra.

While there is a lot to love in the form of the monster scenes, sadly there is a lot to dislike in the human scenes. There is a lot here taken from (or inspired by, take your pick) from Indiana Jones. Also much of the plot is ridiculous with an over-zealous environmentalist wacko theme that is quite unnecessary.

Still, I always liked this film and it's nice to have a subtitled copy. I've seen the film at least a dozen times before so it's hard not to recommend at the end.

Labels: Godzilla, Horror, Japanese, sci-fi

Mothra vs. Godzilla: Everyone has their favorite Godzilla film. Mine tends to alternate but it usually stays between the first one, Godzilla Raids Again and this film.

While on the surface this does look like just another movie with guys in rubber suits fighting one another, the human drama as well as simple themes of greed and, of course, nuclear radiation make this film a step above your average kiddy show fare.

Mothra vs. Godzilla is presented here in the finest form. Widescreen and dubbed or uncut and subtitled. Heck, they even had the original AIP prints with the "Godzilla vs. the Thing" title cards. The extras on Akira Ifukube and poster art are well appreciated. As always, I skipped the commentary track so I can't comment on that.

Highly recommended!

Labels: Godzilla, Horror, Japanese, sci-fi

Vermilion Pleasure Night - Vol. 1: OpticErotica: To introduce this DVD I am going to borrow a phrase originally used on Monty Python's Flying Circus.

And now for something completely different!

Honestly, there is no other way to describe Vermilion Pleasure Night. Each VPM is an hour of short segments of animation, stop motion or clay animation or live action. There's also music throughout and quite a few stories involving mannequins.

The show itself was entertaining but not particularly funny. There were times I felt I was back in film class watching the avant-garde films of Salvidor Dali. Many segments seemed to go on without purpose other than to be weird. Not the least of which were the Dr. Phero segments where two attractive young women dressing up in costumes resembling nurse uniforms dance and perform strange acts on their "patients."

All in all it was actually a bit on the disturbing side. However if you feel you must see everything Japanese or if stuff like Mummenschanz fascinates you, check it out. Casual viewers might want to stay away.

Labels: Japanese

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah: After buying a few of the Universe Heisei Godzilla region 3 releases, I decided it best to finish out the series. After reviewing the first two and Space Godzilla I went back and will now watch the rest in order. The Universe DVDs combine decent prints with English subtitles at a low price. The only downsides are that the English subtitles are coupled with the Chinese subtitles (ala VCD style) and some of the prints are non-anamorphic, like this one.

Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is a bit of a mixed bag. Parts of the story border on creative and refreshing like the revisiting of Godzilla's origin but at other times the physics expressed in the movie are nothing like that of this world that it leaves many fans scratching their heads.

In this film some people from the future come back in time to get rid of Godzilla. For some reason, instead of dealing with him directly they make a stop in 1991 to get some help. Of course what they really intend to do is to get rid of Godzilla and have their own monster, King Ghidorah, to destroy Japan.

In the end this film holds up as a fun little romp but rather weak in the end. Still, this like the other Heisei films are in many ways "My Godzilla" as I discovered Godzilla not long before these came out to video here in the states. I thus have a fondness for these films even after seeing them each a dozen times or more.

If you're a G-fan, pick this up. Sony won't be rereleasing it subtitled anytime soon.

Labels: Godzilla, Japanese, sci-fi

Rashomon: The Criterion Collection: Here we have another masterpiece from Japan's greatest director.

Rashomon is a simple story and at the same time a very complex narrative which filmmakers have tried to emulate in everything from television episodes to worldwide film hits like Hero. A man is killed and found dead in the forest. There are only a few clues as to what happened so we as the audience are left to figure out based on the testimonies of various characters in the story to determine what is real and what is not.

The film has many strengths and not the least of which is the cast. Toshiro Mifune is, as always, fantastic and other Kurosawa regulars Minoru Chiaki and Takashi Shimura put in great performances as well. The most incredible performance, however, comes from Machiko Kyo in her role as the woman.

After seeing so much crap, watching a Kurosawa movie is a good way to restore your hope in filmmakers. If only we could get today's directors, actors and cinematographers to really study these films along with the works of Orson Welles and Victor Flemming then perhaps we can go to the movies again without fear.

Labels: Classics, Japanese, Kurosawa

Sailor Suit and Machine Gun: This movie illustrates why I should never buy a movie based on its title. Sure this movie did have a girl in a sailor suit and indeed there were machine guns, but there was also a lot of bland boring bits which made the film completely boring.

The film is about a guy girl who, after recently being orphaned, finds out her father ran a gang and she is now the new head of things. While this is a decent enough setup, it just never went anywhere that I wouldve taken it. I was expecting some form of satire due to the absurdity of a young girl running a big gang but it ends up being one big boring drama which I admit I found myself dozing through.

Skip it.

Labels: Bad Movies, Japanese, Live Action

Godzilla Raids Again: Directly on the heels of Classic Media's fabulous Gojira release is the second in the Showa Godzilla series Gojira no Gyakushu (known here in the states as either Gigantis the Fire Monster or more commonly now as Godzilla Raids Again.)

In this film Godzilla (or another of his species) is sighted and this time he is found fighting another prehistoric creature, Anguirus, in a battle for supremacy. Unlike subsequent Godzilla films the fighting between monsters is not the central part of the movie and, in many ways, the whole Godzilla story is a side story to the lives of those working for a small company of pilots who scout for fish schools.

This is, in my opinion, the biggest strength of the film. The human characters in Godzilla Raids Again are the most likable, in my view, over any other Godzilla film save perhaps the original. Hiroshi Koizumi makes his first appearance in what would become a long line of Toho kaiju films and he plays well but the most appealing character would be that of Kobayashi played by Kurosawa veteran Minoru Chiaki. His portrayal of Kobayashi is one that makes him one of the most interesting characters in any Godzilla movies.

The edited and dubbed version is on here but I would avoid it. The dub is too silly and it takes many liberties with the script. While it is better than the original "Volcano Monsters" idea, it still is bland and boring compared to the original.

Labels: Godzilla, Japanese, Kaiju, sci-fi

Yokai Monsters : Along with Ghosts: Finishing up the Yokai Monsters trilogy we have Along with Ghosts. This is not quite the ghost filled spectacle that 100 Monsters and Spook Warfare were but instead was more of a period film with supernatural elements and the occasional ghost.

The story in this film begins with two rival bosses who attack each other and an old man gets inbetween them. Because of his death a curse is released. More importantly, the man had a granddaughter and with his dying breath gives her a pair of dice and instructions to find her father. She goes on being aided in her quest by one of the men of the now dead boss (played by Daiei and Gamera regular Kojiro Hongo.) Most of the film plays out from there like a typical samurai film until the end when all the ghosts show up.

This would be the last of the Yokai Monsters series. Daiei, due to poor management I've heard, went into a decline and would end up filing for bankruptcy in 1971, a mere two years after this film. Still, they were able to turn out quite a decent

Labels: Horror, Japanese

Legend of the Eight Samurai: If there ever was a movie that Mystery Science Theater missed, it was this one. It has all the elements of a good MST movie. First it has incredibly cheesy dubbing. Secondly it has over the top sets and characters. Most of all it appears to be a film made by people who had absolutely no idea what in the hell they were doing.

This movie is about a princess whose family was wiped out by a crazy woman and a samurai who bears a resemblance to a bad Elvis impersonator and their legions of bad guys. Apparently 100 years before the movie a princess married a dog (or something) and she ended up shooting out these glowing crystals which would give rise to the eight samurai who would be able to save her.

On the bright side, this film does have Sonny Chiba, some generally laugh out loud unintentionally funny moments. The music is also pretty nifty and it does have that aura of late 70s early 80s when Japanese pop-culture was really at its strangest.

Still, when I give up on a movie half way through, that's usually a sign that the film is crap. Save your dollar.

Labels: Bad Movies, Dollar DVD, Japanese

Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters: ADV films really shocked a lot of kaiju fans myself included, when back in 2003 they released the lost buried classics from Daiei, the Yokai Monsters trilogy. Unlike their releases of the Daimajin movies, they actually gave these films individual releases with fine anamorphic transfers.

100 Monsters is really something that is hard to explain to someone who is not familiar with any Japanese folklore. Basically from what info I can find from Wikipedia, Yokai are apparently demons or ghosts from ancient Japanese folklore. Many of them show up throughout the film and are quite interesting in and of themselves. Unlike the sequel to this film, Yokai Monsters Spook Warfare, none of the Yokai seem to speak or have much in the way of character.

The plot centers around a small town which is being overrun by a developer who wishes to tear down other people's houses and even a shrine for his own personal gain. In doing so, he and his men have disturbed the Yokai who decide to get even by wreaking havoc. The film actually gets sporadic and jumps from story to story with small Yokai scenes being cut together with the basic theme of the developer tying them together.

It's certainly a different movie but not one I would call bad. If you are a Japanese film or horrow fan I would recommend this so long as you can get this DVD used for under $10. Give these films a chance; you might be surprised.

Labels: Horror, Japanese

Throne of Blood: Akira Kurosawa was a master of film. There is little that can be denied there in that his films are universally praised by most film critics. Throne of Blood is no exception to this as it was quite good and is well received by most critics.

The story is basically Macbeth set in Feudal Japan. Instead of Macbeth we have Washizu played by Japanese legend Toshiro Mifune. Also instead of the witches there is a single evil spirit who predicts the rise and fall of Washizu. Outside of other minor details, this is a pretty good version of Macbeth. The only thing I can notice is that Washizu's wife seems even more wicked than Lady Macbeth.

This is definitely one of Kurosawa's best films and is something that any serious student of film should watch. Fans of Shakespeare might appreciate it as well

Labels: Classics, Japanese, Kurosawa

Dragnet Girl: Here we have another of Yasujiro Ozu's silent films. Unlike Days of Youth, which was entertaining and interesting, this film seemed to be dull and uninteresting.

The real problem, however, is something that is perhaps not the fault of Ozu but the fault of Panorama. Like Days of Youth this film is presented on DVD without musical accompaniment.
Music in a silent movie is something like mustard on a bologna sandwich; you don't notice it unless it's gone. This is quite unfortunate as the film may be quite good but I know I had a hard time sitting through it.

Labels: Japanese, Silent Films

Swing Girls: I heard once that there are really only a few stories that you can tell and that just about everything has already been told before. One of those few stories that can be told is the one about the group of ragtag kids who come together as a group and form a band and really rock out. Hollywood has told this story in the form of Sister Act 2, School of Rock and others. In Japan they added a new twist on this tale by bringing a group of girls (and one boy) to form a swing band.

Much of this is quite typical in how the kids act. At first they do it simply to get out of summer classes and then develop a passion for it. Aided by their jazz loving teacher they practice and learn to really swing. Of course this leads to a big music competition which they must enter and play in. Adding to the realism is the fact that none of the actresses could play and yet they really play the music in the film from the amateurish sounds to the polished swing at the end.

What makes this movie so special is, as expected, the music. Big Band Jazz and Swing are two of my favorite styles of music and these girls really know how to swing. The soundtrack contains covers of some of my favorites including the Duke Ellington classic, "Take the A Train" to the Swing standard "In the Mood." Also featured are some recorded tracks of "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong and L. O. V. E. by Nat King Cole.

It's all been done before but it's really a fun ride and did not fail to please. In fact it went above and beyond all expectations. I highly recommend this!

Labels: Japanese, Musical

Carmen Comes Home: Here we have a monumental film in the history of Japanese cinema. Karumen Kokyo ni Kaeru (or Carmen Comes Home) was the first color film made in Japan. With this knowledge, and little else, I decided to pick up this film expecting a simple comedy film where the city mouse meets the country mice. What a surprise I was in for!

As I stated before, this film was the first made in Color in Japan. While American audiences had delighted in Technicolor films since the 20s, the incredibly expensive equipment made it impossible for Japanese film studios to afford it. It wasn't until 1951 when the newly developed Fujicolor Motion Picture film was made available was then popular director Keisuke Kinoshita given the go ahead to produce the first color film in this humble comedy / drama.

Carmen Comes Home is, on the surface, a simple movie and yet it has layers of complexity that allow it to be interpreted in many ways. The story centers on Okin, a young girl in a small town near Mt. Ayama who ran away to Tokyo to follow her "art" and took on the Western name of Lily Carmen. The people of the town don't know quite what to expect but when she comes home to her town she finds that she doesn't very much fit in.

The film uses two characters: Carmen and the blind harmonium player Haruo to show the contrasts between the two different generations and the different ways that the country was then headed. Carmen was somewhat of an exotic dancer who brings in much money and is adored for her looks and yet her life is shown as quite hollow and empty. Haruo, on the other hand, came back from the war blind and has his more traditional art of harmonium playing. While Carmen is wealthy with her art, Haruo is quite in debt and while his wife works hard to support them, they are deep in debt and have lost their harmonium. Yet, he is respected while Carmen is, in some ways, just the novelty girl who takes her top off and brings shame to her family.

The moral of the story is a bit muddled. One could view it perhaps a half dozen different ways. I guess Kinoshita wanted his audience to decide for themselves. Despite the more perplexing nature of this film, I can say I have no regrets buying it and would recommend it to any serious film lover.

Note: The sources used for this review were: Fujifilm UK and the DVD liner notes.

Labels: Classics, Japanese

Drive In Double Feature: Prince of Space + Invasion of the Neptune Men: Did you ever have a DVD release you anticipated so much and when you finally got it, you were immensely disappointed? That was, I'm afraid, the case with this. It had great promise and yet failed due to a mishandling of the source material.

The films are familiar to MST3K fans everywhere. They are basically two of the many films that popped up in Japan as a response to the Starman films. While they are indeed watchable if you like that sort of campy action, the films were presented in a fake widescreen format they were never intended to be shown in. In the case of both films, they chopped the top and bottom off to make a fake widescreen print. The saddest to come out of this was Neptune Men which was shot as a 2.35:1 "scope" film and was reduced to pan & scan and then chopped. Oh well, at least I have my Japanese laserdisc for that one, but Prince of Space is not available anywhere.

Labels: Bad Movies, Japanese, sci-fi

The Return of Godzilla: Returning from his slumber for his 30th anniversary, Godzilla attacks Japan once again in the first of the second series of Godzilla starting what would come to be called the Heisei Godzilla films. Godzilla stripped away the more juvenile aspects of his later films like Godzilla vs Megalon an