Category: Jidaigeki

Red Peony Gambler: Gambler’s Obligation (1969)

What invites us to qualify Suzuki’s narrative as a classic is not simply his continuation of Yamashita’s visual adoration of Junko Fuji, but his effective transformation of the Ninkyo thread into an exploration of the transgressive nature of desire as such.

8 films to watch in preparation for Ghost of Yotei

In this short article, we want to introduce people, who are new to the Japanese cinema, to a few easily accessible films to prepare themselves for the game and immerse themselves in the themes that the game will explore.

Shinobi no mono: Resurrection (1963)

A satisfying conclusion resolves the thematical exploration of destructive capitalistic pleasure in a satisfactorily yet maybe somewhat naive way.

Shinobi no Mono: Band of Assassins (1962)

Yamamoto expertly utilizes the game of disguises, traps, gadgets, concealed passages, hidden stairs, and trapdoors, to offer an allegorical tale of the post-war subject’s conundrum

Okiku and the World (2023) review [Japannual 2023]

Introduction Junji Sakamoto (Another World (2019), I Never Shot Anyone (2020), My Brother, The Android and Me (2022)) might not be as well-known by international audiences as other directors, but he has proved himself to be an incredible talent in Japan that deserves recognition for his often unique but always well-crafted narratives. Luckily, in recent…

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