One of the most pleasant surprises of this year.
Category: Romance
Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist’s Journey (2025) review [Fantasia film Festival]
Seki offers audiences a touching fictionalized account of Akiko Higashimura’s relationship with her mentor Kenzo Hidaka.
Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards (2024) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
Ishikawa delivers an engaging narrative with some satisfying twists, many funny moments, and pleasing action-sequences.
Rewrite (2025) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
Daiga Matsui’s narrative ultimately develops into something that expands beyond mere romance, a surprising and highly satisfying time-loop drama.
Cha-Cha (2025) review [Nippon Connection 2025]
Mai Sakai light-heartedly perforates the fantasy of writability of The sexual relation and cheekily confronts the spectator with the radical misrecognition that structures the field of romance.
Yoyogi Johnny (2025) review [OAFF 2025]
Kimura’s choice to give the tragical dimension of love a deadpan comical twist pays off, creating a unique narrative that will resonate with youth and those who have kept in touch with their younger self
The Taste of Tea (2004) review
Katsuhito Ishii’s offers the spectator a satisfying kaleidoscopic exploration of the emotional fabric of life and the importance of familial bonds.
A Man (2022) review
A compelling and thrilling exploration of the reality of identity fraud and the damaging effect societal discourses can have on a subject and his ego.
Desert of Namibia (2024) review [Japannual 2024]
Yoko Yamanaka delivers a cinematic masterpiece of subjectivity.
Afternoon Angler’s club (2023) Review [Camera Japan Festival]
Hideo Jojo’s heartwarming tale of subjective growth and salt-water fishing is a pleasant watch.
The Shape of Night (1964) review
This filmic narrative needs to be counted among the classics of Japanese cinema
House of Sayuri (2024) review [Fantasia Film Festival]
The thoughtful manipulation of this atmospheric field is integral to create an effective and engaging genre-blend.
Kizumonogatari – Koyomi Vamp – (2024) review [Fantasia Film Festival 2024]
An evocative experience that succeeds in giving the vampire and the well-explored themes a fresh coat of drama and sexiness.
Kubi (2023) review [Japan Cuts 2024]
One of best period dramas in recent years.
Secret: A Hidden Score (2024) review [Nippon connection 2024]
Spectators who like piano and pianists might find something to enjoy in this emotionally impotent narrative.