With a selection from the “top of the shelf” once more, as the films of Keishi Otomo, Yuya Yagira, and the next big anime thing “Slam Dunk” eloquently highlight, Japan Cuts showcased how the top of the Japanese movie industry fares currently, while not forgetting the “hidden gems” aspect, with the returns of Yusaku Matsumoto and Daisuke Miyazaki and the presentation of “Sanka”, a film that has passed absurdly under the radar, moving into that direction. The general direction in terms of selection seemed to move towards mainstream paths, with the shorts, the animation and the documentary “I am a Comedian” adding an element of diversity. Without further ado, here is a list of this year's coverage of Japan Cuts.
You can read the full reviews by clicking on the titles 1. Interviews: Kentaro and Yuya Yagira 2. Anime Review: The First Slam Dunk (2022) by Takehiko Inoue
What is the most impressive aspect,...
You can read the full reviews by clicking on the titles 1. Interviews: Kentaro and Yuya Yagira 2. Anime Review: The First Slam Dunk (2022) by Takehiko Inoue
What is the most impressive aspect,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Following the success of “Noise”, Yusaku Matsumoto had some trouble coming up with his next movie, instead opting to deal in shorts and TV. This changed in 2022, with “All My Fault”, which was, though, definitely on a lower level than his aforementioned debut. As such, it is with great pleasure to see that he is back in form with “Winny”, a court drama focusing on the homonymous copyright infringement criminal case, the first in which a computer program developer faced a criminal charge for assisting in the copyright infringement of the program's users.
Winny is screening at Japan Cuts
The film follows the actual events quite closely, starting with the two arrests of Winny users, which eventually led to the apprehension of the actual developer of the program, Isamu Kaneko, a 33-year-old assistant professor at the University of Tokyo who is also the main protagonist of the movie. At the same time,...
Winny is screening at Japan Cuts
The film follows the actual events quite closely, starting with the two arrests of Winny users, which eventually led to the apprehension of the actual developer of the program, Isamu Kaneko, a 33-year-old assistant professor at the University of Tokyo who is also the main protagonist of the movie. At the same time,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
TodoiF continues to provide streaming service specializing in Japanese independent films since June 2022. We are pleased to announce the launch of our subscription service beginning May 2023. You can enjoy the new service for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. The three new releases this month are “Closet”, “Arano”, and “And Again We are Going Up”. In addition, “Noise,” which has only been available in Asia excluding Japan, is now available in response to audience demand. The film can be viewed from anywhere except Japan, France, Dom-Tom, Monaco, Benelux, and Switzerland.
Later this month, we will start streaming Asato Watanabe’s A Dobugawa Dream, which was selected to Raindance Film Festival 2019.
Watch our films through PC and mobile browsers. iOS and Android apps Coming Soon!
In addition to streaming Japanese independent films, todoiF supports filmmakers by creating English subtitles, selecting appropriate overseas film festivals, and submitting to those film festivals on their behalf.
Later this month, we will start streaming Asato Watanabe’s A Dobugawa Dream, which was selected to Raindance Film Festival 2019.
Watch our films through PC and mobile browsers. iOS and Android apps Coming Soon!
In addition to streaming Japanese independent films, todoiF supports filmmakers by creating English subtitles, selecting appropriate overseas film festivals, and submitting to those film festivals on their behalf.
- 5/4/2023
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Co-directed by Shota Koseki, who also stars in the movie, and Kentaro Kishi, who also acts as a Dp, “The Waxing and Waning of Life” takes an unusual approach to the concept of addiction, by combining it with a number of other issues, through an experimental/art house approach.
“The Waxing and Waning of Life” is screening at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival
Yusaku has just finished his rehab and is taken in by his brother Shota, who wants, though, to interview him for a screenplay he wants to direct about Yusaku’s life. The latter reluctantly reveals parts of his life and particularly his experience in rehab, which emerges, though, as a rather intense experience with the whole procedure being closer to how cults work. That the person in charge, Matsunaga, was a former boxer who did not shy away from being verbally and physically abusive to the addicts...
“The Waxing and Waning of Life” is screening at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival
Yusaku has just finished his rehab and is taken in by his brother Shota, who wants, though, to interview him for a screenplay he wants to direct about Yusaku’s life. The latter reluctantly reveals parts of his life and particularly his experience in rehab, which emerges, though, as a rather intense experience with the whole procedure being closer to how cults work. That the person in charge, Matsunaga, was a former boxer who did not shy away from being verbally and physically abusive to the addicts...
- 7/23/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Fractured narrative is a technique that has produced a number of masterpieces through the years, with “Mulholland Drive” and “Rashomon” being the first that come to mind. The contemporary Japanese version of the technique involves three different arcs that intermingle, focused on a single event, as exemplified in Lee Sang-il’s “Rage.” Yusaku Matsumoto follows in the footsteps of the Zainichi Korean.
Noise is streaming on TodoiF
The event that serves as a base here is the Akihabara Massacre, which took place in 2008 and involved Tomohiro Kato, who drove into a crowd with a truck and then stabbed at least 12 people with a dagger, eventually killing seven and injuring 10. The man was sentenced to death, and the announcement of his sentence serves as the beginning point of the film.
Misa, whose mother was murdered during the incident, has to face a father who neglects her, with his sole focus being on gambling on horses.
Noise is streaming on TodoiF
The event that serves as a base here is the Akihabara Massacre, which took place in 2008 and involved Tomohiro Kato, who drove into a crowd with a truck and then stabbed at least 12 people with a dagger, eventually killing seven and injuring 10. The man was sentenced to death, and the announcement of his sentence serves as the beginning point of the film.
Misa, whose mother was murdered during the incident, has to face a father who neglects her, with his sole focus being on gambling on horses.
- 6/29/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Festival opens with Teppe Isobe’s ’Deadly School’.
Eight local features wiill have their world premiere at Japan’s Skip City International D-Cinema Festival, which is running as a hybrid event from July 16.
The festival opens with the world premiere of Teppe Isobe’s coming of age drama Deadly School, which is adapted from the play by Kaoru Asakusa about high school girls working hard for their school festival. Teppe Isobe has won prizes at Skip City for three of his films Who Knows about My Life (2018), F is for Future (2019) and Cornflakes (2020).
Held in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, Skip City focuses on emerging talent,...
Eight local features wiill have their world premiere at Japan’s Skip City International D-Cinema Festival, which is running as a hybrid event from July 16.
The festival opens with the world premiere of Teppe Isobe’s coming of age drama Deadly School, which is adapted from the play by Kaoru Asakusa about high school girls working hard for their school festival. Teppe Isobe has won prizes at Skip City for three of his films Who Knows about My Life (2018), F is for Future (2019) and Cornflakes (2020).
Held in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, Skip City focuses on emerging talent,...
- 6/15/2022
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
From the director’s statement regarding the film: “Last year I lost one of my closest friends. Kuriki Nobukazu, who was a well-known mountain climber, died during his 8th attempt to climb Mount Everest. My first encounter with Mr. Kuriki was the premiere of Noise, the first feature film I directed. He praised my first feature film, and since then we often met and talked. We decided to make a documentary film of Mr. Kuriki attempting to climb Everest.
For the filming I went to Everest with my Dp (Director of Photography) Kishi Kentaro, but on May 21st, 2018, Kuriki Nobukazu died during his descent after deciding to abandon his attempt to continue climbing due to illness. I also came down with altitude sickness and had to be taken to the hospital via an air ambulance.
I’m still not sure if I can accept my friend’s death by making this film,...
For the filming I went to Everest with my Dp (Director of Photography) Kishi Kentaro, but on May 21st, 2018, Kuriki Nobukazu died during his descent after deciding to abandon his attempt to continue climbing due to illness. I also came down with altitude sickness and had to be taken to the hospital via an air ambulance.
I’m still not sure if I can accept my friend’s death by making this film,...
- 3/14/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The duo of director Akio Fujimoto and producer Kazutaka Watanabe seem to have made their cinematic goal to deal with true stories of immigrants living and working in Japan, something they managed to do with a certain prowess in “Passage of Life“, a film that won two awards in the Asian Future Section at TIFF 2017. After a documentary short that dealt with the Myanmar indigenous Zomi people (“Bleached Bones Avenue“) the two of them return to their favorite theme with “Along the Sea”, a co-production between Japan and Vietnam, which deals with the lives of Vietnamese immigrants in the country.
“Along the Sea“ is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
Phuong, An, and Nhu are Vietnamese women in their early 20s, who have just managed to escape from a job of being “technical trainees”, under very harsh conditions, with their then boss even keeping their passports. The...
“Along the Sea“ is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
Phuong, An, and Nhu are Vietnamese women in their early 20s, who have just managed to escape from a job of being “technical trainees”, under very harsh conditions, with their then boss even keeping their passports. The...
- 2/3/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
After a long stay in a mental hospital, Mitsuo, visits his brother Yuta, along with Yuta’s wife Yoko, and their two kids, Chie and Itsuki. A happy reunion with tears shed takes place as Mitsuo meets Itsuki for the first time. Chie takes a particular interest in the mild-mannered Mitsuo, asking him to take her to the park along with Itsuki. The outing soon turns to tragedy though, after Chie drops her baby sister, leading to her death. Scared to admit what transpired, Chie tells her parents that Mitsuo dropped Chie. To protect his niece, Mitsuo goes along with the lie, ultimately alienating him and sending him spiraling into depression. Meanwhile, Chie develops her own struggle, becoming practically mute after her confession.
“The Sower” screener at Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Following the struggles of both Mitsuo and Chie, the film focuses on their inner turmoil. Mitsuo tries to make amends with Yuta and Yoko,...
“The Sower” screener at Thessaloniki International Film Festival
Following the struggles of both Mitsuo and Chie, the film focuses on their inner turmoil. Mitsuo tries to make amends with Yuta and Yoko,...
- 5/18/2020
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
At the Moosic Lab 2018, the short film “Made in Japan” by Yusaku Matsumoto was awarded the Audience Award, the Special Jury Prize and a Best Actor Award. The ensemble of actors that Matsumoto has engaged for his fast-paced and extremely concise social satire is indeed extraordinarily impressive. The strength of the film is based on the dynamics between the characters, which in all its compactness makes a relevant and haunting impression.
It all starts when Kyoichi is made aware of an article in the newspaper by a work colleague. A man has been burned alive and the culprit hasn’t been caught yet. In the picture Kyoichi recognizes a former colleague and swaggers about it in the social media. He does not have to wait long for the media to take an interest in him. Since the easy money seems to beckon, Kyoichi agrees to release more and more information about Ikea,...
It all starts when Kyoichi is made aware of an article in the newspaper by a work colleague. A man has been burned alive and the culprit hasn’t been caught yet. In the picture Kyoichi recognizes a former colleague and swaggers about it in the social media. He does not have to wait long for the media to take an interest in him. Since the easy money seems to beckon, Kyoichi agrees to release more and more information about Ikea,...
- 3/24/2020
- by Teresa Vena
- AsianMoviePulse
“Passage of Life” is based on a true story of a Burmese family living in Tokyo after immigrating to Japan with no visa.
Passage of Life is screening at Nippon Connection
Khine and her husband Issace, who works illegally in a restaurant, share a modest but happy home with their two children, 7-year-old Kaung and his 4-year-old brother Htet, both of which have been raised in Japan and speak almost no Burmese. The couple has applied for political asylum, stating that their lives were in danger in Burma; however, their application is rejected, as is usually the case in Japan, which is one of the largest donors to the Unhcr but accepts a very small number of refugees and asylum-seekers compared with other developed nations. The rejection and the subsequent visits from immigration officials in the family’s house have a great toll to the already anxious Khine, who ends up being hospitalized,...
Passage of Life is screening at Nippon Connection
Khine and her husband Issace, who works illegally in a restaurant, share a modest but happy home with their two children, 7-year-old Kaung and his 4-year-old brother Htet, both of which have been raised in Japan and speak almost no Burmese. The couple has applied for political asylum, stating that their lives were in danger in Burma; however, their application is rejected, as is usually the case in Japan, which is one of the largest donors to the Unhcr but accepts a very small number of refugees and asylum-seekers compared with other developed nations. The rejection and the subsequent visits from immigration officials in the family’s house have a great toll to the already anxious Khine, who ends up being hospitalized,...
- 6/2/2018
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
2017 was a strange year for Asian cinema, after the impressive 2016, where “Godzilla”, “Your Name”, Nikkatsu’s new Roman films and the latest films by Park Chan-wook, Na Hong-jin and “Train to Busan” turned the interest of the international audience towards Se Asia, once more.
2017 has been a much more low-key year for Asian films however, giving the opportunity for productions from other Asian countries to shine, in contrast to 2016, when S.Korean and Japanese films dominated this list. So, without further ado, here are the 20 Best Asian Films of 2017, always with a focus on diversity, in random order.
(Some of the films premiered in 2015, but I took the liberty to include them, since they circulated, mostly, in 2017).
Blade of the Immortal (Takashi Miike, Japan)
“Blade of the Immortal”, like “13 Assassins”, belongs to the collection of Miike’s calmer and more well-mannered movies, far for the wacky surreal ones. At the same time,...
2017 has been a much more low-key year for Asian films however, giving the opportunity for productions from other Asian countries to shine, in contrast to 2016, when S.Korean and Japanese films dominated this list. So, without further ado, here are the 20 Best Asian Films of 2017, always with a focus on diversity, in random order.
(Some of the films premiered in 2015, but I took the liberty to include them, since they circulated, mostly, in 2017).
Blade of the Immortal (Takashi Miike, Japan)
“Blade of the Immortal”, like “13 Assassins”, belongs to the collection of Miike’s calmer and more well-mannered movies, far for the wacky surreal ones. At the same time,...
- 12/22/2017
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The startlingly titled Japanese comedy horror 'Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead' is set to stain Us DVD shelves everywhere this coming Summer. The 'crap-tastic' Noboru Iguchi ('Robo-Geisha') helmed flick will be landing on DVD from 25th June and will feature an eye-popping selection of toilet-related terror and porcelain poop parody fresh from the Japan's cinema sewer. Arisa Nakamura, Mayu Sugano, Asami, Yuki, Dani, Kentaro Kishi, Kentaro Shimazu, Demo Tanaka and Asana Mamoru all star. Head below for the DVD art and full plot breakdown....
- 1/31/2013
- Horror Asylum
Last September we bought you a some new artwork and stills from Noboru Iguchi's ('Robo-Geisha') new Japanese horror comedy 'Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead'. It was being tagged as 'the most crap-tastic zombie movie ever to emerge from Japan's cinema sewer' and the newly revealed trailer for the bizarre flick which has now arrived certainly fuels that label. The trailer (shown below) features hot girls farting, shit covered toilet zombies, exploding heads, puke and topless Japanese chicks. It's quite the odd mixture to take in on a Friday afternoon. The movie stars Arisa Nakamura, Mayu Sugano, Asami, Yuki, Dani, Kentaro Kishi, Kentaro Shimazu, Demo Tanaka and the gorgeous Asana Mamoru (below). Check out the new trailer, some additional stills and the one-sheets below....
- 4/6/2012
- Horror Asylum
You couldn’t make this up… Director Noboru Iguchi, who has already passed into directorial infamy with his films Machine Girl, Robogeisha and Mutant Girls Squad, is back with what could possibly be the nadir of the zombie flick, Zombie Ass: Toilet of the Dead, which stars Asami, Kentaro Kishi, Asana Mamoru, and what looks to be bucketloads of poop! Just check out the zombie head in this poster:...
- 1/5/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
by Colleen Wanglund, MoreHorror.com
Released in the United States by WellgoUSA in November, the new Helldriver DVD/Blu-ray is chock full of low-budget zombie goodness. Originally released theatrically by Sushi Typhoon, bastard child of Japan’s Nikkatsu Corporation, Helldriver takes a unique and funny look at the zombie apocalypse.
An alien life form has turned the world’s worst mother into the queen bitch of zombies and proceeds to spew a dark ash into the skies over Northern Japan. The country has been split in two with a wall built to protect Southern Japan from being overrun by hungry zombies. With the north reduced to an apocalyptic wasteland the south has become overcrowded by survivors and food and living space is at a premium. The current administration wants to wipe out the zombies and take back the country, so they send a “volunteer” group on a suicide mission to...
Released in the United States by WellgoUSA in November, the new Helldriver DVD/Blu-ray is chock full of low-budget zombie goodness. Originally released theatrically by Sushi Typhoon, bastard child of Japan’s Nikkatsu Corporation, Helldriver takes a unique and funny look at the zombie apocalypse.
An alien life form has turned the world’s worst mother into the queen bitch of zombies and proceeds to spew a dark ash into the skies over Northern Japan. The country has been split in two with a wall built to protect Southern Japan from being overrun by hungry zombies. With the north reduced to an apocalyptic wasteland the south has become overcrowded by survivors and food and living space is at a premium. The current administration wants to wipe out the zombies and take back the country, so they send a “volunteer” group on a suicide mission to...
- 12/28/2011
- by admin
- MoreHorror
Japanese production house Sushi Typhoon returns with more blood soaked insanity in “Helldriver”, directed by “Tokyo Gore Police” and “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl” helmer Yoshihiro Nishimura. Given Nishimura’s past works and his background as a special effects wizard, it should come as no surprise to learn that the film is a gibbering gore-fest which basically plays out like one crazed set piece and sees him constantly trying to one-up himself. The film reunites the director with striking “Tokyo Gore Police” actress Eihi Shiina (who made a lasting impression on audiences in Takashi Miike’s “Audition”), with Yumiko Hara in the lead and support from the likes of Yurei Yanagi (“Gothic & Lolita Psycho”), Kazuki Namioka (“Zebraman 2”) and Kentaro Kishi (“RoboGeisha”), plus the usual cameos from several of the Sushi Typhoon gang. The film doesn’t have a plot, so much as a setup, taking place in a Japan which...
- 5/8/2011
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
Helldriver is the latest movie from Sushi Typhoon, the Japanese producing outfit behind Alien vs. Ninja, and Mutant Girls Squad and tells the story of:
An alien-spawned, mysterious mist blankets the northern half of Japan, transforming those who inhale it into ravenous, flesh-eating zombies hell-bent on devouring the surviving human population. Plunged into chaos, Japan is torn in two—the southern half of the country, where the populace remains untouched by the deadly gas, lives behind a heavily-fortified wall, while the northern half is a lawless, zombie-infected wasteland. Political forces are locked in a stalemate over whether the living dead should remain protected as family members or exterminated like a plague. The economy withers away, and all hope seems lost for the people and the nation of Japan.
Hope arrives in the form of Kika (Yumiko Hara), a beautiful high school girl armed with a chainsaw sword powered by an artificial heart.
An alien-spawned, mysterious mist blankets the northern half of Japan, transforming those who inhale it into ravenous, flesh-eating zombies hell-bent on devouring the surviving human population. Plunged into chaos, Japan is torn in two—the southern half of the country, where the populace remains untouched by the deadly gas, lives behind a heavily-fortified wall, while the northern half is a lawless, zombie-infected wasteland. Political forces are locked in a stalemate over whether the living dead should remain protected as family members or exterminated like a plague. The economy withers away, and all hope seems lost for the people and the nation of Japan.
Hope arrives in the form of Kika (Yumiko Hara), a beautiful high school girl armed with a chainsaw sword powered by an artificial heart.
- 11/22/2010
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Helldriver is the lastest movie from Sushi Typhoon, the Japanese producing outfit behind Alien vs. Ninja, and Mutant Girls Squad. Directed by Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police), the film stars Yumiko Hara, Eihi Shiina, Yurei Yanagi, Kazuki Namioka, Kentaro Kishi, Mizuki Kusumi, Minoru Torihada, and Guadalcanal Taka, in a story that sees:
An alien-spawned, mysterious mist blankets the northern half of Japan, transforming those who inhale it into ravenous, flesh-eating zombies hell-bent on devouring the surviving human population. Plunged into chaos, Japan is torn in two—the southern half of the country, where the populace remains untouched by the deadly gas, lives behind a heavily-fortified wall, while the northern half is a lawless, zombie-infected wasteland. Political forces are locked in a stalemate over whether the living dead should remain protected as family members or exterminated like a plague. The economy withers away, and all hope seems lost for the people and the nation of Japan.
An alien-spawned, mysterious mist blankets the northern half of Japan, transforming those who inhale it into ravenous, flesh-eating zombies hell-bent on devouring the surviving human population. Plunged into chaos, Japan is torn in two—the southern half of the country, where the populace remains untouched by the deadly gas, lives behind a heavily-fortified wall, while the northern half is a lawless, zombie-infected wasteland. Political forces are locked in a stalemate over whether the living dead should remain protected as family members or exterminated like a plague. The economy withers away, and all hope seems lost for the people and the nation of Japan.
- 10/20/2010
- by Phil
- Nerdly
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