From The Girl Who Leapt Through Time to Summer Time Machine Blues, Japanese time travel stories are well-known around the world. There are so many of them โ and most of them are just so fascinating โ that it is difficult to keep track. For instance, just last year, we had the release of the…
Japanese Cinema
Studio Ghibli Turns 40: 18 Books from the Studio’s History
Studio Ghibli is turning 40! From My Neighbour Totoro to Spirited Away, it’s almost impossible to find someone who hasn’t heard of the legendary Studio Ghibli. Founded on June 15th, 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli has released dozens of unforgettable, unique, and universally resonant films that have changed the course…
Bullet Train Explosion: The Bullet Train Sequel Seems Familiar But Has Personality
Japanese train culture is renowned around the world for its efficiency, precision, and neatness. The Shinkansen (or “bullet train”) was invented by the Japanese, the very first line โ taking people from Tokyo to Osaka (and vice-versa) โ setting off in 1964. Sixty years later and still working like clockwork, Japan’s high-speed rail network stretches…
Late Spring, After Life & Evil Does Not Exist: Diving Into Japanese Cinema
Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world. Throughout its more than a hundred years of history, Japanese filmmakers have created stories that changed the course of cinema itself. Kurosawa Akira, Ozu Yasujiro, Mizoguchi Kenji, Sakane Tazuko, Honda Ishiro, Miyazaki Hayao, Satoshi Kon, Takashi Miike, Nishikawa Miwa, Koreeda Hirokazu are…
Little Forest: A Soothing Ode to Nature, Food & Identity
You know that sort of film that makes you feel warm and happy inside? That kind of story that seems to embrace you, give you room to breathe and a pat on your back? If you’re looking for that kind of movie, let me introduce you to Little Forest. My mother is a huge fan…
Hayao Miyazaki and The Heron Review: How Do You Live?
Everyone knows Hayao Miyazaki. And even if you found someone (how?!) who didn’t, they would surely know one of his works โ be it the Oscar-winning Spirited Away (2001), the fairy-tale-like Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), or the iconic My Neighbour Totoro (1988). The Miyazaki we all know is an endlessly talented genius: a man who…
Year In Review: The 2024 Japanese Books, Films, and Dramas We Won’t Forget
A couple more weeks and it’s 2025. Can you believe it? I know that I can’t! But now it’s the perfect time for us to take a look back at 2024 and talk about the very best 2024 Japanese books, dramas and films. Can you recognise all these titles? As much as possible, I tried…
25 Amazing J- and K-Pop Music Videos That Could Be Award-Winning Short Films
On August 30th, 2024, Netflix released the incredibly enjoyable A-List to Playlist, a documentary about the hundred days that Jo Jung-suk had to compose and record his very first album. Is A-List to Playlist Worth Watching? A-List to Playlist has seven short episodes and an eighth, final episode that spans 80 minutes. Not only is…
Japanese & Korean Horror Films For Beginners: 10 Frightening Titles You Need to Watch
I’ve never been a big fan of horror movies. Psychological thrillers, yes. But horror has never been my thing. Studying film has forced me to watch a few, of course, but I’m too much of a scaredy cat for them. Oh, well. What can I do? With Halloween right around the corner and a partner…
If Cats Disappeared From The World: Embracing What Truly Matters
What would you sacrifice for an extra day of life? If you grab a copy of Genki Kawamura’s If Cats Disappeared From The World (here I’m talking about the UK Picador edition) and check its back cover, that’s exactly the question this little book will throw at you. What do you deem necessary in life?…
