Japan On Film

In this episode, Perry is joined by Tyler, who is working on a book about obscure Asian cinema, and in that fashion, the movie they watched is the 2003 Kibakichi. It's a movie about a samurai werewolf and despite a grindhouse-style opening and climax, the rest of the movie's a bit meandering. Still, the movie's not without its charms, too.

Robert Kelly of the Record All Monsters podcast is the guest this week to discuss Sanjuro, Akira Kurosawa's sequel to his groundbreaking film, Yojimbo. We compare it to the original, discuss Sanjuro's character progression compared to Yojimbo, and reflect on the character's legacy.

Perry is joined by Oliver of the Watching Asia Film Reviews blog to discuss Shinobu Yaguchi's post-apocalyptic dramedy, Survival Family. We discuss the ideas of generational conflict, the alienation of the Japanese nuclear family, and find this film topical in light of Russia's war on Ukraine. Also as a fan of Yaguchi, Oliver provides a lot of insight into the director's way of thinking and his criticisms of modern society.

Perry appeared on a live episode of the Asian Film Fans YouTube show, co-hosted by The Arty Dans and Wilco C. Rullens. The trio discussed Noboru Iguchi's cult classic splatter film, The Machine Girl. We're presenting the replay of the show here on Japan On Film in case you missed it the first time around.

The host of the Scared Sheep YouTube channel brings her knowledge of Japanese horror and culture to a discussion of Dark Water. Although not as popular as other J-horror classics like Ring or Ju-on, there's a lot this movie has to say about child-rearing and Japan's treatment of motherhood.

Maison Collawn, host of the MC Anime Podcast, makes his debut on Japan On Film to discuss the classic Ghibli film, Grave of the Fireflies. He and Perry have a spirited discussion about the film's content and themes, the debate over whether or not it's an anti-war film, and different perceptions of America's actions in the war.

In this episode, Perry is joined once again by Patrick Terry to discuss Masayuki Suo's underrated 1996 film, Shall We Dance? We talk about the socioeconomic commentary in the contexts of Japan in the mid-90s, the film's criticism of the salaryman system, Koji Yakusho's chameleon-like performance, and a lot more!