Tag: Netflix

Pop Culture and Japan

Blue Eye Samurai Review – Edo Revenge Thriller Breaks New Ground For Established Genre

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Blue Eye Samurai review.

Samurai fiction is one of the most popular storytelling genres in Japan. This formula of honourable warriors and katanas has plenty of romantic juice left in it. Juice that will continue to be squeezed and wrung out for years to come. So, when something new gets thrown into the formula, I pay attention.

The fresh ingredient is in a perspective that’s not often explored in samurai literature. The story of a woman in the role of a samurai and how that shapes the cultural landscape. That’s the case with Blue Eye Samurai. An Edo revenge tale from husband-and-wife team Noizumi and Michael Green.

Continue reading “Blue Eye Samurai Review – Edo Revenge Thriller Breaks New Ground For Established Genre” →

Pop Culture and Japan

The Forest Of Love Review: The Kind Of Movie That Wallows In Its Own Seediness

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Japanese films have a certain quality to them. They often have a larger than life feeling that sets them apart from traditional western films. This is certainly the case with Netflix’s The Forest Of Love, which is directed by Sion Sono. Loosely based on real life, The Forest of Love follows a violent man called Joe Murata, who spends his time getting off on every vice that comes his way. Twisted, gory and excessive, The Forest of Love is the kind of movie that luxuriates in its own seediness. Continue reading “The Forest Of Love Review: The Kind Of Movie That Wallows In Its Own Seediness” →

Pop Culture and Japan

The Naked Director Review: A Raunchy Depiction Of Japan’s Sexual Awakening

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One of the most common images to be associated with Japan is that of a polite society steeped in conservative traditions. Historically, the Japanese have struggled to push back against this status quo, but the 1980s were a time when the country started to experience a rebirth in terms of attitude to taboo subjects like sex and pornography, and a man at the forefront of this change was porn director Toru Muranishi.

Netflix’s The Naked Director explores the rise of Japan’s notorious ‘Emperor of Porn’ and the emergence of sexual liberation in Japan’s adult film industry. Raunchy, graphic and gritty, The Naked Director veers between crime drama and comedy biopic. Continue reading “The Naked Director Review: A Raunchy Depiction Of Japan’s Sexual Awakening” →

Pop Culture and Japan

Enter The Anime Review: So Much Wasted Potential

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With anime being one of Japan’s most popular exports, there have been several attempts by documentary makers to dive into the world of otaku and kawaii culture and see what makes it so appealing. The most recent documentary Netflix’s Enter The Anime, features various anime creators taking about their work. As a casual anime fan I was interested to learn more, but what I watched turned out to be a poorly constructed story that barely scratched the surface of the industry. Continue reading “Enter The Anime Review: So Much Wasted Potential” →