I was lucky enough to catch Takashi Mikke’s Blade of the Immortal at the new Odeon Luxe Panton Street, complete with comfy reclining chairs. That’s a pretty good way to spend your last week in London before returning up north for Christmas! I was disappointed to miss Blade of the Immortal at the BFI Film … Continue reading
It’s been a good year for Satoshi Kon fans in the UK – not only did we get to see Perfect Blue on the big screen, but Paprika is now also available on blu-ray/DVD. That’s good news if you’re stuck for last minute Christmas present ideas, or just haven’t had a chance to see Paprika … Continue reading
There’s something distinctly bizarre about Masaaki Yuasa’s films that I can’t help but love. At first glance, Lu Over the Wall doesn’t look as sharp as some recent anime films that have graced UK screens this year – in fact, it literally looks shaky and wobbly. But there’s something wonderfully childish and joyful about it. You … Continue reading
Katsuhiro Otomo, the man behind standout anime films such as Akira and Metropolis, is one of those staple names in the anime director world. So, I was keen to check out Steamboy, a 2004 film re-released by MangaUK. This retro steampunk-esque story, set in Victorian England, is a great watch for the family and therefore … Continue reading
Studio Shaft’s Fireworks is the latest anime film coming to UK cinemas (15 November), thanks to All the Anime. Based on a 1990’s live-action TV special Fireworks: Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom? from Shunji Iwai that spawned a whole series of ‘what if’ dramas in Japan, it certainly has a … Continue reading
We’re coming to the end of film festival season in London, with a generous offering of Japanese films to boot. The second London East Asia Film Festival has been and gone and, while I didn’t see all the films I planned to, I managed to catch a few good ones. The London East Asia Film … Continue reading
I’m not normally in the habit of blogging about music, but when a fellow Japan blogger is releasing an EP, I have to make an exception. Tokyo-based British harpist Julia Mascetti, who blogs over at Tokyo Harp, is releasing a new EP – In Distance, Everything is Poetry – on 11 November. You can download … Continue reading
The BFI London Film Festival 2017 has been and gone! No doubt you’ll have seen one of the many posters on the London Underground and managed to catch at least one film yourself. I caught a few other foreign films but, for the purposes of this blog, here are the three Japanese films I caught. … Continue reading
To celebrate the 20th anniversary release of Satoshi Kon’s cult anime film Perfect Blue, All the Anime are bringing it to UK cinema screens for one night only on Halloween! Until recently, I had never seen Perfect Blue despite being aware of its existence for years, and I suspect I’m not the only person in … Continue reading
In 2015, the world-famous Ninagawa Company performed Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the Barbican in London, to the delight of fans. Two years later and one year after the death of Yukio Ninagawa, the acclaimed Japanese theatre director well-known for his Japanese productions of Shakespearian plays, the Ninagawa Company returned to London. This time, it was to … Continue reading
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