Glad for this thread…
I watched a little SPYxFAMILY today on the train.
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It’s actually not, it’s just been going for 8 years. 
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Hi,
I just joined Wanikani and this is my first visit to the forum so I wanted to say hello. I love all kinds of movies and I especially enjoy international films. I am pleased to see that many of my favorites have already been mentioned and I have a recommendation of my own to share. I am a HUGE fan of Godzilla, and if you have not seen Godzilla Minus One you have a real treat in store. IMHO it is the second best Godzilla film close behind the original film from 1954. It was made at TOHO studios and is not simply a corny kaiju movie. Just like the original film used a attack by a giant monster to say something about the dangers of nuclear weapons, Godzilla Minus one uses the monster to tell a story about how the Japanese dealt with the aftermath of the second world war. My wife is Japanese and her father was a veteran of the war. He never spoke to me about his experiences (none of my business). But she was very moved by the film. One of the themes was the sense of shame many veterans felt for losing the war and failing to protect their families and friends who suffered. There was also a great deal of anger and a sense that they had been betrayed by the government. My wife was very moved by the film. If you haven’t seen it I highly recommend it.
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Hello and welcome!
I haven’t seen Godzilla Minus One, thanks for the recommendation, will try to see it!
I am 4 episodes away from finishing Hiyokko. It’s my first time watching an entire show in Japanese (with Japanese subtitles) and I feel very lucky I picked this one!
I had it in my docket because the intro animation was done by the guy from Miniature Calendar, and I had actually started it a couple of times but it was too difficult for me (it was before my WaniKani/extensive reading era.) Now I would heartily recommend it to learners, it’s nice to spend so much time with the characters (156 15 min chapters!) and you get used to their vocabulary and voices.
The show itself is very good, excellent writing and some very good performances, specially by the lead. There is a lot of goofiness and low production values typical of this sort of dorama but I find those very charming. I liked the working class sensibility, it’s fun to spend time with normal people doing normal jobs. There is also a nice wholesomeness to it, since there is no real antagonist other than life itself, and all characters are seen with compassion, even when they do bad things. It reminded me of Ted Lasso in that way.
The heroine ends up in Tokyo through a Japanese government program called 集団就職, group employment. They shipped thousands of 16 to 18 year old kids from the countryside to the cities to supply workers for the booming industry. I thought it was super interesting from the economic but also human side, and will definitely be digging more into that.
Anyway, highly recommended!
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(The two movies I’m writing about are available to watch for free on Video list | JFF Theater until the end of October)
Watched Time of EVE the Movie. Mixed feelings on this one, didn’t find the plot captivating and thought it had even some major plot holes, but enjoyed it for listening practice and for the questions it raises.
Watched Tora-san in Goto. Had no expectations about it but wow ended up finding it fascinating. 5/5
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Definite thumbs up for Godzilla minus One!! I also really enjoyed Tokyo Vice and have wanted to watch Season 2 but didn’t have time. I recently went to Japan and caught two films on the plane - not sure if they are available internationally though-
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からかい上手の高木さん。
This is the sequel to the live tv series based on the manga/anime (available on Netflix in the U.S.). It is set 10 years later when 高木さん returns to town to visit. Like the series, it’s incredibly sweet, funny and just a feel good story. Not sure when it will be available internationally though as it just released in theatres in Japan. -
四月になれば彼女は
Based on the book by 川村元気。I honestly had never heard of either the movie or the book, but I found later that it’s the same author as 世界から猫が消えたなら。it’s a romance story (though not a rom com) and also very sweet. It made me buy the novel in Tokyo even if it might be a bit above my reading level.
In both cases I ended up getting very emotional and needed to get a few handkerchiefs and try not to break down completely while watching on the plane but I am an innate romance movie crier 
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ooh, thanks for the rec that looks interesting!
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Nothing to mention for me last week (went through the three Ghost in the Shell SAC animes, didn’t feel like watching 52 eps of the SAC series) and this week looks like Korean and Chinese movies… but we’ll see, maybe one Japanese at the weekend 
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I watched Ramen Shop yesterday but I didn’t enjoy it. It was probably not a good idea to watch it right after Tora-san in Goto, which was so authentic, now this one felt very fake. But anyway, if someone is really hungry / interested in cooking or like to hear people talking Chinese then that might be a movie for you
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Watched this again today… and some SLAM DUNK (the original anime series).
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Embarked on a new “project” yesterday evening, going on over the next couple of weeks I suppose: one Western film (likely from US, but we’ll see) and one Japanese from each decade, starting with the 30s.
The first Japanese stop:
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum / 残菊物語 - 1939
In late 1800s Japan, Kikunosuke is a pretty poor Kabuki theatre actor, adopted son of a much more famous actor. When he falls for a servant - wet-nurse Otoku - the family forbids their relationship. Kiku leaves the city for Osaka, where he takes another stab at acting. Eventually Otoku joins him and supports his acting carrer but the road to glory is a difficult one.
A long and slow film, this is I suppose at its core a feminist statement piece, but perhaps a bit too heavy-handed - by the end of the (of course, tragic) feature, Otoku’s constant selfless attitude and sacrifice in service to Kiku’s art becomes slightly annoying, while his own attitude some times leans a little too much toward selfishness.
The acting is restrained yet “natural” in that typical Japanese manner from non-action films. Except maybe the Kabuki scenes, which I don’t understand nor like, anyway.
The cinematography is interesting, wildly different than Western takes in the same period: often very long takes (well staged and acted) and practically no closeups; a lot of times the camera seems “hidden” from view of the characters, almost spying on them.
Unfortunately the Blu-ray transfer isn’t great, the visuals are soft and the print isn’t clean (yet the attention given to detail in scenes is still obvious) and the audio quality is quite poor - it was difficult to catch words, for me. I guess the Japanese weren’t quite on the same level as the West when it came to technical equipment back then; to a lesser extent, this is also visible in later films from 40s and even 50s.
It wasn’t a bad watch, though. I’ll give it a 7/10 but others may get more (or less) out of it.
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Have you seen all 33 Godzilla movies from Toho?
One of my favourite bars around where I live is themed after classic Japanese kaiju and horror movies. There is always a movie playing on the screen and the bar is chock full of posters (all the walls and the ceiling), props and figures from the movies. While the theme is not exclusively Godzilla, those movies are a main part of it.
There is also a small Godzilla store not far from where I live. And of course the official store in Shinjuku (all new stuff vs. second hand/vintage stuff).
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Yesterday evening’s watch:
The Quiet Duel / 静かなる決闘 - 1949
In 1940s Japan, Kyoji is a surgeon in an army field hospital - one day he cuts his finger during surgery and ends up infected with syphilis from a soldier. After the war, he practices with his father at a small clinic in a bombing-ravaged area of Tokyo. At home no-one knows of his disease, and he breaks off his 6-year engagement with Misao, without giving her a proper explanation. One day he meets that soldier again by chance, and finds out he’s married and his wife is now pregnant.
As the title might suggest, this one is far removed from Kurosawa’s spectacle samurai films.
It’s a slow moving personal drama with not a whole lot going on, and verging into straight melodrama territory at times.
Even so, I liked it quite a lot.
Toshiro Mifune is really good in portraying Kyoji - torn between desire and conscience, and Noriko Sengoku as an apprentice nurse going through her own personal battle (with herself) stood out too.
There’s some great scene setting scattered throughout as well. Not quite as meticulously designed as Ozu’s maybe, but the use of lighting and including weather effects to finetune the characters’ actions were very nice anyway.
The plot may have some weaknesses (no explanation as to why Kyoji had to operate without gloves after getting the cut, his unwillingness to tell Misao why he’s breaking the engagement) but those weren’t deal breakers, just minor annoyances.
I suppose this isn’t a famous Kurosawa film, but I’d say it’s definitely worth a watch.
8.5/10
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Hi
That is a good question. I am an old geezer (soon to be 70) so my introduction to Godzilla was watching the American version of the original on black and white TV when I was a little kid. It was dubbed into English and also had some footage of an American actor named Raymond Burr inserted into it. He was supposed to be an American reporting on the news from Japan. As far as I know the uncut original version has only been available in the US within the last 20 years. Anyway as soon as I saw the first one I was hooked and whenever one was on TV I watched it. You have to understand this was long before home video or internet streaming. So when you are 8 years old and Rodan comes on TV and mom is calling you in to have dinner it was THE ONLY CHANCE I WILL EVER GET TO SEE THIS!!! WAHHH! But I watched every movie like that from King Kong to Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and anything else.
Sometimes the local movie theater showed a Japanese Kaiju movie (by the way in America we did not learn the word Kaiju until Pacific Rim!). I was incredibly bummed out when King Kong vs. Godzilla came out because my parents weren’t able to take me for some reason. Once again it was THE ONLY CHANCE I WILL EVER GET TO SEE THIS!!! WAHHH! The irony is that to this day I have never gotten to see it! But at least I have something to look forward to. But I have something very cool to share. If you go to this website for the Criterion Collection you can see the original poster for the Korean release of the original. https://www.criterion.com/films/30209-king-kong-vs-godzilla
If you check it out, Kong has the upper hand for the moment but I assume Godzilla will turn things around.
I could talk about Godzilla all day but unfortunately I have work to do. But from your message it seems like you live in Japan. If so on Awaji island near Kobe they have a Godzilla museum where you can ride a zipline directly into Godzilla’s mouth! It is definitely on my bucket list.
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I am not far behind you.
I understand. I grew up with a black and white TV and a choice of 3 channels (2 decent, 1 fuzzy). Or 1 decent and 1 fuzzy if the weather was bad.
Aside from just the addition of Raymond Ironside Burr (an export to Hollywood from my country) there are quite a few other cuts and edits and some things are translated differently. The American version is also the first I saw - mostly likely on a PBS Saturday afternoon movie.
Tangential tidbit. A friend of mine was in the 2016 Shin Godzilla movie.
I do live in Japan, have been here for some time. I have seen some of the old ones at the theaters here. Toho Cinemas generally have various old classics (Japanese or Hollywood) on one of the smaller screens in the mornings. They also pop up on late night TV sometimes.
The Toho Cinema closest to me is the one with the to-scale Godzilla head coming out of the building, at the end of Godzilla Road. I have not been to the museum on Awaji island, but would like to if I have time when in the area.
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Recently watched the series 地面師たち. The series has been very popular in Japan. We ended up watching the complete series over a weekend.
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For the 50s, since a “worthy” follow-up to Kurosawa & Mifune was needed, I went with another heavy-hitting pair, that of Ozu & Hara… okay and also Ryu, making it a triangle
Tokyo Twilight / 東京暮色 - 1957, Yasujiro Ozu
Shukichi Sugiyama is a bank accountant/auditor in Tokyo, father to now adult Takako and Akiko, whom he raised alone after his wife left him when Akiko was three.
Takako is married, but as the film starts she’s left her husband and moved back in with her father and sister, bringing along her 2yo daughter.
Akiko seems sullen and the family (father and aunt) are trying to find her a suitable husband, but they don’t know that she’s in a (strained) relationship with a college student. Nor why she secretly borrowed 5000 Yen…
And then the girls’ mother turns up in Tokyo and tries to reconnect with them, while all this time they thought she had died.
Oh, boy…
With Ozu’ Noriko trilogy, while the films do tackle important issues (or matters, if you like) they are mostly “safe”. I wouldn’t call them “light” or “feel good” because they aren’t as such, but they’re decidedly not “bleak” either.
This one, though… wow, what a dark film it was! Dealing with extra-marital affairs, parental abandonment, abortion, references to prostitution and gambling, hints of domestic abuse and even suicide… one might even wonder if it was Yasujiro Ozu at the helm.
But only for a fleeting moment, because it is indeed Ozu with his usual shenanigans: slow moving almost standing still, painstakingly arranged shots, and of course mostly the same cast in their typical roles yet a little different:
Chishu Ryu is again a father, yet one that now seems to feel disappointment towards one of his daughters, rather than just the unconditional love and care from other films.
Setsuko Hara again a daughter, but now in an unhappy marriage yet devoted to her daughter and also to her sister, but (perhaps understandably so) resentful towards her absent mother and who knew the angelic Hara had it in her to muster an evil scowl?
But also the newcomer (to me) Ineko Arima was also excellent as young Akiko who feels ignored, misunderstood and out of place, and must make a difficult choice that scars her deeply.
Both the cast and the direction do make you care for the people in this world.
A (very) slow burner it may be, but when it finally lits its fire, it takes you on a quite amazing emotional ride. Gotta spoil things to clarify this point, just don’t click on those tags if you’re so inclined to watch it:
In the span of 10-12 minutes, one goes from anger and disdain - Deadbeat “boyfriend” mansplaining how he’s suffered along with Akiko. Aaaargh…! - to satisfaction and pride - Akiko has finally had enough and slaps him hard - to worry and horror - She storms out, but… Oh no, what was that train whisling outside, what happened to Akiko? - to relief and even hope - Akiko is injured but thankfully alive, and she wants to “reboot” her life - and then to grief - Damn it, she didn’t make it…
Masterfully done, really. I may not agree with Takako’s decisions after the climax, but I’m not going to fault the film for that, as both her choices - towards her mother and towards her marriage - do make sense in the character’s contexte3.
10/10 indeed, from me.
Right up there with Early Summer in Ozu’s repertoire, even though they are vastly different films.
Mind you, dunno when I’ll rewatch it, as it was so depressing…
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