tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-353310932012-02-16T02:56:14.373-05:00Asian Cinema: Eight Trees CineMANIA ReduxOnigirinoreply@blogger.comBlogger471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-39999623328556082782006-12-16T20:04:00.000-05:002006-12-16T21:31:27.407-05:00

More Wacky Sports Action: Tennis No OujisamaTakeshi Konomi's 'The Prince of Tennis' manga has produced a half-hour weekly radio show, over 100 music CDs, several games, musicals, tons of merchandise and now a live action movie. It was gonna come sooner or later. As always, this review is for the sake of the movie and references to the manga will be avoided, which is fine seeing that I've never

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-81091491144372575272006-12-16T00:00:00.000-05:002006-12-16T02:03:43.487-05:00

Hurrah!We are one of the finalists for The 2006 Weblog Awards in the Best Asian Blog category. We're not expecting to win the next round but we're happy enough just to have made it to the finals!For the few people who grace this site, vote for us if you like what we do here! The fanfare ends 12.18.06.*Update*Votes are now open! Help us out by clicking here!Links:Best Asian Blog Polls2006 Weblog

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-42857996870189708592006-12-11T01:49:00.000-05:002006-12-13T06:03:36.306-05:00

YTMND fooleryPresenting "A feast for little Cindy Lou Who".Honorable mention:Rocky Describes Santa and his Reindeer

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-344681143570999132006-12-06T13:06:00.000-05:002006-12-07T20:17:17.158-05:00

For The Otaku/Chikan In YouI kind of have mixed feelings about this. It was fun when I visited one of these things in Akihabara, but to have one in Toronto? Check out their menu and, oh yeah, maybe the staff.Links:i maid cafe

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-8294221903355066192006-12-05T23:34:00.000-05:002006-12-06T12:49:34.275-05:00

Soredemo Boku Wa Yattenai (Even So, I Didn't Do It)A decade after Shall We Dance, Masayuki Suo's new creation touches on an all too common occurrence in Japan. Based on true events, the story is about a young man riding a train on his way to a job interview, however, a woman accuses him of molesting her. He is detained by police and given a choice, either he admits that he did wrong and make a

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-9501550106366786162006-12-01T23:42:00.001-05:002006-12-02T00:15:33.073-05:00

Good War Film Despite Its FlawsJunya Sato's Yamato is based on a non-fiction book by Jun Henmi about the Japanese WWII Battleship Yamato. Yamato, along side her sister ship Musashi, was one of the largest and heaviest battleships ever to be built in Naval history. Otoko-tachi no Yamato is essentially about the crewmen of the ship and how they reacted to their inevitable demise and defeat. Not

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-80225219052628933862006-11-29T01:13:00.000-05:002006-11-29T21:10:08.074-05:00

MadTV SkitHilarious little skit riding on the growing popularity of Korean dramas. Featuring the funny Bobby Lee.*Update*Part II of the skit.

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-85277892776152075262006-11-26T01:23:00.000-05:002006-12-21T04:49:39.016-05:00

Saturday Morning NostalgiaBased on a Japanese vintage Saturday morning cartoon, Ninja Hattorikun is a live action counterpart that'll appeal to kids. It'll also bring back some memories for adults who grew up with Fujiko Fujio creations, like the endearing and popular Doraemon and Pa-man. It's silly fun you can enjoy as a diversion, so don't expect a hack n' slash blood bath typically associated

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-64952385140988453702006-11-18T00:02:00.000-05:002006-12-02T14:00:54.775-05:00

aka Gau Ngao GauThere's nothing like off the hook Hong Kong movie violence. Dog Bite Dog is a gritty crime thriller that's just that and more. It's easy to follow and the character motivation is relatively simple. But the director makes its unforgiving violence work through the great cinematography and unadulterated content that delivers rare brutality. The plot is standard fair but it places the

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-70261412734519910992006-11-16T00:34:00.000-05:002006-12-07T20:18:13.059-05:00

Hopefully Not Hollywood GarbageHere's a plot outline from IMDb:"The film is the story of an American woman (Murphy) who's stranded in Tokyo after breaking up with her boyfriend. Searching for direction in life, she trains to be a ramen noodle chef under a tyrannical Japanese master (Nishida)."I hope it doesn't become an Americanized perversion of Juzo Itami's Tampopo. Whatever the case, I'm

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-15583262418210759772006-11-14T01:57:00.000-05:002006-11-14T14:03:31.237-05:00

With A Preview of VenomCatch a glimpse of him at the end of the trailer.*drools*

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-67267759006875227622006-11-12T00:06:00.000-05:002006-11-14T14:03:28.022-05:00

aka Densha OtokoTrain Man is a romantic comedy purportedly based on a true story. The tale is of an Akiba geek who falls instantly in love with a woman he sees on a train. He consequently chronicles these events on the mega popular Japanese forum, 2channel. It has since produced a television series, manga, novel and a movie, which is the basis for this review. Think of this as a Japanese version

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-70105119561871781252006-11-06T20:11:00.000-05:002006-11-13T16:42:49.259-05:00

Ripoff?Ripoff of what you say? Well judging from just its title, you'll be flooded by memories of the horror sensation that is The Ring. Indeed, you'll immediately notice that this is much like Ringu, cellphone style. Using modern technology as a basis of horror isn't all that new, but Miike embraces it in this movie. It's as if he's blatantly ridiculing this commodity of Japanese film. As a

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-69984418910444953932006-11-05T23:28:00.000-05:002006-12-07T20:18:56.521-05:00

Yay!　うんち！More of those wacky Japanese shows. Japanator found YouTube videos of a weird toilet training animation for kids. Bonus clips include a very creepy and disturbing prank. The story here.The above caption reads, "Poo is coming out".Link:Teach Japanese Kids To Love Poop

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-58079568261634146882006-11-03T21:28:00.001-05:002006-11-13T16:42:42.371-05:00

ちょっと馬鹿っぽい。。。Tokyo Zombie is an okay B movie comedy. It's nothing ground breaking or fancy and you'll soon associate it with Shaun of the Dead rather than the horror of Dawn of the Dead. It's also more of a buddy type comedy than a survivalist zombie film, so don't expect that much gut wrenching gore or edge of your seat horror. I actually found it too be relatively tame. Anyway, some of those

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-30496333730309924132006-11-02T23:54:00.000-05:002006-11-13T16:42:39.082-05:00

JjakpaeAfter watching City of Violence, I was thinking that something great could have happened here. Something really gritty and emotionally gripping could have come out of this film. But it's all lost in this overall mediocre action crime thriller that doesn't really reinvent anything. The fighting is exciting in of itself, it will undoubtedly remind you of a lesser Kill Bill. It's also a nice

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-15922051628626926902006-10-31T19:15:00.000-05:002006-11-26T01:28:33.213-05:00

Into The Depths Of HellTakashi Shimizu fans will analyze this somewhat creepy movie to death. The creator of The Grudge, directs a film that is steeped in myth, legend and literary references. For the teen-slasher crowd, it's a yawner. At first glance, it's kind of eerie and very atmospheric but there's no real scare factor that was prevalent in The Grudge series. Marebito is about a man trying

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-84671221824131641802006-10-31T11:01:00.000-05:002006-11-13T16:42:32.864-05:00

咖啡因在哪里?So, what is it that I'm doing that apparently involves not watching movies like I should be doing? Well... hm, how did Riceball put it... ah, yes, "travelling the world to better myself." Well, this betterment of mineself involves the Mandarin language and the rather friendly Taiwanese populace who are surprisingly apologetic about their lack of knowledge of the English language. You know,

Caffeinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08841931073018146096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-61996298828158749962006-10-31T03:48:00.000-05:002006-12-06T13:30:15.400-05:00

New Anime SeriesPresenting Tetsuo Hara's new anime, Souten no Ken. I'm pretty psyched about the development of this series. It's based on a manga of the same name as well as the old Hokuto no Ken manga and anime series. You can read my initial impression of the very first episode here.Links:Japanator Review

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-63731681123349086952006-10-30T19:55:00.000-05:002006-11-13T16:42:25.555-05:00

Pure FunIn addition to its awesome title, Negadon is a short and sweet tribute to 1960's retro tokusatsu (SFX)/Godzilla movies. It has a run time of about 25 minutes but it is one very cool little short. It's shot completely in 3D CGI, but it's not "Final Fantasy: Spirits Within"-realistic-as-possible rendering. Instead, it kind of reminded me of the Devilman CG sequences, but with more detail

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-76366089374447204422006-10-30T11:57:00.000-05:002006-12-06T13:31:22.220-05:00

Sweet We won the Blog Of The Day Award for 10.30.06. It's been exactly one month since we started this blog and it's a blast. Now it's time for a Bloggie Award!...muhahaha...babysteps, babysteps.Links:Blog Of The Day Award for Oct. 30, 2006

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-52758652891847543462006-10-29T16:43:00.000-05:002006-11-13T16:42:18.029-05:00

Cha No AjiYet another plotless and drawn out movie to grace this site, but not to worry, this one is different. It's a beautifully quaint look into the life of an urban family living amongst rice fields and farms in a quiet countryside home. While failing to communicate with each other, they have personal issues that they try to work out individually. Taste of Tea grasps some kind of essence,

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-27359904912617020432006-10-28T15:13:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:42:13.756-05:00

And The Hits Just Keep On ComingTakeshi Miike always had a talent for edge-of-your-seat movies that are uncomfortable and squeamish to the viewing public. From "Full Metal Yakuza" and "Audition" to "Visitor Q" and "The Happiness of the Katakuris", it's all unhinged madness. But IZO is far from that, and not in a good way. This was just utterly boring, repetitive, artsy fartsy garbage. From the

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-49765702503889337342006-10-27T02:28:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:42:09.747-05:00

Surviving The MovieI've picked up another oddity in a stack of movie strangeness that never seems to end. This is reminiscent of those movies like Crash, where you have a group of non-related characters that converge into a neat little package. Except this is nowhere near that. Okay, let's just scrap that idea altogether. It's about a group of people that cross paths and....that's pretty much it.

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-84198457796416850782006-10-26T22:50:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:42:06.609-05:00

Otokono ShinkuroOne of the strong points of a lot of Japanese comedy is its ability to be charming and really loopy at the same time. Waterboys is no exception. The movie is a good natured family film and its silly, light hearted comedy will appeal to young and old alike. It'll be a throw back to those carefree high school days, where anything was possible. But I bet being in a male only

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-86598257274093466832006-10-25T16:00:00.000-04:002006-12-06T13:31:58.576-05:00

New Anime & Manga BlogI'm a video game freak and I get my gaming news fix at Destructoid. It's an alternative to most of the big gaming sites in that they actually have fun posting game news and reviews. If you haven't already, check out their community driven site...the people there are indeed hardcore.Now, the point of this post. The creators of Destructoid have unleashed a new sister site,

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-45791304948574918962006-10-24T15:37:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:59.550-05:00

Girl Fight!Ah yes, The Duel Project. Director Yukihiko Tsutsumi challenges Ryuhei Kitamura in a contest to complete a movie within certain production guidelines. It's Tsutsumi's 2LDK versus Kitamura's Aragami. Only two (or three) actors are aloud, one location, one survivor and a one week deadline. However, he does break one major rule. Who cares though, it was still entertaining. 2LDK means "2-

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-25818706447916093432006-10-23T15:45:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:56.112-05:00

Poor Poor TonyWhat a refreshing change from the recent string of in-your-face weirdness I've been seeing in films of late. Tony Takitani is adapted from novelist Haruki Murakami's short story of the same name. It zeroes in on loneliness and emptiness, but in a zen like contemplative mood. The picture and direction was excellent. The music accompanying the film is a perfect ensemble, scored by one

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-57896719095858902642006-10-19T09:56:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:53.195-05:00

Hero Kenzan!First off, no, I, in fact, have not even bothered to ask anyone if they actually like sports movies. Even so, I'm fairly comfortable in saying that, in general, people don't particularly like 'em. It probably isn't the sport itself, but rather the drama that goes on behind the scenes of the sport. A story starts with a baseball game, but then veers off into some drama about a batter's

Caffeinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08841931073018146096noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-14410317460102726212006-10-18T15:47:00.001-04:002006-11-13T16:41:49.721-05:00

Self-Indulgent Rambling?I had Takeshi Kitano's film Takeshis' lined up on my list for reviews. The tag being "500% Kitano - nothing to add." Nice, a movie about Kitano, by Kitano. After viewing it, I was baffled. The first thing I asked myself was, "huh?". I was urged by a friend to view it a second time, and so reluctantly I did. This time around I had mixed feelings. I was happy for Kitano, he

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-80617725996490459832006-10-16T18:52:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:46.361-05:00

Ouch, Very OuchI can safely say that this movie is a disservice to even the most dedicated Devilman manga fan. But I won't delve into that, let's just focus on the movie. Unbelievably horrible, from the production value to the OST. So bad it's funny, but in that sad way. I just can't find anything of redeemable value here...so I'll just let off some steam and keep bashing. Comic book movies have

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-428259224145221852006-10-13T19:12:00.000-04:002006-11-20T13:49:14.563-05:00

What Is This...8TCM?I'm constantly trying to change the design of the site, especially something that's suitable for movie reviews. It's kind of a sick kind of addiction for me right now. I have Caffeine helping me out in that respect and giving me his input. I have this music player going on in my sidebar but I'm not sure if I want it or not. It'll purely be OST tunes should I decide to keep it

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-62986988998884011882006-10-13T16:15:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:38.257-05:00

AKA Stinky TurdThat pretty much sums it up. Gun wielding quasi samurai and ninjas, swords with phallic hilts, motorcycles, zombies, spider men, berzerkers, a goddess here, a vampire there...yep, Death Trance has it all. But why so bad and why did I see this sorry excuse of a movie? Cause Tak Sakaguchi was in it, and I like giving the guy a chance. Another name caught my attention, Kentaro Seagal.

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-7966946793085021022006-10-12T10:01:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:33.989-05:00

Ret's Go! Raida Kicku!The fact that I still actually like the old-generation Kamen Riders gives me an odd feeling. It was something I was supposed to leave behind me more than a decade ago. But honestly, what's not to love about the Rider Henshin poses? The incredibly combustible henchmen? The fact that their jump kicks aren't just jump kicks, but Rider Kicks? Seriously, to them, even the simple

Caffeinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08841931073018146096noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-13630302161764225692006-10-09T07:22:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:30.152-05:00

Great For Drama BuffsThis beautifully crafted film combines a great backdrop, rich story and deep character development. This ain't your typical swordplay movie. Twilight Samurai faithfully depicts the transition between the end of the Edo period and the Meiji Restoration. Kind of like The Last Samurai, but better. The tone of the movie has a melancholy feel to it. You can't help but empathize

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-27569933680383578062006-10-06T02:12:00.000-04:002006-12-02T14:01:37.296-05:00

Gunfu FightingI discovered this obscure movie while combing IMDb. A 2002 film with Christian Bale, Emily Watson and Taye Diggs, entitled Equilibrium. From what I've read up on the movie, it may have been a precursor to Ultraviolet (Milla Jovovich). It seemed to have favorable responses so I decided to sit back and enjoy it. To my surprise, it was better than I expected. It wasn't brilliant but

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-31323892343021221942006-10-05T00:14:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:22.810-05:00

No, Not The GameShinobi is based on a popular Japanese 1958 novel and it has an enticing premise. Saying that, it's an okay film. It would have been a really cool trailer though I'm sure. But that's the extent of the movie, a handful of cool action scenes...and whatever else. It looks fantastic and the picturesque shots are nice, but it gets stale after a while. Nakama Yukie is one of the reasons

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-2013785325644587932006-10-04T23:22:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:19.682-05:00

Episode OneIt's a black and white movie and it's a period film made in 98'. I don't think trying to recapture that feeling of old Kurosawa movies was the intention, but in any case, it works. There are patches of color here and there which was an interesting touch. The dialog was at times charming, funny and moving. Plus there were ninjas and samurai. All good things.Lord Kanzen Inukai is given a

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-40520291940260465722006-10-03T22:44:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:15.817-05:00

God LikeRyuhei Kitamura, of Versus and Azumi fame, creates an ingeniously simple plot with amusing and interesting dialog and some nice action sequences in this stylized fantasy movie. This is the end product of a challenge between two directors to create a feature length film, involving two actors, one setting and a one week deadline aka The Duel Project. Despite the constraints, it's a great

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-1159755724688396702006-10-03T21:51:00.000-04:002006-12-23T14:21:08.681-05:00

And Tone DeafI grew up in a household that loves watching chambara on Japanese TV. Particularly the long running 'Mito Koumon' and the very cool 'Abarenbo Shogun'. Zatoichi is directed and written by Takeshi Kitano, a definite favorite of mine. So naturally, watching this film was a treat for me. Although the story is based on another very popular series of movies of the same title, it's pure

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-1159752933252688112006-10-02T21:32:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:08.342-05:00

Anime You Can't RefuseThree bickering homeless bums doesn't sound like much of a character base for an anime. But this film is fun and fast paced in its own bizarre way. Director Satoshi Kon perfectly blends a heart warming drama about personal redemption with a funny and fast paced movie. He does this through energetic storytelling with a kind of weird yet sentimental development. Sometimes it's

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-1159689323235406802006-10-01T15:48:00.000-04:002006-11-13T16:41:04.715-05:00

Drug Inducing Punk FestI'll start with my all time favorite Japanese movie. Electric Dragon not only blew me away after viewing it, I was craving for way more. I don't know what possessed Sogo Ishii to make this film, but it's a gift that's under-appreciated. Sure it's loud and nonsensical, but Ishii uses this element and changes it into some kind of sick guilty pleasure. Although clocking in at

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-85713966292777459982006-10-01T13:57:00.000-04:002006-12-11T02:02:39.797-05:00

Diversions.12/06Happy Holidays!Meido Cafe In Toronto11/06Korean Soap Opera ParodySpiderman TrailerInstructional Poo Videos10/06TaiwanEquilibrium Review

Onigirinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-10116324666633564702006-10-01T13:50:00.000-04:002006-12-06T01:43:52.750-05:00

Archived website and Asian cinema news.12/062006 Weblog Awards FinalistLife after "Shall We Dance"11/06The Ramen Girl10/06Fist of the Blue SkyBlog Of The Day AwardsJapanator.comOverview

Onigirinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-12473862369408158872006-10-01T00:01:00.000-04:002006-12-13T06:02:02.636-05:00

Name *Email *WebsiteYour Message *

Onigirinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-83851348414358252522006-10-01T00:00:00.001-04:002007-06-08T16:10:23.488-04:00

FilmBright Lights Film JournalA popular-academic hybrid of movie analysis, history, and commentary.Bollywood HubThe latest Bollywood Desi movies and music reviews and demo downloads.Cinema.3YenJapanese cinema news and articles. Also has excellent Japanese lifestyle, business, technology and entertainment sub sites.EigakaiWebsite devoted to Japanese cinema. Includes news, releases, overviews and

Onigirinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35331093.post-13290797578272701772006-10-01T00:00:00.000-04:002006-12-16T21:24:11.227-05:00

Alphabetical# A C D E I M N O P S T W ZBy Rating1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8#2LDK^AAragami: The Raging God Of Battle^CThe City Of Violence^DDeath TranceDevilmanDog Bite Dog^EElectric Dragon 80000VEquilibrium^IIZO^MMasked Rider: The FirstMarebito^NNegadon: The Monster From MarsNin x Nin: Ninja Hattori-kun, The Movie^OOne Missed CallOtoko-Tachi No Yamato^PPing PongThe Prince Of Tennis^SSamurai Fiction:

Onigirinoreply@blogger.com