I’ve gone through my favourite J-pop/rock artists so allow me to share my favourite Japanese movies with you. This was way more difficult for me to choose than the music but I’ve managed to narrow it down to a list of 10 movies:
Versus
This movie directed by Ryuhei Kitamura has some of the most high octane action scenes I’ve ever seen on celluloid. Whether it’s a swordfight or martial arts or even gunplay the action here is relentless and totally over the top. You’re never more than a couple of minutes away from something happening which is why I love this movie so much. Hard to tag Versus with any one genre as it’s a zombie/swordfight/horror/action movie set entirely in a place called The Forest Of Resurrection, one of 666 portals into hell. 2 escaped prisoners get double crossed and one of them escapes into the forest but then the bodies that have been buried there by the Yakuza come alive. Then there’s a villain who’s determined to open a portal into hell by kidnapping a young girl. By making her bleed the portal will open. Versus is really cool with some great visuals but just don’t take this movie seriously at all. If seeing extreme violence and limbs being sliced off aren’t your cup of tea then keep away as the crimson stuff is sprayed all over the place here . For those that love their action then you’ve come to the right place. Versus has to be seen to be believed but don’t take my word for it – watch the trailer below.
Battle Royale
Another very violent controversial movie. In the future, Japanese society is in chaos, the economy collapsed and the youth of the country revolted against their teachers at school. The government passed a law called The Battle Royale Act for a class to be chosen at random to take part in a game. We follow one class of Japanese high school teenagers who are drugged and shipped off to an island where they’re forced to kill each other for entertainment. Only one person can win the game. If any person refuses to cooperate, a collar which has been placed around their neck will activate and slice their head off! This movie has many thought provoking themes in the storyline. Friends turn on each other in order to survive which begs the question: if you were in the same situation could you kill your best friend? I love this movie and I highly recommend it.
Always: Sunset On Third Street
This movie did extremely well in Japan due to the nostalgia factor. It’s set during post war Tokyo 1958 in a working class area called Third Street which is in the shadow of Tokyo Tower being built. A simple life for many with the big excitement being a new fridge or one household getting a TV in which all of the residents crowd around with excitement. A harsher time too economically but everybody looking ahead to a brighter future after the ravages of war. The movie has many storylines centred on different characters – for example: a young girl coming to the big city to work for a small car repair shop and a novelist having to take care of an orphan boy. This movie has everything going for it – some comedy and drama, brilliant CG effects and it’s got that feel good factor. Some might say it’s a bit too sentimental but I disagree. The filmmakers bring alive that period of time so brilliantly – you almost feel that you’re there with the people of Third Street. Initially the only reason for watching this was because of my favourite Japanese actress Maki Horikita. She’s at her kawaii best here. All of the characters are endearing especially the orphan boy Junnosuke. You’ll really feel some sympathy for his story. After watching this movie I was wondering to myself wouldn’t it great to go back and experience the atmosphere of that time and how different it would be from the present. Oh and the sequel is equally as good as the first.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Absolutely stunning anime movie centred on 3 teenagers: Makoto who’s a bit of a tomboy and her 2 best male friends Chiaki and Kousuke. They spend their spare time out practicing baseball after school. Their friendship changes forever though when Makoto gets her hands on a device in the school lab store in which she can leap back through time. She thinks that by doing going back she can help herself in various ways but in doing this she affects other things in her friends life. By changing the past comes consequences as Makoto is about to find out. The storyline is a mixture of drama, romance and slapstick comedy whilst the animation itself is top notch. The wonderful soundtrack is great too. I found this movie to be so captivating and I heartily recommend it.
Ringu
This classic J-horror needs no introduction as most movie fans have either seen this or it’s Americanised remake (which in my opinion is terrible!). If you’ve been hibernating for the past 10 years and don’t know what Ringu is here’s a quick summary: a video tape is doing the rounds and if you’re unfortunate to have seen it you’ll die in 7 days. With many people already dead, a news reporter Reiko gets wind of this story, finds the tape and watches it. The tape itself has various images on it which makes no sense but nevertheless Reiko enlists her ex-husband and sets out to unravel the mystery before 7 days comes up. Whilst Ringu isn’t an out and out horror movie with gore, it is full of tension which only gets greater as the clock ticks down until the fateful day that Reiko is supposed to die. Then of course there’s that iconic moment at the climax when the villain Sadoko makes her appearance in the most dramatic way possible which I won’t spoil for those that haven’t seen it. Don’t expect big scares like you get in American horrors, it just doesn’t happen in Ringu. But it still manages to terrify and gets under your skin.
