Author: Thomas Norman
Monster is the magnum opus of mangaka Naoki Urasawa and a Cold War psychological thriller – it is a seinen manga also adapted into an anime following the whole story exactly. It follows a Japanese neurosurgeon, Dr. Kenzo Tenma, who has residence in Germany to work at Eisler Memorial. Engaged to his boss’ daughter and
Memories of Murder is a 2003 South Korean thriller that served as Bong Joon-ho’s breakthrough film – it brought him the acclaim to later direct profound films such as ‘Parasite’ as the first non-English film to win ‘Best Picture’ in the Academy awards. The premise is simple as rural police and their antiquated techniques, including
You are probably safe in a secure country – friendly neighbours and a military might, even allies, so nobody would dare to attack you, your pets and your city. Before, the Cold War was a time of uncertainty for those in developed nations – it was considered a realistic possibility for another world war engulfing
I will be exploring the psychological horror of Neon Genesis Evangelion and the trauma that is aptly exhibited in the series. It is an impressive show that doesn’t minimise the impact of being involved with such extreme scenarios; the damage to any ordinary life at school, the disconnect from friends, and the trauma overriding any
Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion is a 1972 Japanese exploitation flick of the ’70s, closely tied into the ‘Pinku eiga’ genre for the flippant erotica, with all the tropes of a grindhouse installment – unabashed violence, casual nudity, exaggerated villains, and farcical action. Campy as they are wild, these films are frequently a guilty pleasure to
We have a short, masterful Japanese horror film that is available on Youtube from the infamous ”nana825763‘ who also produced the viral videos of ‘Doll’ and ‘Username 666‘ a decade ago, two much less ambitious projects as mere animations over any coherent cinematic effort. This 2016 release was unfortunately neglected from deserved attention – it
Hyakki Yagyō, translated to ‘Night Parade of One Hundred Demons’, is a supernatural event in Japanese folklore whereby yōkai of all kinds assemble – sometimes reportedly led by ‘Nurarihyon‘ – and march festively as an orderly procession throughout the night, escalating into chaotic riots on some occasions. Anybody unfortunate to encounter the parade will not
Confessions (Kokuhaku in Japan) is a 2010 revenge thriller based on Kanae Minato’s critically acclaimed debut novel. From director Tetsuya Nakashima who also produced the visually bubbly ‘Kamikaze Girls‘ and highly introspective ‘Memories of Matsuko‘, his signatures as an auteur filmmaker are throughout – hyperreal filters, ethereal music and illuminating colours all providing an overwhelming
We will be examining a classic Japanese film on 17th century samurai as both a faithful homage to their traditions while a deep critique to the virtues instilled – a refocus from all the horror as a cult classic. The film is Harakiri (1962) – named after ‘self-inflicted disembowelment‘ – from Masaki Kobayashi, who also
Higurashi When They Cry, or Higurashi no Naku Koro ni in Japanese, is an sprawling franchise of Ryukishi 07 – starting with the amateurish visual novel series in 2002 only initially selling fifteen copies, produced by ’07th Expansion’ and subsequently adapted onto practically every platform to amass exceptional sales. The series encompasses two live film,