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One of the closest to the original live-action adaptations reached its third part in 2023, retaining the quality and entertainment of the first two, even if the story is, necessarily, a bit more condensed on occasion.

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The film is split into two parts, with the first one focusing more on the characters and the second on the battle itself. While Shin is training under Ohki, the Best General in the World, the powerful neighboring country of Zhao suddenly attacks Qin. Within the palace, Eisei has to deal with inner politics, as Ryofui, who obviously commands much authority within the council, is promoting his own man, general Mobu, as the one to be in charge of the defense of the country. In the meantime, though, Shoheikun, who is the one with the last word on the matter, has invited Ohki back to the court,...

Along with Keishi Otomo and Takashi Miike, Shinsuke Sato completed the trio of Japanese directors who truly excel in action anime/manga adaptations, with his works in “Gantz”, “Library Wars”, “I am a Hero” etc speaking for themselves. “Kingdom 2: Far and Away”, which continues the adaptation of the homonymous manga by Yasuhisa Hara, highlights the fact in the most eloquent fashion as it currently streams on Netflix, just before the third part's release later this year.

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In a style that points more towards Chinese than Japanese epics (the original is actually based on the Warring States period), the sequel see the State of Qin, who is now governed by Eisei, after the events of the first movie, facing a new threat from a neighboring nation, the State of Wei. Headed by general Go Kei, a genius in military warfare,...

The third instalment for the live-action Kingdom historical epic is currently set to premiere in Japan on July 28, 2023. Based on Yasuhisa Hara's hit manga set during the Warring States period in China, director Shinsuke Sato returns to continue the story focusing on the “Battle of Bayou” and “Escape from Zhao” arcs.

The first two Kingdom movies were blockbuster hits in Japan with a combined box office gross last reported to be over 10 billion yen. Returning cast members for this third movie includes Kento Yamazaki (Li Xin), Ryo Yoshizawa (Ying Zheng), Kanna Hashimoto (He Liao Diao), Nana Seino (Qiang Lei) and Takao Osawa (Wang Qi).

The Japan Academy Film Prize Association held the 46th edition of its awards ceremony on March 10, 2023. The nominees are selected by industry professionals from the pool of film releases between January 1 and December 31, 2022 which must have screened in Tokyo cinemas. Award categories are modelled after Hollywood's Academy Awards®.

Following its success at the recent Blue Ribbon Awards, and leading with 13 nominations in 12 categories, Kei Ishikawa's “A Man” walks away with 8 Japan Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. The full list of winners is described below.

Picture of the Year

A Man

Shin Ultraman

Phases of the Moon

Anime Supremacy!

Wandering

Team from A Man Animation of the Year

Inu-Oh

Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Suzume

One Piece Film Red

The First Slam Dunk

Director of the Year

Kei Ishikawa – A Man

Takashi Koizumi – The Pass: Last...

Based on a manga by Aoi Hiiragi, Yoshifumi Kondo’s anime “Whisper of the Heart” was one of the most popular anime titles of the 90s, even becoming the highest grossing Japanese film of 1995. Yuichiro Hirakawa presents his own version now, again drawing inspiration from the original story, but moving into different narrative paths.

Whisper of the Heart is screening in select theaters in the US, courtesy of Capelight Pictures

The film unfolds in two axes, one in the present, when our main heroes, Shizuku and Seiji, are 25 years old, and one in the past, ten years before. To take things from the beginning, during their middle school years, both protagonists are extreme bookworms, who compete for who will first get the new novel from the school library. Following Shizuku’s investigation on her adversary’s identity, the two eventually meet, and realize that they have too much in common,...

Chicago – Japan is up for this week’s feature in Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc) series… and what a great film it is. “Perfect Revolution,’ directed by Junpei Matsumoto, is about handicaps… both physical and mental. The film features Japanese actors Lily Franky and Nana Seino, in a odd coupling that’s a relationship experience. The film will be presented on Wednesday, April 11th, at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, with director Matumoto San appearing at the screening. For more details, click here.

“Perfect Revolution” is part of Season Six of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema, which features a diverse line-up of films, with Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, India and Hong Kong all represented for the Spring of 2018, all with English subtitles. Screenings occur at the AMC River East 21 in downtown Chicago, with other various locations for special events and a number of free screenings. Apuc is...

Title: Tokyo Tribe XLrator Media Director: Sion Sono Writer: Sion Sono, Santa Inoue (based on Manga) Cast: Ryohei Suzuki, Young Daisz, Akihiro Kitamura, Riki Takeuchi, Ryûta Satô, Tomoko Karina, Akihiro Kitamura, Hitomi Katayama, Nana Seino, Yôsuke Kubozuka Running time: 116min Rated: Unrated (violence, blood, bare breasts, implied rape) Theatrical, VOD And iTUNES Release Date: October 23, 2015 Based on the Manga by Santa Inoue, Tokyo Tribe takes place in an alternate/futuristic town in Japan, street gangs have a peace treaty that becomes disrupted when Merra, leader of the Wu-Ronz tribe of Bukuro attempts to kill Kai, member of the Musahino Saru; he kills Kai’s friend Tera by mistake. Tera is a beloved go-between of all the tribes, to which his [ Read More ]

The post Tokyo Tribe Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Why Don’t You Play in the Streets?: Sono’s Overblown Street War Musical

Many consider Sion Sono to be Takashi Miike’s succeeding enfant terrible, both in the sheer magnitude of prolific output as well as his provocative depictions of violence and sexuality. His meta-bizarro 2013 entry, homage to B-action film tropes Why Don’t You Play in Hell? was championed by many for its Grand Guignol celebration of overzealous filmmaking, though it showcased many of the director’s worst tendencies as regards his ability to concisely edit himself. Fans of his desensitizing overloads of maddening visual stimulations, particularly those who considered the two hour continual explosion of Hell to be a cornerstone masterpiece in his filmography, should certainly appreciate his 2014 follow-up Tokyo Tribe, a hip-hop musical street turf face-off, as a pleasurable aftershock. Others will find its elaborate visuals to be marred by endless tone-deaf musical performances, much...

If only director Sion Sono can keep up the current pace he’s working at, this universe may very well still be worth saving.

After a handful of gorgeous and criticially beloved features like Love Exposure, Sono blew the doors off of 2014’s year of cinema with his brilliant and in many ways definitive Why Don’t You Play In Hell?. Well, he’s back once again with what may very well be his most anarchic and revelatory achievement to date.

Entitled Tokyo Tribe, Sono takes to the world of gangsters in what is ostensibly a Tokyo sometime in the near-ish future. For all intents and purposes an action film in the body of a musical, Sono’s latest is based on the manga series Tokyo Tribe 2 from Santa Inoue, and melds Shaw Brothers-esque clan battles with a futuristic setting and rap music. Think The Kid With The Golden Arm...

Here's the official teaser poster for "Attack On Titan", the live-action adaptation of the anime that's now on Netflix. Toho, who also makes the Godzilla films, is behind this two-part live action adventure directed by Shinji Higuchi. Haruma Miura, Kiko Mizuhara, Kanata Hongô, Satomi Ishihara, Nanami Sakuraba, Takahiro Miura, Hiroki Hasegawa, Ayame Misaki, Pierre Taki, Jun Kunimura, Shû Watanabe, Satoru Matsuo, Rina Takeda and Nana Seino are starring.The sudden arrival of the Titans–mysterious, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour human beings one after the other–brings mankind to the brink of extinction. Fast-forward more than 100 years later. What remains of the human population now live in relative peace behind massive walls that were erected to defend themselves...

Here's the official teaser poster for "Attack On Titan", the live-action adaptation of the anime that's now on Netflix. Toho, who also makes the Godzilla films, is behind this two-part live action adventure directed by Shinji Higuchi. Haruma Miura, Kiko Mizuhara, Kanata Hongô, Satomi Ishihara, Nanami Sakuraba, Takahiro Miura, Hiroki Hasegawa, Ayame Misaki, Pierre Taki, Jun Kunimura, Shû Watanabe, Satoru Matsuo, Rina Takeda and Nana Seino are starring.The sudden arrival of the Titans–mysterious, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour human beings one after the other–brings mankind to the brink of extinction. Fast-forward more than 100 years later. What remains of the human population now live in relative peace behind massive walls that were erected to defend themselves...

  Tokyo Tribe (2014) Film Review from the 58th Annual BFI London Film Festival, a movie directed by Shion Sono, starring Hitomi Katayama, Akihiro Kitamura, Tomoko Karina, Ryôhei Suzuki, Young Dais, Riki Takeuchi, Nana Seino, Yôsuke Kubozuka, and Shota Sometani. Tokyo Tribe went a long way, through some very vile & violent [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Tokyo Tribe: Hardcore Hip-Hop Kabuki, If You Dare [Lff 2014]...

To experience Shion Sono’s hyperkinetic hip hop opus, Tokyo Tribe, with a packed crowd all simultaneously engaging on it’s chaotic wavelength is like a spiritual ceremony of pure cinematic ecstasy. Harmony and anarchy frenetically assaulting the senses through a dystopian riot. Ambitious gonzo filmmaking and a shot of adrenaline to the soul, this is Sono’s Streets Of Fire. Offensive, heartfelt, fantastical and whimsical are all words that perfectly describe this optimistic call to arms in the chaotic shambles of a graffiti drenched turf war. As the chanting echoes of “Tokyo Tribe, never ever die!” drift in harmonic bliss, it was like a hypnotic trance that tightened it’s grip and refused to let go.

After a determined youth’s vow to bring hope and joy back to the gang-ravaged wasteland where the 23 tribes have broken their peace, a captivating swoop through the madness of this dystopian Tokyo...

Over Your Dead Body

Dear Fern,

Familiar faces. Indeed, it is so very good to see yours, one year later. The steadfastness of friends through this world and in this industry is for me always a surprise, and always touching, especially in light of the mutability of life and cinema.

Familiar faces...Ventura's: that's another story. Seeing this man, this actor, this figure in Horse Money was like happily visiting an aging relative only to discover that across the span of missed time you can see the creeping effects of dementia. (“Blood drips on the floor but you don’t see the razor,” a widow in the film mourning, angrily remarks.) Standing tall as ever and poised with attempted self-control, nonetheless you see Ventura's long fingers tremble, in the darkness a nosferatu wandering a prison-hospital of memories and sins, psychic and bodily pain. The expressionist shroud in which he wanders confounds time,...