‘Kami wa Mikaeri o Motomeru’: YouTuber drama leaves a nasty aftertaste
Director Keisuke Yoshida wades into morally gray territory in his film about a middle-aged man with a vendetta against an aspiring influencer.
'Love Is Light': Charming rom-com puts a fresh spin on love triangles
Keiichi Kobayashi’s sweet and quirky comedy centers on a university student with the secret ability to see love in the form of little balls of light.
'Tokyo 2020 Side B': Behind the scenes of the 'pandemic Olympics'
While the overall tone is positive and inspirational, the second volume of Naomi Kawase’s documentary on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games feels overloaded with aural and visual details.
‘Plan 75’: A chilling look at a callous future society
Chie Hayakawa’s haunting dystopian drama about a government-sponsored euthanasia program to address Japan’s aging society almost hits too close for comfort.
‘Soup and Ideology’: A touching family portrait that feeds the soul
Director Yang Yonghi comes to terms with her mother’s past trauma and animosity toward South Korea in the moving final chapter of her documentary trilogy on familial ties.
'Broker': The all-star cast shines in Hirokazu Kore-eda's latest film
Actor Song Kang-ho stands out in the director's incisive and at times heartwarming feature about a band of misfits involved in the black market for babies.
'Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island' returns with an upgraded look
Director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko rights past wrongs with this new interpretation of an infamous episode of the original “Mobile Suit Gundam” series that aired in 1979.
‘Yes, I Can't Swim': Tearful comedy avoids the shallows
Though Kensaku Watanabe’s film follows a predictable story arc, it maintains a humorous vibe while exploring serious subjects such as facing fears and overcoming tragedy.
'Tokyo Side A': Making sense of the 'pandemic Olympics'
Official Olympics documentaries can be as triumphant as a gold-medal performance or they can end up in infamy.
'Gensan Punch': It's the fights outside the ring that matter
Veteran character actor Shogen's soft-spoken and self-abnegating portrayal of the hero manages to exude a quiet grit that comes off as authentic.
'Inu-Oh’: A rock musical that won't be headlining anytime soon
While "Inu-Oh" contains good insights into how folk traditions are born, the visuals and music could've benefited from more variety.
'Anime Supremacy!': An informative look at the business of anime stops short of getting real
Though charming, the film adaptation of a novel by Mizuki Tsujimura misses an opportunity to tackle the actual problems facing young animators.
