Bakarhythm

Film / Reviews May 20, 2021

'Office Royale': Office politics get rough-and-tumble in OL-centered comedy

by Mark Schilling

Familiar fodder for goofy comedies "Office Royale" goes heavy on gags and action but stops short of a progressive message.

Film / Reviews Feb 20, 2020

'Fictitious Girl's Diary: The Movie': An honest portrait of office minutiae

by James Hadfield

Comedian Bakarhythm brings his nameless female bank clerk character to the big screen and lovingly documents the trivial goings-on in the life of a Japanese office worker.

Music Aug 9, 2018

Towa Tei goes deep on death and puns

by Patrick St. Michel

Towa Tei has mortality on his mind. "More and more, I've been thinking about what death means and what life is. One of my best friends died about 10 years ago, and then there was March 11," says the 53-year-old musician referring to the Great ...

TV Oct 11, 2017

This woman's work is never dull

by Kaori Shoji

Hidetomo Masuno says he thinks too much. The 41-year-old comedian who goes by the name Bakarhythm says he spends most of his waking hours deep in thought — "but first," he stresses, "I observe." Working girl: Hidetomo Masuno paints an interesting picture of life at ...

TV Jul 5, 2017

Japanese TV is making some progress in writing broader female roles

by Kaori Shoji

One of the best things to come out of the rise of streaming websites overseas has been an increase in productions that have featured great roles for women. This year alone we've seen some phenomenal acting from Elisabeth Moss on "The Handmaid's Tale" and ...