Yu Aoi

Film / Reviews Oct 14, 2020

‘Wife of a Spy’: Gripping drama lays bare wartime atrocities

by Mark Schilling

Fresh off a win for best director at the Venice International Film Festival, Kiyoshi Kurosawa's masterful look at war heroes is out in Japan.

Film / Reviews Jan 23, 2020

'Romance Doll': A mature take on guys and dolls

by Mark Schilling

The premise for Yuki Tanada's film about a sex doll designer gets laughs, but also offers sharp insights into human issues.

Film Jan 22, 2020

'Romance Doll' shows there's a fine line between sex and love

by Mark Schilling

Yuki Tanada's latest film, an adaptation of one of her own novels, looks at the use of dolls as substitutes for humans in relationships.

Film / Reviews Aug 15, 2018

'Penguin Highway': What goes up must come down ... in penguin form

by Matt Schley

There's something about the playful, magical realist novels of Tomihiko Morimi that seems to lend itself to animated adaptations. Those adaptations include TV series like "The Tatami Galaxy" ("Yojohan Shinwa Taikei") and "The Eccentric Family" ("Uchoten Kazoku"), plus last year's film "The Night is ...

Film / Reviews Oct 25, 2017

'Birds Without Names': Strong acting gets us through a couple's bad romance

by Kaori Shoji

If you're in the mood for a pleasant love story, avoid "Birds Without Names" like the plague. On the other hand, if you're cursing the idea of another Christmas alone, revel in the hope that all relationships may be as bad as the ones ...

Film Dec 8, 2016

Ishizaki switches guitars for scripts in his on-screen debut

by Matthew Hernon

Making his on-screen debut in Daigo Matsui's multistranded, disorderly and, at times, moving film "Japanese Girls Never Die" ("Azumi Harako wa Yukie Fumei"), singer Huwie Ishizaki admits that he was nervous prior to stepping in front of the cameras. The 32-year-old solo artist is ...

Film / Reviews Nov 30, 2016

'Japanese Girls Never Die': They want to have more than just fun

by Mark Schilling

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said he wants to build a society in which "all women can shine." But as Daigo Matsui graphically shows in his new film "Japanese Girls Never Die," women in Japan are still living in a male-dominated society that, in ...

Film Oct 19, 2016

Japan's eclectic collection of choice

by Mark Schilling

The Tokyo International Film Festival offers a great once-in-a-year opportunity to see new and classic Japanese films with English subtitles. The sheer quantity on offer — more than 50 titles in the main sections alone — can be overwhelming, though. Here are samples from ...