Gurren Lagann

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Tengen toppa gurren lagann Release Date: 2007-2009 Netflix Link IMDb Link

Hmmmm. Gurren Lagann starts off like a Japanese animation series like any other. The first volume is comprised of elements that could be in any other mecha anime series; an unwitting main character bestowed with powers, an over the top smart ass character who spurs him along on a quest, other characters added along the way, and even a love interest, but then it just keeps going. Gurren Lagann has a dozen different places where it could end, but it just refuses to die. Oh, that’s the end, right? No, it’s still going. That’s gotta be the end, right? Nope. The plot just doesn’t stop, but morphs into something bigger every time you think it’s over, until eventually they’re battling the whole damn universe and beyond.

The difference is, that unlike an American show where they drag things out after the ending for ratings and more money, this one seems intentional. It seems as though they want you to think it’s all nicely wrapped up only to sucker punch you with something else. The only annoyance with this series was the clip episode stuck somewhere in the middle. I don’t need a wrap of of what’s already happened, thanks. Gurren Lagann is not spectacularly great, but it’s certainly fairly original as far as mecha anime goes.

Tora-San: Our Lovable Tramp

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Original Title: Otoko wa tsurai yo / It’s Tough Being A Man Japanese: 男はつらいよ Release Date: 1969 Director: Yôji Yamada Netflix Link IMDb Link

Tora-San: Our Lovable Tramp is a new AnimEigo release of a Yôji Yamada film. First of all, I love AnimEigo. Not only are their transfers golden, but their subtitles actually explain the nuances of the cultural references and language. And secondly, I’m a big fan of Yôji Yamada. If you haven’t seen his Samurai trilogy, The Twilight Samurai, The Hidden Blade, and Love & Honor, you should go watch those right now.

As to the film, I think calling the main character “lovable” is a bit of a misnomer. I started out disliking Tora-San and my opinion of him didn’t go anywhere near “love” as the film progressed. He’s like a Japanese Jack Tripper from Three’s Company; misunderstanding everything, meddling and trying his best to make things better, but only making them worse. And I hated Three’s Company. Maybe if I could tolerate stupid people doing stupid things a little better, I might have enjoyed Tora-San, too, but he just came off as selfish, stupid and generally thoughtless. As much as I love Yamada, I don’t think I’ll be watching the rest of the 48-film series anytime soon.

The Human Condition Trilogy

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Ningen no joken Release Date: 1959 Director: Masaki Kobayashi Netflix Link IMDb Link

At nearly 10 hours, not including the 4th special features disc, The Human Condition Trilogy is a big commitment and I wouldn’t recommend it for casual viewers of Japanese cinema. That being said, this trilogy is spectacular. It’s beautifully shot and incredibly heartfelt. It is a tad melodramatic at times, but if you put it in context (it was made when Japan was just coming out of the post-war era), it’s completely understandable. The films definitely have an anti-war slant, particularly anti-Japanese military, and they put a rather harsh light on Japan’s involvement in WW2. Strangely, the Soviets end up looking mildly better than the Japanese, but no one is spared the impact of its message. These films were not made for western audiences in the sense that the statement is directed at Japanese viewers, yet there’s enough universal human appeal to make it worthwhile viewing. Set in Manchuria, The Human Condition Trilogy presents a poignant viewpoint on a little known Japanese battlefield in WW2. It is masterfully filmed, well-acted and Tatsuya Nakadai can do no wrong. 4.5 stars.

Bleach: The Movie 2: The Diamond Dust Rebellion

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Gekijô ban Burîchi: Mô hitotsu no hyôrinmaru Release Date: 2007 Director: Noriyuki Abe Netflix Link IMDb Link

The second Bleach movie is better than the first, Bleach: Memories of Nobody, but it’s still not as good as the show. This one has more of a plot than Memories of Nobody and makes use of some of the minor characters better, focusing mainly on Hitsugaya with a little of his background story revealed. Some of the animation is surprisingly beautiful and detailed making the best use of the big screen on which it was originally shown with some great action sequences thrown in. If you’re a fan of Bleach, it’s a must see. It makes a nice addition to one of the best long-running, ongoing anime series.

A Colt Is My Passport

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Koruto wa ore no pasupoto Release Date: 1967 Director: Takashi Nomura Netflix Link IMDb Link

The most recent film in the Nikkatsu Noir set is a solid addition to the series. A Colt Is My Passport is nicely filmed with a little bit of shaky cam, lots of wide-angle shots and deep-contrast shadows. Joe Shishido plays man in the middle as the gang boss who contracts him turns against him in an effort to make peace with rival clans. Both Shishido’s character and the story line in A Colt Is My Passport bear a mild resemblance to Suzuki’s Branded To Kill which was made the same year and also stars Shishido. A Colt Is My Passport makes good use of a wealth of influences to turn out a finely-crafted, hard-boiled crime story.

I Am Waiting

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Original Title: Ore wa matteru ze Release Date: 1957 Director: Koreyoshi Kurahara Netflix Link IMDb Link

I Am Waiting is a well-executed and acted crime story which still leaves a little to be desired. The most notable parts of I Am Waiting are its nicely filmed, black and white cinematography and Yujiro Ishihara as a man caught in the middle of a struggle between a girl and her gangster employer. There’s a bit of a mystery here involving the main character’s brother, but overall, the film is very sparse with both action and plot development. The two, nearly disparate halves of the story lumber along at a relatively slow pace and barely connect. I Am Waiting is worth watching as part of the Nikkatsu Noir set, but it’s not my favorite of the series. 3.5 stars.

Cruel Gun Story

	Rating: 3 out of 5 Original Title: Kenju zankoku monogatari Release Date: 1964 Director: Takumi Furukawa Netflix Link IMDb Link

Cruel Gun Story is the story of a heist gone wrong followed by deceit, betrayal and mixed allegiances. Jo Shishido at his swaggering machismo best with his omnipresent sunglasses (day or night) stars as a criminal recently sprung from prison in order to head an armored car robbery. With twists and turns, and more double-crosses than you can count, Cruel Gun Story does a fairly good job of keeping suspense through most of the film. Unfortunately, towards the end, it starts to fall apart since I saw the ending a mile away. Even so, there’s still enough to like about it (like knife fights and shootouts) if you’re into classic Japanese films.

Rusty Knife

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Sabita naifu Release Date: 1958 Director: Toshio Masuda Netflix Link IMDb Link

Rusty Knife is one of the best of the Nikkatsu Noir series. Not only is it visually interesting, but the story line is intriguing with its multiple double-crosses; gangsters working for the cops and cops working for gangsters. The plot is a well-written, complex tale of an evil yakuza boss pitted against two angsty former-gangsters turned good guys who are being pressured to narc on the boss for an incident 5 years prior. Jo Shishido has a small part, but the stars are really Yujiro Ishihara as one of the former gangster and Naoki Sugiura as the gang boss. Rusty Knife is a great little story full of murder, mayhem and mystery.

Take Aim at the Police Van

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Original Title: Jûsangô taihi-sen ori: Sono gôshô o nerae Release Date: 1960 Director: Netflix Link IMDb Link

Take Aim At The Police Van is typical Suzuki; gorgeously shot in black and white with plenty of violence. The reason why Suzuki is one of my favorite Japanese directors is his ability to take a standard exploitation-type plot and turn it into a visual masterpiece with a turnaround time that would make your head spin. Most of his Nikkatsu movies were shot in a week with a month for completion. What’s different here is that the story is actually a fairly involved little murder mystery. In this film, we not only have the benefit of his intricate cinematography, but a plot that seems to match. If you are a fan of Suzuki, Take Aim At The Police Van is well worth the watch.

Brotherhood

	Rating: 4 out of 5 Release Date: 2006 Netflix Link IMDb Link

Holy crap, talk about a time sink. I was hooked on this show from the very first episode. 900 hours later, I finished all three seasons only to hear that they stupidly canceled it. Good job, Showtime. I’m not sure if it’s the violence, the tragedy, the underhanded politics and back-stabbery, but whatever it is, this is probably the best sleeper show since The Wire. To be perfectly honest, I’ve not been much impressed by what Showtime previously had to offer. It always seemed like HBO’s kid brother, trying desperately to keep up. But with Brotherhood, they manage to hold their own.