Drama
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Episode #69 (S9E7) – Tampopo [タンポポ] (1985)
Ray Chmielecki of the Spoon Mob podcast makes his debut appearance. He joins Perry to discuss Juzo Itami's ramen western, Tampopo. We discuss the film's influence on food culture, how Itami uses food to criticize different aspects of Japanese society, and a lot more.
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Episode #66 (S9E4) – After Life [ワンダフルライフ] (1998)
In the latest episode, Perry is joined by story coach Erin Rodgers to discuss Hirokazu Kore-eda's 1998 film, After Life. They share their memories of discovering this film and dive into some of the themes this movie raises about memory and life.
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Episode #65 (S9E3) – Kagemusha [影武者] (1980)
In this episode, Perry is joined by Derick McDuff of the Underrated podcast network to discuss Akira Kurosawa's 1980 film, Kagemusha. It received a lot of support from George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, but ultimately represents something of a downturn for the acclaimed director.
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Episode #59 – Survival Family (サバイバルファミリー)
Perry is joined by Oliver of the Watching Asia Film Reviews blog to discuss Shinobu Yaguchi's post-apocalyptic dramedy, Survival Family. We discuss the ideas of generational conflict, the alienation of the Japanese nuclear family, and find this film topical in light of Russia's war on Ukraine. Also as a fan of Yaguchi, Oliver provides a lot of insight into the director's way of thinking and his criticisms of modern society.
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Episode #56 – Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓)
Maison Collawn of the MC Anime Podcast joins this episode to discuss Grave of the Fireflies.
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Episode #55 – Shall We Dance? (シャル ウィ ダンス？)
In this episode, Perry is joined once again by Patrick Terry to discuss Masayuki Suo's underrated 1996 film, Shall We Dance? We talk about the socioeconomic commentary in the contexts of Japan in the mid-90s, the film's criticism of the salaryman system, Koji Yakusho's chameleon-like performance, and a lot more!
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Episode #54 – Night and Fog in Japan (日本の夜と霧)
In the final episode of the season, Kota of the Against Japanism podcast brings his extensive knowledge of Japanese politics and the Japanese left-wing to bear in this discussion of Nagisa Oshima's Night and Fog in Japan.
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Episode #53 – The Yellow Handkerchief (幸福の黄色いハンカチ)
In the penultimate episode of the season, Perry is joined by Japanese film buff Nathaniel de Bel to discuss the classic Japanese film, The Yellow Handkerchief starring the late, great Ken Takakura.
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Episode #52 – Kikujiro (菊次郎の夏)
We've got another Kitano film this episode, featuring new guest Dan Clarke of the SuperMakerUniverse YouTube channel. We discuss Kitano's coming-of-age comedy film, Kikujiro.
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Episode #48 – Hana-bi (花火)
Filmmaker LowRes makes his debut appearance on Japan On Film to talk about Hana-bi, one of the movies that helped cement Takeshi Kitano's reputation as one of the finest modern Japanese directors.
