Episodes
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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 #51 – Big Man Japan (大日本人)
Author Patrick Moody makes his JOF debut to discuss Hitoshi Matsumoto's kaiju mockumentary film, Big Man Japan.
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Episode #50 – Lesson of the Evil (悪の教典)
Returning guest Jenn comes back for a chat about Takashi Miike's 2012 thriller, Lesson of the Evil. Despite an interesting use of Die Moritat von Mackie Messer, it's a bit of a let-down compared to some of Miike's other films.
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Episode #49 – Swing Girls (スィングガールズ)
Perry is joined by returning guest Ashley Stockdale to talk about the crowd-pleasing Swing Girls. A group of delinquent students are forced to fill in for the school's brass band and in the process, discover a love of swing and jazz. Though not a very deep movie, it's one that's universally beloved for its humor and use of music.
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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.
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Episode #47 – Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Japan On Film is back with a new season! Perry is joined by new guest Dan to discuss Takashi Miike's adaptation of the Yakuza video game.
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SPECIAL – East Meets West: The Derrick Ferguson Episodes
Derrick Ferguson, who had appeared on several episodes of Japan On Film and also co-hosted Perry's other podcast, Superhero Cinephiles, passed away on April 4, 2021. To honor his memory, we're releasing a supercut episode of Derrick's appearances on Japan On Film, discussing Seven Samurai (and its western remake, The Magnificent Seven) and Unforgiven.
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Episode #46 – Zatôichi (座頭市)
In the final episode of season 6, we watch 2003's Zatoichi, Takeshi Kitano's reinvention of the classic blind samurai. Perry is joined by Frank Schildiner, the perfect guest for this episode because not only is he a martial artist, but also the author of an upcoming book examining the Zatoichi series of films.
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Episode #45 – Minbo: The Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion (ミンボの女)
1992's Minbo is a satire of Japanese criminals trying to strong-arm a hotel. It so angered the real yakuza that they mounted a direct assault on director Juzo Itami. Japanese cinema professor Patrick returns to the show in order to discuss the film's multiple layers and its clever subversiveness.
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Episode #44 – Jigoku (地獄)
Nobuo Nakagawa's Jigoku is considered to be a cornerstone of Japanese cinema, noted in particular for its graphic depictions of Hell. Perry is joined by Luna, another Ongaku To You host, to discuss this classic and peel back some of the layers.
