Recent Posts
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Crime, Drama, Episodes, Season 13
Episode #102 (S13E03) – High and Low (1963) [天国と地獄]
YouTuber and fellow Japan resident Amanda Hartsell joins Perry in this episode to discuss capitalism and Japanese society as depicted in Akira Kurosawa's High and Low.
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Crime, Episodes, Fantasy, Horror, Season 13, Thriller, Yakuza
Episode #100 (S13E01) – Gozu [極道恐怖大劇場 牛頭] (2003)
Season 13 kicks off with our 100th episode! And for this, we've got a special one. Filmmaker Warren Badenski joins Perry for a deep dive into Takashi Miike's infamously wild, wonderful, and very weird Gozu!
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SPECIAL – An Interview with Director KD Wilson
In a special interview episode, Perry speaks with KD Wilson, a Japan-based filmmaker. After creating a trailer for a fake Japanese horror thriller titled It Doesn't Exist, the response was so positive that Wilson decided to make the film a reality. Funding in just 11 hours on Kickstarter, production is going to begin soon. Listen to the story behind it.
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Episode #99 (S12E09) – Ikiru [生きる] (1952)
Returning guest and fellow podcaster Derick McDuff is back on the show for a discussion of one of Akira Kurosawa's most well-known and well-regarded films—1952's Ikiru. We chart Waranabe's growth over the movie, the type of environment he's in, and how little Japanese bureaucracy has changed.
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Drama, Episodes, School Life, Season 12, Thriller
Episode #98 (S12E08) – Monster [怪物] (2023)
It's another film by Hirokazu Kore-eda! This time, Perry is joined by podcaster Sam Stokes to discuss the director's latest film, Monster. With different perspectives, it's an enlightening film about the concept of bullying.
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Anime, Episodes, Science Fiction, Season 12, Western
Episode #97 (S12E07) – Cowboy Bebop: The Movie [カウボーイビバップ 天国の扉] (2001)
Podcaster Ian Buckley returns for another anime film. This time, we spotlight Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, also known as Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' On Heaven's Door. We discuss the series, its legacy, and how this movie fits into that legacy.
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Episode #96 (S12E06) – Nobody Knows [誰も知らない] (2004)
Japanese film scholar Lindsay Nelson is back on the show to discuss Hirokazu Kore-eda's heartbreaking drama, Nobody Knows. Based on a true story about a family of children abandoned by their single mother, there's a lot to talk about in this.
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Anime, Comedy, Drama, Episodes, Family, Fantasy, Season 12
Episode #95 (S12E05) – Pom Poko [平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ] (1994)
Comic creator Ryan Estrada makes his debut to discuss one of Studio Ghibli's strangest films, 1994's Pom Poko! We talk about the movie's interesting structure, the deeper themes, and, of course, the power of raccoon balls.
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Action, Episodes, Grindhouse, Horror, Science Fiction, Season 12
Episode #94 (S12E04) – Versus [ヴァーサス] (2000)
Author Jennifer Upton returns for a fun discussion about Ryuhei Kitamura's Versus! A genre-bending film that plays with archetypes and looks far better than its budget should allow for, it's a quick, entertaining watch.










