Home Made Kazoku ( in English it’s “Home Made Family”) is a feel-good hip hop group from Japan. Now normally I can’t stand hip-hop, but this group has uplifting beats and lyrics that makes me smile. The group isn’t anywhere close to the American (c)rap that just talks about ehem “bitches, bling, and guns.” Home…
Ringu
“One curse, one cure, one week to find it” is Ringu’s tag-line and a succinct plot synopsis if there ever was one. Personally I’d say something like; “Teens find weird video in a cabin. It’s a heart-stopping experience.” The title might look somewhat familiar to American readers. The Ring, starting Naomi Watts, was an American…
Ju-on
It’s amazing what one can do using a shoestring budget, if you are skillful at any rate. Takashi Shimizu shows he is just that in Ju-on, better known to my American colleagues as The Grudge. The Grudge is actually a remake of Ju-on, done with a much bigger budget and, of course, Sarah Michelle Gellar….
Howl’s Moving Castle
Sophie, a quiet girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome but mysterious wizard named Howl. The vain and vengeful Witch of the Waste, jealous of their friendship, puts a spell on Sophie. In a life-changing adventure, Sophie climbs aboard…
Bleach
Bleach is full of bad ass one liner moments. That is why I like it. Without further ado, the synopsis: Bleach opens with the Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki dropping into teenager Ichigo Kurosaki bedroom. (She also spends the night in his closet throughout the series. Sounds a little like a teenage boy’s fantasy eh?) A…
Inuyasha
Inuyasha opens in feudal Japan. The half-demon Inuyasha attacks a village to steal the Sacred Jewel of Four Souls. The Jewel enhances the possessor’s powers and grants a single wish. Inuyasha seeks to use the jewel to turn himself into a full-blooded demon. He is stopped by Kikyo, a young priestess, who seals him to…