If you’re a beginner, don’t worry too much about reading the subtitles. Start by watching the movie without them and then read them later as you learn more about what you’re seeing and hearing.
Bleach
Bleach is a manga series created by Tite Kubo, who created an easygoing vibe that made the manga seem more like a cool Japanese urban fantasy than a traditional shounen. The anime adaptation of Bleach brings this vibe to life with big roomy panels and an emphasis on stylish character poses.
In the manga and anime, a red-headed high schooler named Ichigo Kurosaki can see ghosts. He tries to get rid of them by fighting the evil spirits that are called Hollows, monsters in masks who come out from the pain of an exhausted soul.
Unlike the Fullmetal Alchemist and Death Note films, Bleach focuses on one main story line. This allowed the creators to take time to play with themes and emotions over the course of the story, something that's more difficult to do in a short film.
Love Like the Falling Petals
Based on the best-selling novel by Keisuke Uyama, Love Like the Falling Petals is a romantic drama film that stars Kento Nakajima and Honoka Matsumoto. It centers on a young man who falls in love with a hairdresser while her passion for her work helps him rekindle his dream to become a photographer.
The movie’s first act is sweet and awe-inspiring, as it sets up a starcrossed relationship that is magical in its pure commitment. It’s a story that will have you reaching for a box of tissues, but it’s worth the watch because it offers a glimpse into the complexities of life and love.
This film is a great addition to Netflix’s library of Japanese movies. It’s a bittersweet tale that explores the true meaning of cherry blossoms.
Asakusa Kid
Netflix’s latest movie, Asakusa Kid, takes us back to the early years of legendary Japanese comedian Takeshi Kitano. He started out as an elevator boy at France-za, a performance theater and strip club, where he met his master, Senzaburo Fukami.
After being enchanted by Fukami’s tap dancing skills, Takeshi decided to apprentice under him. The relationship between master and disciple is the focus of this film, which celebrates the devotion between a student and his mentor.
Despite its formulaic nature, Asakusa Kid is still enjoyable because of the affectionate and respectful depiction of Fukami’s relationship with his student. The comedic moments are surprisingly enjoyable, and the performances of Yuya Yagira and Yo Oizumi are also strong.
A Family
A family is a group of people who share an emotional and social basis. It is the most basic unit of human life, and it influences the lives of people in many different ways.
A Family is an excellent addition to Netflix’s growing Japanese cinema. It’s the first major, internationally streamable movie to address the waning influence of the yakuza, and it’s an important step forward for discourse around Japanese organized crime.
The movie also showcases the importance of familial bonds, and the power of loyalty to the ones we love. As Kenji Yamamoto (Go Ayano) goes through a series of transitions, he finds that his sense of honor is tested and reaffirmed, while his ties to his old-school gangster boss Hiroshi Shibasaki are strained.
Homunculus
Despite its large budget and impressive special effects, Homunculus is a surprisingly mediocre horror movie that doesn't offer much in the way of new ideas. It's also a rather over-the-top movie that gets bogged down in its surreal fantasias.
A homunculus is a scale model of the human body that represents a certain function or characteristic. It can either be drawn as a series of body parts mapped onto a brain or as a figure that represents the relative size of each part based on its sensory or motor sensitivity.
It's a common motif in 19th century anthropometry and physiognomy and it often overlaps with the tropes of race and intelligence that are tied to class. For example, Nakoshi's potbelly and gap-toothed smile evoke racializing caricatures of Irish immigrants that appear in satire cartoons.
