Recently in family and kids Category

Sukenban Deka
[Girl Boss Detective]

スケバン刑事

Genre: Yo-Yo Wielding High School Girl Saves the World (Again)

review in one breath

When a political revolutionary takes over a remote school in order to convert its students into terrorists, young Saki dusts off her killer yo-yo, enlists the help of long-time friends, and promptly proceeds to bring the school and its revolutionary leader to their knees. This film is based on the Japanese TV series and casts the same familiar personalities.

The Great Yokai War
[Youkai Dai Sensou]

妖怪大戦争

Genre: Traditional Monster Explosion

review in one breath

After being singled out at a local Shinto festival, Young Tadashi finds himself in the middle of an epic battle between traditional youkai and the forces of Evil. This is a rather amazing tale utilizing nearly every traditional youkai known. Directed by Miike Takashi and tapping Mizuki Shigeru for creative design, this is a veritable smorgasbord of fun and nostalgia.

Kamikaze Girls
[Shimotsuma monogatari]

下妻物語

Genre: Very fun and cool female friendship adventure

review in one breath

Momoko is dainty, enjoys needlepoint and never goes out without a flambouyantly frilly dress. Ichigo is a rough-mouthed girl biker whose two predominant behaviours are spitting and head-butting. This unlikely pair collide and strike up an awkward friendship in the forlorn rural environ of Shimotsuma, Ibaragi. Their unusual adventures easily results in one the best recent films you can see.

Gakkou no Kaidan 3
[aka Gakkou no Kwaidan 3 or Haunted School 3]

学校の怪談 3

Genre: Child-centric Ghost Story

review in one breath

Regaining some of the core, good-natured elements from the original Gakkou no Kaidan (which were unfortunated dropped from Gakkou no Kaidan 2), here director Kaneko takes a shot at conjuring up a school-aged horror taking place in the dark hallways of a large and foreboding elementary school building. The fruits of his efforts are both visually and narratively impressive, resulting in a highly recommendable ghost story for all ages which carries a meaningful humanitarian message.

Gakkou no Kaidan 1
[aka Gakkou no Kwaidan or Haunted School]

学校の怪談

Genre: SUPERB Child-centric Ghost Story

review in one breath

This is a really a fun and effective movie. With the exception of a couple, less-than-perfect adults, the cast throughout are child actors through whose eyes and imaginations this wonderfully creative ghost story unfolds. The diversity of spooks presented here is quite impressive and makes this story more entertaining than merely waiting to see the same old ghost appear and reappear. This became an instant classic in Japan.

NIN x NIN : Ninja Hattori-Kun - The Movie [Ninja Star]

ＮＩＮ　ＮＩＮ　忍者ハットリくん　ＴＨＥ　ＭＯＶＩＥ

Genre: Comedic Contemporary Ninja Tale

review in one breath

This light-hearted and comedic story places Ninja Hattori-kun in a final "training mission" smack in the middle of contemporary Tokyo. A well-established and beloved character in children's books and anime, the adventures of pure-hearted Hattori will appeal to younger audiences and those interested in a good-natured and frequently funny humanitarian tale which packs a whole lot of ninja action and antics.

GTO : Great Teacher Onizuka (live action)

GTO : Great Teacher Onizuka

Genre: Full-Blast Live Action Version of an Exemplar Anime Series

review in one breath

This is the live-action movie based on the wildly popular manga, TV anime series, and TV live-action series, all by the same name, based on the creative manga by artist Fujisawa Tooru. This series has SUCH great appeal both emotionally and intellectually that I simply feel compelled to mention it. I wholeheartedly recommend you experience the rebellious yet wholly good-natured character Onizuka.

Salaryman Kintaro

サラリーマン金太郎

Genre: Whoop-Ass White Collar Anime Series

review in one breath

When notorious bike-gang leader Yajima Kintaro abandons his gang to pursue a straighter path, he finds that even in the mundane world of white collar work there are plenty of times a man must either step up and confront injustice or acquiesce out of intimidation. Unfortunately for the bad guys, Kintaro has not forgotten his whoop-ass ways and brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "office power politics"! This is an infamously excellent and meaningful anime series for both youth and adults. Defintely a must see!

Alice
[A.Li.Ce]

Genre: Computer Generated Sci-Fi Eye Candy

review in one breath

After young Alice is propelled thirty years into to the future, the world she finds is horribly different from the one she left. Massive population decrease and mysterious mass removal of entire villages all point to the formidable and mysterious Nero who controls the entire world through a super-intelligent computer which is virtually impenetrable.