Recently in mystery Category

Yakouchuu
[Noctiluca Scintillans??!]

Genre: Supernatural Boob-Fest or The Horny Adventures of the Invisible Man

review in one breath

While police investigate the suspicious death of Okuda Koichi, one by one his co-workers die (usually in the throes of passionate sex) in very bloody and mysterious ways. The diabolical killer has skillfully eluded all police detection, almost as if he were invisible, which of course, will also allow him to watch huge numbers of buxom girls disrobe and jiggle before getting on with his modus operandi.

Saint John's Wort
[Otogirisou]

Genre: Video Game-Based Mystery

review in one breath

In terms of video/PC games, I generally prefer those which focus on heavily armored robots with heat-seeking missiles. There is, however (and amazingly enough), another, entirely different genre of game which involves you exploring every nook and cranny of an environment to discover clues (which generally lead to keys which help you unlock further clues) into some over-arching sinister mystery. In the West, games like Myst or Riven, or more recently Syberia are exemplars of this genre.

Inugamike no Ichizoku
[The Inugami Family]

Genre: Early Showa-Era Crime Mystery

review in one breath

When a powerful patriarch demands that the heir to his inheritance be decided in a competition amongst his three grandsons, a nervous lawyer promptly calls on the help of renowned and eccentric detective Kindaichi Kosuke. But no sooner does Kindaichi arrive than the strange series of murders commences. This is renowned director Kon Ichikawa's 2006 remake of his own earlier 1976 film, retelling the classic crime mystery originally penned by author Yokomizo Seishi.

The Demon
[Kichiku]

Genre: Heart-Wrenchingly Abysmal Morality Tale

review in one breath

Sokichi's past and present tragically collide when his mistress Kikuyo, with whom he has fathered three children and then left, suddenly arrives at the home of he and his wife O-ume. The encounter leaves Sokichi speechless and his wife enraged. But when the wife begins heaping abuse upon Kikuyo, it becomes clear that Kiyoku will receive no help in her children's survival. In a fit of rage, Kikuyo abandons her children, leaving them with Sokichi and his hate-filled wife, sending the three younglings, and their father, into a god-forsaken spiral toward visceral tragedy.

Zero Focus
[Zero no shoten]

Genre: Contemplative Mystery

review in one breath

When a newlywed husband suddenly disappears while on a business trip, his wife spearheads the effort to find out what happened. Her search brings her to a remote northern town lined with steep cliffs descending into the turbulent winter sea. In a plot filled with twists and unexpected turns, this comes across as a very effective early Japanese crime drama.

Kagero-za
[Kagerouza]

Genre: Taisho Era Ghostly Surrealism

review in one breath

Playwright Shungo becomes increasingly enchanted by a mysterious and beautiful woman he occasionally crosses paths with. His playboy friend Tamawaki jests that it is all an amorous fate, but Shungo's contemplative nature senses deeper realities at play. When he receives a written invitation for a remote rendevouz, his journey of vulnerability brings him face to face with both the cruelties of human nature and the terrifyingly haunting power of love's own justice. This is the second film in director Suzuki Seijun's critically acclaimed Taisho Trilogy.

Zigeunerweisen
[Tsigoineruwaizen]

Genre: Taisho Era Macabre Mystery

review in one breath

When university professor Aochi runs into his former colleague and friend Nakasago, his otherwise placid life takes a sudden turn toward disequilibrium. The circumstances under which they meet and Aochi's quiet observations increasingly cause him to doubt the moral and mental stability of Nakasago. And yet the more certain he becomes of Nakasago's dark nature, the more disturbing and chaotic his own life and relations become. This is a highly memorable horror tale by famed director Suzuki Seijun.

Kindaichi Shonen no Jikembo : Shanghai Ningyo Densetsu

[The Jikembo of Young Kindaichi : Legend of the Shanghai Mermaid]

Genre: Pop Culture Crime Mystery

review in one breath

Youth sleuth extraordinaire Kindaichi Hajime is back at it, this time in Shanghai China attempting to solve mysterious and gruesome deaths seemingly related to a spiritual curse. Local lore tells of a cursed mermaid which emerges from the sea to exact retribution on her victims, and each of the murders seem to point to such a fate. Only with the help of Kindaichi's ADHD-riddled pubescent mind will this bizarre mystery be broken open.