The dystopian society of ‘Monkey Man’ delivers a surreal sci-fi parable
Takuji Ichikawa’s novella presents a fully realized world within its short span, with connections and contrasts to our world that are at turns bold and ...
Culture
‘The Battle of Sekigahara’ retraces Japan’s historic samurai conflict
Chris Glenn's new book brings one of the most significant events in Japanese history to life in a blow-by-blow account of the battle that took ...
The end of ‘Fight Club’ was cut in China. The pattern goes back decades.
The 1999 cult classic starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton is not the only foreign film to be altered for audiences in mainland China.
‘The Deer King’: No crown for Masashi Ando’s directorial debut
Despite an impressive roster of talent working on the film, “The Deer King” shares too many similarities with Masashi Ando’s previous work and comes up ...
‘Popran’: Toilet humor with a moral message
Shinichiro Ueda’s zany comedy about the comeuppance of a man whose genitals fly the coop doesn’t quite match the energy of the director’s “One Cut ...
The devils you know: Three ‘Spider-Man’ villains return in ‘No Way Home’
Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx talk about reprising their bad-guy roles in the blockbuster sequel.
Behind Neil Young vs. Spotify, a fraught relationship with musicians
In the past, many musicians have spoken out over what they see as the unfairness of the streaming model overall.
Kochi seeks to become anime and manga hub
The Kochi Prefectural Government is working to encourage firms in the animation industry to set up satellite offices in the prefecture.
‘Rip It Up’: Enter the kaleidoscopic world of Ko Machida
Daniel Joseph's translation of the punk rock artist turned author's novella, "Rip It Up," opens the door to a more avant-garde, experimental kind of Japanese ...
‘Bad Mode’ delivers some of the best songs of Hikaru Utada’s career
Hikaru Utada’s eighth full-length album is full of introspection, with the artist working on their personal growth and coming away with a better sense of ...