Ran

Ran 1985

8.10

With Ran, legendary director Akira Kurosawa reimagines Shakespeare's King Lear as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan. Majestic in scope, the film is Kurosawa's late-life masterpiece, a profound examination of the folly of war and the crumbling of one family under the weight of betrayal, greed, and the insatiable thirst for power.

1985

Belladonna of Sadness

Belladonna of Sadness 1973

7.30

An evil feudal lord rapes a village girl on her wedding night and proceeds to ruin her and her husband's lives. After she's eventually banished from her village, the girl makes a pact with the devil to gain magical ability and take revenge.

1973

Night on the Galactic Railroad

Night on the Galactic Railroad 1985

7.09

Giovanni currently lives a dreary life of near non-stop work. At school, his peers ridicule him incessantly, and his employer at work is distant and cold. As his isolation from society becomes unbearable, he suddenly finds himself on a train heading far away from his miserable home. Accompanied by Campanella, an acquaintance from school, Giovanni embarks on a journey that will define the rest of his life.

1985

Avalon

Avalon 2001

6.55

In a future world, young people are increasingly becoming addicted to an illegal (and potentially deadly) battle simulation game called Avalon. When Ash, a star player, hears of rumors that a more advanced level of the game exists somewhere, she gives up her loner ways and joins a gang of explorers. Even if she finds the gateway to the next level, will she ever be able to come back to reality?

2001

Kikujiro

Kikujiro 1999

7.50

Brash, loudmouthed and opportunistic, Kikujiro is the unlikely companion for Masao who is determined to see the mother he has never met. The two begin a series of adventures which soon turns out to be a whimsical journey of laughter and tears with a wide array of surprises and unique characters along the way.

1999

Azumi 2: Death or Love

Azumi 2: Death or Love 2005

6.60

Young assassins Azumi and Nagara continue their mission to prevent a civil war. In their hunt for Masayuki Sanada, who is protected by both an army and a dangerous clan, they meet Ginkaku, a person who shows a remarking resemblance with former friend Nachi.

2005

Swallowtail Butterfly

Swallowtail Butterfly 1996

7.43

The struggles of a group of outcasts living in "Yentown", in an alternate-future Japan.

1996

Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?

Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom? 1995

7.10

One summer day, a group of sixth-grade boys have an argument about whether fireworks are round or flat when viewed from different angles and embark on a journey for the answer during the annual firework festival. Meanwhile, one of their classmates, Nazuna, is troubled by her parents' separation and decides to choose one of the boys to run away with.

1995

Aegis

Aegis 2005

4.20

The Isokaze, an Aegis-class escort vessel, sets sail on a routine training exercise, playing host to a platoon from the Fleet Training Group. No sooner is the Isokaze on open water, however, then the FTG reveal themselves to be terrorist stowaways who kill the ship's captain, send the rest of the crew overboard and take control of the vessel. The ship is carrying a secret biological weapon which the terrorists are now threatening to use to level Tokyo! Only a stowaway NCO, Sengoko (played by Sanada Hiroyuki from Ring and Twilight Samurai) is in a position to stop them - but does he really have what it takes to save the day? Playing like a cross between a sea-faring version of Top Gun and Die Hard, director Sakamoto Junji shows that it's not just Hollywood that can produce thrill-a-minute action spectaculars.

2005

The Last Concert

The Last Concert 1976

7.00

Love story of a young woman Stella who is dying of leukemia. A man is mistaken for a family member at the hospital and is informed by a doctor the diagnosis of Stella. Stella cheerfully follows the man. He is reluctant at first but after some shaky moments the two develop a relationship. The two fall in love in the short period of time left to experience.

1976

The Enchantment

The Enchantment 1989

3.50

A Tokyo psychiatrist is hoping to better his career by marrying the daughter of a prominent doctor. The match is threatened however when an attractive but very troubled tourist guide comes to him for consultation...

1989

Whiteout

Whiteout 2000

5.80

A group of terrorists has taken hold of the largest dam in Japan. They also capture the workers as hostages, and demanded $5 billion yen from the government with a 24 hour deadline in exchange for the lives of the hostages. To make things more complicated, there was a snowstorm and no one can get in or out near the area. Fortunately, the terrorists did not capture Togashi, the dam controller, and he is the only person who can rescue those hostages from the terrorists...

2000

Princess Raccoon

Princess Raccoon 2005

5.50

Amechiyo (the banished prince) falls in love with Tanukihime (a princess of raccoon dog disguised as human). This is an operetta which includes comedy, singing and dancing, and a love story.

2005

Summer of Ubume

Summer of Ubume 2005

6.30

Kyogokudo is a used book seller who doubles as an onmyouji, or Heian style occultist. His friend Sekiguchi brings him the story of a woman who has been pregnant for twenty months. Sekiguchi investigates further with the help of his friend Enokizu, a detective with the unusual ability to see people's memories. They are hired by the impossibly pregnant woman's sister to find the woman's missing husband and lay this whole matter to rest. In the end, they need the help of Kyogokudo to exorcise the family curse.

2005

A. K.

A. K. 1985

6.29

An intimate chronicle of the shooting of Ran (1985), a film directed by the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

1985

Fly Boys, Fly!

Fly Boys, Fly! 1995

1

Six young pilots who all volunteered to be Kami-kaze or suicide pilots.

1995

Locomotive Teacher

Locomotive Teacher 2004

1

Seigo Yoshioka (Kenji Sakaguchi) is a teacher that became mute after a kendo accident. He feels lost after the accident and eventually decides to teach again on a small island where his mother was born. The children there on the island quickly name him "Kikansha Sensei" (Teacher Locomotive) after learning he is mute. The parents on the island are mostly hostile to Seigo Yoshioka, believing he is incapable of teaching their children. But with Seigo Yoshioka's determination and kindness, a strong bond develops between the students and the mute teacher, which then changes the parents' opinions of Seigo Yoshioka. Suddenly, tragedy then strikes ...

2004

Misty Kid of Wind – The Glass Cape

Misty Kid of Wind – The Glass Cape 1989

1

Karin has lived alone in a secluded mountain village with her consumptive mother since her father died. Her worried grandfather advises her to send her mother to a sanatorium and be adopted by him, although she refuses to accept. On the Buddhist All Soul’s Day Festival in August, a messenger from her grandfather pays a sudden visit to her house.

1989

The Tomb & the Divorce

The Tomb & the Divorce 1993

1

Yoshinori sells plots of land in a cemetery, and is involved in a stale ten-year-old marriage with bored housewife Atsuko. When Atsuko makes a male friend at her leather-working class, Yoshinori has a fit. This is on top of the myriad of odd clients that he must appease.

1993

Uncle Remodelling Course

Uncle Remodelling Course 1990

1

An omnibus-style 11-part animation work for the theater, in which the members of the 800 OL Committee, representatives of OLs all over the country, summarize the realities of everyday men. Hundreds of OLs gathered by Chinami Shimizu, who worked at a computer-related company, observe the company's boss and other uncles while commuting and working. Classify it into genres such as commuting, tea, meetings, and adultery, and uncover the ecology of uncles.

1990