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Noroi: The Curse (2005)
Noroi: The Curse (2005)
2005 | Horror
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Documentary Style feels authentic and hits all the right notes (0 more)
It gets a bit hard to follow at times (0 more)
Creepy Japanese Mockumentary hits the right notes
My word, the Japanese just do great horror huh?

A lot of my favourite Horrors are Japanese, from the classy Ringu, Kairo and Ju-On films to the trashier 'One Missed Call', but they all sure a singular understanding of tension, and most of all dread.

These movies revelled in slow horror, in knowing that the threat is inescapable, and like Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees (In the good films) it needn't rush.

Noroi: The Curse continues this theme, with a slow burning documentary style movie about some curious supernatural phenomena, that leads an investigator down a jagged and twisting path to discover the origins of the titular curse.

Whilst the movie is slow paced, the feeling of unease kicks in very early...there is something lurking on the edge of the screen, threatening to show you something horrifying at all times, but remaining patient until the tension is built to an almost unbearable level.

The story moves between a few pivotal characters, all of whom are able to provide a very genuine performance, that helps keep the viewer in the moment and suspending disbelief enough to enjoy the movie as it was meant to be enjoyed.

I really enjoyed this one, and to be fair it ticked a lot of the boxes for me:

Found Footage
Documentary Style
J-Horror Style
Creepy Mythos
Dread over Jump Scared

highly recommend this, check it out!
  
Isle of Dogs (2018)
Isle of Dogs (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Animation
10
7.8 (39 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Clever (2 more)
Strong Japanese influence
Witty
Not a bad point, but its quite dark compared to Fantastic mr fox. Not recommend for young children. (0 more)
If you loved Fantastic mr Fox film, you'll love this
Wanted to watch this as soon as I heard they had produced anither film. Was really good I enjoyed all of it and will watch it again.
Not suitable for younger viewers due to some scenes dealing with suicide, death, and other adult themes.
  
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
1989 | Animation, Fantasy
8.3 (28 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I wanted to throw in a film as well and this is a real classic. There’s a lot to say about it but what I really love is the location. It takes place in a vaguely French/Italian/Mediterranean environment. It’s like a fantastical Amalfi coast or Cote d’Azur seen through the eyes of a Japanese genius. Like all Miyazaki, it can be appreciated by people of any age and has deep, moving insights about growing up."

Source
  
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Lindsay (1700 KP) rated Thief of Glory in Books

Feb 15, 2018  
TO
Thief of Glory
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This a story about a young boy. He thinks his family is good. When the Japanese come and take over by putting all the mother and children in a camp. Jeremiah is the one who need to watch over his siblings and mother. His older stepbrothers and his father are hauled away to work for the Japanese. This all starts shortly after his tenth birthday. It also when he see his love for the first time at a marble game. He also meets Charles (American).

Jeremiah see what goes on and want to help Dutch out at the camp. He has his adventures. Though things start to happen with his mother. He find out the truth of what his other was doing to each of his siblings. Jeremiah does something and his little brother. Things happen and Jeremiah and Laura start a friendship of hardships and many other things. To know what all went on in Jeremiah life you will need to pick this book up to read.
  
AE
Amethyst Eyes: The Legend Comes to Life
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The second book of [Amethyst Eyes] by [Debbie Brown] continues the story of Tommy as he comes to terms with who he is. The story picks up three years after the first ended. I liked how the events on Earth that were considered critical could truly be identified as the Japanese Tsunami. I do not know if there will be another books since this one came to a resolution but as we all know one resolution always leads to a new story.
  
The start of the revised Accidental Detective series and a brand new book. A trip to Hawaii for a wedding turns dangerous when an ancient Japanese statue is found in the possession of the groom, who promptly disappears. This may be a middle grade book, but it is filled with twists and a puzzling mystery you won't want to put down.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-volcano-of-doom-by-sigmund.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
An Artist of the Floating World
An Artist of the Floating World
Kazuo Ishiguro | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"Set in post-Second World War Japan, this is a masterfully written novel by the British-Japanese author about ageing, solitude, art, memory and the endless tricks it plays on our minds… Ishiguro is the kind of writer who each time asks the reader to trust him, come along for a walk in an unknown territory, and if need be, change perspective. But he does all this with an unwavering modesty and quiet intelligence that only further contributes to his literary strength."

Source
  
Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) (1997)
Princess Mononoke (Mononoke-hime) (1997)
1997 | Action, Animation, Drama
10
8.6 (14 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
Another masterpiece by Studio Ghibli. This is a fantastic movie with great attention to detail and some fantastic interpretation of classic Japanese mythology. This is a beautiful tale of respect and the hunt for peace between humans and spirits. It gives the message that we need to respect nature and all that it provides for us. We may have strayed from nature in some areas of the world but we can still respect it and all that comes from nature.
  
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
I think I've grown out of reading middle grade books now. I find that a little sad - the first book in Dilloway’s Momotaro series isn't even a bad book, aside from the fact I kept expecting a Percy Jackson vibe (which, in a way, it kind of does).

Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters - if we're going down the Percy Jackson vibe (I'm pretty sure the synopsis makes the comparison….) - is basically Japanese folklore set in modern day, with plenty of Japanese mythological creatures making an appearance. Unfortunately, Xander definitely resembles a Japanese version of Percy Jackson - blue eyes, black hair, twelve years old, and the only difference? Xander has a bit of silver streak in his hair (oh wait…) and he's mixed (Asian and Irish).

It's no wonder I expected a lot of humor out of Dilloway's book (comparisons = high expectations). The first Momotaro book does have the occasional funny moment, but it just isn't as funny as I hoped it would be. (That might just be the fact I'm nineteen.)

Xander and the Lost Island of Monsters is set in a comic book like format with illustrations featured throughout the book, and it will definitely appeal more to younger audiences than the older ones. (And hopefully, it'll be more funny to them than to me.)

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/arc-review-xander-and-lost-island-of-monsters-by-margaret-dilloway/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
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Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Unbroken in Books

Jan 12, 2018  
Unbroken
Unbroken
Laura Hillenbrand | 2016 | Biography
10
9.6 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
This was a book club book but also on my never ending list. [Laura Hillenbrand] has a masterful way of telling a story that few authors possess. in [Unbroken] she introduces us to Louie Zamperini and takes us through the joy and trails of his life as a precocious child throughbeing an Olympic runner and of course his capture and imprisonment by the Japanese in World Way II. This is a story of strength, courage, doubt, and redemption that I encourage all to read.