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Three superimposed versions of Kitano Takeshi in different colors fire a machine gun, with an Okinawan beach in the background.

Kitano Takeshi: The Complete Ranked Filmography – Part: End

Coming to the end of our full ranking of his 20 movies, these are the six best films by director Kitano "Beat" Takeshi.
Kitano Takeshi crouches in a suit, with his fingers pointing downwards with two fingers revealed in a baseball single. He's superimposed over a bed of birds of paradise flowers.

Kitano Takeshi: The Complete Ranked Filmography – Part 2

We continue with our retrospective ranking of all of the films of Kitano Takeshi - perhaps the most famous entertainer in Japan, and an underground film legend in much of the world.
Images of actor-director Takeshi Kitano from various of his movies superimposed against each other.

Kitano Takeshi: The Complete Ranked Filmography (Part 1)

Kitano Takeshi, otherwise known as "Beat" Takeshi, is one of the most famous entertainers in Japan. He's also beloved abroad as a film director. Join us as we examine and rank every one of his 20 movies.
Shogun on FX

Review: Shogun Is Great TV – But It’s Not About Colonialism

The 2024 Shogun TV series stacks up pretty well to history, says a Japanese historian - but the surrounding conversation around "colonialism" is ridiculous.
Text reads "Review: Godzilla Minus One - a Monster Dissapointment?" Features the CG Godzilla from the Japanese poster from the movie in question.

Review: Godzilla Minus One is a Monster Disappointment

Godzilla is back for its first Japanese live-action film in seven years with a surprising post-war period piece. The question is, is it any good?
Three ghostly women from Japanese horror films in kimono with outstretched arms layered on top of each other.

Five Japanese Horror Films for a Haunted Halloween

In the mood for the eerie world of Japanese horror this haunting season? Look no further than these five classic films.
Yakuza fims of the 1970s

Society Without Honor And Humanity: Japan’s 1970s Yakuza Films

Kinji Fukasaku’s 1970s gangster movies upended decades of depictions of the yakuza and held up a mirror to Japanese society at the same time.
Bankara - Meiji Japan’s Anti-Fashion Movement

Bankara: Meiji Japan’s Anti-Fashion Movement

As the era of the samurai ended and Japan rushed towards modernization, a rough-scrabble fashion movement called the Bankara rose in opposition.
Localization is a paramount but often underpaid industry. This image shows an subtitling program and the show Squid Game.

Want Better Localization? Blame Corporate Greed

The entertainment industry’s unwillingness to pay skilled language professionals to produce high-quality localizations is a matter of choice.

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