It is no mystery to seasoned J-horror fans that many of the most prolific directors of the genre started their careers making low-budget short films for television or straight-to-video productions, otherwise known as V-cinema. Takashi Shimizu of Ju-On fame, for example, dipped his toes in the waters of V-cinema with 4444444444, In a Corner, and

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There’s something thrilling about watching a seasoned director’s first film. It’s like discovering the blueprint of what’s to come—a raw, unfiltered glimpse into the voice they’ll refine over the years. Sure, it may be rough around the edges, but you start spotting those telltale signs: the themes, the tone, the obsessions that will come to

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Six days of unforgettable cinema experiences are over. In its 25th anniversary edition, the Japanese film festival Nippon Connection once again set an audience record with around 20,000 visitors over six days and confirmed its position as the film festival with the largest audience in Hesse. Most of the film and cultural events at the

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Hotspring Sharkattack (also known as Onsen shâku) is a 2024 Japanese action comedy film written and directed by Morihito Inoue in his feature debut. There have been cases of mysterious disappearances of onsen visitors in Atsumi city in S prefecture. The victims were eventually found dead with signs of severe injuries to their bodies resembling

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Did you know Hideaki Anno, best known for Evangelion, has also tackled themes of inner turmoil and depression in live action? If you don’t, no one can blame you. It’s easy to associate Anno with mechas, apocalyptic imagery, and psychological breakdowns. But in his 1998 live-action debut Love & Pop, he trades in the esoteric

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Missing Child Videotape is a 2024 Japanese supernatural horror film written and directed by Ryota Kondo with additional writing from Suzuyuki Kaneko. Known for directing the short films Akai tegata (2010) and Kyouran (2010), Ryota Kondo has also collaborated on the horror anthology Hyakki Yobanashi (2023), featuring the segment “Oni no Yobigoe”. Whereas Suzuyuki Kaneko

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With the Silent Hill 2 remake having received a positive reception from critics and fans alike, along with the hype surrounding Silent Hill f’s release, one may wonder: what ever happened to the original Team Silent, and what are they up to these days? Fans would be quick to point out that Keiichiro Toyama, specifically—director

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Japan Visits The Main: Frankfurt Becomes A Hotspot Of Japanese Cinema & Culture. The complete program of the 25th Nippon Connection Film Festival May 27 – June 1, 2025, Frankfurt am Main On Tuesday, May 27, 2025, the Nippon Connection Film Festival in Frankfurt am Main will open its doors for the 25th time! For

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Urotsukidoji II: Legend of the Demon Womb is a 1991 adult-oriented sci-fi horror anime film written by Toshio Maeda, Shô Aikawa, and Kôichi Ôhata, and directed by Hideki Takayama. The film is the second part of the anime adaptation of the infamous ero guro series, comprised of Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend (1989), this film,

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From the brilliant and twisted mind of manga artist Shintaro Kago, a new collection of short stories rife with skin-crawling suspense, visceral body horror, and pitch-dark humor. In 2018, manga artist Shintaro Kago made his English debut with Dementia 21, a collection of absurdist manga short stories. Readers found themselves delighted and disgusted by his

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