Tong: Perfect Blue Review

http://queenofthegrubs.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/perfect-blue-02.jpg?w=500

Satoshi Kon's 'Perfect Blue' is one heck of a film! It's a psychological thriller that focuses on the life of an ex-pop star-turned-actress. Though 'Perfect Blue' is a "cartoon," it presents highly involving real-world themes regarding celebrities, their expected roles in society, and much, much more.

Tong: Botchan & Student Days

http://houseofanime.org/phpdvdprofiler/images/719987227521f.jpg

For this week's Anime blog, I'm retreating from my usual "film review" format. This is because the two anime we've seen this week aren't truly films, and from my understanding they're more like Japanese after-school television specials.

The two specials are called 'Botchan' and 'Student Days', and they both cover a similar topic in one way or another - the Japanese education system.

Tong: Ninja Scroll Review

http://www.concretebadger.net/images/blog/oavs-and-movies/ninja-scroll-1.jpg

Yoshiaki Kawajiri's 'Ninja Scroll' is a mess of an anime film. I'm sure I'm at the lower end of the spectrum since 'Ninja Scroll' has received critical acclaim at the time of its release, and Kawajiri's been praised for his work on 'Wicked City' and 'Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust'. Having not seen any of Kawajiri's other work other than this film, I must say this isn't a great first impression.

Tong: Akira Review

http://www.anime-focus.com/images/2011/06/akira-title.png

Katsuhiro Otomo's 'Akira', set in a futuristic dystopian Tokyo, Japan, is one of the most famous and influential anime films for a reason. It transcended traditional Japanese animation boundaries and involved highly philosophical ideas and social issues. 'Akira' is a very ambitious film, and its ambition back in the late 1980's set the standard for anime films ever since.