Takashi Yamazaki

Yamazaki picks up where he left off, which is with half-human, half-parasite Izumi on his quest to stop an alien invasion. With Goto (played by Asano, introduced at the end of the first film) there's a new and stronger adversary for Izumi, who in his turn gets help from Uragami, a questionable serial killer able to single out infested humans.

Like the first part, part 2 can get surprisingly gory and twisted, though never in a very sleazy way. Monster designs are interesting, the CG is decent and the cinematography looks polished. Yamazaki is a capable blockbuster director, even when the material is not all that blockbuster-friendly. Had a lot of fun with one.

The film is clearly based on a manga/anime, though you don't need any prior knowledge to watch it. The setup is very simple, with a weird species of parasites on a mission to dominate mankind. One of the creatures fails to take over his host's brain and ends up as his right hand (literally). The two of them learn to live together and become the unlikely heroes of the story.

The monster design is pretty outrageous, but hilarious. The film is also quite gruesome for a blockbuster, but nothing a regular horror fan can't handle. Performances are solid, with Shôta Sometani as the charismatic lead, the cinematography is slick and the visual effects on point. I really had a lot of fun with this one, it won't be long before I give part 2 a whirl.

The film is mostly about its setting, a nostalgic throwback to the Tokyo of the late '50s. The two families that live in Third Street are mostly just vehicles to explore the city, the technology and the economic situation of that time. There's also a little drama, especially in the latter part of the film, but nothing too immersive.

The cinematography is decent, so are the performances and the soundtrack. None of them truly exceptional, but they all to their part in bringing this forgone era back to life. What makes this film stand out is how everything works together to create a warm, loving and gentle film that cruises through its 140-minute runtime.

When a kamikaze pilot chickens out and lands his plane on a nearby island, he finds himself in a heap of trouble when a local giant crashes their camp and kills an entire squad. The pilot escapes and goes back to Tokyo after the war, where he tries to repent for his sins. But then the monster returns, all grown up and with a much bigger appetite.

There's too much melodrama, the final action scene fails to trump the previous two and for some weird reason, they messed with Godzilla's roar (arguably his most iconic trait). The action set pieces are impressive though, especially on such a tiny budget. A short, more condensed film would've been better, but if you like the (Japanese) Godzilla franchise, this is your chance to watch it on the big screen. It won't disappoint.

Trying to surprise Minato for her birthday, her friends bought gifts and planned to jump her on her way home. Right before they do so, a scaffold collapses and puts Minato in the hospital. Her friends feel guilty and wish they could do something for her. That wish grants them a magic book that might help them to make their wish come true.

A Yokai fantasy with three elementary school kids capturing monsters to save their classmate. It's not the most original setup, but the monsters are fun enough, the presentation feels warm and inviting and the pacing is solid. Not Yamazaki's best and squarely geared at younger audiences, but good, light-hearted entertainment.

When Nobita is scolded for his bad school results, he remembers his grandma, someone who always supported and comforted him. He travels back to the past with Doraemon to visit his already departed grandma, which set a bunch of future-altering events in motion that seriously mess up Nobita life.

The art style is quite peculiar, a mix of minimalist and detailed CG animation that fits the franchise surprisingly well. The plot is pretty fun, the atmosphere breezy and pleasant and the pacing plenty fast, so there's no chance of things becomes dull. A step up from the first film and quite entertainment, but a masterpiece this is not.

This is a series that shouldn't really appeal to me, on paper that is. I'm not a big fan of nostalgia and that's the main selling point of the Always films. But because it aligns rather well with Yamazaki's peculiar charm they're actually quite fun and easy to watch, even when their runtime's a bit excessive.

Japan is doing better, the Tokyo Olympics are right around the corner and the people living in Third Street are looking ahead with hope. Expect the necessary (light) drama, thick but amusing stereotypes and a very cozy, laid back atmosphere. It's not riveting cinema, but when you're looking for pleasant filler these films are just perfect.

The story continues where the first film left off. The people living in Third Street are still dealing with all sorts of problems, big and small, but eventually the film settles on Chagawa, who is facing increasing pressure to provide for his young ward Junnosuke. Chagawa doesn't have the money to give him a good education, so he decides to take up writing again, in the hope of winning a cash prize for his work.

Performances are nice, Yamazaki's direction is on point and the sets look charming, though the use of CG is quite apparent. It's a sweet, jolly and endearing film, only the runtime is a little excessive. This should've at least been a half hour shorter, now some parts drag a little too much. Apart from that, a fun and charming film.

The film revolves around the production of a new battle ship. In order to get it made, a budget has to be approved, but the opponents suspect that the proposed budget is an incredible underestimation. They hire a young but skilled mathematician to help them figure out the actual cost of the ship, but he has no idea about ships, nor politics.

It's a small miracle that Yamazaki actually manages a couple of tense scenes, because the subject matter is just incredibly dry. The film relies quite heavily on dialogues and the important meeting where everything is decided spans almost half the film. It's hardly Yamazaki's best film and I doubt there's a big market for this, but considering the circumstances, he still did a pretty decent job.

That said, the film is a bit of mess. Doraemon travels back from the future to help Nobita get the girl he loves, but the plot was surprisingly fragmented. It's a constant repetition of Nobita getting an idea, Doraemon providing some sci-fi gadget to help, only to result in inevitable failure.

The art style is nice enough, especially since it's the first time they used CG. It's a pretty simple style, but cute and pleasing to the eye. There are a few decent gags and the jolly tone makes for an easy watch, but overall it felt too much like a collection of 10-minute episodes strung together to make a feature-length film.

While The First has managed to retain the quirky character animation, but the character models look off. They're terribly generic, and they lack any form of charisma. It's not that the film is disappointing on a technical level, but artistically it just lacks the spunk and flair that makes the Lupin franchise so much fun.

The story is also a little too epic, with micro black hole generation machines and a bunch of strange WWII lore. It's a bit too serious for the silly antics of Lupin and it feels tonally off compared to the rest of the film. It's not a total disaster though, but it's one of the worst Lupin films I've seen so far.