An animated shamisen rock ballad if there ever was one that features stunning visuals but a rather excessive and overlong midsection of performative songs that aren’t exactly musically memorable.
Despite a sensational action finale that rivals some of the best in the series, this 23rd instalment seems to have been made from a script that is one or two revisions away from being ready.
This largely-narrated hour-long anime in three parts captures with introspection and quiet solace the bliss and despairing nature of first love, with breathtaking visuals to boot.
An interesting, and at times, comical crossover between two cultural action icons, this is a generally satisfying if predictable entry.
Hosoda’s work here is generally delightful, but it is perhaps too slick and flashy to overcome its sometimes laboured storytelling about family and lineage.
A rare ‘Zatoichi’ entry with not one but two ruthless villains hogging the spotlight, which is a double-edged sword for character development, though it delivers in terms of action.
Uneven storytelling slightly mars this swordplay action-drama classic with one of the most spectacular action climaxes in Japanese cinema.
A stunning achievement, Kon’s second feature-length anime is both a tribute to the history of Japanese cinema and the relentless pursuit of love to the ends of the world.
Could have been a definitive samurai picture if it wasn’t too exposition heavy, but still quite a solid entry by Okamoto-Mifune.
The longest entry in the franchise, this excellent 20th instalment pits two Japanese swordfighting icons together as friend and foe, directed with assurance by Kihachi Okamoto.
Eternality Tan 