Analog Housou Viewing Log – Good Japanese Films I Watched in 2024

It’s no exaggeration to say that if it weren’t for Japanese animation, I would have never developed a greater interest in Japanese pop culture, and ultimately wouldn’t have made the decision to live in Japan. 

My interest in anime has always been quite strong, and my ancillary interest in anime songs quickly got me into Japanese music early on in my time as a fan. Looking back, for the greater part of my fan career, my passion was focused evenly between anime and Japanese music, holding up my general interest in Japanese pop culture. But with the recent glut of isekai anime season after season, in recent years I’ve found my interest in the anime side of things waning, and have started to revisit old favorites with this new time gained from not keeping up with new shows. Furthermore, I am also now blessed with a work situation that grants me slightly more free time and flexibility than my previous jobs. So with this new bit of wiggle room in my daily schedule, I decided to finally explore one corner of Japanese pop culture that I had been meaning to for years: Film. 

As a connoisseur of Japanese pop culture, I had of course watched Japanese films from time to time, but never had a chance to dig especially deep. And while I was always aware of the pockets of Japanese film fandom that sat adjacent to anime over the years, I missed my chance to really jump on the bandwagon. What’s more, access to Japanese films in English seemed more sparse than what was available anime-wise, which did complicate things during the years before I was fluent in Japanese. But living in Japan for over a decade, I can now confidently speak and understand the language, and have a wealth of domestic streaming services and rental shops at my disposal.

I embarked on my journey through Japanese film back in October of 2023 with Kitano Takeshi’s Sono Otoko, Kyōbō Ni Tsuki (Violent Cop). Since then, I’ve made an effort to watch one film a week, and then post about it on my various social media accounts under the hashtag #AHWatching. In general I try to watch something I haven’t seen before, but every now and again I go back to an old favorite. And since I like to post screen captures from the films I watch, this “project” focuses only on older films that have passed their initial theatrical[1]Or streaming. debut.

While I did miss a few weeks due to work and personal travel, this year I managed to get through 44 films, with 42 of them being works I saw for the first time. In this post, I would like to highlight a handful that stuck with me. 

Since I can’t rank any one of these films over the other, I’ll simply start with what I watched most recently, and work my way back. I will also dispense of summarizing the films, and will instead link to their Letterboxd entries (BTW, you can also follow me there, too).

Baby Walküre / Baby Assassins (2021)

Written and Directed by: Sakamoto Yūgo

Starring: Takaishi Akari, Izawa Saori

I got turned on to this primarily thanks to mutual Komdehagens, and I’m so happy he kept making noise about this series, because this first installment is right up my alley. Baby Walküre is beautiful in its simplicity, getting two core elements down right–sick action, and great characterization… of two kinda shitty girls. Action scenes are expertly choreographed and exciting, be it harsh physical altercations or explosive gunplay. Of note, Izawa Saori–one half of the duo–is a stunt actress by trade, and really gets to show off her action prowess here. The girls themselves are hilariously blase about their grim job as contract killers, often being flippant about each hit they carry out. At home, they’re a messy odd couple who act convincingly like the immature teenage girls they are portraying. Pushed forward by simple and straightforward plotting, the film stays nice and focused for its 95-minute runtime. Location-wise, I have to give this first film props for showcasing the more rough areas of Tokyo such as Uguisudani, giving it a realistic and grungy edge. As someone who enjoys the low-life assassin Narumi Shōhei from the Yūgi series and his adventures through the dark backstreets of 1970s Tokyo, Baby Walküre’s approach definitely evokes the same vibe, but taken into the Reiwa era. I look forward to checking out the successive installments later this year.

A Homance (1986)

Directed by: Matsuda Yūsaku 

Written by: Matsuda Yūsaku, Maruyama Shōichi

Starring: Matsuda Yūsaku, Ishibashi Ryō

On the topic of Matsuda Yūsaku, A Homance[2]A portmanteau of the words aho (idiot) and performance. is the first and only film the legendary actor ever directed. Based on a manga of the same name, it tells an unusual yakuza tale that takes the genre into uncharted territory. Along with directing, Yūsaku is also the star of the film, portraying a mysterious and stoic homeless man named Fū, joined by Ishibashi Ryō as a tough-ass yakuza named Yamazaki. The two develop a peculiar but natural relationship that sees both of them grow out of their respective shells. When watching A Homance, it’s easy to feel Yūsaku’s love for film, because it doesn’t feel like his first time behind the camera–it’s clear he knows what he’s doing from years of working closely with the production staff on his previous works. Or who knows–perhaps the other crew members just pulled double duty helping him out. However, there is a clear vision in the film’s approach, with its heavy focus on establishing mood and atmosphere that invites the viewer to soak in its dreamy depiction of 1980s Kabukicho. There are points in the film where it’s clear that Yūsaku is a rookie director, but on the whole it’s an excellent work, and makes me wish he was able to carve out a career as a director.

Dead or Alive: Hanzaisha / Dead or Alive: Criminals (1999)

Directed by: Miike Takashi

Written by: Ryū Ichirō 

Starring: Takeuchi Riki, Aikawa Shō

I’ve seen a few Miike films before, but this was my first time ever seeing one of the films that really put him on the map[3]In other words, it was the first time I’ve seen one of his good films.. It exceeded all expectations, pressing all the buttons of a hardboiled yakuza piece, while punching it up with extreme action and slick style. The opening sequence establishes the tone immediately, smashing us over the head with an extended montage of non-stop sex and violence on the streets of Kabukicho matched to bombastic rock. And while the film in general leaves death and destruction in its path, it also has smaller, emotional human stories mixed in that keep it from getting to unapproachable levels of total mania. But ultimately it does lean heavily into its crime fiction roots, with Takeuchi Riki playing the toughest gangster ever, and Aikawa Shō playing the toughest cop ever. And when they clash, the film delivers a finale that can only be described as “explosive.” Your mileage may vary on the sequels, but this first one is a classic. 

Love Hotel (1985)

Directed by: Sōmai Shinji

Written by: Ishii Takashi

Starring: Terada Minori, Hayami Noriko

No exploration through Japanese film would be complete without hitting some pink films along the way. Love Hotel is a later Roman Porno by Nikkatsu, and is frontloaded with some extremely kinky stuff. But after the “exciting” opening, the film settles down and becomes a rather straightforward drama (with a few explicit sex scenes throughout). Sōmai stretches his directorial muscles via a wealth of expertly calculated long shots that hang on situations from afar, moving the camera around scenes with no cuts, making you feel as if you’re standing there with the characters[4]Yes, with them as they fuck each other’s brains out.. The minimal use of music also works to enhance our intimacy with what’s happening on screen–the film doesn’t have an original soundtrack, and only uses two pieces of existing music which are only deployed at a few key moments for dramatic emphasis. The fact that it’s a porno only enhances the realism of the drama, literally showing us the characters at their most raw. Shoutout to Hayami Noriko who plays the female lead in this film–she delivers an extremely genuine and emotional performance, and it’s a shame that she never broke into the mainstream[5]And yes, she’s super hot.

Sonatine (1993)

Written & Directed by: Kitano Takeshi

Starring: Kitano Takeshi, Katsumura Masanobu, Terajima Susumu

This is baby’s second Kitano film after Sono Otoko, Kyōbō Ni Tsuki (Violent Cop)–which is incredibly well done, but is also insanely nihilistic, and almost leaves a bad taste in your mouth. And after watching the first chunk of Sontatine, it feels as if you’ll be in for something similar. But once the plot takes the cast of gangsters and drops them in Okinawa, Kitano turns the bleak yakuza tale on its head, giving the characters a chance to experience joy, and essentially just fuck around. Between the captivating synth score by Hisaishi Jō and the deployment of small vignettes featuring the characters simply enjoying life, the middle of the film feels dream-like. This is intentional, as the final stretch snaps everyone back into their reality in gruesome fashion. Sonatine is far more nuanced than Violent Cop, showing both the stark reality of being a Japanese mobster in the 1990s, while also not forgetting about their relatable humanity. 

Tenshi no Kōkotsu / Ecstasy of the Angels (1972)

Directed by: Wakamatsu Kōji

Written by: Adachi Masao (under pen name Deguchi Izuru)

Starring: Yoshizawa Ken, Yokoyama Rie, Aresa Yuki, Onogawa Kōzaburō

As an up-and-coming extreme leftist, it was only a matter of time before I dove into Wakamatsu’s work. While Wakamatsu was never directly involved with Japan’s extreme left in the 1960s and 1970s (as far as I know), he did make many films drawing attention to their efforts. In the work of his I’ve seen, he’s never really fully taken their side, but also clearly supports their stance and ideals, even if he may not agree with their methods. Tenshi no Kōkotsu is probably the apex of his retro pink films, and being bankrolled by the Art Theater Guild, it has a higher budget than his typical film of the time, allowing him to be more expressive and tell a longer story. 

While in reality many of the Japanese left were likely just violent-prone nerds, Wakamatsu paints them as sexy radicals… who have a lot of sex. But beyond its pink content, there’s a rawness to the proceedings, both in the depiction of the revolutionary group’s struggle against the system, and their internal strife that mirrors what was actually happening inside of these groups at the time. Of course, as Wakamatsu is wont to do, the film is based on a real incident, and with exterior scenes shot on location, the film firmly establishes itself in the real world[6]Despite the revolutionaries being far too sexy.. In fact, according to Wakamatsu, the film felt so real that many theaters wimped out on screening it because the attacks on police boxes portrayed in the work were too close to actual attacks by far-left activists happening at the time. Presentation-wise, Wakamatsu’s deft direction helps the film go down smooth, with the psychedelic montage in the back-half of the film stealing the show. The free jazz soundtrack is just the icing on the cake.

Ai no Mukidashi / Love Exposure (2008)

Written and directed by: Sono Sion

Starring: Nishijima Takahiro, Mitsushima Hikari, Andō Sakura

This is the longest film I have ever seen, but it earns it through pure irreverence and its strong commitment to the bit. Without going too deep, our hero gets to experience hardcore training in the ancient art of shooting up-skirt panty shots, cross-dresses as Kaji Meiko’s Sasori, and ultimately gets caught up in a weird cult. And aside from just our hero, all of the characters embark on epic journeys, both physically and emotionally, which culminates in an incredible finale. Sono brings a slick style to the proceedings, boasting great shooting and snappy editing, and bestows each chapter of the film with a distinct flavor. The film also expresses a wide range of moods, indulging in wacky hijinks and visceral violence, while also showcasing true human emotion. The regular needle drops from psychedelic rock band Yura Yura Teikoku seal the deal for me.[7]Yes, I do release Sono is a perpetrator of some unforgivable things, but I feel his work stands on its own.

Taiyō wo Nusunda Otoko / The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979)

Directed by: Hasegawa Kazuhiko

Written by: Leonard Schrader, Hasegawa Kazuhiko

Starring: Sawada Kenji, Sugawara Bunta, Ikegami Kimiko

Taiyō wo Nusunda Otoko is a tremendous work, brilliantly mixing satire in the vein of Doctor Strangelove with the intrigue of a top-notch cat-and-mouse suspense tale. While it seems a bit of a long one at two and a half hours, much like the entry above this one, the film earns it by not wasting a single moment. But while captivating with its twists and turns, the characters portrayed by Sawada Kenji and Sugawara Bunta both represent a relatable inner darkness that all men have, which eventually boils over into total madness by the time the movie hits the climax. It’s a beautiful slice of 1970s aesthetic as well, showcasing many vivid inner-city Tokyo landscapes. The soundtrack is in keeping with this poppy 1970s aesthetic, but the main theme is distinctively sinister, providing an appropriately dark atmosphere for the events of the film to play out against.


Okay, I get it. Eight films is pretty half-assed. 

To round it out to a nice ten, here are two films I saw in the theater last year that also stuck with me. One was a new release, which goes against the main rule I outlined at the top of this post… but who cares!

Revolution+1 (2022)

Directed by: Adachi Masao

Written by: Inoue Junichi, Adachi Masao

Starring: Tamoto Soran

At a glance, Revolution+1 seems like the kind of film that would suffer from the circumstances of its production being more interesting than the film itself. The film centers around the assassination of former Japanese prime minister Abe Shinzo, is directed by a former left-wing terrorist, and was intentionally released on the day of Abe’s state funeral in protest of the ceremony. But thankfully, the film is great on its own merits. Keen readers will notice that director Adachi Masao shows up earlier in this post as a writer on Tenshi no Kōkotsu–for the uninitiated, Adachi started his career as a very politically engaged filmmaker, working on left-leaning pink films in the 1960s and 1970s. After visiting Palestine with Wakamatsu Kōji to shoot a recruitment film for the Japanese Red Army and PFLP, he completely radicalized and joined the Red Army himself. He resided in Lebanon for many years, until being arrested and sent to prison in both Lebanon and Japan. 

Since his return to public life, he’s continued to make politically-charged films, with Revolution+1 being his most radical. But despite the taboo subject matter, Adachi manages to craft a thoughtful commentary about the harm Abe and the LDP caused for many by focusing on the turmoil Yamagami[8]Named Kawakami in the film. endured in his home life, which ultimately led him to kill Abe. Adachi is always one to wear his politics on his sleeve, and makes multiple callbacks to the Japanese Red Army, almost entirely because of a tenuous connection between Yamagami’s father and one of the perpetrators of the Lod Airport Massacre. That said, he never loses track of Yamagami’s personal story, and goes to great lengths to humanize him. The film is not a straight bioepic, as Adachi peppers it with surreal vignettes, which at times work to put us in Yamagami’s head, and at other times are just there so Adachi can make a Blue Hearts reference. But throughout the film, it’s clear that Adachi reveres Yamagami, seeing him as someone who did something Adachi and his comrades could never achieve. 

Perhaps due to the film’s subject matter, it’s never been released on home video or on streaming, so for a while the only way to see it was at a theater. Thankfully, I caught a screening earlier last year, and wrote up the film in full here. Now if you look hard enough, there’s a press screener floating around with hardcoded English subtitles [9]HMU if you want a copy.

Kaettekita Abunai Deka / Abu Deka is Back (2024)

Directed by: Hara Hiroto

Written by: Ōkawa Toshimichi, Oka Yoshirō

Starring: Tachi Hiroshi, Shibata Kyōhei

I think it’s fair to say that Harrison Ford played Indiana Jones in two too-many Indiana Jones films. Not to diss the veteran actor, but in both Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Dial of Destiny, it seemed like he just didn’t want to be riding horses and shooting at things. Meanwhile, whenever Tachi Hiroshi and Shibata Kyōhei show up to reprise their roles as Taka and Yūji for a new Abunai Deka project, it feels like you’re taken back to 1986, when the original TV series was airing. Sure, they certainly look like they’re in their 70s, but they still have the same snappy rapport, can still pull off some sweet action, and generally still kick ass all up and down Yokohama. However, Kaettekita director Hara Hiroto plays up the “retired cop” angle well, and lets our boys chill in the swank offices of their new private detective practice, and also gives them a cute chick to hang out with. Also, one of them may be the father of this girl… or not? I wrote up Kaettekita Abunai Deka here, but to reiterate, it perfects the nostalgia grab in a way very few long-running franchises can.


And that’s a wrap! To continue following my exploits through Japanese film, please go ahead and follow me on either BlueSky, Instagram or Twitter[10]Yes, I’m still there, and yes, I’m still calling it Twitter.. If I manage to continue this for another year, you can expect another roundup like this at the start of 2026! So, while tentatively… until next year!

Notes
Notes
1 Or streaming.
2 A portmanteau of the words aho (idiot) and performance.
3 In other words, it was the first time I’ve seen one of his good films.
4 Yes, with them as they fuck each other’s brains out.
5 And yes, she’s super hot.
6 Despite the revolutionaries being far too sexy.
7 Yes, I do release Sono is a perpetrator of some unforgivable things, but I feel his work stands on its own.
8 Named Kawakami in the film.
9 HMU if you want a copy.
10 Yes, I’m still there, and yes, I’m still calling it Twitter.

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