Browsing by Genre

Young Adult/Kids'

Battle Royale (2000)
Kinji Fukasaku never disappoints when taking on interesting projects. YAGYU CONSPIRACY (1978), MESSAGE FROM SPACE (1978), DAY OF RESURRECTION (aka VIRUS 1980), and SAMURAI REINCARNATION (1981) are just some of his eclectic and curious body of work. Enter Fukasaku's BATTLE ROYALE, a bloody and violent story about a future Japan that sacrifices its youth in the name of stability and peace. The outrageous premise of the story involves a government sponsored lottery that randomly selects a class of Junior High School/High School students to enter a contest called BATTLE ROYALE. BATTLE ROYALE is basically a gladiatorial style event where students must kill each other to win their freedom. The catch however is that only one student can be allowed to live and if any others survive, then all the contestants will be eliminated via explosive collars around their necks. This makes for continual conflict as friends, rivals and lovers kill each other in order to survive. BATTLE ROYALE has received much criticism and interest due to its no-holds-barred portrayal of teens killing indiscriminately and its vicious tone but in retrospect this may have been overblown as the violence level isn't as graphic as others have claimed it to be.
Juvenile
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Kikujiro No Natsu
When a young boy sets out to find the mother who left him to live with his grandmother years ago, he ends up embarking on a journey with an aging tough guy who would rather be playing the ponys. A comedy of the heart.
Sayonara Kuro (2003)
The true story of a dog named Kuro who lived in a school in Nagano since the 60s.
Tenku No Shiro Raputa (1986)
Sheeta and Pazu journey together to the flying island of Laputa to unlock its secrets--and the secrets of Sheeta's own heritage.
TOYD: TOY DOLOID SYSTEM
When a new cell phone remote-controlled robot hits the market, young kids snap it up. However several unexplainable murders mar the early success. One career cop must face some hard truths about his daughter and their life together since the death of his wife several years ago. A horror/thriller for teens without tons of gore. Spooky. Telling. A deep look into Japanese society on some levels.
Uchiage Hanabi, Shita Kara Miru ka? Yoko Kara Miru Ka? (1993)
Three elementary school boys try to discover the best way to watch fireworks, and an "older" girl tries to elope with one of them.