u/tobayas18

Upon its premiere in competition, “Fragment” went on to win two awards at the Busan International Film Festival, the CGV Award and Chorokbaem Media Award, both of which feel justified, for this is a very assured and promising debut for Kim Sung-yoon, whose strong writing and directorial hand are further helped by the earnest and accomplished performances his young actors put on display.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2024/10/film-review-fragment-2024-by-kim-sung-yoon/

Upon its premiere in competition, “Fragment” went on to win two awards at the Busan International Film Festival, the CGV Award and Chorokbaem Media Award, both of which feel justified, for this is a very assured and promising debut for Kim Sung-yoon, whose strong writing and directorial hand are further helped by the earnest and accomplished performances his young actors put on display.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2024/10/film-review-fragment-2024-by-kim-sung-yoon/

The film is a small joy for those who know Hokusai as it gives a lot of winks to his work, but it is also a quite touching story about a daughter who wants to be loved by her father. Poetic and pleasing to the eye with beautiful animation, the film paces itself through the floating world of Edo. It leaves the viewer satisfied but might also do the opposite with leaving you wanting more as it does remain rather timid. The filmmakers nevertheless present us with a pleasing motion picture.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2016/09/miss-hokusai-2015-review/

The film is a small joy for those who know Hokusai as it gives a lot of winks to his work, but it is also a quite touching story about a daughter who wants to be loved by her father. Poetic and pleasing to the eye with beautiful animation, the film paces itself through the floating world of Edo. It leaves the viewer satisfied but might also do the opposite with leaving you wanting more as it does remain rather timid. The filmmakers nevertheless present us with a pleasing motion picture.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2016/09/miss-hokusai-2015-review/

In the end, “Tokyo Fist” is a film about the physical form, its limits and possibilities. Given the context of our society’s obsession with perfection and the physical form, it is a darkly funny, but also quite disturbing movie to watch as well as an almost logical consequence of the themes laid out in the second “Tetsuo”-film.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/05/film-review-tokyo-fist-1995-by-shinya-tsukamoto/

In the end, “Tokyo Fist” is a film about the physical form, its limits and possibilities. Given the context of our society’s obsession with perfection and the physical form, it is a darkly funny, but also quite disturbing movie to watch as well as an almost logical consequence of the themes laid out in the second “Tetsuo”-film.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/05/film-review-tokyo-fist-1995-by-shinya-tsukamoto/

The action scenes (both hand to hand and those against the monster) are impressive, with the combination of choreography, SFX, cinematography and sound resulting in an astonishing audiovisual experience. The fact that these scenes appear in abundance in the film is the greatest asset of the production, and in conjunction with the relatively small duration (105 minutes), retain the interest from beginning to end.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/05/film-review-monstrum-2018-by-huh-jong-ho/

The action scenes (both hand to hand and those against the monster) are impressive, with the combination of choreography, SFX, cinematography and sound resulting in an astonishing audiovisual experience. The fact that these scenes appear in abundance in the film is the greatest asset of the production, and in conjunction with the relatively small duration (105 minutes), retain the interest from beginning to end.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/05/film-review-monstrum-2018-by-huh-jong-ho/

Winner of the Best New Director prize at the Locarno Film Festival, and one of the greatest recent Japanese films, alongside “Hime-Anole“, “Destruction Babies” is a combination of Miike’s “Izo”, Tsukamoto’s “Tokyo Fist” and Toyoda’s “Pornostar“.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2017/01/tetsuya-marikos-destruction-babies-gives-whole-new-meaning-street-fighting/

Big screen debut of Singaporean Chan, “Shadows” theatrical release was delayed for more than a year, something that did not prevent the movie, however, from being hailed as one of the best of the year. “Shadows” is an impressive debut that manages to rise above its narrative errors through its overall atmosphere, technical prowess, and Stephy Tang’s acting, resulting in a truly entertaining thriller.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2021/07/film-review-shadows-2020-by-glenn-chan/

Based on the old Chinese folklore, “White Snake” is an animated film which serves as a prequel to the original narrative of Legend of the White Snake. The film is the fourth feature released by Light Chaser Animation and it has been selected for this year’s New York Indian Film Festival. It is the directorial debut of Amp Wong and Zhao Ji and the gorgeous, lush imagery makes the ride worthwhile.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/07/film-review-white-snake-2019-by-ji-zhao-and-amp-wong/

Young yet prolific director Ryutaro Nakagawa presents his 12th directorial work “One Day You Will Reach the Sea”, an ambitious multi-layered project, based on a novel by Ayase Maru, where the pain of an individual merges with the one of an entire nation. The film is introduced by a delicate dreamy animation that sets the mood without giving away too much of what will follow.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2022/05/film-review-one-day-you-will-reach-the-sea-2022-by-ryutaro-nakagawa/

Moving somewhere between Edward Yang and Hong Sang-soo, “The Shadowless Tower” is an intensely art-house movie, both beautiful and meaningful, but also addressed solely to fans of the particular cinema.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2023/11/film-review-the-shadowless-tower-2023-by-zhang-lu/

It is evident why “The Roundup” went on to be the biggest film of 2022 at the Korean box office thus far and has broken into the top 20 highest grossing Korean films of all time already. Taking the popular formula of “The Outlaws”, it emphasises on almost every facet that made the 2017 feature click, resulting in a highly entertaining production that only goes to consolidate Ma Dong-seok’s hard-man superstardom and Son Sukku’s upward career graph.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2022/10/film-review-the-roundup-2022-by-lee-sang-yong-2/

“North Korean Partisan in South Korea” stands as a landmark of the New Korean Wave, addressing subjects that had been deemed controversial under the authoritarian regime. Back in the days, the Korean War was portrayed in a propagandistic way with a clearly marked boundary between good and bad. Chung bravely offers an alternative narrative and, by leading viewers through rushing rivers and misty mountains, reveals the patriotic will of ordinary people who wanted only the best for their country – and were willing to give their lives for it.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2025/10/north-korean-partisan-in-south-korea-1990-by-chung-ji-young-film-review/

PS There is an online retrospective of films starring Ahn Sung-ki: https://www.artseastwest.ca/maiff/2026-films

As some of the best period films do, “Mountain Woman” takes its historical setting and uses it to explore contemporary concerns of the individual and society. Hereditary guilt, social ostracization, and questions concerning religion all come to the fore in Takeshi Fukunaga’s methodical feature. Some strikingly grizzled performances and gorgeous scenery complement an already stimulating narrative, all serving to make “Mountain Woman” a remarkably poignant period drama.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2023/06/film-review-mountain-woman-2022-by-takeshi-fukunaga/

“Suzume” does not reinvigorate the genre, but is another very entertaining anime, filled with (hidden) messages and comments, and an overall excellent movie that shows that Shinkai has taken Miyazaki’s recipe of success and contemporize it in the best fashion.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2023/10/anime-review-suzume-2022-by-makoto-shinkai/

As captivating a debut anyone could dream of making, its craftsmanship hasn’t gone unnoticed having taken home the Best Asian Future Film Award at last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival. There is much to praise here as Wang’s seemingly slice-of-life approach to storytelling carries more depth than its simple yet rich exterior leads one to believe. What Wang has done captures the full impact of impermanence within these uncertain times; we are left wanting to reassure Isa everything has happened for the greater good, answering the Tang Dynasty poet’s question with the same level of confidence poured into the director’s efforts. We cannot, but in doing so affirms Wang’s resounding ability to connect us to her characters.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2019/05/film-review-a-first-farewell-2018-by-lina-wang/

Launched on November 20, 1971 with Hayashi Isao’s “Castle Orgies” and Nishimura Shogoro’s “Apartment Wife: Afternoon Affair”, the Roman Porno brand became one of the most prolific and controversial chapters in Japanese cinema, producing hundreds of titles until its original run ended in 1988.

Despite strict production rules, low budgets, and rapid shooting schedules, the line also gave filmmakers unusual creative freedom, with names such as Yojiro Takita passing through its ranks before later international success. At its best, Roman Porno also produced acclaimed works such as “The Woman with Red Hair”, starring Junko Miyashita.

In our new video, we look at the history of the line, its 2016 and 2022 relaunches, and the way newer titles attempted to move beyond the genre’s male-centered roots toward female subjectivity and contemporary desire.

Check the full list in the video in the link and let us know your thought on the reboot!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOUbhxEFP_k

In the end, “Aristocrats” is a rather interesting, often though-provoking story about romance and class. Through the stories of her two protagonists director Yukiko Sode explores the invisible borders within society and how they define people.

What are your thoughts on the film?

Click on the link to read our review: https://asianmoviepulse.com/2021/06/film-review-aristocrats-2020-by-yukiko-sode/