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japan

Season 3 of “Aggretsuko” moves out of the office

Aggretsuko
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The red panda keeps raging against the machine as the cartoon becomes even more painfully relatable.

Jacob Oller Posted on August 27, 2020August 26, 2020

Fantasia 2020: “Woman of the Photographs” takes the shine off our polished self-images

Woman of the Photographs
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Takeshi Kushida’s debut is a heartbreakingly dark love story about confidence and perception.

Clint Worthington Posted on August 25, 2020August 25, 2020

Fantasia 2020: “Monster Seafood Wars” is a light but pleasant snack

Monster Seafood Wars
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Minoru Kawasaki’s loving tribute to kaiju movies drags whenever the action moves away from the monsters.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on August 18, 2020August 19, 2020

Fantasia: “Life: Untitled” explores Japanese sex work

Life Untitled
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Kana Yamada’s stage adaptation Life: Untitled offers a glimpse into the lives of women on the margins of Japanese sex work.

Clint Worthington Posted on August 16, 2020August 16, 2020

“Weathering With You” Is an Animated Ray of Sunshine

Weathering With You
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Makoto Shinkai’s followup to Your Name is another charming coming-of-age tale with a supernatural twist.

Jonah Koslofsky Posted on January 18, 2020January 18, 2020

Get Ready to Trudge Through “The Grudge” (2020)

The Grudge 2020
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Nicolas Pesce’s 2020 extension of the Japanese horror franchise is maybe its most leaden, unscary entry yet.

Douglas Laman Posted on January 3, 2020January 3, 2020

Ed Skrein and Luke Kleintank on Honoring WWII Heroes in “Midway”

Midway Ed Skrein Luke Kleintank
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The stars of Roland Emmerich’s epic war film sit down to talk about research, gum, and the Greatest Generation.

Clint Worthington Posted on November 8, 2019November 8, 2019

Midway Review: WWII Drama Lumbers With Clumsy Solemnity

Midway
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Roland Emmerich’s dull, misguided World War II epic tries to mask its Pacific-sized flaws in the cloak of patriotism.

Clint Worthington Posted on November 7, 2019November 7, 2019

CIFF Dispatch: “Jojo Rabbit”, “A Girl Missing”, “The Torch” and More

CIFF Jojo Rabbit Girl Missing Jesus Takes You Highway The Torch
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(This dispatch is part of our coverage of the 2019 Chicago International Film Festival.) Welp, CIFF keeps chugging […]

Clint Worthington Posted on October 24, 2019October 24, 2019

One Cut of the Dead Review: A Gleeful Mix of Zombies and Showbiz

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Flesh-eating creatures and farcical meta-comedy meet in this refreshing, delightful riff on the zombie genre.

Clint Worthington Posted on September 17, 2019September 17, 2019

Fantasia 2019: In “We Are Little Zombies” Grief is the Final Boss

We Are Little Zombies
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Makoto Nagahisa’s wild video game flavored comedy about a group of jaded orphans is like nothing you’ve ever seen.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on July 19, 2019July 19, 2019

Fantasia 2019: “The Wonderland” Is a Sweet Ghibli-Esque Fantasy

The Wonderland
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Keiichi Hara’s candy-colored fairy tale is certainly a feast for the eyes, even if its story is skin deep.

Clint Worthington Posted on July 17, 2019July 23, 2019

“Aggretsuko” Screams Its Way Through Another Season of Delicious Feminist Rage

Aggretsuko S2
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The second season of Netflix’s kawaii-metal workplace anime elevates its adorable gimmick with a newfound maturity.

Jacob Oller Posted on June 10, 2019August 11, 2020

“Spirited Away” and the Sophistication of Childhood

Spirited Away
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(Every month, we at The Spool select a Filmmaker of the Month, honoring the life and works of […]

Rubén Rosario Posted on May 31, 2019August 10, 2020

“Howl’s Moving Castle” Is Miyazaki’s Personal Favorite, And It’s Easy to See Why

Howl's Moving Castle
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Howl’s Moving Castle, Hayao Miyazaki’s sprawling, mythic steampunk fantasy from 2004, is one of the master’s more underrated features.

Gregory J. Smalley Posted on May 30, 2019August 10, 2020

The Simple Pleasures of “Ponyo”

Ponyo
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One of Hayao Miyazaki’s lighter, sentimental films is a celebration of ordinary life & parental love as seen through the eyes of a child.

Gena Radcliffe Posted on May 28, 2019August 10, 2020

“Princess Mononoke” & the Beauty of Unpleasant Matters

Princess Mononoke
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One of Miyazaki’s most enduring classics, Princess Mononoke addresses the concepts of violence and hatred in a way young viewers can understand.

Sarah Gorr Posted on May 19, 2019August 10, 2020

Pigs Fly in Miyazaki’s Swashbuckling Sea Adventure “Porco Rosso”

Porco Rosso
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Porco Rosso is yet another swashbuckling adventure in the grand tradition of Hayao Miyazaki, a high-flying caper about a flying pig who’s also a sea pirate.

Ben Kaye Posted on May 18, 2019August 10, 2020

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