Category Archives: Japanese Film

#87: Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo (1978)

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Infused with an irreverent, chaotic energy, reminiscent of Monkey Punch’s original manga, director Soji Yoshikawa’s completely madcap Lupin the Third: The Mystery of Mamo (1978) sees Lupin and the gang, in their first animated theatrical outing, face off against a mysterious villain plotting to takeover the world while seeking to obtain from Lupin the philosopher’s stone said to possess the secret to immortality.  Tune in for the full review! 

Timestamps:

  • [00:00] Intro, Garo, Naruto
  • [21:15]  Review of Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo (1978)

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#79: Kikujiro

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In Takeshi Kitano’s summer road movie, Kikujiro, a young boy searching for his estranged mother sets out from Tokyo into rural Japan with an unruly former Yakuza as his guide, begetting a series of misadventures, felonious incidents, comedic interludes, surreal vignettes,  and tender moments, as bonds of affection form between the unlikely pair.   

Timestamps:

  • [00:00] Introductions and Nonsense
  • [09:09] Mini-Review of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga Goodbye, Eri
  • [44:40] Kikujiro Review

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

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#76: Macross Plus Movie Edition

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We chat about the Ip Man franchise, discuss the influences and merits of the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and lastly review one of the premiere anime titles of the 1990s: Macross Plus Movie Edition, an explosive work, by Macross series creator Shoji Kawamori and the core creative talent later responsible for a little known title called Cowboy Bebop, that twenty seven years after its release has lost none of its original impact.

Timestamps:

  • [00:00] Ip Man 2-4, Mobile Suit Gundam 0079
  • [43:42] Macross Plus Movie Edition Review
  • [3:21:09] Twitter Questions

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!

#74: One Cut of the Dead

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We review the ingenious horror / comedy One Cut of the Dead from Japanese filmmaker Shinichiro Ueda.

Timestamps:

  • [00:00] Dragon Quest Dai and Cowboy Bebop Live Action
  • [58:27] One Cut of the Dead Review
  • [2:02:30] Twitter Questions

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!

#73: PROMARE

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After the hell year that was 2020, the Thieves are at long last back on the couch together!  We catch up by chatting about the zaniness that is Record of Ragnarok and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 5, discuss Heat’s ongoing mission to ruin movies watch a new movie every day and how that’s been going, bum ourselves out with a double dose of sad news items, and finally give our thoughts on Studio Trigger and Hiroyuki Imaishi’s first feature film, the loud, energetic, and joyously colorful, 3DCG/2D hybrid from – can you believe it? – the year 2019: PROMARE.

Timestamps:

  • [00:00] Intro + We’ve Been Watching
  • [43:28] News
  • [1:04:22] Review

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!

#72: Zeiram & Zeiram 2

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Special guest David Bednar (@ykarps) joins us on the show to chat about two of his favorite ’90s Tokusatsu films, the action filled, science fiction cult classics, Zeiram and Zeiram 2, from the creative mind of artist / director Keita Amemiya.  

Timestamps:

  • [00:00] Intro + What We’ve Been Watching: Violet Evergarden, Alita, Cyber Punk Movies, One Piece, Golden Kamuy
  • [43:17] Zeiram
  • [1:23:10] Zeiram 2

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

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#71: Infini-T Force: Farewell, Friend

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Classic Tatsunoko super heroes return in this cross dimensional, team up film follow up to the 2017 CG animated Infini-T Force series by Tatsunoko and Digital Frontier studios. Tune in for the full review of Infini-T Force: Farewell, Friend!

Review (54:50)

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

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#69: Cat Soup / One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island

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Our series of donation funded listener requests continues with a Blade Licking Thieves‘ Double Feature! First, we have a review of Tatsuo Sato and Masaaki Yuasa’s short, surreal and slightly twisted 2001 OVA, Cat Soup, based on the manga by the late Nekojiro. And, lastly, we review One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island, the sixth film in the long running shonen action series by Eiichiro Oda, notable for being directed by Mamoru Hosoda (a year before he would go on to achieve monumental success with his next feature, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time).

Cat Soup Review (5:46) | Twitter Questions (36:08)

OP: Baron Omatsuri Review (41:23) | Twitter Questions (1:58:36)

If you have questions or comments about the show, please feel free to shoot us an Email or leave a comment below.

Thanks for listening!