In the past decade Japan has had something of a resurgence in productivity. Japanese Horror came in the decade strong, riding on the heels of the massive successes of Ring (1998) and The Grudge. This would taper off as the decade progressed, but it would open new doors for J-cinema and the world.
Over the next ten years, manga and anime would serve as both a source and an inspiration for subsequent cinematic productions, including mind blowing anime movies like Paprika and Ghost in the Shell Innocence, stalwart animated films from Ghibli like Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, and adaptations of manga and anime, including but not limited to Nana and the Death Note trilogy. Some of the best Japanese box office performers were adaptations of manga or anime and would serve to spur the industry into looking into these sources for inspiration.
Tie-ins with TV series, or doramas, would also prove to be popular; movie versions or "finale" versions of J-dramas would enjoy a resurgence, especially in the last five years of the decade. The movie versions of Rookies (itself based on a manga) and Bayside Shakedown would rake in cash like never before.
Japan also received its share of accolades from the international film community, most recently last year's Okuribito (Departures,) which won the best foreign film Oscar for 2009. Japanese actors would also gain acclaim, with Yuya Yagira winning a best actor prize in Cannes for Nobody Knows, and Rinko Kikuchi getting a nomination for her role in Inarritu's Babel.
With even more anime adaptations next year, Japanese cinema seems to be riding the wave of success it has been riding this decade. The future looks bright. And so, my favorite Japanese films of the past ten (+1) years:
Kisaragi - it's just five guys in a room. Granted films like this have been done before (like for example, Chinese Dinner), but none have layered their plot revelations as well as this one. One watch made me an instant fan.
All About Lily Chou-chou - Being a fan of Shunji Iwai, I had to pick one of his films from the past decade, and it was this one that caught my eye the most. A layered, complex depiction of alienation among Japanese youth, it was also one of the first to be captured on high grade digital film. It also launched the careers of some of Japan's top young actors and actresses, like Yu Aoi and Hayato Ichihara, whose performances made the film.
Tony Takitani - putting a Haruki Murakami anything into film is hard to do. But this film by the late Jun Ichikawa captures the essence of the original short story and doesn't resort to cheap theatrics.
The Happiness of the Katakuris - It's part horror, comedy, family drama. And it's a freaking musical? Proof that in between the gorefests (Ichi the Killer), the remarkably mainstream fare (Crows Zero) and the downright 'whoa' films (Visitor Q) Takashi Miike is still responsible for delightfully insane films like this.
Zatoichi - There have been at least three adaptations or approaches to the Zatoichi story in the past decade, including a female version by the Ping Pong director and that 'Final' movie that had a member of SMAP in it. But leave it to Takeshi Kitano to make the definitive remake of the film series with a pomp and swagger that the original films had in spades.
Honorable mentions: 20th Century Boys Trilogy (ambitious!) Yoji Yamada's Samurai Trilogy
Next up: South Korea and the Korean Wave Cinema of the past decade
Over the next ten years, manga and anime would serve as both a source and an inspiration for subsequent cinematic productions, including mind blowing anime movies like Paprika and Ghost in the Shell Innocence, stalwart animated films from Ghibli like Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, and adaptations of manga and anime, including but not limited to Nana and the Death Note trilogy. Some of the best Japanese box office performers were adaptations of manga or anime and would serve to spur the industry into looking into these sources for inspiration.
Tie-ins with TV series, or doramas, would also prove to be popular; movie versions or "finale" versions of J-dramas would enjoy a resurgence, especially in the last five years of the decade. The movie versions of Rookies (itself based on a manga) and Bayside Shakedown would rake in cash like never before.
Japan also received its share of accolades from the international film community, most recently last year's Okuribito (Departures,) which won the best foreign film Oscar for 2009. Japanese actors would also gain acclaim, with Yuya Yagira winning a best actor prize in Cannes for Nobody Knows, and Rinko Kikuchi getting a nomination for her role in Inarritu's Babel.
With even more anime adaptations next year, Japanese cinema seems to be riding the wave of success it has been riding this decade. The future looks bright. And so, my favorite Japanese films of the past ten (+1) years:
Kisaragi - it's just five guys in a room. Granted films like this have been done before (like for example, Chinese Dinner), but none have layered their plot revelations as well as this one. One watch made me an instant fan.
All About Lily Chou-chou - Being a fan of Shunji Iwai, I had to pick one of his films from the past decade, and it was this one that caught my eye the most. A layered, complex depiction of alienation among Japanese youth, it was also one of the first to be captured on high grade digital film. It also launched the careers of some of Japan's top young actors and actresses, like Yu Aoi and Hayato Ichihara, whose performances made the film.
Tony Takitani - putting a Haruki Murakami anything into film is hard to do. But this film by the late Jun Ichikawa captures the essence of the original short story and doesn't resort to cheap theatrics.
The Happiness of the Katakuris - It's part horror, comedy, family drama. And it's a freaking musical? Proof that in between the gorefests (Ichi the Killer), the remarkably mainstream fare (Crows Zero) and the downright 'whoa' films (Visitor Q) Takashi Miike is still responsible for delightfully insane films like this.
Zatoichi - There have been at least three adaptations or approaches to the Zatoichi story in the past decade, including a female version by the Ping Pong director and that 'Final' movie that had a member of SMAP in it. But leave it to Takeshi Kitano to make the definitive remake of the film series with a pomp and swagger that the original films had in spades.Honorable mentions: 20th Century Boys Trilogy (ambitious!) Yoji Yamada's Samurai Trilogy
Next up: South Korea and the Korean Wave Cinema of the past decade
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