Mizuki x 4

I have added four manga by Mizuki Shigeru to my recommended manga page.

These are:
Kitaro
NonNonBa
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths
Showa 1926-1939: A History of Japan
It is good to finally be getting works in English by this modern giant of the manga world.

Planes of The Wind Rises

Last night I saw The Wind Rises in San Francisco, the Sundance Kabuki has it in three theaters. Two for the subtitled version and one for the English re-dub.

Some of the more unusual planes we saw in the movie were real.

Caproni Ca.60.

Caproni Ca.90.

Junkers G.38.

Lotsa Lupin

I have created a section on my recommended anime page devoted to various Lupin III anime.

Titles I recommend in the section include:

Lupin the 3rd: First TV Series [1971-1972]

Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo [1978]

Lupin the III: The Castle of Cagliostro [1979]

Lupin the 3rd: The Fuma Conspiracy [1987]

Lupin the 3rd: Crisis in Tokyo [1998]

Lupin The 3rd Episode 0: The First Contact [2002]

Lupin the 3rd: Green vs Red [2008]

Lupin the Third: Woman Called Fujiko Mine [2012]

Truly Wild

I have added the 2011 movie Wild 7 to my Recommended Japanese Live Action Cinema page.

This is a fun action film and very inexpensive from Japan, under $17.00 for the Blu-ray and under $11.00 for the DVD.

If you are a fan of the original manga, the anime, or totally new to the title consider this one as a fun action movie to add to your collection.

Ghibli anime not available in the U.S.

I have just added three releases of Studio Ghibli anime that are not available in the U.S. to my Recommended Anime list.

These are:

Ghibli ga Ippai Special Short Short
- a collection of shorts by the studio and a subsidiary.

Ocean Waves (Umi ga Kikoeru, a.k.a. I Can Hear the Sea)
- a wonderful slow paced film that is one of my favorites.

Only Yesterday (Omohide Poro Poro)
- The Disney corporation acquired this title back in the mid 1990s and still has no plans for a U.S. release.

Only Yesterday is the only one out on both Blu-ray and DVD. Given how more of the Ghibli works are coming out on Blu-ray it may only be a mater of time before they are all on tha format.

Soon I plan to add more of the Ghibli documentaries to the recommended lists. For a list of Studio Ghibli titles I have on the recommended list check the listing on the Creators - Those Behind the Works I Recommend page.

Fukasaku and Katsu fun

I am adding several new additions to my list.

The first part are all directed by Fukasaku Kinji, one of my favorite directors.

These are:

- Battle Royale

- Battle Royale II: Requiem

- Swords of Vengeance: Fall of Ako Castle

- Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honor and Humanity

Then a famous series staring Katsu Shintaro

- Zatoichi

High School and College, Three Views

I have added some new titles to my recommended lists. In this case anime, manga and live action.

All of them take place in a school setting, either High school or college.

These are:

From Up On Poppy Hill (anime feature)

Genshiken (anime TV series and manga series).

The Way to Fight (Live action movie)

All of these are excellent works with The Way to Fight having been a very pleasant surprise.