Kazuo Umezz
Also Known As: 楳図 かずお
Biography: Kazuo Umezu or Kazuo Umezz (楳図 かずお, Umezu Kazuo, birth name 楳図一雄; born September 3, 1936) is a Japanese manga artist, musician and actor. Starting his career in the 1950s, he is among the most famous artists of horror manga and has been vital for its development, considered the "god of horror manga". In 1960s shōjo manga like Reptilia, he broke the industry's conventions by combining the aesthetics of the commercial manga industry with gruesome visual imagery inspired by Japanese folktales, which created a boom of horror manga and influenced manga artists of following generations. He created successful manga series such as The Drifting Classroom, Makoto-chan and My Name Is Shingo, until he retired from drawing manga in the mid 1990s. He is also a public figure in Japan, known for wearing red-and-white-striped shirts and doing his signature "Gwash" hand gesture.
Department: Writing
Place of Birth: Kōya, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
Birthday: September 03, 1936
Adult: No
Gender: Male
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Known For:
Gu Gu, the Cat
Overview: Asako, a comic book artist in her early forties, is devastated by the death of her precious cat, Saba, which kept her company for over 15 years, as her assistant Naomi watches on with concern. Naomi is a young woman in her early twenties, who has her set of worries about love and future. Then one day, Asako meets a new cat, Gu Gu, which brings new joy and vitality to her life. What is more, she finds potential for love in a man named Seiji. Like Asako, Naomi, too, embarks on a new life plan.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2008-09-06
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Kaidan. Strange Stories of Japanese Ghosts
Overview: An exploration of the spirit world as portrayed in the height of the J-horror era of the late ‘90s.
Genres: Documentary Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-10-12
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Gozamareji
Overview:
Genres: Horror Thriller Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-04-26
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Monster Heaven: Ghost Hero
Overview: A major electronics company on the verge of developing technology to create a 3D image that can be physically handled is thrown into turmoil when a murderous demon is unleashed in the headquarters office. Can the slow witted son of the company founder and a punk rock band of monsters (don’t ask) stop the evil forces before the employees are butchered?
Genres: Science Fiction Horror Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1990-07-28
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Monster Heaven
Overview: An anthology of strange horror tales featuring yokai. It begins with astronauts finding a katana on the moon.
Genres: Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1986-09-21
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Yaji & Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims
Overview: Yaji and Kita are two men who live in Edo. They are deeply in love. Yaji is married to a woman, while Kita is an actor addicted to various drugs.
Genres: Action Comedy Fantasy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-04-02
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Kazuo Umezu's Terror Zone: Horror!
Overview:
Genres: Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1993-01-01
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Makoto-chan
Overview: A series of interconnected vignettes regarding Makoto Sawada, an energetic yet socially inept kindergartner, and his long-suffering family. Makoto strives to receive the title of his school's "Best Child" award, resulting in chaos and misunderstandings wherever he goes.
Genres: Comedy Animation
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1980-07-26
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Hoodlum Soldier
Overview: A young intellectual conscientious objector is forced to serve with the Japanese army in Manchuria. He joins with a dim-witted former gangster in an effort to desert by stealing a train.
Genres: Action War Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1965-03-18
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God's Left Hand, Devil's Right Hand
Overview: What's scary is being a human being, and what's scary is being myself. Truly horrifying things reside inside oneself. The work asks if you can stand the inescapable terror.
Genres: Horror Fantasy Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-06-22
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Why Horror?
Overview: Horror fan Tal Zimerman examines the psychology of horror around the world to find out why people love to be scared.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: en
Release Date: 2014-10-03
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Tokyo Zombie
Overview: Two Japanese friends accidentally kill their boss and dump his remains in Black Fuji, a mountain/landfill hybrid. This leads to poor results when the chemicals of the landfill mix with the corpse (and many other corpses) to give rise to a zombie infestation in Tokyo.
Genres: Comedy Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-12-10
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The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch
Overview: Up until this point, young Sayuri Nanjo has had to live most of her life in a nun-run boarding school for orphans and away from her parents. That's all about to change when her real father mysteriously comes to get her and finally bring her home.
Genres: Horror Thriller Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1968-12-14
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