Masanobu Ando
Also Known As: Masanobu Andô, Andō Masanobu, Masanobu Andō, Andô Masanobu, Masanobu Andou, Andou Masanobu, 安藤 政信
Biography: Masanobu Ando (安藤 政信, Andō Masanobu, born May 19, 1975 in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese actor and director. For his second film, in 1996, he won the Film Academy of Japan's Best New Actor Award, starring in Takeshi Kitano's Kids Return. Ando has extensive experience in both Japanese television drama and film and has played a large variety of different roles: mentally challenged (Innocent World), bank robber (Space Travelers, Drive), doctor (Transparent), ninja and samurai (Red Shadow), even a corpse (Monday). Out of all of Ando's characters, he is best known for his role as Kazuo Kiriyama, the heartless, psychopathic killer in the controversial film, Battle Royale (2000). He also played an art forger in the low-budget Battle Royale parody Tokyo 10+01 (2003). As well as acting, Ando has been in Japanese ad campaigns for the popular Japanese snack food, Pocky, Toyota, and for DoCoMo mobile phones. In 2003, he directed his first film, Adagietto. Sehr langsam, starring Japanese actress, Kumiko Aso. The short is included in Hiroyuki Nakano's Peacedelic compilation called Short Films. In it, he also stars in the short, 県道スター (loosely translated to "Prefectural road star"). In his spare time, he enjoys photography and shopping Description above from the Wikipedia article Masanobu Ando, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Department: Acting
Place of Birth: Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
Birthday: May 19, 1975
Adult: No
Gender: Male
Popularity:
Known For:
Battle Royale
Overview: In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
Genres: Drama Thriller Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2000-12-16
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Rohan at the Louvre
Overview: The blackest and most evil painting in the world. In pursuit of its mystery, Rohan Kishibe, a manga artist with a special power, visits the Louvre in France. There, a number of horrifying events await him.
Genres: Mystery Action Adventure Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2023-05-26
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Adrenaline Drive
Overview: A gas leak explosion at a yakuza hideout provides a shy nurse and a rental car clerk with the opportunity to take a briefcase full of money. A cross-country chase ensues.
Genres: Comedy Crime Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1999-02-18
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Kids Return
Overview: Shinji and Masaru spend most of their school days harassing fellow classmates and playing pranks. They drop out and Shinji becomes a small-time boxer, while Masaru joins up with a local yakuza gang. However, the world is a tough place.
Genres: Drama Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1996-07-27
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My Brother, The Android And Me
Overview: A lonely researcher doubting his own existence builds an android which looks exactly like himself.
Genres: No genres available
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2022-01-07
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Sukiyaki Western Django
Overview: A nameless gunfighter arrives in a town ripped apart by rival gangs and, though courted by both to join, chooses his own path.
Genres: Adventure Action Comedy Western Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2007-09-15
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Monday
Overview: A simple funeral turns a man's world Topsy turvy. He wakes up in a posh hotel room, totally clueless about how he got there. Slowly, he recalls what happened a day before.
Genres: Comedy Crime Mystery Thriller
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2000-04-29
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Nightmare Detective
Overview: When a number of suicide victims slash themselves in their sleep, detective Keiko Kirishima is called to investigate.
Genres: Thriller Horror Crime Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2007-01-13
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Drive
Overview: Kenichi Asakura is an uptight, hyper-square salesman. One day, three bank robbers commandeer his van. They are in hot pursuit of their fellow robber who has snatched the money. Unfortunately for the bank robbers, Asakura never drives over 40 km/h speed limit even under the extreme situation.
Genres: Comedy Drama Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2002-08-24
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Black Kiss
Overview: Asuka is an aspiring model who moves to Tokyo to pursue her career. She moves into a small apartment with a friend of a friend, Kasumi. A bizarre murder occurs in the hotel across the street. The body was mutilated and repositioned into a lurid work of art. After this, a string of murders start happening all around the two girls, as if some crazed serial killer was following them. At the scene of each crime, the perpetrator leaves a black lip print, and is subsequently dubbed "The Black Kiss.
Genres: Crime Drama Horror Mystery Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-10-01
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Space Travelers
Overview: Three bank robbers, who declare themselves to be Space Travelers, take six persons as hostages when they are surrounded by the police. Among the hostages, there is a terrorist with a hidden bomb. In order to escape, the robbers ask the hostages to pretend to be part of the gang. Surprisingly, the hostages soon enjoy doing so. On that strange day, the bank becomes a tropical paradise...
Genres: Fantasy Action Comedy Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2000-04-08
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Railroad Man
Overview: A railway stationmaster at a dying end-of-the-line village in Hokkaido is haunted by memories of his dead wife and daughter. When the railroad line is scheduled to be closed, he is offered a job at a hotel, but he is emotionally unable to part with his career as a railroader. His life takes a turn when he meets a young woman with an interest in trains who resembles his daughter.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1999-06-05
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Strawberry Shortcakes
Overview: Follows the ups and downs of four female friends in Tokyo looking for love and trying to cope with the responsibilities in their lives.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-09-23
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Smuggler
Overview: To pay off his loan shark, failed actor Ryōsuke Kinuta is forced to smuggle dead bodies – and one live elite assassin – in the middle of the night.
Genres: Action Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2011-10-22
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The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman
Overview: A tale of revenge, honor and greed follows a group of misfits that gets involved with a kitchen cleaver made from the top five swords of the martial arts world in this wild and brash action comedy.
Genres: Comedy Action Adventure
Original Language: zh
Release Date: 2011-03-17
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Transparent: Tribute to a Sad Genius
Overview: A young, good-hearted doctor Kenichi suffers from a rare syndrome whereby his feelings cannot be hidden. Such people are known as "satorare" and their well-being come under special government protection.
Genres: Drama Fantasy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2001-03-17
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SHORT FILMS
Overview: Omnibus of six short films: Return; Ken-do star; Hana to oji-san; Adagietto Sehr, langsam; Nakayoki koto wa yoki koto ka na; Slow is Beautiful. Third installment of "SF" series produced by Hiroyuki Nakano.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-03-08
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The Setting Sun
Overview:
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2022-11-04
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Aegis
Overview: The Isokaze, an Aegis-class escort vessel, sets sail on a routine training exercise, playing host to a platoon from the Fleet Training Group. No sooner is the Isokaze on open water, however, then the FTG reveal themselves to be terrorist stowaways who kill the ship's captain, send the rest of the crew overboard and take control of the vessel. The ship is carrying a secret biological weapon which the terrorists are now threatening to use to level Tokyo! Only a stowaway NCO, Sengoko (played by Sanada Hiroyuki from Ring and Twilight Samurai) is in a position to stop them - but does he really have what it takes to save the day? Playing like a cross between a sea-faring version of Top Gun and Die Hard, director Sakamoto Junji shows that it's not just Hollywood that can produce thrill-a-minute action spectaculars.
Genres: Action Thriller Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-07-30
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Shooting Film is Battleground: Making of BATTLE ROYALE
Overview: The late Kinji Fukasaku directed "Battle Royale" - his 60th movie - at the age of 70. This film follows the shooting of the film.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2001-01-13
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Making of 'Battle Royale'
Overview: An abundance of footage from the shooting of Battle Royale and cast and crew discussions.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2000-12-01
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Petal Dance
Overview: Long-time friends Jinko and Motoko hear that their college friend Miki has jumped into the ocean. They are joined by Haraki, who Jinko happens to meet, and head by car on a journey to see Miki.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2013-04-19
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Forever Enthralled
Overview: The epic story Mei Lanfang, who overcame the prejudice against artists in 1930s China to become the country's greatest opera star.
Genres: Drama History
Original Language: zh
Release Date: 2008-12-05
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Synesthesia
Overview: Shin is a professional voyeur who provides live camera feeds of everything from the street corner to the public toilet. He is also afflicted freakish phenomenon known as synesthesia - a glitch in his wiring puts his five senses in a blender and spits out something close to insanity. A high-profile murder propels him into a psychological odyssey in pursuit of Picasso - a serial killer, snuff peddler and fellow synesthete - who leaves deadly hidden messages in his victims' blood that only Shin can decipher. Lulling his victims into a trance with a spellbinding video game, Picasso leads Shin down a mysterious, hypnotic trail of death.
Genres: Horror Thriller Crime Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2005-03-01
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The Yin Yang Master Zero
Overview: During the Heian period, Abe no Seimei trains in magic but lacks interest, until a collaboration with Minamoto no Hiromasa arises to solve a strange phenomenon.
Genres: Fantasy History Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2024-04-19
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Thousand and One Nights
Overview: Tomiko, a middle-aged woman, waits patiently for her husband, who disappeared thirty years ago, to return. She lives alone in a declining fishing village, and continues to search tirelessly for her husband. One day she meets Nami, whose husband has also disappeared.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2022-10-06
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Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag
Overview: An indigenous clan-based people living in harmony with nature find their way of life threatened when violent interlopers from another culture arrive, intent on seizing their natural resources and enslaving them. Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 1: The Sun Flag is Part one of the two-part, four-hour Taiwanese edition of the film Warriors of the Rainbow.
Genres: Drama Action History
Original Language: zh
Release Date: 2011-09-09
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Sakuran
Overview: Anna Tsuchiya blasts back in time playing an oiran, a top-notched geisha of the Edo period’s Yoshiwara District, navigating brothel politics while trying to cling to the man she loves.
Genres: History Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-12-07
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Red Shadow
Overview: The secret warriors of feudal Japan were the ninja. Sent on impossible missions, the ninja were trained to work in shadows, gather information and defeat the enemy to build a world of peace. Akakage, Aokage, and Asuka are rookie ninjas under the tutelage of Shirokage. Their life is a series of perilous missions that entail intrigue, deception and intimidation.
Genres: Adventure Action Comedy Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2001-08-11
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Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge
Overview: After the uprising at Wushe, Mona Rudao faces a guerrilla war against the militarily superior Japanese and Seediq clans. He and his followers must fight for their dignity and honor so that they can truly be "Seediq Bale" or "real men." Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale - Part 2: The Rainbow Bridge is Part two of the two-part, four-hour Taiwanese edition of the film Warriors of the Rainbow.
Genres: Action Drama History
Original Language: zh
Release Date: 2011-09-30
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Innocent World
Overview: High school student Ami was born through a fertilization technique. Her brother is developmentally challenged and is immature for his age. They go on a trip and when they arrive at a clinic decide to stay with the doctor and his wife.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1998-10-03
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Tokyo 10+01
Overview: A group of 11 criminals are trapped in a warehouse with bracelets. The 11 learn that they are part of a game where the prize is 3 million yen and a clean record. The object is to reach the Baron's house. However, the obstacles they face involve hunters with laser guns who will go after the contestants. It seems as if this game is fun...however, the game proves to be a battle of life and death.
Genres: Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2002-08-03
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Green Mind, Metal Bats
Overview: The film follows Nanba, a shunned outcast who doesn’t have a girlfriend, any money or prospects, a turnaround from his glory days in high school when he played on the baseball team; his former teammate Ishioka, who is now a policeman because of an elbow injury; and baseball fanatic Eiko, a hopeless alcoholic who spends more of her time drunk than sober. The three share an intense love of baseball — and their destinies are forever intertwined.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-08-26
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Crickets
Overview: Kaoru, a wealthy woman whose youth is fading, abandons the hustle and bustle of the city to live a peaceful life in a house on the coast. There she takes care of an old deaf, dumb and blind man as if he were an insect, a child or a pet. He can’t do anything for himself, so she feeds him and accompanies him on his walks. This strong mutual dependency offers Kaoru an escape from society and allows her to free herself from restrictions imposed by common sense.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-11-23
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69
Overview: Hoping to catch a girl's attention, high school students Ken and Adama cook up an ambitious plan. They plan a festival that combines film, theater, and rock music, and develop their project into a school road block. This plan however catches the attention of television stations and newspapers, and soon even the cops became involved in this teenage adventure.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2004-07-10
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Karaoke Terror
Overview: One of a gang of karaoke loving middle aged women is murdered by a young man. Her friends track him down and kill him. His friends track them down and kill the killer and it escalates!
Genres: Horror Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2003-11-08
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No No Sleep
Overview: In the wee hours of winter a night train travels through a sleepless city. This is a panorama of a Buddhist monk's journey through Tokyo at night. He also stops at a bath-house in a capsule hotel, where he makes a brief encounter.
Genres: Drama Documentary
Original Language: zh
Release Date: 2015-04-21
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City Hunter
Overview: An exceptional marksman and hopeless playboy, private eye Ryo Saeba reluctantly forms an alliance with his late partner's sister to investigate his death.
Genres: Action
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2024-04-24
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Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale
Overview: [INTERNATIONAL VERSION] Mouna Rudo was born and raised among the Seediq people, an indigenous tribe in Taiwan, and as he grew to be a man he became a member of the Seediq Bale, a courageous band of native warriors. However, Rudo's way of life is threatened under the yoke of occupying forces from Japan, who took over the nation in 1895. As Rudo sees the traditions and honor of his people stripped away, he realizes the time has come to fight back, and in 1930 he brings together a group of former Seediq Bale soldiers, many of whom have been reduced to infighting, and molds them into a revolutionary army. Rudo and his comrades make their stand when they confront Japanese occupation troops at a youth athletic event, leading to a violent confrontation between the Seediq forces and their oppressors.
Genres: Drama History War
Original Language: zh
Release Date: 2012-05-10
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Stay Mum
Overview: Chisako Satoya, a writer, and her father, Kozo, had a long-standing feud and had been living apart for a long time. However now that Kozo, who lives alone, has dementia, she returns to her hometown to begin taking care of him.
Genres: Drama Mystery
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2024-06-07
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Gonin Saga
Overview: Seiji is a third generation "Gosei kai" gang member. He works to build up the group's strength. Meanwhile, a journalist investigates a case that occurred 19 years ago. He meets Hayato, Daisuke and Asami.
Genres: Action Crime Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2015-09-26
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Sailor Suit and Machine Gun: Graduation
Overview: Izumi Hoshi is senior in high school, but she led a small yakuza group in her past. After killing her uncle's murderer with a machine gun, her yakuza group disbanded. Izumi now lives an ordinary life as a high school student and works as a manager at a cafe. A dangerous situation soon awaits for Izumi.
Genres: Action Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-03-05
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Sadako vs. Kayako
Overview: A girl, Yūri Kurahashi, after watching a cursed videotape together with her friend in a haunted house, becomes trapped in a conflict between the two murderous ghosts: Sadako Yamamura and Kayako Saeki
Genres: Horror
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-06-18
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Kokoro
Overview: After her brother's death, Alice leave France for Japan and takes refuge in a small village just above the cliffs. Her brother Nathan said to her before he died that he finally founded peace there thanks to a certain Daïsuké. Following his footsteps, Alice will in fact find herself, in a strange and hostile but warm place.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: fr
Release Date: 2016-03-30
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Sakura,
Overview: The protagonist has been secretly meeting with his friend A's lover. But then A suddenly dies. The friendship between the three, which had seemed to be going well, gradually becomes distorted with the death of A.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2021-01-01
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An Emblem Dedicated To You
Overview: Kazuya Takajo was a promising soccer player. At the age of 23, he was selected for the national A football team and he bought a house to live with his fiancé Miki Nakagawa. One day, Kazuya Takajo gets into a car accident and becomes paralyzed and falls into deep despair. Kazuya goes through rehab on the strength of his wife's love. Yet, he becomes frustrated by those opposed to his marriage with Miki and others who give him pity looks. He also can't find anything to replace soccer in his life. Kazuya then witnesses a wheelchair basketball game at a gym.
Genres: Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2017-01-03
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Ushijima the Loan Shark The Final
Overview: A classmate from Ushijima's middle school days, Takemoto, shows up. He was a kind man, but now is jobless and without a home. Adrift and unable to borrow money from Ushijima, Takemoto heads for Seiai Home where he can stay while doing work.
Genres: Comedy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-10-22
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Code Blue: The Movie
Overview: A medical team is dispatched to the patients on a helicopter to provide medical care in the field as soon as possible. One day, four young physicians are assigned to this latest medical system. The doctors experience traumatic medical situations, deal with personal ambitions, witness the fragility of life, and they grow personally and professionally.
Genres: Action Adventure Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2018-07-27
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Still Life of Memories
Overview: Haruma is an up-and-coming photographer who is getting full exposure at a photo exhibition in a Tokyo photo gallery. Rei, a beautiful curator at the Yamanashi Prefectural Art Museum, is fascinated by the photos she sees and calls Haruma to request a photo-shoot with an intimate part of herself as the subject. The only rules to this shoot are that no questions must be asked and Rei will be given the negatives. Haruma is initially surprised but goes along with the job, however, Haruma’s pregnant girlfriend Natsumi grows frustrated over being kept in the dark about their work and jealousy develops in their relationship as passions blow up.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2018-07-21
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Day and Night
Overview: A man suicides causing ruin for his family, reasons are unknown, but his son will decide to take revenge after a succesion of events.
Genres: Crime Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2019-01-26
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Lenses on Her Heart
Overview: Akemi is unable to get over the death of his girlfriend, but a book leads to his encounter with Akane, a woman with a wonderful smile. He gradually falls for Akane, who soothes him with her positive outlook and cheerful disposition, but Akane has a boyfriend who has a limited amount of time left to live.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2018-09-15
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School Ghost Story: Curse Special
Overview: Japanese horror film with four segments.
Genres: Horror Fantasy TV Movie
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2000-03-28
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Making-of Kids Return
Overview: Making of Takeshi Kitano's movie Kids Return.
Genres: Documentary
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1996-12-31
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Self-Bondage: All Tied Up with My Own Rope
Overview: Yuria discovered the pleasure of tying herself up in her university days, and resumes the pursuit in order to relieve work stress. She starts a blog to describe the sensation of rope on her skin, and becomes acquainted with a cross-dressing bondage aficionado. Eventually, she grows bolder in practicing her hobby, and begins to wear bindings under her suit while at work.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2013-02-02
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A Flower Aflame
Overview: When Sonoko enters a traditional Japanese arranged marriage with Amamiya facilitated by her parents the resulting union is loveless including the functional and goal-oriented sex. When the husband and wife move for his work she falls for her husband's boss and takes on the role of a betrayer.
Genres: Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2016-08-06
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Big Bang Love, Juvenile A
Overview: An unknown future. A boy confesses to the murder of another in an all-boy juvenile detention facility. More an exercise in style than storytelling, the story follows two detectives trying to uncover the case. Homosexual tension and explosive violence drives the story which delivers some weird and fascinating visuals.
Genres: Fantasy Drama
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2006-02-11
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THE FABLE: The Killer Who Doesn't Kill
Overview: Akira is the legendary killer known as the Fable. Following the order of his boss and due to being overworked, he lives peacefully with his partner, Yoko, as ordinary siblings. Akira still works part-time at design company Octopus with CEO Takoda and employee Misaki. CEO Takoda and Misaki are unaware of Akira's background as an assassin. Meanwhile, Utsubo is a representative for an NPO. But, Utsubo works with contract killer Suzuki to set people up for extortion purposes. They target someone at design company Octopus.
Genres: Action Comedy Crime
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2021-02-05
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Rex: A Dinosaur's Story
Overview: A young girl befriends an infant T-rex after her palentologist father nurtures a lair of lost dinosaur eggs.
Genres: Family Adventure
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 1993-07-03
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Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning
Overview: Before he was a protector, Kenshin was a fearsome assassin known as Battosai. But when he meets gentle Tomoe Yukishiro, a beautiful young woman who carries a huge burden in her heart, his life will change forever.
Genres: Action Adventure Drama Romance
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2021-06-04
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ZOKKI
Overview: Five loosely connected storylines concerning the secrets and lies, the fears and tears, and the puerile potty jokes that punctuate the characters' daily (and in one eerie case, nightly) encounters.
Genres: Drama Comedy
Original Language: ja
Release Date: 2021-04-02
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