Tag: Japanese Horror
We meet Elena, a “gajin” with a British father and Japanese mother, at her lowest, in a hospital bed after an implied attempt at taking her own life, or self-harm to the point of hospitalization. This incident acts as a catalyst to send her to a new school, where, while she still feels the prejudice
After stepping away from filmmaking since 2019’s charming musical comedy Dance with Me, director Shinobu Yaguchi makes his return with Dollhouse (2025), a horror tale centered on a cursed doll, of all things. Those who are only mildly familiar with Yaguchi-san’s filmography may find this genre jump to be rather jarring, but I assure you
It is no mystery to seasoned J-horror fans that many of the most prolific directors of the genre started their careers making low-budget short films for television or straight-to-video productions, otherwise known as V-cinema. Takashi Shimizu of Ju-On fame, for example, dipped his toes in the waters of V-cinema with 4444444444, In a Corner, and
With the Silent Hill 2 remake having received a positive reception from critics and fans alike, along with the hype surrounding Silent Hill f’s release, one may wonder: what ever happened to the original Team Silent, and what are they up to these days? Fans would be quick to point out that Keiichiro Toyama, specifically—director
I have spent a significant amount of my tenure with Grimoire of Horror reviewing the latest films of Takashi Shimizu—the man responsible for the sensational Ju-On film series—and although none of his newer films have affected me as much as his earlier work (Ju-On: The Curse (2000) and Marebito (2004) specifically come to mind), I
Neu Mirrors is a 2024 Japanese short horror film written and directed by Keishi Kondo. The film is a direct sequel to Keishi’s 2022 feature-length horror drama New Religion (2022), picking up moments after its explosive conclusion. There remain stories yet to be told after New Religion. It begins with Mizuki waking up in a
Filmmaker Koji Shiraishi has garnered quite a cult following over the years due to his continuous efforts within the horror world. Titles like Noroi: The Curse (2005) and Carved (2007) are relatively known amongst seasoned J-horror fans, but Shiraishi-san hasn’t managed to gain the attention that I believe he deserves. It pains me that a
Panorama of Hell is a 1984 Japanese horror one-shot manga, written and illustrated by Hideshi Hino. Known as a master horror mangaka, Hino is most notable as the writer/illustrator for such well-known works as Hell Baby, Lullabies from Hell, and Town of Pigs. Moreover, Hino has also worked as a director on multiple films, such
First published in May 1949, Wacky Magazine was devised as a more lighthearted spinoff to the popular kasutori magazine Mysterious Magazine. Whilst Mysterious Magazine focused on fairly explicit topics, Wacky Magazine took a more surreal approach to content though still maintained the same air of casual eroticism. Each issue of Wacky Magazine begins with a short illustrated
Dead Sushi is a 2012 Japanese splatter horror comedy film, written and directed by Noboru Iguchi, with additional writing from Makiko Iguchi and Jun Tsugita. Known for his over-the-top implementation of gore, comedy, and all-round silliness, Iguchi is known as the director behind such classics as The Machine Girl (2008), Robo-Geisha (2009), and Hentai Samurai