Godzilla may be the most famous Japanese fantasy film, but there are plenty of other live-action fantasy movies from Japan that you should check out. Here are five of the best you need to watch.
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Daimajin
When the feudal lord of a village dies, an evil chamberlain seizes control and forces all of the village’s men into slavery. Some of the former lord’s children have survived, though, and the lord’s daughter offers her life in exchange for the help of a deity called Daimajin. A statue of Daimajin rests half-buried in the mountainside, but after the lord’s daughter’s plea for help, the statue comes to life and descends upon the tyrannical chamberlain and his men. There are three Daimajin movies, but the first from 1966 is the best.
Death Note
デスノート, which translates as Death Note, is a 2006 supernatural film based on the popular manga series of the same name. You may be more familiar with the 2017 American production, but the original Japanese picture is the best. The plot involves a Tokyo college student attempting to change the world into a utopian society by massacring the world’s criminals with the help of a supernatural notebook that kills everyone who is listed in its pages. After watching the Death Note movie, check out the sequel that came out in the same year, Death Note 2: The Last Name. But the Death Note action does not have to stop there. You can also watch the Japanese 2006 to 2007 Death Note anime series. And if you are looking for more Japanese anime adventure, check out the Koi Princess slot game, which is available at カスモ (Casumo) online casino.
Bakko Yokaiden Kibakichi
Set during the Edo period of Japan, the plot of the 2004 movie Bakko Yokaiden Kibakichi involves a werewolf wanderer called Kibakichi arriving at a gambling town that is run by the demons of Japanese folklore known as the yokai. The demons have made a deal with a local feudal lord to kill and eat criminals who arrive in the town in return for being able to gamble in peace. When Kibakichi arrives in town, a full-on battle between supernatural entities and humans unfolds.
The War of the Gargantuas
The sequel to Frankenstein Conquers the World, this Japanese and American co-production is one of the best creature-features ever made. The 1966 film begins with a trawler being attacked by a giant octopus. Another massive creature then rises from the ocean to fight the octopus. It is not long before the two monsters are battling it out on the mainland, in Tokyo, as scientists try to discover the origins of the creatures. Released in 1966, The War of the Gargantuas has since become a cult classic and is admired by such great directors as Tim Burton, Guillermo del Toro, and Quentin Tarantino.
Ugetsu
This 1953 romantic fantasy film is based on the stories in the 1776 book of the same name by Ueda Akinari. It is directed by seminal Japanese director Kenji Mizoguchi and is one of his most celebrated movies. In fact, most critics consider Ugetsu to be a masterpiece of Japanese cinema. Set in Japan’s Azuchi–Momoyama period of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the plot involves a peasant farmer who leaves his wife and young child during the civil war. He is soon seduced by a spirit, who threatens his life. Meanwhile, the man’s friend chases his dream of becoming a great samurai warrior. Ugetsu helped to popularize Japanese films in the West and influenced many Japanese movies. It won various honours upon its release, including the Silver Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival.
