Hiroyuki Sanada Felt Respected in the Ending of ‘Bullet Train’

August 8, 2022August 8, 2022 Laura Sirikul

Bullet Train hit theaters this past weekend with a whopping $60 million at the global box office. The film, which stars Brad Pitt as Ladybug – an unlucky assassin who takes a job on the bullet train in Japan when there are other assassins at play – leading him to hilarious and action-packed situations. One of his unlikely allies turns out to be The Elder (played by Hiroyuki Sanada) and his foolish yet equally deadly son, Yuichi (Andrew Koji).

Movies, Reviews

‘Bullet Train’ is Able to Find Hilarity in the Chaos

August 4, 2022August 11, 2022 Laura Sirikul

If there is anything that director David Leitch is good at, it’s that he is brilliant at finding the hilarity in the chaos. In his new film Bullet Train, based on the popular Japanese novel Maria Beetle by Kōtarō Isaka, Brad Pitt plays Ladybug, an “unlucky” assassin who is assigned to steal a briefcase from other assassins while on a speeding bullet train in Japan.

Interview, Star Wars

‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Director Deborah Chow on the ‘Star Wars’ Legacy and Toshiro Mifune

May 20, 2022May 20, 2022 Keith Chow

In one week, on the 45th anniversary of the original Star Wars, Disney+ will be premiering the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Filling in the gap between Episodes III and IV, Obi-Wan Kenobi brings back Prequel era stars Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to reprise the roles of Kenobi and Darth Vader, respectively.

Interview, Star Trek, Streaming

Hiro Kanagawa on Joining ‘Star Trek: Discovery’

March 11, 2022 Swara Salih

Hiro Kanagawa has been on our tv screens for decades, appearing in such favorite shows as Smallville, iZombie, Legends of Tomorrow, Inuyasha, The X-Files, Altered Carbon, and much more. Now, joins the critically acclaimed Star Trek: Discovery as the inquisitive Dr. Hirai, one of the Federation’s leading specialists in astrolinguistics, xenophonology, and theoretical semiotics in the 32nd Century. As the Federation prepares to engage with the extra-galactic Species 10-C, Dr. Hirai is pivotal to establishing first contact.

Anime, Video Games

‘Soul Hackers 2’ Overrides Predecessor’s Past with New Digital Identity

March 8, 2022March 10, 2022 Bray Lawrence

Atlus has released new story and character information about their upcoming RPG, Soul Hackers 2, a sequel to the twenty-five year old game, Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers. Following its cult-celebrated predecessor’s meshing of sci-fi aesthetic with the Shin Megami Tensei, Soul Hackers 2 aims to upgrade the concept by coding a new tale about humanity and its relationship with technology.

Anime, Podcasts, Star Wars

The Middle Geeks Episode 32: The Promise of ‘Star Wars: Visions’

November 18, 2021November 18, 2021 Swara Salih

We’re excited to have Meg Humphrey of Rogue Podron on to discuss Star Wars: Visions, the new anime anthology on Disney+ that breathes fresh life into this franchise with Japanese creators, crafting stories in a universe that was *heavily* inspired by their own culture.

Horror, Movies, Reviews

‘Ouija Japan’ Summons Greatness but is Cursed with Being Decent

October 14, 2021October 15, 2021 Bray Lawrence

Something that has always fascinated me in horror movies is that through the sheer bombastic embrace of all things repulsive in society, it can often be the best mirror image society has of itself. Whether it be through nightmare dream logic, campy visual stylization, or an over abundance of gore, when you strip the horror genre to its core there is a meaning behind the madness.

Interview, Video Games

DevTalks: Deana Galbraith and Barbara Sotolongo of Captilight Games Studio

August 22, 2021August 28, 2021 Jamal Michel

The Nerds of Color loves us some indie games and our latest DevTalk is with a studio that looks to capture Japanese culture in organic and mesmerizing ways. Path of Kami by Captilight Games Studio is a heartwarming story about family, mortality, and culture. In it, you play as the spirit of a wolf, Kazeyo, who has passed away and sets off on an adventure to navigate trials of the Mortal World.

Streaming, Television

Marie Kondo is Back to Spark More Joy

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021 Laura Sirikul

Global organization icon and New York Times bestselling author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Sparking Joy, Marie Kondo is back to bring back the spark in our lives in the new Netflix series, Sparking Joy. Kondo has transformed so many lives with her techniques and way of living. In the three episode series, Kondo helps three deserving businesses organize their workplace, which in turn, provides them an emotional journey into their personal and public lives and relationships.

Gaming, Video Games

‘Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut’ Set to Arrive in August

July 1, 2021July 1, 2021 Jamal Michel

Sucker Punch announced today that Ghost of Tsushima, their Japanese masterpiece of an RPG, is getting a director’s cut release on both PS4 and PS5 August 20. Players will experience the brand new Iki Island and loads of additional content, new features, and some PS5 exclusive enchantments that will further elevate the critical hailed title.

Anime, Reviews, Streaming1 Comment

‘Yasuke’ is a Beautiful and Bloody Love Letter to the First Black Samurai

April 29, 2021May 15, 2021 Adonis Gonzalez

Yasuke. A real life folktale. Not so much in the sense that he never existed. It’s more like there isn’t much known about his mysterious life, aside from how challenging it must have been.

All that’s known about history’s first Black samurai is that he was likely born around 1540 in Africa, around the Mozambique area. At some point in his life he came in contact with Oda Nobunaga, a feudal lord of Japan, and became a member of his samurai guard.