こんにちは！And Happy New Year! We're kicking 2023 off with a relatively recent anime film, "A Silent Voice," directed by Naoko Yamada. It's an emotional ride that had us both crying so be warned. But we're not just talking about this powerful movie! Brandon talks about Director Yamada. Donna talks about Japanese Sign Language.

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Silent Voice IMDb page here.

Send us an email: okiokieshow (at) gmail.com

Leave us a voice memo: anchor.fm/okiokieshow

こんにちは！This holiday season we're looking for miracles in Satoshi Kon's 2003 animated movie, "Tokyo Godfathers." Donna learns about homelessness in Japan, and Brandon shares a delicious Japanese Christmas tradition.

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Tokyo Godfathers IMDb page here.

Send us an email: okiokieshow (at) gmail.com

Leave us a voice memo: anchor.fm/okiokieshow

こんにちは！It's November. The weather's getting chilly. The sky is... Perfect Blue. 

This month we watched Satoshi Kon's 1997 animated film "Perfect Blue." We talk about the people and pop culture surrounding the movie, and take a deep dive into what it all means, as well as our favorite theories for what really happened.

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Perfect Blue IMDb page here.

Send us an email: okiokieshow (at) gmail.com

Leave us a voice memo: anchor.fm/okiokieshow

こんにちは！This spooky season we're getting ghosty with 2002's "Ju-On: The Grudge," directed by Takashi Shimizu. Brandon subjected himself to all the Grudge movies he could get his hands on to provide you a ranked list from best to worst. Donna delved into Shinto ritual purification to help you exorcise your demons. 

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Ju-On: The Grudge IMDb page here.

Send us an email: okiokieshow (at) gmail.com 

Leave us a voice memo: anchor.fm/okiokieshow

こんにちは！Do you wanna fight? Because we're rolling up our sleeves this month with "ROAD TO HiGH&LOW" (2016), the prequel-style first film in the HiGH&LOW series of TV, movies and anime. Don't worry, we'll walk you through the five gangs that make up S.W.O.R.D. and even take a look at the yakuza.

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Road to High & Low IMDb page here.

こんにちは！OK, so we watched "Belle" (2021) this month instead of "I Want to Eat Your Pancreas" (2018) like we originally planned. But we think you'll like this movie a lot. It has a great soundtrack and fostered a lot of discussion about the internet, casting decisions, and more!

Remember to email us at okiokieshow @ gmail.com with your questions, comments and movie suggestions.

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Belle IMDb page here.

こんにちは！This month is both a celebration of art and a dip into the supernatural with the 2015 animated film "Miss Hokusai." We talk about Japanese ghosts and the importance of dragons, along with their interesting role in the creation of humankind.

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Miss Hokusai IMDb page here.

こんにちは！If you've just awoken and aren't sure how you got here of all places, rest assured it's simply a podcast. And this episode happens to be about "Battle Royale," a 2000 movie directed by Kinji Fukasaku. Don't worry, we'll explain everything. Or, at least: the plot, what we made of the film, what's the deal with "Battle Royale 2: Requiem," and Japan's movie classification system. And we can finally put to rest the idea that writer Suzanne Collins copied "Battle Royale" for the YA series "The Hunger Games."

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Battle Royale IMDb page here.

こんにちは！We're going back to the Heian period with Akira Kurosawa's 1950 film "Rashomon." Join us for a discussion on the story's meaning, the director's life, a glimpse into Kurosawa's famed style (and obsessiveness), and a brief history lesson.

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Rashomon IMDb page here.

*WARNING* This episode talks about suicide. 

こんにちは！Our April episode visits an earlier vestige from the twisted world of Sion Sono: "Suicide Club," AKA "Suicide Circle" (2001). This episode, we talk about Japan's surprisingly high conviction rate and a glam-rock J-Bowie icon, and we try to get at what this movie even means (if it means anything at all). This episode also discusses suicide at length. Click here for information on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Check out our show notes here, or visit the Suicide Club IMDb page here.