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The best Japanese films & series

The best of Japanese cinema and television, in one place.

From hand-drawn fantasy to street-level action, Japanese film and television commit fully to their own logic. The works here span generations — a child summoning courage to free her family in Spirited Away, a teenager who swallows a curse and must master it in JUJUTSU KAISEN, a motorcycle racer remade into a hero against his will in Kamen Rider. Across animation, thriller, romance, and horror, they share an intensity that treats their premises as obligations rather than conceits.

Japanese films

Japanese series

Frequently asked

Where should I start with Japanese animation?

Spirited Away is a self-contained fantasy film and a natural entry point — it requires no prior knowledge and demonstrates the medium's emotional range. For series, JUJUTSU KAISEN offers a fast-moving, action-driven introduction to modern anime storytelling.

What makes Japanese horror films distinctive?

They often unsettle through reversed power dynamics rather than shock alone. Siren is a good example: what begins as a kidnapping shifts when the captors realise their intended victim may be the most dangerous person in the room.

Is Kamen Rider worth watching if I'm new to tokusatsu?

Kamen Rider (1971) is the original series and still a clear expression of the genre's core idea: a young man kidnapped and physically remade by an evil organisation ends up using that transformation to fight the very group that created him.

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