In an interview I had with Dean Fujioka, director of “Pure Japanese” back in August 2022, he mentioned: “I started working in Japan about 10 years ago and as I spoke with the stunt crews on site, I learned that there are less opportunities for them to play an active part in recent years, which simply led me to think that we should make more action movies in Japan”. It seems that his wish gradually was heard, with a number of action movies coming out from Japan during the last few years, in a trend that actually seems to pick up, as Netflix seems particularly interested in streaming this type of movies. Granted, a number of the titles are rather low-budget and some of them are mediocre in terms of quality, and a number of cast and crew (Tak Sakaguchi and Yuji Shimomura in particular) tend to te the same, but considering that this seems like just the beginning of something that will pick up in the future, and that Japan has no particular tradition in martial arts/action films (at least not as Hong Kong has or ASEAN countries recently), this seems like a good start. Without further ado, here are 6 titles that highlight the fact, in random order
1. Re:Born (2016) by Yuji Shimomura
The choreography is really well done, showing the director's vast experience in many types of stunt work and the fight scenes are clearly shot and easy to follow. Many of the fights are also kept small scale, which helps create a sense of tension and lets you enjoy the action without being overwhelmed by it. Kenji Kawai, best known for scoring “Ghost in the Shell” (1995), provides a great action soundtrack that also hits the emotional notes when required. Cinematographer Tetsuya Kudo does an admirable job of lighting and shooting in the several environments, from abandoned buildings to forests and cities. One especial scene that stands out is the scene shot in pitch darkness, with the action only illuminated by periodic flashes of light.
2. Pure Japanese (2022) by Daishi Matsunaga
That setup gives “Pure Japanese” its other enjoyable factor in the high-energy action scenes. Daisuke has a lot of great fun within the confines of the movie shoots we see him undergo, as the sets are enjoyable and chaotic in the best way possible. The stunt work involved as well as the purposeful stage-fighting we see as he demonstrates his skills as a performer give this a solid background to the later scenes involving him and Ayumi meeting up together against the criminal gang after her. Given the chance to see the intensity kick up with the real-world implications contrasting obviously with the fake film sets where the events take place. There's a series of fun brawls and confrontations that take place here which have a nice energy contained and come across nicely when Daisuke gains a fury and intensity to fight back. Alongside the frenetic pace due to its short length, these factors are what give the film a lot to enjoy. (Don Anelli)
3. Mad Cats (2023) by Reiki Tsuno
Reiki Tsuno directs a film that can be described by a number of factors (tags if you prefer): low budget, b-movie, sexy girls with guns, anthropomorphism, fanservice, action, comedy and silliness. The amalgam is rather amusing and entertaining on occasion, but you definitely need to have a knack for the aforementioned elements in order to appreciate it. However, there are also a number of smart elements here, particularly the way a number of characters react as if they were actual cats on occasion, equally in their reactions, behavior and movement, in an aspect that is used both for laughs and in order to present some sense of sensualism. At the same time, the concept of cat world domination and the question of whether humans can impose their will on cats is also smartly implemented in the narrative, resulting in both comedy and action. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
4. Crazy Samurai Musashi (2020) by Yuji Shimomura
Talking about the action, the choreography here is unsurprisingly incredible, and the way Tak Sakaguchi handles the film, simply marvelous. He starts off pretty brisk and energetic and slowly gets more and more tired until the point he can barely breathe and stay up, choosing to take some of his enemies while sitting down or standing on one knee. The sheer willpower needed to accomplish something as draining as a 77-minute single-take action scene is nothing short of inhuman. To be honest, even only watching him accomplish this herculean task feels exhausting, what to say about actually doing it, and as splendidly as Sakaguchi did at that. With this, he proves for the umpteenth time that he is one of the greatest contemporary action stars. (Martin Lukanov)
5. Baby Assassins (2021) by Yugo Sakamoto
Their living situation isn't ideal for the two either, with both polar opposites having hard time adjusting to living with the other. In this manner, the feature ends up being more about two people overcoming their differences and trying to live tougher and become friends in the process. An interesting aspect for sure, but it's not an especially new one and one that comes in the way of giving the audience what the feature really should, which is more action sequences. The action is too less and far apart, which is a shame because when it does come up, it is very exciting and well worth the wait. The climactic full-guns-blazing standoff between the two girls and the Yakuza is executed to perfection. The one-on-one fight between Mahiro and the Yakuza tough guy is simply top drawer stuff and one of the best action sequences you'll see this year, which makes the lack of more such scenes further saddening. The pitting of the two girls against the Yakuza is also a direction that could have been explored more. (Rhythm Zaveri)
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6. Baby Assassins 2 Babies (2023) by Yugo Sakamoto
Since their first outing, it has been evident that Saori Izawa is the better action star between her and Akari Takaishi, with her Mahiro taking part in the more elaborate fight scenes, and Sakamoto once again opts for the same, only this time also giving us a look at her genuinely impressive punching skills in a few training sequences in the character's downtime. The climactic brawl between her and Joey Iwanaga‘s Yuri especially is terrific and will leave you wanting more. Takaishi has her moments too, of course, and Sakamoto does well to disguise her shortcomings, along with those of Tatsuomi Hamada as Makoto, within the narrative. Viewers who didn't quite sweeten up to Takaishi's flamboyant mannerisms as Chisato will once again be left a bit cold, but it does admittedly work slightly better this time round. (Rhythm Zaveri)
7. Bad City (2022) by Kensuke Sonomura
Probably as expected, given the director's background and his previous feature, it should come as no surprise that the action and martial-arts-scenes in “Bad City” are top-notch. Excellently photographed and choreographed, the finale alone is worth checking out this movie, with the focus being on hand-to-hand-combat as well as blunt or sharp weapon, giving these moments a heightened sense of physicality and kinetic energy. In combination with the editing, these are definitely the formal high points in this thriller, but there are a few instances which are also worth pointing out. (Rouven Linnarz)
Check also this interview
8. One Percenter (2022) by Yudai Yamaguchi
This duality in the approach carries the movie from beginning to end of the already economical 85 minutes and also allows “One Percenter” to move much higher than the usual actioners, as its context is also quite rich. Regarding the action, the combination of Yudai Yamaguchi‘s direction, Kensuke Sonomura‘s choreography and Hiroyuki Ozawa's cinematography results in an impressive combination, that benefits the most by the changes in shooting style as handheld cameras occasionally follow the action from very close, while other times highlight it through a distance, with both approaches being quite impressive visually.
9. The Violence Action (2022) by Toichiro Ruto
Probably the best scene in the movie is the initial. Cute-looking Kei forces her way into a room full of gangsters, and using knives, guns and hand-combat demolishes them in order to save a kidnapped pop-idol. From then on, however, the plethora of issues of the movie take over. The cheap slapstick humor, which has a lot to do with how the characters look, does not offer any laughter at all, with the characters being a series of buffoons that are impossible to like at all. The over-the-top acting, particularly of Takashi Okamura as Zura, Oji Suzuka as Watanabe, and the main villains of the yakuza is not only ridiculous but also becomes annoying after a fashion. Fumika Baba as The Shopkeeper somewhat stands out since she is quite cool in her overall demeanor, while Yuu Shirota as Michitaka is fun to watch, both for his absurd misogyny (which is repeatedly commented upon) and his cool style of fighting. That the majority of the cast consists of former and current pop idols definitely does not help in that regard, although it adds to the whole eye-candy approach of the movie, which also includes Kanna Hashimoto as Kei unfortunately. (Panos Kotzathanasis)
10. The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn't Kill (2021) by Kan Eguchi
And talking about memorable action sequences, the truth is that this movie will mostly be remembered for those, with the aforementioned, the initial, rather brutal one, the final one, but most of all, the one in the block apartment and particularly its ending, being among the best we have seen during the latest years. Junichi Okada‘s stunt coordination and Makoto Yokoyama's action direction find their apogee in this sequence, as much as Koji Naoi's cinematography and the overall editing, which are on a very high level throughout the movie.
