Survive Style 5+ was a movie I picked for my Blindspot movies last year as I read a glowing review from a fellow blogger. Going in I had no idea what I could expect, but with a title like that and the fact that it is a Japanese movie I was prepared for it to be something strange. Which it certainly was! Continue reading
Flags of Our Fathers showed the American side of the battle to conquer the island Iwo Jima, which was a very important island for strategic reasons as it would give the Americans a base to start their attack on Japan. Letters from Iwo Jima tells the other side of the story and focusses on how the Japanese prepared to protect their island. Continue reading
The second world war has had a big impact on Japan. It lost a lot of power, cities were left in ruins and the military was no longer important. I’ve been to Hiroshima and was at the spot above which the atom bomb was detonated and if you see that place and the accompanying museum you are really at a loss for words. I had the same thing when I visited the Tokyo war museum, in which there were a couple of rooms with the walls lined with only pictures of people who lost their lives during the war. It has made a big impression on me.
Grave of the Fireflies tells the personal story of Setsuko and Seita, brother and sister who try to survive the war. The loss of their mother has already changed their lives, but because of it Setsuko is forced to leave the town and take care of his little sister. As the Americans keep bombarding the country it is very hard to survive as there is hardly anything to eat. Every day they have to search for a way to survive. Continue reading