What Japanese TV & Films Are Worth Watching in 2024 (Feat. Ali Plumb!) |

Special guest Ali Plumb (BBC Radio 1) joins Chris to discuss the critically-acclaimed miniseries "Shogun" as well as some more of their favourite Japanese movies and TV shows!
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Feat @AbroadinJapan
00:00 Ali's love of Studio Ghibli
07:45 Our "Shogun" spoiler-free review
16:44 The complexities of filming in Japan
19:20 Wim Wenders' "Perfect Days"
28:29 "Godzilla Minus One" and Kaiju Movies
[e-mail] for all your messages - and remember you can listen to the show in audio form wherever you get your podcasts - shows.acast.com/abroadinjapan

[@COSMEREAUDIO]

I hope connor gets an award for his performance in Shogun ❤

[@magnetmannenbannanen]

He deserves a Harakiri, at least.

[@pacmanqwerty1325]

I love the fact that Chris doesn’t care about making the podcast a high budget production or advertising it (I mean he’s been on Trash Taste like 5 times and I haven’t ever heard him mention) it just feels like he wants to talk in front of a camera and I appreciate that

[@sharky582]

A tip for Ali: there is no need to have dirty laundry while traveling Japan, many hotels have automatic laundry machines, and there are many public ones as well - they are cheap, fast and high tech. Your clothes can be clean AND dry in less than 90 minutes for like 500 yen.

[@daveyp2tm]

Yeah I'm always amazed by how quick they are. My washing machine home would take longer and I'd still need to hang stuff up to dry. Industrial quality machines I guess. It's very handy.

[@tyranitararmaldo]

The real question, can Chris think of Shogun without thinking of Connor as John Blackthorne? "*growl growl* Savages! *growl growl*"

[@jimtamim1708]

i keep thinking of Connor throughout the show. The resemblance is uncanny. It funny.

[@lyndylou752]

Having heard Chris raving about Shogun (and yes I think John Blackthorne looks like Connor) I decided to binge watch it. Absolutely brilliant show, when you relate it back to real Japanese history it is truly a fascinating show.

[@ericifune5543]

"Shogun" was originally planned to be filmed in Japan, but it was several years ago, and Japan had still not opened up post pandemic yet. So they filmed in Britain Columbia.

[@kirby7379]

Chris and Ali are a great podcast match. I could listen all day.

[@karindv9477]

I agree! Great duo

[@BoggWeasel]

I really like how "Anjin" struggles to understand and work with the culture that's so alien to him, the intrigue and sword fitin' plus the show has a good sense and feeling of authenticity Your shows and podcasts over the years have helped me understand Japan to a degree, (I think you have to live there to really get it) and it's amazing to see what hasn't changed from over 300+ years ago. Another excellent cast, thank you. 👍👍👍👍👍😁 Edit: You can watch Tampopo for free on " Internet Archive "....(I hope I don't get in to trouble for mentioning)

[@silkvelvet2616]

thankyou so much! Watching it now!

[@Curly3373]

Could possibly tv series and film abroad in Japan postcast become a regular feature? Can’t wait to hear a new dialog between Ali Plumb and you, Chris! ❤🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟👍

[@carrerlluna66]

The actor who played the gangster in Tampopo is the main actor of Perfect Days.

[@nlptrckshmn5535]

Yeah, when watching Perfect Days I was scratching my head trying to work out where I’d seen him before.

[@DovidM]

@@nlptrckshmn5535Yes, Koji Yakusho.

[@haitolawrence5986]

In the Last Samurai Nathan Algren was saved by the Samurai culture not the other way around. He started the story as a drunken broken man. They taught him how to live again. It is not a 'white savior' movie at all. In fact they were destroyed at the end. They weren't saved at all. He was just a living witness to their ending.

[@areasevenpro]

A few notes about Shogun and filming in Japan: 1. Shogun was filmed in Vancouver because COVID-19 protocols prevented anyone from entering Japan at the time. 2. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift was mainly shot in California, but the cast and crew secretly filmed at train stations and some parts of Tokyo without securing any permits.

[@ShaneRob93]

Tampopo is readily available on an excellent Blu-ray release from Criterion (in both the UK and US/CA) and of course there is a Japanese Blu-ray release as well. Also, glad Juzo Itami got a mention - really fantastic director, I would say he's "gone under the radar" in terms of the mainstream but amongst film lovers he is fairly well known.

[@andromeda18_]

This was a great episode! Thanks Chris and Ali. I do miss Pete, so it will be great to see/hear him again in the next podcast.

[@taifuwiddies4053]

Really enjoyed the insightful discussion about film and media, would love more content like it :)

[@tangelite9968]

I have a great respect Ali Plumb. He is a fantastic interviewer. Well done Chris and Ali.

[@robincornwell8715]

He came across as an absolute t*t in this podcast and rude to boot. Inexperienced journalist personified.

[@Stephen-up3sd]

@@robincornwell8715 Glad I’m not the only one!

[@Stephen-up3sd]

Ha ha - well played moderator!

[@austinfallen]

For me, the best Japanese film is mibu gishi den, when the last sword is drawn. My wife bought it for my birthday about 19 years ago. I cry at the end pretty much every time I watch it

[@edwardfletcher7790]

This should be a semi regular episode 👍 Blue Eye Samurai is FANTASTIC !! PS : Ali's plastic Chicken Yakitori sticks are making me really hungry 😖

[@Verchiel_]

Yeeees, I absolutely loved blue eye samurai. Super excited for the following seasons.

[@FunkyBukkyo]

My dad has James Clavell's Shōgun, and yes it's that thick book with the Katana on it. We've also watched the old TV adaptation of it back in the 80s.

[@teekierudite5108]

i certainly loved the Shogun show, beautifully done :)

[@unoriginalname3442]

This episode made me start watching shogun. Just got done with episode 2. Great stuff

[@lesley599]

Really enjoyed this , thanks

[@janwilson9485]

Great episode - youve cost me for a couple of the films you mentioned - Tampopo and perfect days - looking forward to watching them later. Hope you do some similar ones sprinkled amongst the normal Pete Donaldson fare. I still enjoy the 'normal' podcasts though.

[@Muffy.from-Oz]

Pleeeeze Chris watch the old "Shogun" and take into account when it was made. It is so close to Clavell's book and has always taken me to Japan and another time in history. Also Please read the book its self if you have not already. Love this interview. Cheers Muffy from Oz.

[@MikkiNB]

I love that Shogun was filmed in British Columbia, Canada. So cool!

[@shizuokaBLUES]

Yes Vancouver and mostly Vancouver island where I grew up. Now I live in Shizuoka, close to Izu where the drama is set. I’ve often told my students that I felt right at home in Izu after stepping off the plane 30 years ago.

[@Crossingt]

We had to plan our purchase of Studio Ghibli museum tickets like a military operation. Thankfully we are almost in the same timezone as Japan so no early hours log on. Took about 40 minutes to get the tix. Went on Christmas day last year and loved it especially on the roof with the sun setting.

[@MrMBinder]

The Sengoku era is both fascinating and a bit confusing because there's just so much going on.

[@user-wy6ni4oe4k]

Regarding Blue Eyed Samurai, even though it was originally done in English, it felt suitable to watch it in Japanese, I did not regret it, great voice acting.

[@DadCanInJapan]

Back in the 80s, I watched every Japanese movie I could that came around the repertory cinemas in Toronto, from Seven Samurai to Tampopo. When I returned to Toronto, I went to the Japanese Cultural Centre there to watch movies. I saw a wonderful black comedy called "Funuke: Show Some Love, You Losers!" - great cinematography, interesting characters and you cannot predict how it will end, a huge plus given the movies today. Highly recommend it. P.S. I thought that Cosmo had watched Connor for his research into Japan.

[@kevinwebb82]

I'm under the impression this episode and the previous episode was recorded when Pete was on holiday, but I like to think Chris told Pete to F#$% off for two weeks. LOL

[@NettiesWorld4]

The original 1980 Shogun changed my life and is the reason I learned Japanese and came to Japan in the 90s, worked, met my hubby, for married had kids. Have just come back to the UK after visiting the in-laws. Loved the 2024 Shogun as it is from a different angle and the women were great. It was also great to see the older actors as I remember them from when I lived in Japan in the early 90s. I am hoping that NHK Asadorama gets broadcasted worldwide, now as I miss them and would love people to watch Massan and out a Japanese-Scottish couple and Whisky. I have watched Japanese entertainment since the 1970s (Yes, I'm that old) that includes the music. I still watch Japanese TV in the UK. Have watched all that is showcased on this podcast. Love this chat. ❤❤

[@mendo35]

Chris being an expert on British Columbia's foliage was a surprise.😆 Blue Eye Samurai is amazing, I saw Tampopo recently it's free on KZbin and also worth watching.

[@Dan_Mirai]

Finally got around to watching Tampopo now that it is on Max. Enjoyable watch. Really enjoyed the usage of western tropes to tell the story of a struggling ramen shop. And then with the added twist of the relationship between food and sex.

[@darriendastar3941]

Really good episode.

[@kayleehealy8406]

I absolutely loved loved loved the SHOGUN series and will watch it again. The actors are brilliant in this series. Honestly I don’t care that it was filmed in Canada or had quite a bit of CGI in it 🤗.

[@shizuokaBLUES]

NONE of my 200 university students here in Japan have heard of Shogun. And only 1 of the several adults I’ve asked about it me has seen it. I find this a little mystifying.

[@RizalRepin]

Netflix wants people to binge 28:02 I agree and I also prefer to watch week by week and savor the shows. They just want people to watch as many shows as possible..

[@Sillytillyx]

Went to the studio ghibli museum last April 100% recommend it to any one who like ghibli and animation.

[@Jimmy-Mc]

Blue Eye Samurai is probably the best show I've seen in the past year. Definitely give it a watch.

[@luluok6434]

After hearing that Mr Plump liked Blue Eye Samurai, i gave it a watch and I'm SOOO glad I did. Its an AMAZING show!

[@SatanSupimpa]

Funny that most of what I know from japanese history during the sengoku era and the unification by Tokugawa Ieyasu is from playing the game and watching the anime Sengoku Basara. Not really very historic accurate, but knowing that the characters were based on real historical figures made me go search more information about them.

[@GagnierA]

It was really fun getting to meet Ali in these episodes :) Cheers and safe travels home! Looking forward to your eventual return one day :)

[@amlannanda4023]

17:00 Chris you have to check out episode 9 of season 2. That was bloody amazing television

[@TwistedDemoen]

Nice movie recommendations guys! I'd also like to pitch "Always: Sunset on Third Street (ALWAYS 三丁目の夕日" as a heartfelt movie to watch that revolves around rebuilding the Japanese economy.

[@Shadowtrance]

Shogun was great. It pulled me in pretty quick. By ep 9 i was kinda sad (no spoilers), def had a few tear jerking moments throughout the series. lol Loved all the characters but mariko was one of my favs and also fuji. Ep 10 finished and was like "aww...i want more!!!" 😂 Def worth a watch if you haven't people! 10/10 would watch again. 😊

[@vegaskatus]

he's definitely missing out having not seen Blue eyed samurai, its really good

[@johnbecker1996]

Tampopo is freely available on Amazon Prime in the US.

[@starwarsnerd95]

The best way to do a godzilla minus one sequel would be to have it focus around another monster and have the humans needing o bring back godzilla to defeat it.

[@nadiajalil7068]

That seems to be part of the premise behind Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

[@Bigjonmetal]

I think Tokyo Vice season 2 is the best show of 2024 so far followed by shogun.

[@blackshield4651]

6:19 They also have that guy out in the Ghibli park at Nagoya as well. ^_^

[@COSMEREAUDIO]

Refreshing to see a new guest ❤

[@Zumama2]

It's sad that Tokyo Vice doesn't get the attention it deserves, but yeah, Shogun was unbelievably good!

[@Zumama2]

@@shawn6796 It's not a masterwork, but I found it to be pretty good. Love the gritty Tokyo setting

[@TimothySSwan]

Tokyo Vice season 2 was excellent. Definitely check it out, it wraps everything up very well.

[@CB-sx8xh]

On a recent ANA flight I watched "Her love boils bathwater" - recommend!

[@k9carry-gabriel-803]

A spin-off in the future would be awesome. Connor could play as the kid of black thorne but in the present

[@morleywritesbooks]

Kiki's Delivery was my introduction to Ghibli movies 💟 I always felt Shogun 2024 was more like Vikings on history channel.

[@TheClintonio]

As someone who used to live in Shinjuku and Kabukicho it really does have that aesthetic and just like Cyberpunk if you dig down even slightly it's a genuinely awful place with crime, drugs, prostitution and very broken people. I've seen the depths of Kabukicho, not the absolute bottom but enough that I do not want to return. I will return though because that's where many of my friends and drinking buddies will be most days. I left Tokyo in part to get away from the lifestyle of Kabukicho.

[@Muffy.from-Oz]

If you know James Clavell's Books , many are follow ups throughout Asia, moving to the founding of Honkong and up to world war two and into the 1980's. e.g. Taipan, Noble House, King Rat etc. Many have been done as movies already. Cheers Muffy from Oz

[@Stephen-up3sd]

A descendant of John Blackthorne actually pops up in Noble House which is set in Hong Kong in the 1960’s!

[@TheGalderis]

Tokyo Vice was so good. It started off quite slow but it really picked up.

[@aliddlebird]

This makes me really want to hear your full opinion(s) on Three Body Problem

[@scttschlz]

Half-way through this episode I was like, "You know Japan also produces film and television, right?", but you got there eventually. The other movie from last year to check out is Monster which is available for purchase to stream for less than the price of a movie ticket at a number of sites on the internet. If you have Netflix, I'd pop Kankuro Kudo into the search and check out any of his series. It's very true that much less money is spent on Japanese series than Korean series which in turn have much less money to work with than American series. But the best of Japanese film and television is actually quite good and on par with the best of other countries.

[@BillyBatson89]

Blue Eye Samurai is so freaking good. Some odd choices here and there (like the weird music in the tower episode) but overall it's one of the best shows ive seen recently

[@matheus.bueno47]

One cool thing as well about The Last Samurai was that the entire crew was Japanese. They also brought in a lot of Japanese actors. I think that movie doesn't really fall into the category of white savior like Lawrence of the Arabia, (it doesn't take away from the fact that Lawrence of Arabia being absolutely amazing)

[@ShaneRob93]

Chris! You need to watch some older Japanese films, I beg. I don't know if you'd love Ozu, but I do think you'd love Kurosawa and Mizoguchi. Kenji Mizoguchi's attention to detail with set and costume design as well as camera movement is unrivaled - highly recommend starting with either Sansho the Baliff (1954) or The Story of the Last Chrystanthemum (1939). I don't think I need to sell you on Kurosawa, you're undoubtedly well aware of him even if you haven't seen any of his works. Of course, Seven Samurai is considered his magnum opus but at minimum I highly recommend watching Rashomon (1950), Kagemusha (1980), Throne of Blood (1957), and High and Low (1963).

[@Crossingt]

And RAN

[@griffithberserk1367]

Ali has such an excellent taste regarding films. Chris, you really have found some awesome friends! Thanks for sharing that wonderful conversation. Hope there will be more in the future should it be possible!

[@_TheElMan]

The original Shogun actually has more Japanese, and with no subtitles. Orsen Wells does a voice over explaining whats going on instead.

[@kietus]

I'm curious what their thoughts would be on Shin Godzilla. That has been my all time fav Godzilla movie.

[@pf5723]

Tokyo Vice season 2 even better than 1. Looking forward to seeing Shogun!

[@aenamabag]

Living less than an hour from where they shot a lot of Shogun, it does kind of pull you out of your suspicion of disbelief when you see recognizable islands and coastlines of the BC coast.

[@Diehydro]

Cosmo plays the role like the producers wanted Tom Hardy for the part 11:29

[@edwardfletcher7790]

Yeah, it's REALLY obvious.... He'll get lots of "We couldn't afford Tom Hardy" roles now 🤣

[@Diehydro]

​@@edwardfletcher7790 Certainly not subtle, indeed a career awaits as the Temu Tom......

[@susanlindarice]

love ali but where's pete!!!!

[@wigglyboots2]

I also miss Papa Pete

[@KirkRedgate]

Tokyo Vice series 1 is great, still waiting for series 2 in the UK. I'm eager to watch it. Shogun was decent, but I prefer the 80s miniseries.

[@relicy]

If you are wanting more godzilla films to watch after minus one id recommend the original 1954 film, shin godzilla, and GMK (2001). all 3 are very different films that don't require you watch any of the other films to enjoy.

[@ybergik]

I re-watched the original TV-series before visiting Japan 5 years ago and it has a lot of things going for it, not least Richard Chamberlain who is just a much better actor. The visuals in the remake are on another level though.

[@elkevera]

Thanks to theboth of you! - Chris, your speech pattern improved so much talking to Ali. You speak slower with clear pronunciation. When talking to Pete you two just rattle on and a non- English person might have a bit of a problem to follow. - Ali was a wonderful guest ☮

[@ineskracun6572]

But he has the whole series of books, I loved Gai Jin from that series.

[@theSweedio]

I liked this episode but can't understand why Ali said that Seven Samurai required homework before watching. I watched it with only knowing the title and having a good recommendation. Loved it, fantastic film, anyone who watches Japan stuff should give it a go.

[@ggflowen]

I believe the Shogun showrunners said it was supposed to be filmed in Japan but they couldn't wait for covid restrictions to be lifted any longer and switched to Canada.

[@TheKingOfBeans]

I never thought I’d be wishing for Pete’s return so much

[@blaaaaaaaaaaaaargh]

Please do yourself a favor and give Heike Monogatari (anime) a try it's such a wild ride.

[@Genesisexxe]

I loved shogun the end was so sad tho🥺 amazing show tho

[@darioprime]

tom cruise doesn't save anyone in "last samurai" though

[@Ryan-me7vo]

Exactly, nor does he teach them anything, they teach him. All he does is use his knowledge of the enemies way of fighting to help them stand a chance. People really don't seem to understand that film and it's message at all.

[@mudstuff]

For any southern UK people, the Prince Charles cinema shows Tampopo sporadically, and many other terrific Japanese movies

[@johnbrinker2580]

If anyone is looking for the next IP to develop into a show with a similar setting, the novel The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet is crying out for adaptation.

[@alexschwalbach8229]

aBroad with A.Pl[u]omb

[@robh8814]

Not been on the BBC for yrs but the 2 film critics that people know from the history of Film critics on the BBC is the "legendary Barry Norman" long deceased now & also still doing it too this day & if you say name a BBC Film Critic from the past or current then that name will always be Mark Kermode.

[@sylvia.s.s.]

If you liked Godzilla minus one, then you need to watch Shin Gojira (2016), directed by no other that the creator of Evangelion. It is hard for me to choose which one I like most since the commentary of Shin Gojira about modern Japan is *chef's kiss*.

[@lostpunkrock]

I only had one issue with Shogun and that was the random future scenes. Like it added nothing to the story and actually killed the flow and changed the canonical ending of it.

[@anjikita4893]

Chris San...did you mean to say Asakusa? 🤔

[@nont18411]

12:17 The Last Samurai is nowhere near being a “white savior-esque”. Tom Cruise managed to save nobody in that movie. It was the samurai culture that saved him and made him redeem himself. He’s just a witness to the inevitable ending of the samurai.

[@saltycross]

💜💜💜💜

[@TheSecretChateau]

Cosmo Jarvis sounds like actor Richard Burton.

[@mudstuff]

I feel the same as Ali, sadly they've announced 2 more seasons of Shogun are coming

[@carrerlluna66]

Chris do the documentary about it.

[@Stephen-up3sd]

Yeah I remember Chris talking about doing the documentary about William Adams around the time that his trip to the UK got cancelled due to Covid. As I recall he was planning to do some filming in his home county of Kent where William Adams was also born. Would love to see that!

[@ZekkSkywalk]

Make a spinoff, call it "The Fool" and tell everyone its a prequel!

[@DHJakon]

Lol, there’s plenty of material to continue production. For starters you can do a prequel going all the way back to Tokugawa’s childhood. That can lead up to the scene where Nobunaga was executing monks. You can also do the post Sekigahara period. It’ll give Connor a chance to take the role again. He’s never leaving Japan. Either way as long as the production quality and writing is on par with Shogun I’ll watch.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

How about a young Blackthorn prequel starring Connor ? LoL

[@ericifune5543]

How is "Shogun" being received in Japan?

[@dapprman]

Tampopo, what a superb movie. It's one of the cult classics I occasionally show friends along with Kamakaze Girls. Got my DVD copy years ago through CDJAPAN, but when I looked just now it appears it's now no longer available. On Shogun - seen 8 episodes so far. Wonderfully shot and acted (aside from the main), however it is weak on the story and misses one of the main plots and several of the sub plots from the book, especially skipping on the transformation of Blackthorne from a European thug to someone who starts to fit in with the local culture. Also all the arc on Oni is missing. The original series may now feel dated, but it was accurate to the book, the new series is not, and it is not 'Clavell got the culture wrong' changes and removed content.

[@nlptrckshmn5535]

I bought myself the Criterion collection Blu-ray (in the U.K.) recently and I described the “sensual” food scenes with the gangster to my new girlfriend and her response was “This is not something which we are going to have in common”. Most disappointed.

[@carpetburns1222]

The two timelines have diverged. There should be not two connors in our reality.😢

[@remigengogakusha]

Ok, if you say so I'll give Blue Eyed Samurai a try