"Actor: Y"

• Duel At Ichijoji Temple | DVD | (20/02/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The Samurai Trilogy is based around the life of the historical character Musashi Miyamoto. Born around 1584 he perfected the technique of two sword fighting as well as developing into a considerable Zen black ink artist. Having fought his first duel at the age of thirteen he was involved in 60 other engagements before his death in 1645. Several versions of his life have been produced for cinema and television in Japan but none more prestigious than Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy. Winne

• Bubblegum Crisis | DVD | (09/08/2004) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £39.99

  The second instalment of the popular Japanese anime, Bubblegum Crisis 2 contains the fourth, fifth and sixth episodes of the eight original videos. In a devastated high-tech Tokyo of a Blade Runner-ish future, four beautiful women disguised by their heavily armed exoskeletons protect society from killer androids and from an ambitious corporation that tries to take over the world, while also having complicated personal lives. The cute teenager NeNe always has a crush on someone or other; flighty Linna has to fit her superhero life into a busy social schedule; and Priss has her career as a rock singer as well as a habit of feeling emotional. Only the austere Sylia is entirely in control of her life--so much so that she needs the others for a bit of productive chaos. In the episodes included they deal with a mysterious car that is riding down motorcyclists, help a tragic android who is vampirising citizens to feed a damaged friend and cope with attempts by an evil conspirator to frame them for mass mayhem. The stories rely rather too heavily on extended sequences of fast bikes and car racing, or mechanised bodysuits and big robots tearing each other apart, but the plotting can be subtle and the emotional scenes tense and fraught. Someone trying to get a sense of anime's strengths and weaknesses could do a lot worse than start here. On the DVD: the disc is presented in a visual aspect ratio of 1.33:1 and has a very loud Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack which presents every screech of tortured metal vehemently and every pounding anthem in the slightly pompous score. There are no extras apart from a very extended documentation of the credits. --Roz Kaveney

• Hackers | UMD | (31/10/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

• Princess Mononoke (DVD and Book) | DVD | (22/10/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Princess Mononoke has already made history as the top-grossing domestic feature ever released in Japan, where its combination of mythic themes, mystical forces, and ravishing visuals tapped deeply into cultural identity and contemporary, ecological anxieties. For international animation and anime fans, this epic, animated 1997 fantasy, represents an auspicious next step for its revered creator, Hayao Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service), an acknowledged anime pioneer, whose painterly style, vivid character design, and stylised approach to storytelling take ambitious, evolutionary steps here. Set in medieval Japan, Miyazaki's original story envisions a struggle between nature and man. The march of technology, embodied in the dark iron forges of the ambitious Tatara clan, threatens the natural forces explicit in the benevolent Great God of the Forest and the wide-eyed, spectral spirits he protects. When Ashitaka, a young warrior from a remote, and endangered, village clan, kills a ravenous, boar-like monster, he discovers the beast is in fact an infectious "demon god", transformed by human anger. Ashitaka's quest to solve the beast's fatal curse brings him into the midst of human political intrigues as well as the more crucial battle between man and nature. Miyazaki's convoluted fable is clearly not the stuff of kiddie matinees, nor is the often graphic violence depicted during the battles that ensue. If some younger viewers (or less attentive older ones) will wish for a diagram to sort out the players, Miyazaki's atmospheric world and its lush visual design are reasons enough to watch. For the English-language version, Miramax assembled an impressive vocal cast including Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup (as Ashitaka), Claire Danes (as San), Minnie Driver (as Lady Eboshi), Billy Bob Thornton, and Jada Pinkett Smith. They bring added nuance to a very different kind of magic kingdom. -- Sam Sutherland, Amazon.com On the DVD: with an impressive widescreen aspect of 2.35:1 and a pleasant 5.1 Dolby digital sound, you cannot fault the transfer of this animation in any way. However, the special features leave a lot to be desired on what is a classic piece of modern anime. The "Behind the Scenes" feature holds no information on the making of Princess Mononoke in its original form--with no input from animator Hayao Miyazaki--and the trailer is taken from the American release of the movie (even though it calls itself an "original" theatrical trailer), complete with the annoyingly hyped-up voiceover that comes with US film trailers. The redeeming feature of this DVD is the ability to watch the anime in its original language with subtitles, a much more passionate and beautiful form--so much of the feeling and lyricism of the movie is lost with the transfer to English language and misplaced casting. After watching the original Japanese version of Princess Mononoke and reading the book you begin to wonder why the West has become such a solitary child of Disney. --Nikki Disney

• Clannad Sreies 1 Part 2 | DVD | (30/07/2012) from £40.48   |  Saving you £-10.49 (-35.00%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Everything seemed like a dream.. and eventually I forgot everythingTomoya Okazaki is depressed at the prospect of school. His days are spent considering the path which lies ahead of him, the shadow of his vacant alcoholic father constantly looming over his daily void. He meets a group of strange girls at his school, each with unique social problems, and begins to gain perspective on the deep loneliness he feels. When the drama club is established, paranormal turmoil unfolds and hearts are broken...

• Clannad - Series 1 Part 1 | DVD | (28/05/2012) from £40.48   |  Saving you £-10.49 (-35.00%)   |  RRP £29.99

  Tomoya Okazaki is a third year high school student resentful of his life. His mother passed away from a car accident when he was younger, causing his father to resort to alcohol and gambling. This results in fights between the two until Tomoya's shoulder is injured in a fight. Since then, Tomoya has had distant relationships with his father, causing him to become a delinquent over time. While on a walk to school, he meets a strange girl named Nagisa Furukawa who is a year older, but is repeating due to illness. Due to this, she is often alone as most of her friends have moved on. The two begin hanging out and slowly, as time goes by, Tomoya finds his life shifting in a new direction.

• Martial Arts Super Box Set | DVD | (18/03/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £24.99

  King Boxer II: Bruce Le is back with a vengeance thundering his way through a multitude of adversaries using all the techniques he knows. From the Leopard Fist to the Tiger Claw he smashes all who stand in his way in his battle against an evil Shaolin sect. Karate Kill: Martial Arts champion Steve Hunt is lured to a desert fortress to compete in what he thinks will be an Olympic-style contest between Martial Arts Champions with a prize of a fortune in diamonds. In

• Clannad After Story Part 2 | DVD | (03/12/2012) from £6.98   |  Saving you £25.00 (501.00%)   |  RRP £29.99

  An alternate path opens up for Tomoya and Nagisa as they enter their second semester and head towards graduation. Beyond school they look forward to a family of their own, though not without facing hardships and ultimately tragedy. After Story follows on from the original Clannad series and further expands on the themes of family, trust and empathy.

• Massacre Gun | DVD | (14/08/2017) from £7.87   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Genre icon Jô Shishido stars in this tense and violent yakuza yarn from genre stalwart and Seijun Suzuki s former assistant, Yasuharu Hasebe (Female Prisoner Scorpion: #701 s Grudge Song). Shishido stars as Kuroda, a mob hitman who turns on his employers after being forced to execute his lover. Joining forces with his similarly wronged brothers, hot-headed Eiji (Tatsuya Fuji, In the Realm of the Senses) and aspiring boxer Saburô (Jirô Okazaki, Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter), the trio escalate their mob retaliation to all-out turf war where no one will stop until one faction emerges victorious. Strikingly violent for the period and gorgeously photographed in monochrome like genre siblings Branded to Kill and A Colt is My Passport (Shishido s other films from 1967), Massacre Gun is a bold iteration on the genre featuring some stunning compositions and the assured direction of Hasebe.

• Digital Devil, The / The Cockpit | DVD | (01/08/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Digital Devil: Digital Devil is the name given to a menacing force created with computers born from the mind of a teenage genius; a force so evil that it demands human sacrifice. Yet this story is more than a science-fiction horror tale. For it also carries the timeless messages of forgiveness and reconciliation along with the charm of a love story. Handsome high school student Akemi is a computer genius. One day a new girl Yukimo transfers to his class from another school. She quickly falls in love with Akemi but absorbed in his computers he pays her no attention at all. The reason for his absorption is the monster he has created with these same computers. Digital Devil has become his own evil genie and Akemi summons this devil after school and sets it to work wreaking revenge on his enemies. First to be sacrificed to the hunger of the devil Roki is Akemi's home-room teacher; soon to follow are other teachers and leaders of the high school's gangs. But first Akemi intends to unleash Roki on poor Yukimo. The tables quickly turn as Roli runs wild slipping from the teenager's control to begin attacking all the students including even Akemi himself. Cockpit: Mr. Leiji Matsumoto the author of 'Uchusenkan Yamato' (Space Cruiser Yamato) celebrates this his fortieth year as an author. He is the author of the War Comics series his lifework which he has continued to write from the depths of his emotions. These three titles from 'The Cockpit' which his fans declare to be his greatest work have now been animated. The men who bled on the battlefield often suffered disgrace and at times gave their lives in the name of honour. The pain the sorrow and the glory have now been clearly brought to life. Slipstream (August 1944) A disgraced Nazi airman is offered eternal glory if he flies just one more mission. But as with all pacts with the devil such an opportunity does not come cheap... Sonic Boom Squadron (August 1945) Ensign Nogami has volunteered to fly a human bomb into the American fleet. To all those around him he is already dead. But ensign Nogami seems cursed condemned to keep living... Knight of the Iron Dragon (October 1944) Only shelling Japanese positions can hold off the Allied advance on the Phillippines. A lone motorcyclist volunteers to find the last artillery group and promises his friends that he shall return to live or die at his comrades' side...

• Miami Hustle | DVD | (17/01/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £3.99

  No matter under what guise sexy Marsha Thomas uses in a situation she always manages to combine beauty and charm to get her way. Faced with having to pay off her brother's debt she'll work any scheme to settle the payment.

• Classic Kurosawa | DVD | (28/11/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £59.99

  Throne of Blood (1957): Kurosawa's film career began in 1936 at the Photo Chemical Laboratories in Tokyo. His directorial debut in 1943 Judo Saga bore evidence of his economy of expression and marked his humanist approach. His Rashomon won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1951 and this led to the 'discovery' of his other works and those of his mentors and peers notably Ozu and Mizoguchi. Kurosawa's transposition of Shakespeare's Ma

• Yehudi Menuhin - the Swiss Years | DVD | (05/05/2008) from £17.71   |  Saving you £-3.72 (-26.60%)   |  RRP £13.99

• Ramen Fighter Miki: Full Course | Blu Ray | (12/04/2022) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Fukasaku Trilogy | DVD | (23/06/2008) from £27.00   |  Saving you £-7.01 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The breakout success of the fantastic Battle Royale resulted in long-overdue global recognition of the films of Kinji Fukasaku. This prolific Japanese filmmaker who died in 2003 had already made himself a name in his home country as an auteur who favoured outrageous style and biting social commentary. This collection brings together three exciting and colourful early films from Japanese cinema's most exhilarating director. Titles Comprise: Blackmail Is My Life: Tautly paced and fueled by a trendy soundtrack synthesis of whistled themes and electric rock Blackmail Is My Life centers on a quartet of young daredevil hipsters who discover blackmail as a means to enjoy the booming economy from which they've been excluded. These rebellious youths tread a deadly line by blackmailing both sides of society- namely the Yakuza kingpins and top government officials. Blackmail Is My Life is a bloody wake-up call to Japanese culture and budding criminals and a perfect example of the director working in his prime. Black Rose Mansion: A feverishly perverse 1969 film noir oddity starring female impersonator Akihiro Maruyama. When wealthy Kyohei hires singer Black Rose to perform in his exclusive men's club he gets more than he bargains for when she attracts scores of homicidal past lovers. The film takes a bizarre twist when Kyohei's son falls victim to the femme fatale's unique charm. If You Were Young: If You Were Young highlights the other side of post-war Japanese prosperity focusing on the throngs of young people who missed out on the boom. We follow a group of young men that can't seem to get ahead despite their willingness to try. Then one hits upon a plan - to work together to save for a dump truck and thus become independent contractors and be their own bosses at last. Ultimately life presents obstacles: jail for one violence at the hands of the police for another and a girlfriend and subsequent children for the third. An early Kinji Fukasaku gem that imports the freewheeling style of the French New Wave and the hip detachment of American noir.

• ABCiee Working Diary - Standard Blu-ray | Blu Ray | (26/05/2025) from £16.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  ABCiee is a bit klutzy and ditsy, but he's full of spunk and he starts his dream job at a TV station! This is a work comedy filled with all kinds of hijinks! I never knew it was so hard working at a TV station, ciee! Despite having to face the unknown rules of the TV business, unique coworkers, and guest stars who have very particular quirks, ABCiee takes them head on with his positivity. Work, love, family, whatever goes!! Please watch over ABCiee as he takes on the TV business.

• Y and T - Live One Hot Night | DVD | (30/07/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £22.99

  San Francisco's finest are back with a live DVD recorded on 8th October 2006 in Zoetermeer in Holland. Tracklisting: 1. From The Moon 2. Open Fire 3. Lipstick & Leather 4. Don't Stop Runnin' 5. Dirty Girl 6. Surrender 7. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark 8. Mean Streak 9. Lonely Side Of Town 10. Barroom Boogie 11. Winds Of Change 12. Eyes Of A Stranger 13. Summertime Girls 14. Hurricane 15. Rescue Me 16. I'll Cry For You 17.Rock & Roll's Gonna Save The World 18. I Believe In Yo

• Off Da Hook - Hip Hop | DVD | (12/09/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  F-Troop and Pat-y-o are back with an 'Off Da Hook' advanced hip-hop video. The Duo sticks with their fun animated and easy to follow teaching style with a more advanced routine for the serious dancer or exercise enthusiast. So get ready to put on your danc'n shoes and move your groove cause it's 'Off Da Hook'.

• Guyver, The 1-6 | DVD | (31/07/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

• The Japan Karate Association Official Kata Series - Vol. 2 | DVD | (04/01/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £25.99