Ken Ninomiya

Magical and extravagant mystery drama that feels like a fever dream. Yuki Sakurai has a knack for picking interesting projects, Ken Ninomiya launches himself as a talent. The film looks absolutely stunning, the soundtrack is amazing and the level of creativity is through the roof. My kind of film.

Ken Ninomiya's second future is a blistering confirmation of the man's enormous talent. Vibrant, dynamic, colorful and in your face, but never without heart. Ninomiya's films are truly one of a kind. Clearly one of the rising talents of Japanese cinema and I'm glad that Chiwawa wasn't the disappointment if so easily could've been.

Ninomiya strikes again. A slightly more narrative film this time, though he still finds plenty of time for mood building and dramatic character exploration. He hasn't lost his knack of stylistic excellence either, which all comes together in a majestic finale. Ninomiya is by far the most undervalued and neglected director working in Japan these days, probably because he does things just a little differently and writes characters that are a little outside the (cinematic) norm. The Midnight Maiden War is just more proof that he is overflowing with talent.

A decidedly more commercial effort from Ninomiya. His first two films were absolute personal favorites, even though they failed to make an international splash. It seems Ninomiya is trying something different this time around, going for a more agreeable, easy to stomach comedy. I'm not sure that this film is going to do much for his career.