Mana Ashida

Animated character with pink hair against a sunset sky.

Filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s “Scarlet” riffs on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in a time-bending animated adventure that challenges the validity of revenge.

By Douglas Davidson on February 10, 2026 • ( 0 )

Photosensitivity Warning: Several scenes in Scarlet may prove triggering for photosensitive viewers through the use of stylized lightning. It occurs a handful of times in the film and can often be predicted, enabling a viewer to shield oneself, but it’s… Read More ›

Director Keiichi Hara’s “Lonely Castle in the Mirror” transports to home video via Shout! Studios.

By Douglas Davidson on September 26, 2023 • ( 0 )

It is not uncommon for a film to be based on material from a different medium. For one, it allows the filmmakers a sense of whether there’s a desire for the film before they even start pre-production. For two, audiences… Read More ›

Explore the depths of the oceans in director Ayumu Watanabe’s manga adaptation “Children of the Sea.”

By Douglas Davidson on August 29, 2020 • ( 2 )

One of the things I love about GKids Films, a distributor of Asian animated films, is the absolute variety and high quality of each production they release in the U.S. The films they release range from stop-motion (My Life as… Read More ›

Elements of Madness

Cinematic Reviews, Recommendations, and More

Mana Ashida

Filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s “Scarlet” riffs on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in a time-bending animated adventure that challenges the validity of revenge.

Director Keiichi Hara’s “Lonely Castle in the Mirror” transports to home video via Shout! Studios.

Explore the depths of the oceans in director Ayumu Watanabe’s manga adaptation “Children of the Sea.”