Showroom Cinema recently hosted the UK’s biggest annual Japanese Film Festival. The programme delivered an incredibly varied lineup of genres, linked to this year’s theme ‘Justice, Judgement and Justification’ with the venue providing helpful fact sheets to every film. Sheff Herd was lucky enough to attend three of these screenings which are reviewed below. Warning – there may be some spoilers!

Ghost Cat Anzu (Dir. Kuno and Yamashita, 2024)  - Dave L. Summer

Ghost Cat Anzu is a charmingly surreal animated film that blends whimsy with darkness, evoking shades of Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro. The story follows a young girl coping with the death of her mother and the emotional distance of her father, who stumbles into a strange new world guided by Anzu, a 37-year-old ghostly cat riding a moped. As she becomes increasingly immersed in this fantastical realm, the film shifts between gentle, pastoral storytelling and bursts of chaotic energy.

Visually, Ghost Cat Anzu is stunning, with cartoonish character designs set against beautifully painted backgrounds. The contrast between its childlike aesthetic and darker elements—such as a giant friendly frog being brutally beaten by demons—adds an unsettling but intriguing depth. The film’s pacing is unusual, meandering dreamily through most of its runtime before accelerating into a manic final act.

While it lacks the refinement of a Ghibli classic, Ghost Cat Anzu remains a distinctive and memorable experience. It’s amusing, bizarre, and deeply atmospheric—an enchanting journey that feels both deeply Japanese and uniquely its own.

Let’s Go Karaoke! (Dir. -Yamashita, 2024) - Paul Craven

Let’s Go Karaoke! is the second film in this festival directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita. It is a heartwarming and offbeat film that blends humour with unexpected emotional depth. The story is an adaptation of a manga novel and follows Satomi, a middle school choir leader, who is recruited by Kyoji, a yakuza lieutenant, to help him improve his singing skills. What starts as a strange request soon turns into a touching mentorship, as the two develop an unlikely but meaningful bond.

Karaoke is deeply embedded in Japanese culture, serving as both entertainment and a way for people to express themselves. The film captures this cultural aspect beautifully, showing how karaoke can break down barriers between people, even those from vastly different backgrounds. The contrast between Satomi’s disciplined choral training and Kyoji’s desperate attempt to avoid humiliation in a yakuza singing contest adds to the film’s humour, while also highlighting Japan’s appreciation for music as both an art form and a social activity.

Yamashita masterfully balances comedy with genuine emotion, allowing the characters to shine. Go Ayano and Jun Saito deliver strong performances, making their dynamic both amusing and heartfelt. The magic realism of the ending also adds a bittersweet twist. The film offers more than just laughs—it’s a reflection on mentorship, personal growth, and how unexpected friendships can form in the most unusual circumstances. 

With its unique premise, engaging performances, and authentic portrayal of Japanese cultural traditions, it stands out as a refreshing and memorable film.

Carmen Comes Home (Dir. Kinoshita, 1951) - Charlotte Sometimes

Carmen Comes Home is a landmark film in Japanese cinema, celebrated as the country’s first colour film shot on Fuji Film. As part of this Japanese film festival series, the film not only embraces the vibrancy of its newfound colour palette but also challenges perceptions of modernity and tradition, making for a surprisingly layered and thought-provoking watch.

The story follows Lily Carmen (Hideko Takamine) and her friend Maya (Toshiko Kobayashi), two burlesque dancers from Tokyo who return to Carmen’s rural hometown.  Expecting admiration, the protagonists are instead met with a mixture of scandalized disapproval and opportunistic enthusiasm. Carmen’s father is mortified by his daughter’s profession, while the town’s school principal upholds a former blind teacher’s traditional poetry as the only form of respectable art. Yet, ironically, the same townspeople who condemn Carmen and Maya are more than willing to exploit their presence for financial gain—culminating in a sellout nude performance that funds not only the town’s greed but also the esteemed “respectable” art they claim to uphold.

While some may argue that the film is exploitative, it is in fact Carmen and Maya who hold the power. Financially independent, they dictate their own paths, even subsidising the very men who belittle them. The blind ex-teacher’s inability to witness their performance is particularly compelling—does this preserve his dignity, keeping him apart from the town’s hypocrisy, or does it serve to highlight the irony of the male gaze, where even those who claim moral superiority are still indirectly complicit in the spectacle?

The film’s final scene is particularly triumphant. As Carmen and Maya depart, they wave cheerfully to the very people who sought to both shame and profit from them, their departure underscored by a lively jazz soundtrack. It’s a striking image—not of women defeated or humiliated, but of two free spirits reclaiming their own narrative. Their return to Tokyo, the symbolic future of a rapidly evolving Japan, serves as a bold rejection of the town’s hypocrisy and a celebration of self-determination.

By playfully yet incisively questioning who the real “fools” are, Carmen Comes Home does more than entertain—it challenges. It critiques a society caught between old and new, questions the commodification of art and morality, and, most strikingly, hands control to women in a way that remains refreshingly modern. In the context of this film festival, it is a standout selection—not only for its historical significance but for the way it dares to ask: who has the last laugh?

The Japanese Film Festival at Showroom offered a fascinating insight into various aspects of Japanese culture and the landscape of their cinema. We are already looking forward to next year.

For more information about the Japanese Foundation Touring Programme 2025, click here