Love Exposure (2008): Directed by Sion Sono is a movie about Yu, who has a perverted fixation for taking upskirt photographs of women until he meets one and falls for her. I like this movie because it confronts religion, sex, religious symbolism, sexuality, and other taboo topics. This movie is every bit of 2008 in terms of aesthetic and fashion choices. I really enjoyed how campo this film is because it's very satirical and full of crude humor, funny yet serious when it comes to the heavy subject matter. My personal rating for this film is 3 out of 5 stars.

Trigger Warnings: Sexual harassment, crude adult humor, excessive sexually suggestive material. 

Like Grains of Sand and (1995): Directed by Yosuke Hashiguchi is a coming of age story which was pretty progressive for 1995. I liked it the most because it really demonstrated the social pressures the boys and girls were under in that age group. Trying to feel like you know everything, do and be everything, and confronting sexuality, rumors, relationships, dating, and bullying. It also formally introduced Ayumi Hamasaki to the world's pre-musical debut in Japan. Also, I like this film because many things are insinuated and left on the audience to interpret. Personal rating 3 out of 5 stars.

Trigger Warnings: Psychosis, intense, bullying, trauma bonding, and extreme sexual harassment.

Tokyo Eyes (1998): directed by Jean Pierre Limousin, is about a girl whose brother is a detective who falls for a boy who is a suspect of her brother's case since her brother is a part of law enforcement. This movie stars one of my favorite Japanese models of that era. I like the movie; its cinematography is very experimental, and it definitely gives that pre millennia indie y2k bug feeling. My personal rating for it is 3 out of 5 stars.

Trigger Warnings: Violence and trauma bonding.

Go (2003): It is a movie about exploration and Japanese relations with other East Asians, highlighting the issues within that dichotomy. Super exciting and thought-provoking film in which that is confronted through the main character's life and identity because he is mixed, and how diverse people are treated in Japan, especially half Chinese or Korean varied people. Super emotionally and socially gritty with an early 2000s edge. Well, shit and thought-provoking and insightful on how xenophobia others a specific ethnic demographics inside Japan. Personal rating 3 out of 5 stars.

Trigger Warnings: Sex, xenophobia, assault, nationalism, and abuse.

Suicide Club (2001): Directed by Sion Sono, is about a group of JK": Joshi Kouhei” school girls that commit suicide by holding hands and jumping into oncoming train tracks. Honestly, viewer discretion is advised. I really liked this film because it delves into the early 200s fascinations with suicide clubs that were sweeping the nation at the time when teens made essentially made suicide cool. There is a ton of violence and gore. This movie is a thriller and psychological thriller, and a realism film. It's not super big on being scary, just more on the realism side. It's super good, and I recommend everyone take a watch. My personal rating for this is 4 out of 5 stars. A perfect and thought-provoking look.

Trigger Warning: Suicide!

Noriko’s Dinner Table (2005): Also directed by Sion Sono, is also connected to the world of Suicide Club and takes place about 3 years after the initial events where Noriko, a 16-year-old girl, is trying to figure herself out amongst the chaos of suicide clubs as well as her families tempestuous relationship. This movie dives into so many subcultures specific to Japan, such as rental families, suicide, depression, not fitting in, and the psychological horror of girlhood. My personal rating for this is 4 and a half stars out of 5.

Trigger Warnings: Suicide, sex work, abandonment issues, family issues, and abuse.

Battle Royale (2000): Directed by Kenji Fukusaku, is his last film covering the subjects of teenagers being sent to an island to slaughter each other mercilessly and relentlessly until there's a victory…sound familiar?. This movie also introduced the world to Chiaki Kuriyama's pre- Kill bill. This movie is very violent and gruesome and parallels the social violence of everyone's lives before their class was drafted into this sadistic game. I remember watching this movie with my friend in HS= and being enamored with the concept and the storytelling. Anyone into J-movies or Indie films knows this movie is a classic. My personal rating is 5 out of 5 stars..because it’s just that good.

Viewer discretion is highly advised. Trigger Warnings: Violence, sexual assault, physical assault, and abuse.

Love & Pop (1998): Directed by everyone’s favorite director Hideaki Anno delves into the world of paid dating through a first-person lens. 4 girls are trying to navigate girlhood and everything that encompasses it. I've previously tried to watch this film, but I couldn't find it until it was uploaded on Youtube earlier last year. It gives you a glimpse of pre-social media Japan and how men commodity young girls, especially those in their teens. Trigger warning for sexual assault and trauma, since everything is shot through the first-person point of view, you feel like you might be experiencing what the character is going through since it is shot through a very intimate lens. My personal rating for this movie is 5 out of 5 stars. Viewer discretion is advised.

Trigger Warnings: Violence, sex work, sexual assault, abuse * this movie is shot in first person, so if you've experienced sexual assault, please DO NOT WATCH AT ALL *

About Lily Chou-Chou (2003): Directed by Shunji Iwai. The main character Yuichi uses music as his escape while he navigates his teen angst and adolescent anxieties about his life as well;l as the real world. In all honesty, this movie was beautifully shot and encapsulated the essence of youth's angst and directionlessness. It also has this really indie alternative cinematography style and vibe it gives off. It gives Fiona Apple, Portis Head, Sneaker Pimps, Alanis Morisset New York underground alternative music scene vibe drenched throughout this film. I'm gonna say this film is left up to interpretation. Still trying to interpret what I watched. With that said, my personal rating for this movie is a 4 out of 5.

Trigger Warnings: Assault, suicide contemplation, sex work, intense bullying, harassment, and abuse.

Bounce Ko-Gals (1997): Directed by Masato Harada, this film is my absolute favorite of the bunch because I've wanted to watch this movie since I was 17; but I didn't get to watch it till I was 21. This was better because I probably would have emulated some inappropriate behavior. But this movie is about 3 different girls from three different paths coming together to help one another navigate Japan's commodification of teenage girls. This movie also covers topics such as Enjoy Kosai's "paid dating" and how dating clubs provided teenage girls with a way to get some disposable income. This movie is very raw and gritty and really does healthily depict what many teenage girls and young women are preyed on for their beauty and youth and are used in a system and spit out as soon as they turn 18. This is a great movie I highly recommend. It is currently on Youtube; my personal rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Trigger Warning: Physical assault, sexual assault, sex work, violence, trauma bonding, grooming, and abuse.