51. Departures ( Okuribito )
Year of Release: 2009
Overall Rating: 3.1 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Yojiro Takita
Actors: Masahiro Motoki, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ryoko Hirosue, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
52. Summer Wars ( Samâ wôzu )
Year of Release: 2010
Overall Rating: 3.0 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Anime/Adventure
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Actors: Ayumu Saitô, Nanami Sakuraba, Mitsuki Tanimura, Takahiro Yokokawa
Plot: A shy math genius agrees to to take a job of escorting Natuski, a girl he secretly has a crush on, as her "fiance" during the summer to celebrate the 90th birthday of the families matriarch. Yet the real job may be saving the world.
53. Audition ( Ôdishon )
Year of Release: 2000
Overall Rating: 2.9 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Horror/Thriller
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Takashi Miike
Actors: Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Tetsu Sawaki, Jun Kunimura
Plot: When a widower decides to hold a fake movie audition to find the pefect replacement, what starts out as the pefect dream relationship turns into a nightmare.
54. Cowboy Bebop
Year of Release: 2003
Overall Rating: 3.0 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Anime/Action
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Shinichirô Watanabe
Actors: Steven Jay Blum, Beau Billingslea, Wendee Lee, Melissa Fahn
Plot: Three bounty hunters investigate a truck explosion in order to get an enormous bounty.
55. Yi Yi
Year of Release: 2000
Overall Rating: 3.1 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Edward Yang
Actors: Elaine Jin, Issei Ogata, Nien-Jen Wu, Su-Yun Ko
Plot: Follows a family in Taipei as they struggle with emotion, conflict and try to discern the meaning of life itself.
56. 5 Centimeters per Second ( Byôsoku 5 senchimêtoru )
Year of Release: 2007
Overall Rating: 3.0 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Anime/Drama
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Actors: Kenji Mizuhashi, Yoshimi Kondou, Satomi Hanamura, Ayaka Onoue
Plot: Two childhood friends, pulled apart by family and distance, arrange one final meeting.
57. Human Condition I, The ( Ningen no joken I )
Year of Release: 1959
Overall Rating: 3.2 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama/Historical
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Actors: Tatsuya Nakadai, Michiyo Aratama, Ineko Arima, Chikage Awashima
Plot: In the first part of a trilogy, a man named Kaji, hoping to avoid military service during WWII instead supervises a Manchurain POW camp, which functions as an iron ore mine. He treats the prisoners with respect and, in turn, improves production. But the influx of a large group of prisoners exposes the corrupt system, and when a foreman organizes an escape attempt, it ultimately leads to Kaji being accused of helping the rebels, being labeled a Red and sent to war after all.
58. Idiot, The ( Hakuchi )
Year of Release: 1951
Overall Rating: 3.1 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Actors: Setsuko Hara, Masayuki Mori, Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura
Plot: Kameda has been on an asylum after the war, but after being released, travels to Hokkaido where he becomes involved in a love triangle between his friend and a woman they both love.
59. Nana
Year of Release: 2005
Overall Rating: 3.3 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Kentarô Ôtani
Actors: Mika Nakashima, Aoi Miyazaki, Hiroki Narimiya, Ken'ichi Matsuyama
60. Eel, The ( Unagi )
Year of Release: 1998
Overall Rating: 3.2 out of 4 stars
Language: Japanese
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Shohei Imamura
Actors: Kôji Yakusho, Misa Shimizu, Mitsuko Baisho, Akira Emoto
Plot: After finding out his wife is having an affair while he is working, Yamashita strikes out - murdering her in a crime of passion. Eight years later, he is out of prison and moves to a village to begin again. Working as a barber (a trade he picked up in prison) he leaves everyone alone - until a young woman comes into is life - one that reminds him very much of his dead wife.
