Name: Meikyû-tan
Genre: Short
Duration: 16 min
Rating: 6.6
Cast: Keiko Niitaka, Yôko Ran, Sueshi Sasada

Watching a short or a feature film directed by Shuji Terayama is like Russian roulette, because I sometimes click (ha) with it and I feel relief, and then sometimes, his stuff is weird and shoots me in my face and my face flies off and then I have to try and write a review while reattaching my face and it's not very easy to do after you've had this experience with several Shuji Terayama films.

But Labyrinth Tale was a click. It clicked with me. I retained my face; my dignity. I like the atmosphere of this one, and the way the door is sometimes a portal to somewhere else, and then at other times, it's just a door. What could it mean? Does it matter? I don't care! But I still liked this.

It's all very allegorical. The sacred and the propane.

Japanese cinema is celebrated for its refined minimalist dramas and avant-garde experimentation; it also introduced popular genres like jidaigeki (samurai epics), kaiju, and anime. Across both high art and mass entertainment, it often explores morality, impermanence, and the pressures of modern life.

Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura in Drive My Car (2021)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Two men carry a portal door which leads to different realms.

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets (1971)

Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets

Guillaume-en-Egypte in Cat Listening to Music (1988)

Meikyû-tan

Photos

Top Cast14

User reviews1

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed