Japanese films about experiments

List of the best Japanese films about experiments on people, selected by visitors to our site: Homunculus, Laplace's Witch, The Incite Mill, Air Bound, Mary and the Witch's Flower, ReLIFE, The Snow White Murder Case, Love Catharsis, Penguin Highway, Cult.

In the top there are new films of 2023, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

Country
Markimdb: 5.5
Genrefantastic, drama
CountryJapan

A homeless man meets a medical school student who pays him to volunteer for a surgical procedure known as trepanation, drilling a hole in his skull, which ends up giving him the ability to communicate with the dark side of people’s subconscious minds.

Markimdb: 5.2
Genrefantastic, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration01:32

An environmental analyst is asked by the police to determine if two deaths by hydrogen sulfide poisoning are an accident - or a murder. But when he meets a young woman at both sites, a scientific mystery begins.

Markimdb: 5.7
Genrehorror, thriller, detective
CountryJapan
Duration01:47

Ten people gather together at a complex named “Ankikan” after hearing of a short term job paying 112,000 Yen ($1,236 USD) per hour. The ten people are informed that they will be monitored 24 hours a day for 7 days straight in a psychological experiment. They are then sent to individual rooms with a different weapon located in each room. Once they are locked in they learn the rules of the psychological experiment. 1.) Each person must return to their room by 10 PM. 2.) At the end of 7 days or when there are only two surviving members left alive the experiment will end. The next day a person is found shot to death. Now, what looked like a dream job will turn into a nightmare ...

Markimdb: 5.2
Genreaction, fantasy, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryJapan

Gamba, a town mouse with a brave spirit decides to go on an adventure to discover the ocean. On his way, he meets a troubled child mouse, Chuta. He says his family and other mice on a nearby island have been killed by a clan of weasels, led by the terrifying Noroi. Gamba promises to save the island, his family and the other mice. He and his friends team up to defeat the evil Noroi and his clan.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration02:12

Mary Smith, a young girl who lives with her great-aunt in the countryside, follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest where she finds a strange flower and an old broom, none of which is as ordinary as it seems.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genrefantastic, comedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Arata Kaizaki (27) quit the job he landed after graduation in only three months. His life did not go well after that. Now his parents are threatening to stop sending money, and want him to come back to the country. He has no friend or girlfriend to share his troubles with...as he hits rock bottom a strange man named Ryou Yoake appears. He invites Arata to join a societal rehabilitation program for NEETs called ReLife. This program uses a mysterious drug to make him look younger, and sends him back to high school for a year...

Markimdb: 6.9
Genredrama, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration02:06

Beautiful Noriko Miki works at a cosmetic company. One day, Noriko is murdered. People begin to suspect her co-worker Miki Shirono might have killed her. Television begins to cover her story. A TV show interviews Miki Shirono's colleagues, family, people from her hometown. Rumors turn into fear. Is she a wicked a woman?

Markimdb: 5.9
Genremelodrama
CountryJapan

Mia Kurihara works in the public relations department of a company. She falls in love with Kairi Miyoshi. He is the vice president of the company, but he is also married.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:39

A fourth-grader investigates the mysterious reason behind the sudden appearance of penguins in his village, which is somehow related to a power from a young woman working at a dental clinic.

Markimdb: 5.3
Genrehorror
CountryJapan, Hong Kong
Duration01:24

Three female idols appear on a television show to investigate an exorcism. An exorcist with psychic powers named Unsui claims that the show’s subjects, the Kaneda family, are cursed by a demon that’s too powerful for him to banish on his own, so he calls in a fellow exorcist to help. Soon, a reckless ghost hunter enters the fray as the three idols witness a series of terrifying events.

Markimdb: 6.9
Genreaction, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Since the discovery of “Samon Syndrome,” thousands of young people have traveled to fantasy worlds, the few returnees managing to keep the special abilities they acquired there.Akatsuki Ousawa, known as the “Rogue Hero,” discards his peaceful life in the fantasy world Alayzard to face new challenges upon returning to Earth. He comes back with Miu, the daughter of the Demon King he defeated, and is now forced to hide her true identity by having her pose as his little sister. The two soon join Babel, a special school designed for those who have acquired special abilities and magical powers through their journey to a fantasy world.Babel was seemingly founded to train young interdimensional travelers and “guide them to the right path for the sake of humanity and themselves,” but its true purpose remains unclear to the pseudo-siblings. Will Akatsuki and Miu be able to overcome the hostile, powerful student council and uncover the forces at play behind the scenes?

Markimdb: 6.5
Genrefantastic, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:05

Third film of the Mardock Scramble series. Rune Balot goes to a casino connected to the October corporation to try to wrap up her case once and for all.

Markimdb: 7.6
Genrefantastic, melodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:53

One day, Naho Takamiya receives a letter written to herself from ten years in the future. As Naho reads on, the letter recites the exact events of the day, including the transfer of a new student into her class named Kakeru Naruse. The Naho from ten years later repeatedly states that she has many regrets, and she wants to fix these by making sure the Naho from the past can make the right decisions—especially regarding Kakeru. What's more shocking is that she discovers that ten years later, Kakeru will no longer be with them. Future Naho asks her to watch over him closely.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genrefantastic, action, fantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:40

Yui wants to see a whale so Kirito suggests a quest where she can meet them. However, it turns out that Leafa cannot swim so Asuna and the other female characters decide to train Suguha in a real-world pool in preparation for the aforementioned quest. Meanwhile, Kirito is called for an emergency counseling meeting at his new school. There he meets an elite member of the Virtual Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Kirito then tells him details about what really happened in Aincrad and in Alfheim.

Markimdb: 7.2
Genrefantastic, action, thriller, cartoon, detective, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:00

Freed of her responsibilities with the 501 Organization, Motoko Kusanagi must now learn how to take orders from Aramaki. Someone hacks the Logicomas, and Batou enlists the help of former army intelligence officer Ishikawa and former air artillery expert Borma. Kusanagi also seeks to enlist ace sniper Saito and undercover cop Paz into the new Public Security Section 9.

Markimdb: 7.4
Genremelodrama, drama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:31

A group of Yokohama students fight to save their school's clubhouse from the wrecking ball during preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. While working there, Umi and Shun gradually become attracted to each other but have to face a sudden trial. Even so, they keep going without fleeing the difficulties of reality.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrefantastic, action
CountryJapan
Duration01:32

Ajin is a live-action adaptation of a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Gamon Sakurai. Kei Nagai dies in a car accident, but realises he is a type of immortal known as Ajin (demi-human). Hunted by humans, Ajin is eventually found by the government and used as a subject in cruel experiments. He finds fellow demi-humans along the way as he escapes and goes on the run.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrethriller, crime, detective
CountryJapan
Duration01:32

After having narrowly escaped an attempt on his life at the hands of a psychopath, detective inspector Takakura quits active service in the police force and takes up a position as a university lecturer in criminal psychology. But his desire to get to the bottom of criminals’ motives remains, and he does not hesitate long when former colleague Nogami asks him to reopen an old case.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genredrama, military, history
CountryJapan, USA
Duration01:45

As the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII, Gen. Fellers is tasked with deciding if Emperor Hirohito will be hanged as a war criminal. Influencing his ruling is his quest to find Aya, an exchange student he met years earlier in the U.S.

Genrethriller, crime, detective
CountryJapan

A kind man aspires to become a manga writer, but villains and evil deeds do not come easily to him, for he has little experience or natural inclination for them. Things take a surprise turn when he comes across a family who were described as idealized that are no more. He uses the real-life situation for his work.

Markimdb: 6
Genredrama, biography
CountryFrance, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Belgium, USA, Japan, Netherlands

In the lush tradition of the glorious films of Merchant and Ivory, comes the true life story of Leonie Gilmour (Emily Mortimer), whose life crossed continents, wars and cultures, embodied with courage and passion in search of art and freedom. A tender and inspiring story of a remarkable woman who nurtures the amazing artistic talent of her son who has only one way to succeed and one person to guide him, as he grows into the world renown artist, Isamu Noguchi.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genrehorror, fantastic, action, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration00:56

Somewhere in Tokyo, there is a room. In that room is a black sphere. Periodically, people who should otherwise have died are transferred to the room. There, the sphere gives them special suits and weapons, and sends them out on a mission to kill aliens here on Earth. While these missions take place, the rest of the world is largely oblivious to them. These missions are lethal - few participants survive them. The sphere calls the shots, and it's not the slightest bit nice. Its name... Gantz.

Markimdb: 7.7
Genrefantasy, adventure, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Koyomi Araragi was turned into a vampire by the legendary vampire, Kiss-shot Acerola-orion Heart-under-blade, and he needs to revive the weakened vampire back to her complete form to return to being human again. The only way for Koyomi to achieve his goal is to fight the three vampire hunters – Dramaturgy, Episode and Guillotinecutter.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genreaction, fantasy, drama
CountryJapan, United Kingdom, South Korea
Duration01:33

Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu. The mission will change Manji in ways he could never imagine.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryJapan
Duration02:13

Set in the 1960s, high school student Toru Watanabe loses his only friend Kizuki after he commits suicide. Toru, now looking for a new life, enters a university in Tokyo. By chance, Toru meets Kizuki's ex-girlfriend Naoko in the university. They grow close because they both share the same loss. As Toru and Naoko grow even closer, Naoko's sense of loss also grows. After Naoko's 20th birthday, she leaves for a sanitarium in Kyoto. Watanabe, devastated by the situation, meets pure-hearted Midori during the spring semester. Midori looks like a small animal that just came into the world ...

Markimdb: 7.5
Genremelodrama
CountryJapan

Takatoshi Minamiyama (Sota Fukushi) majors in art at an university in Kyoto. On the train to the school, he sees Emi Fukuju (Nana Komatsu) and falls in love with her at first sight. Gathering up all his courage, he speaks to her. They begin to date and enjoy happy days together, but Emi reveals her secret to him.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genrefantastic, action, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration00:30

The war on terror exploded, literally, the day Sarajevo was destroyed by a homemade nuclear device. The leading democracies transformed into total surveillance states, and the developing world has drowned under a wave of genocides. The mysterious American John Paul seems to be behind the collapse of the world system, and it's up to intelligence agent Clavis Shepherd to track John Paul across the wreckage of civilizations and to find the true heart of darkness—a genocidal organ.

Markimdb: 7.8
Genrefantastic, fantasy, comedy, drama, adventure, cartoon
CountryUSA, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom
Duration01:28

In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs to an island that's a garbage dump. The outcasts must soon embark on an epic journey when a 12-year-old boy arrives on the island to find his beloved pet.

Markimdb: 7
Genreaction, drama, crime
CountryJapan, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Germany
Duration01:33

Long is a Taiwanese killer known for his sword skills. After Long fails a Tokyo mission, he moves to a small town where no one knows about him.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genremelodrama, drama
CountryJapan, France, Spain

Taking place during the full-moon night of traditional dances in August and set on the Japanese island of Amami-Oshima, the drama centers on a 14-year-old boy who finds a dead body floating in the sea. The young man enlists the help of his girlfriend to solve the mystery. The pair will learn to become adults by experiencing the interwoven cycles of life, death and love.

Markimdb: 5.6
Genrecomedy, melodrama
CountryJapan

Setoka Tachibana is a female high school student who has confessed her feelings to other boys 12 times, but has been rebuffed each time. Her older brother Haruka Tachibana cares for his younger sister deeply, but he keeps secret from her that they are not blood related. One day, Setoka's first love Takane Serikawa appears after many years and approaches her.

Markimdb: 7
Genredrama
CountryJapan
Duration02:20

Sci-fi writer Sakutaro (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) and bank employee Setsuko (Yuko Takeuchi) met at as high school freshmen during their summer vacation. Since that time, the couple has always been together and eventually married.One day, Setsuko complains of a stomach ache and is hospitalized. Sakutaro then learns that his wife has colon cancer. Sakutaro takes the advice from his doctor that laughter helps the immune system and proceeds to write a short story for his wife every day. At first, Setsuko was expected to live for only 1 more year, but she lived for 5 more years and Sakutaro eventually wrote 1,778 short stories for his wife.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genrefantastic, fantasy, comedy, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:31

Western Restaurant Nekoya is a popular eatery located on a street corner in a Tokyo shopping district. Serving both traditional Japanese fare as well as Western dishes, this eating establishment is popular among Tokyo's residents. But this seemingly ordinary restaurant is also popular with another type of clientele...While the restaurant is thought to be closed on Saturdays, the truth is that on this special day each week, its doors are instead opened to the inhabitants of other worlds. From dragons and elves to fairies and mages, this restaurant has no shortage of strange customers. Nevertheless, the enigmatic chef known only as "Master" will be waiting to serve up their favorite dishes with a kind smile and keep them coming back for many more Saturdays to come.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genrehorror, action
CountryJapan

Hideo Suzuki is a 35-year-old mangaka assistant, whose life seem to be stuck around his exhausting but low-paying job, unfulfilled dreams, strange hallucinations and unsatisfying relationships. He sees himself as a supporting character in his own life, has low self-esteem, resulting in frustration. One day, the world as Hideo knows it is shattered by the presence of a disease that turns people into homicidal maniacs, whose first instinct is to attack and devour the nearest human.

Markimdb: 5.1
Genreaction, drama
CountryJapan, France

A blind master swordsman attempts to lead a quiet life with his wife but he is provoked back into battle.

Markimdb: 6.5
Genrecomedy, melodrama, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan

Kae Serinuma is a second year high school student and an avid fujoshi who secretly ships her classmates, Igarashi and Nanashima. The death of her favorite anime character causes her to become stressed and lose weight rapidly. Now that Serinuma has become an attractive girl to her classmates, snarky junior Shinomiya and senior Mutsumi, how is she going to deal with them with her constant BL-filled fujoshi mind?

Markimdb: 7.1
Genredrama, history
CountryUSA, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, Italy
Duration02:19

Two Jesuit priests travel to seventeenth century Japan which has, under the Tokugawa shogunate, banned Catholicism and almost all foreign contact.

Markimdb: 6.2
Genrehorror, fantastic, action
CountryJapan
Duration02:21

Perfect Answer begins several months after the events of the first film. Kurono is still fighting aliens under the order of Gantz, a mysterious giant black orb, and he is close to reaching the score he needs to resurrect his friend Kato. Outside his night time missions, Kurono continues to live his normal life, spending time with his new girlfriend Tae. Meanwhile, young pop star Eriko is being secretly ordered by Gantz to carry out assassinations, and cop Shigeta inches closer towards finding out the truth about the Gantz missions. As the missions begin to get increasingly dangerous for both the alien fighters and the general public, Kurono discovers that the endgame for Gantz is quickly approaching.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genrecomedy, cartoon, music, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:50

After the idol group Aqours has won the final Love Live! contest, its remaining members prepare to enroll at a new school only to run into some unexpected trouble while the former members go missing on the way to their graduation trip. Separated, the girls begin to realize the value of their friendships as they attempt to find a solution to their various crises.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genredrama
CountryJapan
Duration02:04

In a land far away, there is a legend that an Iron Clad Savior shall bestow upon the land and save its people from grief, abuse and evil. An armored suit-wearing woman with amnesia, only known as "Iron Girl", fights against a group of outlaws called "Crazy Dogs" to save a small village in the wasteland. Is she the legendary "Iron Savior" written in the old document of the village?

Markimdb: 7.1
Genredrama
CountryJapan

The story centers on Kinuko who lives together with her granddaughter Nagisa in the house she once shared with her late husband and where she raised her children. On a spring morning, on the important 49th day after her husband’s passing, the goldfish he had been taking care of suddenly dies. Kinuko wraps its body in camellia flowers and buries it in the garden. She spends her day thinking of the past, cherishing her memories and trivial events. The financial burden of taking care of the house and the garden is becoming too heavy for her and she now faces the logical decision of selling the place…

Markimdb: 5.9
Genredrama
CountryJapan

A man is caught on live national TV naked and drunk in the middle of the sacred Namahage festival, where men dressed in ogre-like costumes visit homes to scare kids into behaving during the next year. Tasuku, a young father, is ostracized for shaming the village and its tradition and flees to Tokyo alone. Two years later, he returns to his hometown to make it up to his ex-wife and their little daughter, only to find himself faced with a very difficult situation.

Markimdb: 8
Genrefantastic, comedy, adventure, cartoon, detective, anime
CountryJapan
Duration02:36

It is mid-december, and SOS Brigade chief Haruhi Suzumiya announces that the Brigade is going to hold a Christmas party in their clubroom, with Japanese hotpot for dinner. The brigade members Kyon, Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina and Itsuki Koizumi start preparing everything for the party, such as costumes and decorations. But a couple of days later, Kyon arrives at school only to find that Haruhi is missing. Not only that, but Mikuru claims she has never known Kyon before, Koizumi is also missing, and Yuki has become the sole member of the literature club. The SOS Brigade seems to have never existed, nor has Haruhi Suzumiya. No one in the school has ever heard about her… except for Kyon.

Markimdb: 5.1
Genrehorror, detective
CountryJapan

One day a mysterious box arrived and a curse began to spread all over. The source of the box is 'Jukai Village'. The village is hidden in Jukai Forest, a suicide spot that once you enter it, you can never come out.

Markimdb: 5.7
Genrehorror
CountryJapan

Mirai and Haruna are shooting a show streamed on smartphones which introduces different viewer submitted videos. That day the videos were all of paranormal phenomena, carefully selected alleged accurate accounts of haunted occurrences. In the middle of one video, the image gets interrupted, immediately turning back on to show a footage that was not in the script. The video capture an urban legend rumoured at Haruna’s school. A psychic on the show assesses that a certain demonological ritual must be performed in order to rid the school of this phenomena. The director, agents and the two girls go to the school accordingly to find there is more to the video than meets the eye…

Markimdb: 7.3
Genrecomedy, melodrama, crime
CountryJapan
Duration02:08

Unemployed 35 year old Sakurai aspired to become an actor, but failed miserably. He decides to end his own life, but first he goes to purify himself at a public bathhouse. While there, he meets the very prosperous Kondo, who subsequently suffers a fall, erasing his memory. On a whim, Sakurai switches locker keys, steals the man's belongings, and decides to pass himself off as Kondo. What Sakurai does not know is that Kondo runs an illegal business, which brings him into contact with ornery Yakuza members. Meanwhile, Kondo has been convinced that he is actually the failed actor Sakurai and he faces the dismal reality of that life with increasing bewilderment. Fortunately, at the hospital he meets the lovely Kanae who, while yearning for marriage, goes out of her way to help "Sakurai" pull himself together. Eventually Kondo regains his memory, but before he can make a new life with Kanae, he has to solve the many problems caused by the theft of his identity.

Markimdb: 7
Genrefantasy, comedy, cartoon, anime
CountryJapan
Duration01:40

Ashiya has spent the first seven days of high school stuck in the infirmary because of a youkai attaching itself to him. He ends up asking the owner of a small tea room called the "Mononokean" for help. This is a tale involving the very morose owner of Mononokean guiding the youkai that happened to wander into this world go to the next world.

Markimdb: 6.2
Genrefantasy, cartoon
CountryJapan

In the near future, spirits and monsters are in full sight. A boy leads a group of people with special abilities as they plot against a massive organization that takes advantage of a certain incident and eventually know the truth about their world in the process.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genredrama
CountryJapan

Told from the viewpoint of the father Morio, "A Boy Called H" follows a young boy named Hajime Senoh, nicknamed "H". His father, Morio runs a tailor shop. With the onset of World War II, their family must endure difficult times. Nevertheless, H is filled with curiosity and a sense of justice. Based on the autobiographical novel "Shonen H" by Kappa Senoh (published by Kodansha, July 9, 1999).

Markimdb: 5.9
Genrehorror, fantastic, thriller, comedy, melodrama, drama
CountryItaly, USA, Japan, Netherlands
Duration01:46

When flesh-eating piranhas are accidently released into a summer resort's rivers, the guests become their next meal.




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