Shusuke Kaneko

Directing

Shusuke Kaneko

Born 1955-06-08 · Tokyo, Japan

Shusuke Kaneko (born June 8, 1955) is a Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter. Kaneko began his career at Nikkatsu and would serve as a writer for film and anime. Establishing himself as an up and coming director, Kaneko would win accolades at various film festivals. His film Summer Vacation 1999, would garner him his first award for best director at the Yokohama Film Festival. As a lifelong fan of the original Godzilla films, Kaneko would be chosen as the director for Daiei's revival of the Gamera franchise. Kaneko's work on the Gamera films were met with unprecedented critical acclaim. He would be honored with the Director's Award at the 17th Yokohama Film Festival for his work on Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. This film would also go on to top Kinema Junpo's best films of the year list and earn Blue Ribbon awards for best Director and Best supporting actress. Kaneko would go on to direct the most successful Godzilla film of the millennium series as well as the live action adaptations of Death Note. Kaneko has also contributed to various documentaries on kaiju films, particularly those of Ishiro Honda, championing their artistry and imagination

Acting credits

The Family Game poster
6.9

A sendup of the stereotypical Japanese family: dad is a salaryman jerk, unable to relate to anyone; mom is a hopeless housewife; the older son is a moderate academic success; but the younger son is a rebellious goof-off for whom a tutor must be hired. The tutor proceeds to blow the entire family apart.

The Family Game

1983

Bringing Godzilla Down to Size: The Art of Japanese Special Effects poster
8.5

A look at the unrecognized work of the talented artists and craftsmen who've maintained the tradition of Japanese special-effects. Highlighted is Yasuyuki Inoue along with various crew members who crafted meticulously detailed miniatures and risked life and limb as suit actors. All done to bring to life some of film's most iconic monsters through a distinct Japanese artform.

Bringing Godzilla Down to Size: The Art of Japanese Special Effects

2008

The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga poster
8.7

Japan, 1954. A legend emerges from the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, devastated by atomic bombs in 1945. The creature's name is Godzilla. The film that tells its story is the first of kaiju eiga, the giant monster movies.

The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga

2019

GAMERA 1999 poster
6.0

Hideaki Anno's documentary about the making of Shusuke Kaneko's Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris. From concept to film, the documentary is a video diary of the film's production.

GAMERA 1999

1999

Project GMK: The Day Shusuke Kaneko Fought Godzilla poster
10.0

Extensive behind the scenes documentary chronicling the making of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.

Project GMK: The Day Shusuke Kaneko Fought Godzilla

2002

Gigolo: A Docu-Drama poster
4.7

Kabukicho, Shinjuku, the number one entertainment district in Japan. There are professional gigolos who make this sleepless city their base and get what they want, from money and women to desire. They are the "gigolo" gang led by the charismatic Naoki Fushimi. Akira, Yuki, and Ryoma are aiming to become full-fledged gigolos. Akira has a girlfriend named Mariko who is a model for vinyl magazines. But that's not enough for a gigolo. For a gigolo, having sex for free is meaningless. Yuki finds a soapland girl named Misa, and Ryoma finds a woman named Yoko, and they spend a sensual night together. Meanwhile, Akira is taken by Mariko to help with a vinyl magazine shoot. Akira is getting increasingly impatient with his life, which can hardly be called gigolo...

Gigolo: A Docu-Drama

1982

What's a Director? poster
NR

Works commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of Japan mapping Supervision Association

What's a Director?

2006

Making of Death Note poster
NR

Documentary on the first live action Death Note film.

Making of Death Note

2009

Ultra Q Monster Legend: Jun Manjome's Confession poster
NR

Direct-to-video documentary special about the 1966 series Ultra Q. It is mainly comprised of interviews with the original staff and cast alongside stock footage of the show. The main cast reprised their roles for short in-character segments that are framed as interviews about the series' events.

Ultra Q Monster Legend: Jun Manjome's Confession

2005

The Making of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe poster
NR

The production of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. Includes interviews with director Shusuke Kaneko, screenwriter Kazunori Ito and lead actress Ayako Fujitani. Also includes behind the scenes footage from special effects director Shinji Higuchi and interviews with suit actors Jun Suzuki and Yumi Kameyama.

The Making of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe

1995

Making of Death Note: The Last Name poster
NR

Documentary on the second live action Death Note film.

Making of Death Note: The Last Name

2009

No artwork available
NR

Chika Kuboyama, Yoshio Hosokawa, and director Kôji Shiraishi gather for director Shûsuke Kaneko's son, Suzuyuki's birthday. As per usual, the cameras are rolling when suddenly Kaneko makes an outrageous remark.

Cho Edogakeishi

2018

Behind the camera

Death Note poster
7.1

Light Yagami finds the "Death Note," a notebook with the power to kill, and decides to create a Utopia by killing the world's criminals, and soon the world's greatest detective, "L," is hired to find the mysterious murderer. An all out battle between the two greatest minds on earth begins and the winner will control the world.

Death Note

2006

Death Note: The Last Name poster
7.1

In the second installment of the Death Note film franchise, Light Yagami meets a second Kira and faithful follower Misa Amane and her Shinigami named Rem. Light attempts to defeat L along with Teru Mikami (a Kira follower) and Kiyomi Takada (another Kira follower) but in the end will Light win? or will a Shinigami named Ryuk make all the difference in Light's victory or his ultimate death?

Death Note: The Last Name

2006

Necronomicon poster
6.0

H.P. Lovecraft anthology is divided into four segments: "The Library" which is the wraparound segment involving Lovecraft's research into the Book of The Dead and his unwitting release of a monster and his writing of the following horror segments "The Drowned", "The Cold", and "Whispers".

Necronomicon

1993

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack poster
7.5

Godzilla has become a distant memory for Japan when the destruction of a US submarine raises alarms for Admiral Tachibana. His estranged daughter Yuri investigates the legend of the guardian monsters, who must rise to protect Japan against the vengeful spirits within Godzilla that seek to destroy both the nation and its people for the suffering they inflicted in the Pacific conflict.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

2001

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack poster
7.5

Godzilla has become a distant memory for Japan when the destruction of a US submarine raises alarms for Admiral Tachibana. His estranged daughter Yuri investigates the legend of the guardian monsters, who must rise to protect Japan against the vengeful spirits within Godzilla that seek to destroy both the nation and its people for the suffering they inflicted in the Pacific conflict.

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

2001

Koichiro Uno's Wet and Swinging poster
4.8

A high school girl has a crush on the leader of the girls tennis team. But off court she always ends up scoring with the boys. A parody of Aim for the Ace! (エースを狙え Ace wo nerae!?), a tennis manga.

Koichiro Uno's Wet and Swinging

1984

Azumi 2: Death or Love poster
6.6

Young assassins Azumi and Nagara continue their mission to prevent a civil war. In their hunt for Masayuki Sanada, who is protected by both an army and a dangerous clan, they meet Ginkaku, a person who shows a remarking resemblance with former friend Nachi.

Azumi 2: Death or Love

2005

Crossfire poster
6.1

Junko was born with a type of ESP called pyrokinesis which she can use to incinerate anyone and anything at will. Junko is secretly in love with Kazuki, a young man who works with her. His sister is killed and a boy named Masaki suspected but the police don't arrest him. Junko tells Kazuki about her powers and takes revenge.

Crossfire

2000

Crossfire poster
6.1

Junko was born with a type of ESP called pyrokinesis which she can use to incinerate anyone and anything at will. Junko is secretly in love with Kazuki, a young man who works with her. His sister is killed and a boy named Masaki suspected but the police don't arrest him. Junko tells Kazuki about her powers and takes revenge.

Crossfire

2000

Siberia poster
10.0

A film about the lives of Chinese businessmen in Russia.

Siberia

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris poster
7.4

With the Gyaos re-emerging, Gamera's ties to humanity have been severed with his bond to Asagi broken. Nagamine and Asagi investigate while an orphaned girl named Ayana discovers a new creature she names Iris. Nagamine and Asagi must reach Ayana before she takes her revenge on Gamera, who she blames for the death of her family.

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris

1999

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris poster
7.4

With the Gyaos re-emerging, Gamera's ties to humanity have been severed with his bond to Asagi broken. Nagamine and Asagi investigate while an orphaned girl named Ayana discovers a new creature she names Iris. Nagamine and Asagi must reach Ayana before she takes her revenge on Gamera, who she blames for the death of her family.

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris

1999

Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe poster
7.4

A ship runs aground on a mysterious atoll leading to an investigation by insurance representative Kusanagi, who discovers an ancient bead that he gives to his daughter Asagi. Meanwhile, ornithologist Nagamine investigates reports of a new species of large bird named Gyaos. As the Gyaos begin to attack, an ancient guardian with a bond to Asagi emerges.

Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe

1995

Mischievous Lolita: Attacking the Virgin from Behind poster
4.7

A drunk office worker spots a discarded doll in the trash and decides to bring it home. When the doll mysteriously comes to life as a normal sized but naked young woman his life gets very complicated.

Mischievous Lolita: Attacking the Virgin from Behind

1986

Haunted School 3 poster
6.8

Third installment of the "Gakko No Kaidan" series follows the trek of several elementary school students as they wander into an alternate world that exists on the opposite side of a school mirror. Nishida Naomi (the hapless teacher in "Gakko No Kaidan 2") returns as the teacher who accompanies the children on their journey into the surreal universe.

Haunted School 3

1997

Haunted School 3 poster
6.8

Third installment of the "Gakko No Kaidan" series follows the trek of several elementary school students as they wander into an alternate world that exists on the opposite side of a school mirror. Nishida Naomi (the hapless teacher in "Gakko No Kaidan 2") returns as the teacher who accompanies the children on their journey into the surreal universe.

Haunted School 3

1997

When The Rain Falls poster
4.8

Hazuki clips her nails every time it rains. She caressed 'her' with these fingers back then. Hazuki, an editor of a publishing company now, is attracted by Shiori, the head of planning. On a day when the two women soaked wet in the rain, they enter an motel for shelter and take a shower. There Hazuki sees the image of her lost "girlfriend" in Shiori and eventually they reach out to each other.

When The Rain Falls

2022

Office Ladies: Lesbians in Uniforms 3 poster
5.9

Two young women, Minako and Naomi, have been friends and lovers since their school days, and are now living as roommates in the city, working together for a large company. Although she cares for Minako, Naomi decides that she should leave behind her past, find a husband and have kids. Minako, on the other hand, is happy with things as they are and doesn't want to change. The two must work out what they really want out of life, going their separate ways if need be.

Office Ladies: Lesbians in Uniforms 3

1984

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion poster
7.4

A strange meteor lands in Japan and unleashes hundreds of insect-like "Legion" creatures bent on colonizing the Earth. When the military fails to control the situation, Gamera shows up to deal with the ever-evolving space adversary. However the battle may result in Gamera losing his bond with both Asagi and humanity.

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion

1996

I'm All Yours poster
4.7

A beautiful day Rokurou, a student, was to masturbate when a beautiful girl knocks on his door: You need a girl? And so begins the story. Rokurou did not know what it was that this beautiful girl was from a millionaire family.

I'm All Yours

1985

Final Scandal: Madam Likes It Hard poster
4.7

A lusty woman runs a dormitory and a pawn shop for needy male college students. The only payment she asks for is a little nightly servicing.

Final Scandal: Madam Likes It Hard

1983

恋に唄えば♪ poster
9.0

A young department store worker discovers a magical lantern which contains the spirit of Tsuboi, a genie who has just one last chance to help someone on Earth.

恋に唄えば♪

2002

Jellyfish poster
0.8

Based on 16-year-old writer Sarie Hinakura’s award winning story Jellyfish is centered around two adolescent girls disconnected from their immediate environment of school and mates. They first get together while staring into a jellyfish tank at a local aquarium. The relationship that ensues eventually faces tension from the divergent personalities of the two protagonists, one of whom explores a heterosexual relationship with a fellow student. Jealousy and the wrath of a lover spurned are inevitable spillovers.

Jellyfish

2013

Danger Dolls poster
5.9

A quartet of cute idol singers moonlight as butt-kicking action heroines. When extraterrestrial invaders threaten the safety of the Earth, after an earthquake unleashes them from an alternate dimension, the Danger Dolls become humanity's only hope for survival. The team infiltrates the evil cult behind the invasion and must use their swords and their fists to smash the invading army.

Danger Dolls

2014