I've read everything from Japanese Cinema:The Essential handbook to Eros in Hell and Tokyo Scope beats them all. Patrick Macias's writing is crisp and his knowledge will have even the most hard-core fan in awe. With chapters on filmmakers and idols like Kinji Fukasaku, Takashi Miike, and Sonny Chiba this book will have you locked in for hours upon hours. It also is packed with chapters on the yakuza, giant monsters, horror, and pink films with each loaded to the kilt with interviews and reviews. All of the above and more make this a must have for everyone from people with just a passing interest in Japanese film to the most jaded of asian film junkies.