Movies like Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China (2002)
The best movies like Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China (2002) are The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939), Step Up All In (2014) and Inuyasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler (2003). If Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSamurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)7.2/10 from 220 votes
- Newest10DANCE (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseThe Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939)Also in Japanese
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939)
In late 19th-century Tokyo, Kikunosuke Onoue, the adopted son of a legendary actor, himself an actor specializing in female roles, discovers that the praise he receives is only due to his status as his father's heir. Devastated, he turns to Otoku, a servant of his family, for comfort, and they fall in love. Kikunosuke becomes determined to leave home and develop as an actor on his own merits, and Otoku faithfully joins him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStep Up All In (2014)
All-stars from previous installments convene in glittering Las Vegas, battling for a victory that could define their dreams and their careers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInuyasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler (2003)
Inuyasha and his brother, Sesshomaru, each inherited a sword from their father after his death. However, their father had a third sword, named Sounga, that he sealed away. Seven hundreds years after his death, Sounga awakens and threatens mankind's very existence. How will the children of the Great Dog Demon stop this unimaginable power?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFate/Grand Order -First Order- (2016)
The Chaldea Security Organization was founded to focus on preserving the continuation of human history. They observe a world which magecraft couldn’t observe, and science couldn’t measure, all to prevent the certain extinction of humanity. But one day, the future that Chaldea continued to observe disappears and humanity’s extinction in 2017 becomes clear. Based on the assumption that Fuyuki, a provincial town in Japan, is the reason for humanity’s extinction, Chaldea issues an order to explore, investigate, and possibly destroy this singularity – a quest for the Holy Grail, the Grand Order.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge (2013)
One day, Kurapika spots a child who looks very similar to his childhood friend, Pyro. However, when he catches up to him, the boy steals Kurapika's eyes with some kind of magical power. Gon, Leorio, and Killua promise to help find who took his eyes and get them back, but Killua is having his own problems when he is forced to face his past and whether he really is worthy to have Gon as a friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAjin: Demi-Human (2017)
Kei Nagai dies in a car accident, but realises he is a type of immortal known as Ajin. 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.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1952)
A fugitive lord and his six retainers disguise themselves as monks to bluff their way through a hostile checkpoint.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPersona3 THE MOVIE #3 Falling Down (2015)
The season turns to autumn and the fight of Makoto and his group S.E.E.S. with the strange monsters known as ‘Shadows’ is getting closer to the end. Makoto and his allies engage in life-or-death battles with Shadows in order to end the Dark Hour. Through the battles, some must face the deaths of friends and family, some must notice what precious things must be protected, and some must find meaning in the battles that have occurred. In front of Makoto, the mysterious transfer student Ryoji Mochizuki appears. When the group greets a new morning, the gears of fate begin to turn. A fight revolving around each of the heroes' bonds begins...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKnightriders (1981)
A medieval reenactment troupe struggles to maintain its family-like dynamic amid pressure from local authorities, interest from talent agents, and their so-called king's delusions of grandeur.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSamurai II: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955)
After years on the road establishing his reputation as Japan's greatest fencer, Takezo returns to Kyoto. Otsu waits for him, yet he has come not for her but to challenge the leader of the region's finest school of fencing. To prove his valor and skill, he walks deliberately into ambushes set up by the school's followers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this10DANCE (2025)
Two dancers, opposites in all but their art, agree to train together for a competition. At first, they clash, but soon become drawn to each other.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScaramouche (1952)
In 18th-century France, a young man masquerades as an actor to avenge his friend's murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSamurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954)
Struggling to elevate himself from his low caste in 17th century Japan, Miyamoto trains to become a mighty samurai warrior.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInuyasha the Movie 4: Fire on the Mystic Island (2004)
The mysterious island of Houraijima has reappeared after 50 years, and with its reappearance has brought the attack of four gods, the Shitoushin, who have their eyes set on the powers that protect and sustain the island. Now it's up to Inuyasha and his friends, along with Sesshoumaru, to find a way to defeat the powerful Shitoushin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLove and Honor (2006)
A look at the relationship between a young blind samurai and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Garden of Sinners: Oblivion Recording (2008)
January 1999: Apprentice mage Azaka Kokutou, Mikiya's younger sister, has been ordered by her mentor, Touko Aozaki, to investigate a certain incident in which fairies steal the memories of students at Azaka's school, Reien Academy. Azaka launches an investigation with the help of Shiki.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAsako I & II (2018)
Asako lives in Osaka. She falls in love with Baku, a free-spirit. One day, Baku suddenly disappears. Two years later, Asako now lives in Tokyo and meets Ryohei. He looks just like Baku, but has a completely different personality.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPersona3 THE MOVIE #1 Spring of Birth (2013)
In the spring, male student Makoto Yuki transfers to Gekkoukan High School. However, as he heads to his new dormitory, listening to the music on his headphones, he is stopped. More precisely, time has stopped, and the people who were around him turn into coffins. Makoto learns that this period of time hidden between the minute of midnight is called the Dark Hour, a time when monsters called Shadows appear. Suddenly made the leader of his fellow classmates Yukari and Junpei by his upperclassmen Mitsuru and Akihiko, Makoto must learn empathy, his connection to his comrades, and the meaning of death. With the power of his Evoker aimed at his head he awakens a Persona and fights against the Shadows threatening to attack his world from the mysterious tower of Tartarus.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (2002)
With their most formidable foe vanquished, Inuyasha and his comrades begin returning to their everyday lives. But their peace is fleeting as another adversary emerges: Kaguya, the self-proclaimed princess from the Moon of Legend, hatches a plot to plunge the world into an eternal night of the full moon. Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippou must reunite to confront the new menace.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKokuho (2025)
Nagasaki, 1964. After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, gifted Kikuo is taken under the wing of famed Kabuki actor Hanjirō Hanai. Alongside the great performer's only son, Shunsuke, he dedicates his life to the artform - a centuries-old Japanese theatrical tradition known for its costumes, elaborate makeup and innovative stagecraft.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRunway (2024)
Special stage performance by the former top stars of Takarazuka Revue.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Serika Toa Dinner Show 『The Royal Banquet』 (2025)
Serika Toa's dinner show.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
A Second Fortuitous Meeting Next Generation -Midnight Girlfriend- / Gran Cantante!! (2022)
A Second Fortuitous Meeting Next Generation -Midnight Girlfriend- a romantic musical set in the Kingdom of Vespert, with a suprising twist! "Gran Cantante!!" is Spanish for "brilliant singer." The theme of this revue is a traditional Spanish festival, featuring enchanting Spanish dances and famous songs written about Spain. Enter the glamorous and passionate world of this revue that relies on the current dynamics of Star Troupe, showing off the talents of Rei Makoto, a well-rounded top star.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Great Ace Attorney -The Truth Comes Back to Life Anew- (2023)
Ryunosuke Naruhodo, a university student who aspires to become a lawyer, travels from the Meiji era Empire of Japan to the British Empire just before the World's Fair in order to learn about the latest judicial system. Ryunosuke gets involved in difficult cases one after another, and together with his legal assistant Satoshi Kotobuki, he stands up for his clients, but then the great detective of the century, Herlock Sholmes, shows up... From the famous line "I have an objection!" to an exciting court battle that overturns a desperate situation, a new truth will be brought back to life this summer!
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Applause Takarazuka! (2004)
A bright, fun, and spetacular revue showcasing the charms of the Takarazuka Revue in its 90th year.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Gone with the Wind (2013)
It's 1862, one year since the start of the U.S. Civil War. After the death of her husband Charles from illness during the war, Scarlett goes to Atlanta, a hive of activity that is serving as a munitions base for the army of the South, to live with her sister-in-law Melanie and others. Scarlet has long been in love with Ashley, Melanie's husband. She had left her hometown in the hope of being reunited with Ashley, who had gone off to war, but now she has run into another man. This one is rumored to be a rogue who is making excessive profits by running the North's blockades, transporting military stores to the South. He is Rhett Butler, who had earlier spotted Scarlett secretly confess her love to Ashley at a party held at the Wilkes residence, also known as the "Oak Estate."
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Rose of Versailles -Fersen and Marie Antoinette- (2014)
Based on the manga The Rose of Versailles by Ikeda Riyoko.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Lupin the Third: Search for the Queen's Necklace! (2015)
Musical by the Takarazuka Revue. In modern day France, an exhibition is being held at the Palace of Versailles of the "Necklace of Marie Antoinette". The necklace had been used in a fraud case that marked a chapter in French history and later went missing. It has been reproduced using real diamonds. Fujiko has sneaked into Versailles, as has the gang of Lupin, Goemon, and Jigen - all with the intention of getting their hands on the necklace, which is valued at over 3 billion yen in today's money. But they bump into Inspector Zenigata. Lupin is the one who manages to foil Zenigata and grab the necklace. Yet the instant he lays hands on it, everyone is enveloped in a mysterious light. When they regain consciousness, they notice they have gone through a time slip to 1785, before the French Revolution when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were around.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Oath of the Midnight Sun - Gustav III: A Battle by a Proud King (2015)
In the midst of Sweden's rise to power, King Gustav III was the "darling of the rococo" who brought to flower the gorgeous Nordic culture. Set in the turbulent 18th century Europe, where power and intrigue swirled around him, this musical depicts his love, friendship, and courageous battle for his beliefs on a grand scale, involving a variety of characters.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Embraced by the Seas of Calista (2015)
Set on the fictional Mediterranean island of Callista on the eve of the outbreak of the French Revolution, the play depicts the struggles of a young officer who is torn between love, friendship, and his love for his homeland.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Like Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China?
The closest matches to Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China are The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939), Step Up All In (2014) and Inuyasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler (2003). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China?
Start with The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939), the closest match to Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China.
What is the highest-rated movie like Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China?
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954), rated 7.2/10 by 220 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China?
10DANCE (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China?
Yes: The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939), Inuyasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler (2003) and Fate/Grand Order -First Order- (2016).
How are movies similar to Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Butterfly Lovers / Southern Cross Revue in China, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.