Movies like J-Girls Ink (2009)

Blood on the Sun (1945)

Nick Condon, an American journalist in 20s Tokyo, publishes the Japanese master plan for world domination. Reaction from the understandably upset Japanese provides the action, but this is overshadowed by the propaganda of the time.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Trapeze (1956)

A pair of men try to perform the dangerous "triple" in their trapeze act. Problems arise when the duo is made into a trio following the addition of a sexy female performer.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958)

Townsend Harris is sent by President Pierce to Japan to serve as the first U.S. Consul-General to that country. Harris discovers enormous hostility to foreigners, as well as the love of a young geisha.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

House of Bamboo (1955)

Eddie Kenner is given a special assignment by the Army to get the inside story on Sandy Dawson, a former GI who has formed a gang of fellow servicemen and Japanese locals.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Lady, a golden cocker spaniel, meets up with a mongrel dog who calls himself the Tramp. He is obviously from the wrong side of town, but happenings at Lady's home make her decide to travel with him for a while.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

The World of Suzie Wong (1960)

A Hong Kong prostitute tries modeling and falls for the artist who's painting her.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Operation Petticoat (1959)

A World War II submarine commander finds himself stuck with a damaged sub, a con-man executive officer, and a group of army nurses.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Black Box Diaries (2024)

Journalist Shiori Ito embarks on a courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country's outdated judicial and societal systems.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Kubo mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning wild tales with origami. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo is forced to go on a quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father and his mystical weaponry, as well as discover his own magical powers.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics (2013)

A documentary detailing the epic Rogues' Gallery of DC Comics from The Joker and Lex Luthor, Sinestro, Darkseid and more, this documentary will explore the Super Villains of DC Comics.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)

Revered sushi chef Jiro Ono strives for perfection in his work, while his eldest son, Yoshikazu, has trouble living up to his father's legacy.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Sayonara (1957)

Air Force Major Lloyd Gruver is reassigned to a Japanese air base and is confronted with US racial prejudice against the Japanese people. The issue is compounded because a number of the soldiers become romantically involved with Japanese women, in defiance of US military policy. Ordinarily, a by-the-book officer, Gruver must take a position when a buddy of his, an enlisted man, Joe Kelly, falls in love with a Japanese woman, Katsumi, and marries her. Gruver risks his position by serving as best man at the wedding ceremony.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

To ensure a full profitable season, circus manager Brad Braden engages The Great Sebastian, though this moves his girlfriend Holly from her hard-won center trapeze spot. Holly and Sebastian begin a dangerous one-upmanship duel in the ring, while he pursues her on the ground.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Step Up (2006)

Delinquent Tyler Gage receives the opportunity of a lifetime after vandalizing a performing arts school, gaining him the chance to earn a scholarship and dance with up-and-coming dancer Nora.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Birth of the Dragon (2017)

Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown, this cross-cultural biopic chronicles Bruce Lee’s emergence as a martial-arts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Any Which Way You Can (1980)

Philo takes part in a bare knuckle fight – as he does – to make more money than he can earn from his car repair business. He decides to retire, but when the Mafia come along and arrange another fight, he's pushed into it. A motorcycle gang and an orangutan called Clyde all add to the 'fun'.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Chosen by prophecy but doubted by all, Po is an unlikely choice for the mystical title of the Dragon Warrior—a clumsy panda thrust into the world of kung fu as a deadly enemy threatens the Valley of Peace. Under reluctant guidance by Master Shifu and the Furious Five, Po must embrace who he is to unlock the power that no scroll can teach.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

The Deadly Affair (1967)

Charles Dobbs is a British secret agent investigating the apparent suicide of Foreign Office official Samuel Fennan. Dobbs suspects that Fennan's wife, Elsa, a survivor of a Nazi Germany extermination camp, might have some clues, but other officials want Dobbs to drop the case. So Dobbs hires a retiring inspector, Mendel, to quietly make inquiries. Dobbs isn't at all sure as there are a number of anomalies that simply can't be explained away. Dobbs is also having trouble at home with his errant wife, whom he very much loves, having frequent affairs. He's also pleased to see an old friend, Dieter Frey, who he recruited after the war. With the assistance of a colleague and a retired policeman, Dobbs tries to piece together just who is the spy and who in fact assassinated Fennan.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

Duck Soup (1933)

Rufus T. Firefly is named president/dictator of bankrupt Freedonia and declares war on neighboring Sylvania over the love of wealthy Mrs. Teasdale.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

The Way of the Ink (2011)

Horitoshi Sensei is one of the last accomplished masters of irezumi, the art of traditional Japanese tattoo. Pascal is a young French journalist specialized in tattoo who discovered Horitoshi’s designs in a magazine and felt in love with them. Although he does not have much money, Pascal decided to go to Tokyo to have all his back tattooed by Horitoshi. When the film starts, he is at his fourth trip, but his tattoo is far from being finished. Pascal is our guide in this travel to discover irezumi.

Why it matches: Similar story and style

Minimoni The Movie: The Great Cake Adventure! (2002)

The movie takes place entirely in and around the Mini Moni Cafè. The Mini Moni Cafè is run by the first generation members of Mini Moni, who are lead by Mari Yaguchi. Mika Todd is the primary baker for the cafè and Ai Kago and Nozomi Tsuji are bumbling waitresses. One day Kago and Tsuji serve a particularly enthusiastic customer (played by Ai Takahashi) who says she has never had such a delicious cake before. When the waitress explain they do not know the secret ingredient that makes the cakes so good, Takahashi decides to sneak into the cafè later find out what it is and steal it.

Why it matches: Similar story and style

Basel Tattoo 2026 (2026)

Why it matches: Similar story and style

Ink, Blood and Spirit (2014)

Why it matches: Similar story and style

Teresa's Tattoo (1994)

Mathematician Teresa just wanted to study during the College spring break. But her friends, who want her to live a little, drag her out to parties. The next thing she knows, she has been drugged, kidnapped, made a redhead, tattooed, and wearing leather?!? Her captors seem to be the most inept crooks ever. They seem to have a plan, if only she could figure out why it involves her.

Why it matches: Similar story and style

Secret Ink (TBA)

Once associated with gangsters, in South Korea tattoos still divide opinion. Whilst they have grown in popularity, only licensed doctors can officially ink skin. So in the thriving underground scene in Seoul, many artists are, in effect, working illegally. BBC 100 Women meets the women tattoo artists who are navigating this precarious work and those fighting to overturn the law so that artists no longer live in fear of being reported.

Why it matches: Similar story and style

Cho: A Tale of Voodoo (2025)

Successful businessman David Cho is thrown into the world of the supernatural when he is struck by a curse of voodoo.

Why it matches: Similar story and style

Kamasutra for Gay Men (2009)

Learn all the positions.

Why it matches: Similar story and style

Hard Feelings (2023)

After basketball practice, a group of high school girls get ready to go home. Between conversations about next week's match and boys, June must navigate her budding attraction towards one of her teammates, Clementine.

Why it matches: Similar story and style

The Great Passage (2013)

Majime, an eccentric man in publishing company, who has unique ability of words, joins the team that will compile a new dictionary, The Great Passage. In the eclectic team, he becomes immersed in the world of dictionaries. But the team is overwhelmed with problems.

Why it matches: Similar story and style