Customer Rating:  
Summary: The things we don't know about Japan...
Comment:
In hindsight, and after watching this documentary, it's pretty easy to see how we got into the Great Wars against Japan. It's also pretty easy to see how we could have avoided them with a little cultural understanding.
As usual, PBS puts together a well researched, balanced report. As a bonus, it lacks the usual bias that most documentaries seem to inherently possess, and offers very little in a way of "directorial opinion".
I did, however, feel that it relied to heavily on visuals at times, especially on the section covering the Meiji period. I would have preferred a little more detail, especially concerning the upcoming culture wars (not covered in this documentary).
That being said, the visuals themselves are nothing to complain about, and the art direction is excellent. And the music! What a great score for a documentary!
Bottom Line: Recommended, especially for those seeking an intro into Japanese history and culture.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Comment: This was an excellent documentary! Absolutely great! It was a good long length, so you definately get your money's worth. The quality was very good, it was accurate, and informative, and definately interesting and entertaining to a certain degree. The only flaw I found in it was that there were a number of repeat shots of people, but it wasn't a big deal. Very good choice, whether you are just interested in the Samurai, or you have a research paper to do. Great all around.
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