Every one of us has watched at least one Jackie Chan movie growing up. The increasing difficulty and precise stunt-work paired with perfect comedic timing are what sets his movies apart, making him a genre of his own. Such action-packed comedy movies are a guaranteed satisfactory experience that is also family-friendly. This genre is commonly seen in many languages and enjoyed by international audiences. The Japanese Industry also has a plethora of such movies that have received accolades from fans everywhere. Keeping your best interests in mind, here is a list of the top 10 funniest Japanese action movies.
1. Ryuzo And The Seven Henchmen
Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen follows the short-tempered, former yakuza goon Ryuza who received a call from an imposter who, claiming to be his son, tries to extort a hefty sum. He quickly learns that this is the doings of the new rising Keihin Rengo gang and decides to reunite his gang-mates.
2. Why Don't You Play In Hell?
The winner of the People's Choice Award Midnight Madness section, this movie follows 3 youths who are aspiring cinematographers. They unanimously decide to film a movie on the Yakuza head, Ikegami, and his daughter which leads to a series of misfortunes and they finally find themselves in the midst of a full-blown war.
3. Bayside Shakedown
Based on the famous television series of the same name, the Bayside Shakedown movies are ranked among the highest-grossing movie hits in the Japanese Box Office. The story follows Aoshima who receives an unusual murder case involving a body with a toy in its stomach. Can Aoshima find the culprit whilst dealing with internal conflicts arising within his department? Watch to find out.
4. Red Shadow
Based on the manga series Akakage, the story follows three ninjas Aka Kage, Asuka, and Aoi Kage, the only remaining descendants of the Kage clan, who are assigned increasingly difficult missions by their employer. When a mission gone wrong results in Asuka's untimely death, her heartbroken teammates decide to avenge her.
5. The Uchoten Hotel
This hilarious comedy follows the elusive five-star Uchoten Hotel, where staff begins their preparations for the New Years' Eve celebrations. However, the results of their efforts don't quite go as per plan. Follow the gang as they rush to patch things up, with the clock literally running against them.
6. The Bird People In China
Assigned to a local village in China to examine the jade content there, a salaryman comes across a member of the Yakuza whose orders are to trail the man in order to protect his boss's growing interest in his company. This comical masterpiece won the 1998 Hawaii International Film Festival Audience Award.
7. Assassination Classroom
Based on the manga series of the same name, Assassination classroom follows an octopus-like creature that is introduced as the teacher of class 3-E, a class exclusively for delinquents. The students are assigned one goal, to kill him by the end of the school year in order to prevent him from decimating the Earth. This bizarre movie is equal parts funny and action-packed.
8. Zatoichi
Zatoichi follows the adventures of a blind Samurai as he attempts to free a village from the tyranny of the local yakuza. He befriends and aids two Geishas in their quest to find their parents' murderers. They soon discover that these two incidents are correlated and join hands in order to defeat the perpetrators.
9. Taxing Woman
This film won six Japanese Academy Award categories. The story follows Ryoko Itakura, a tax auditor, who convinces her employer to let her investigate a string of hotels that seem to be skimping on tax payments. Join her as she tries to accomplish her mission while making new friendships along the way.
10. Promare
A Mutant race with pyrokinetic abilities called Burnish invaded the Earth thirty years ago and destroyed almost half of it. When a newer, more aggressive race decides to attack Earth, it is up to the firefighting mecha service Deus Ex Machina to protect the earth from another widespread calamity.
