Bad People

A visual archive of Japanese TV series villains, 1970–2000

Bad People is a compact archive of villain iconography drawn from Japanese TV series spanning three decades. Published by Masala Noir, the book collects antagonist figures from the period 1970–2000, treating masks, costumes, and facial construction as its primary subject matter rather than narrative or critical context.

The editorial approach is that of a visual typology. Bad People does not read as a critical study; it functions as a printed document — an accumulation of screen presences organised by image rather than argument. The A6 format suits this logic: small, dense, and close to the material, it keeps the focus on the imagery itself without the distancing effect of a larger, more discursive format.

The book sits within a broader field of Film Books & Film Culture publications concerned with Japanese screen culture, design history, and the serial construction of character across popular television. It is of interest to readers working across cult TV imagery, pop-cultural archives, and the visual history of Japanese broadcast media. This new extended edition, published in 2025, expands the original with additional material across 102 pages.