Happy weekend, everyone.
Autumn is approaching!
I’m at the end of a 12-day working week. I watched a looooot of films. Usually one in the morning (horror/thriller) and then one in the evening (yakuza). I also watched Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood – thoughts on that next week. I have to pack in doing PR for the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival which launches in October.
This week I posted about two festivals taking place, Horror Hiho, which is dedicated to horror movies, and OP Pictures pink film festival, which is self-explanatory. There are too many films from both to put in the trailer posts so they got their own separate posts. I also did my preview for the Japanese films at the 2019 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival – lots of master film-makers present.
What films are playing this weekend?
Kakou no Futari 
火口のふたり「Kakou no Futari」
Release Date: August 23rd, 2019
Duration: 115 mins.
Director: Haruhiko Arai
Writer: Haruhiko Arai (Script), Kazufumi Shiraishi (Novel),
Starring: Tasuku Emoto, Kumi Takiuchi,
Tasuku Emoto (And Your Bird Can Sing, Dynamite Graffiti) and Kumi Takiuchi (Greatful Dead) take the lead in this drama that looks absolutely steamy and sexy.
Synopsis: When don’t you want to attend an ex-lover’s wedding (seriously, when do you?)? When you are reeling from your own divorce and job loss. Kenji Nagahara (Tasuku Emoto) cannot resist, however, as he is drawn to attend the wedding of his ex-lover Naoko Sato (Kumi Takiuchi) in their home town of Akita. When she proposes they have a final one night stand, of course, their passion lasts longer than that and we see the extent of their obsession with each other…
Ossan’s Love: Love or Dead 
劇場版おっさんずラブ LOVE or DEAD 「Gekijouban Ossanzu Rabbu Love or Dead」
Release Date: August 23rd, 2019
Duration: 117 mins.
Director: Toichiro Ruto
Writer: Koji Tokuo (Script),
Starring: Kei Tanaka, Kotaro Yoshida, Kento Hayashi, Nene Otsuka, Jun Shison, Rio Uchida, Ikki Sawamura, Shuko Ito,
Synopsis: Soichi Haruta (Kei Tanaka) has returned to the real estate office after his year-long stint in Hong Kong and Shanghai and his co-worker Musashi Kurosawa (Kotaro Yoshida) still has feelings for him. A bunch of new faces show up but so does Ryota Maki (Kento Hayashi) who also has feelings for Soichi Haruta. This straight man is a big hit with the other guys in the office as competition heats up between different teams in the company and Musashi suffers an accident…
Ni no kuni 
二ノ国 「Ni no kuni」
Release Date: August 23rd, 2019
Duration: 100 mins.
Director: Yoshiyuki Momose
Writer: Akihiro Hino (Screenplay/Original Creator)
Starring: Kento Yamazaki (Yu), Kenjiro Tsuda (Gabaras), Maaya Sakamoto (Saki/Velsa), Koichi Yamadera (Balton), Mamoru Miyano (Yoki), Yuuki Kaji (Danpo),
Animation Production: OLM
Synopsis: High school boys Yuu and his friend Haru both have feelings for their mutual friend Kotona but they have bigger things to think about as they hop between this world and another world, Ni no Kuni as they get caught up in a life-threatening adventure.
Revival II Ai to biseibutsu 
蘇生II 愛と微生物 「Sosei II ai to biseibutsu」
Release Date: August 23rd, 2019
Duration: 91 mins.
Director: Tetsu Shiratori (IMDB)
Writer: Kensaku Watanabe (Script),
Starring: Teruo Higa, Matsunori Nara, Kim Young-Kyu, Natallia I. Tsimokjina, Alexander N. Nikitin, / Drama cast: Koyo Maeda, Shigeyuki Nakamura, Shoichi Asano
Synopsis: A sequel to a 2015 film which combines drama with documentary. The focus is on how science can be used to clean up radiation and pollution with a particular reference to the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Experts from around the world are talked to and one solution seems to be Effective Microorganisms being sprayed to reduce radiation.
The website has an English side so please read that for more information.
How to Identify the Correct Bus 
正しいバスの見分けかた 「Tadashii Basu no Miwakekata」
Release Date: November 15th, 2015
Duration: 25 mins.
Director: Natsuki Takahashi
Writer: Natsuki Takahashi (Script),
Starring: Ayami Nakajo, Amane Okayama, Minori Hagiwara, Shono Hayama,
A short film produced in 2015 and starring Ayami Nakajo, a popular model who has gone on to become a popular actor. It was written and shot by Natsuki Takahashi who was a third-year high school student at the time and it netted her some awards.
Synopsis: Takashima is a quirky high school girl who tends to be inconspicuous to everyone at school except her classmate Fujita since he has a crush on her. Hosokawa, another boy in their class, knows Fujita’s thoughts but is caught up in feelings of his own for Nakajima, a friend of Takashima. When Hosokawa hears that Takashima recently saw an alien, he tells Fujita the story and the boy falls in love…
Narenai Futari 
なれない二人 「Narenai Futari」
Release Date: August 23rd, 2019
Duration: 51 mins.
Director: Konosuke Higuchi
Writer: Konosuke Higuchi (Script),
Starring: Yuki Izumisawa, Shogo Furukawa, Riho Takada,
Synopsis: Shindo longs to be a professional entertainer but the day before his live show he meets and falls in love with a married woman. Then there’s Katsuta, a freelancer who is aiming to win a prize at a show to repay a debt.
I’m Crazy 
アイムクレイジー 「Aimu Kureiji-」
Release Date: August 24th, 2019
Duration: 86 mins.
Director: Masaaki Kudo
Writer: Yuuiko Kato, Masaaki Kudo (Script),
Starring: Yutaro Furutachi, Yuki Sakurai, Shinya Hamada, Seiki Sasaki, Ayaka Nakata, Soran Tamoto, Kenji Iwaya,
Synopsis: Yuki is a musician who is on the verge of quitting when he is hit by a car on the day of his last gig. The car was being driven by a woman named Michiko who is a composer and performer but is stuck in a bad situation since she is effectively a single-mother raising her autistic song Hiroshi alone. Michiko is positive and confident despite her harsh reality and her behaviour gradually changes Yuki.
I Want to Be a Farmer 
お百姓さんになりたい 「Ohyakushosan ni naritai」
Release Date: August 24th, 2019
Duration: 104 mins.
Director: Masaki Haramura
Writer: N/A
Starring: Yutaro Furutachi, Yuki Sakurai, Shinya Hamada, Seiki Sasaki, Ayaka Nakata, Soran Tamoto, Kenji Iwaya,
Synopsis: This documentary carefully follows Akashi Farm which grows 60 kinds of vegetables in a 2.8 hectare field. The owner moved from Tokyo to Saitama, at the age of 28, to start organic farming, believing in natural cultivation without using fertiliser. People with various backgrounds such as pastry chefs and photographers come to Akashi Farm as trainees. People with disabilities working in agricultural welfare cooperatives and children participating in agricultural experience events are also welcomed at the farm.
The man most feared by the US military 
米軍（アメリカ）が最も恐れた男 カメジロー不屈の生涯 「Beigun (Amerika) ga mottomo osoreta otoko Kamejirō fukutsu no shōgai」
Release Date: August 24th, 2019
Duration: 128 mins.
Director: Tadahiko Sako
Writer: N/A
Starring: Kamejiro Senaga
Synopsis: This film depicting the life of Kamejiro Senaga (Wikipedia link) shows a politician who fought against the oppression of the US military in occupied Okinawa after the war. He began his political career as mayor of Naha and then as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the interests of Okinawa before and after it was returned to Japan and into retirement. The documentary looks into the many diaries left by Kamejiro, detailing his daily life with his wife and daughters, as well as his work as a politician.
Seisyun Kaleidoscope 
青春カレイドスコープ 「Seishun Kareidosuko-pu」
Release Date: August 24th, 2019
Duration: 128 mins.
Director: Noriko Yuasa, Tomoyuki Kamimura, Yuuji Abe,
Writer: Noriko Yuasa, Tomoyuki Kamimura, Yuuji Abe, Kijin Nishi (Script),
Starring: Okaeri Kakko: Riria Kojima, Honoka Yoneyama; Ashita Kitto Motto: Miori, Mirei Tanaka, Yu Miyazawa, Masako Wakui; Natsuiro no Mafura-: Suzuka Chinzei, Haruka Momokawa,
Synopsis: An omnibus movie composed of youth stories played out by young actresses and written/directed by up-and-coming directors. “Okaeri Kakko” (director: Noriko Yuasa – Ordinary Everyday, Girl, Wavering) who has issues with her vision and seeing red/green which causes her world to have vivid colours. “Ashita Kitto Motto” ( Tomoyuki Kamimura) is about a girl who dreams of being a voice actor. She works with a colleague who likes cosplay and they draw characters. Natsuiro no Mafura (Yuuji Abe) depicts friendships and first loves.
Mugen Foundation 
無限ファンデーション 「Mugen Fande-shon」
Release Date: August 24th, 2019
Duration: 102 mins.
Director: Akira Osaki
Writer: N/A (Script),
Starring: Sara Minami, Nanoka Hara, Rin Onoka, Kosame Nishiyama, Nanami Hidaka,
A youth movie in which Akira Osaki, director of Obon Brothers, spins out a tale based on teenage girls heading to the future. It’s an improvisational play based on the song “To the Future” by Kosame Nishiyama and it was produced as part of the 2018 run of MOOSIC LAB.
Synopsis: One day, a high school girl named Nanoka who is not good at socialising, is led by a clear singing voice she hears from a recycling facility to meet a mysterious girl, Koyame. This spurs Nanoka to join the theatre club as a costumier and her future opens up.
Hoshi o sutete 
星を捨てて 「Hoshi o sutete」
Release Date: August 24th, 2019
Duration: 68 mins.
Director: Mankichi Maeda, Kyohei Kikuchi,
Writer: Mankichi Maeda, Kyohei Kikuchi, (Script),
Starring: Kiwa Kyono, Ayaka Sugawara, Miki Kurutani, Kacho Tadano, Kisaki Shirasaki,
Synopsis: A youth drama set in Akihabara where a high school girl named Yayoi Mizushima practically lives. She’s an outsider in her real life but loves walking around Akihabara and she is invited to become a member of an underground idol unit. This is at a time when there are rumours of a man from the future who predicts the destruction of mankind and it looks like Yayoi will make her debut on the day of destruction…
Riben guizi Japanese Devils Confessions of Imperial Army Soldiers from Japan’s War Against China 
日本鬼子（リーベン・クイズ） 日中15年戦争・元皇軍兵士の告白 「Nihonkishi (rīben kuizu) nitchū 15-nen sensō moto kōgun heishi no kokuhaku」
Release Date: December 01st, 2001
Duration: 126 mins.
Director: Minoru Matsui
Writer: Minoru Matsui (Script),
Starring: Yoshio Tsuchiya, Yoshio Shinozuka, Takeshi Ebato,
Synopsis taken from a university website: Fourteen veterans break Japan’s unspoken code of silence, remembering their brutal war crimes as enlisted men in China from 1931 to 1945
Ayakucho no Tonae no Chichibu no Yama
アヤクーチョの唱と秩父の山 「Ayakucho no Tonae no Chichibu no Yama」
Release Date: August 24th, 2019
Duration: 60 mins.
Director: Takashi Honma
Writer:
Starring:
Synopsis: This is the first music documentary film by Takashi Honma, a photographer and documentary film-maker. He goes to Ayacucho, a town located in the mountains of the Andes Mountains in southern Peru, with the singer Irma Osno who comes from there but lives in Chichibu in Saitama. Ayacucho means “place where the dead gather” in Quechua and in the past, Ayacucho was dominated by the violence of the “Shining Path” guerrillas but locals resisted through culture and Irma is going back for the first time in years.