Happy weekend, everyone!
I hope you are well.
I’m trying to get my genki back. I’m posting this on a Friday because I’ve got something else reserved for tomorrow. Anyway, this week I posted a review for the film Sayounara which I saw back in March. I then posted a review for the film A Japanese Boy Who Draws and a news report about the Nara International Film Festival’s Pre-Event where Berlinale and Short Short and Asia film fest films will be shown in Nara.
What’s released this weekend?
They Say Nothing Stays the Same 
ある船頭の話 「Aru sendou no hanashi」
Release Date: September 13th, 2019
Duration: 137 mins.
Director: Joe Odagiri
Writer: Joe Odagiri (Screenplay),
Starring: Akira Emoto, Ririka Kawashima, Nijiro Murakami, Masatoshi Nagase, Haruomi Hosono, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Mitsuko Kusabue, Isao Hashizume,
This is Joe (Mushishi, Adrift in Tokyo) Odagiri’s sophomore feature film as a director and he has hired a good team in getting Christopher Doyle – Wong Kar-Wai’s frequent collaborator – working cinematography and Emi Wada designing costumes – she won an Oscar for her costuming on Akira Kurosawa’s epic Ran and is responsible for costumes in lush historical dramas such as Samurai Marathon 1855, Hero, Gohatto, and House of Flying Daggers. It was at the Venice International Film Festival.
Synopsis: Toichi is a boatman who ferries people across a river. Despite ferrying people across, the only person he really communicates with is his young neighbour Genzo. When a large bridge is begins to be constructed to help people cross the river it looks like Toichi will be made redundant but then he meets a mysterious young girl who appears to be an orphan. Toichi takes her in and from that moment, his life begins to change…
Hit Me Anyone One More Time 
記憶にございません！ 「Kioku no Gozaimasen」
Release Date: September 13th, 2019
Duration: 127 mins.
Director: Koki Mitani
Writer: Koki Mitani (Screenplay) Yutaka Kono (Novel)
Starring: Kiichi Nakai, Dean Fujioka, Yuriko Ishida, Koichi Sao, Yuki Saito, Yo Yoshida, Eiko Koike, Masao Kusakari, Yoshino Kimura,
Japan’s premiere comedy writer Koki Mitani comes up with a political comedy that stars solid actor Kiichi Nakai who is a regular player for Mitani’s works.
Synopsis: Keisuke Kuroda (Kiichi Nakai) is the most unpopular prime minister of Japan in history and during one of his speeches he is struck by a rock. After waking up in a hospital bed he discovers he has lost his memory. The only people aware that he has lost his memory are his secretaries. Not even his family and certainly nor the electorate knows. With all of his memories gone, he thinks about making changes to the country.
No Longer Human 
人間失格 太宰治と3人の女たち 「Ningen Shikkaku: Dazai Osamu to 3 Nin no Onnatachi」
Release Date: September 13th, 2019
Duration: 120 mins.
Director: Mika Ninagawa
Writer: Kaeko Hayafune (Screenplay) Yutaka Kono (Novel)
Starring: Shun Oguri, Rie Miyazawa, Erika Sawajiri, Fumi Nikaido, Ryo Narita, Yudai Chiba, Kengo Kora, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Koji Seto,
An all star cast for a raunchy tale about one of the most important figures in Japanese literary history directed by Mika Ninagawa. It’s her second film this year, following Diner and follows her formula of making everything colourful and operatic in tone.
Synopsis: Osamu Dazai (Shun Oguri) is one of the most popular authors in Japan and like most writers in the past, he is absorbed with dames and booze. Despite being married he has two lovers and finds it increasingly difficult to balance his life.
BanG Dream! Film Live
ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン 外伝 –永遠と自動手記人形– 「Baioretto Eba-ga-den Gaiden: Eien to Jidou Shuki Ningyou」
Release Date: September 13th, 2019
Duration: 72 mins.
Director: Tomomi Umezu
Writer: N/A
Starring: Aimi (Kasumi Toyama), Ayaka Ohashi (Saaya Yamabuki), Ayasa Ito (Arisa Ichigaya), Rimi Nishimoto (Rimi Ushigome), Sae Ootsuka (Tae Hanazono),
Animation Production: Sanzigen
The latest idol craze in town sees Tomomi Umezu move up to the director’s chair after working as an editor on the TV anime version of this. The Poppin’ Party girls reprise their roles.
Synopsis: Kasumi Toyama has always loved looking at the stars but has never found anything that inspires her as much. When she finds a star-shaped guitar in a rundown pawnshop, she rediscovers the thrill she felt when gazing upon stars and then becomes determined to form an all-girl band with four like-minded souls.
Ousama ni nare 
王様になれ 「Ousama ni nare」
Release Date: September 13th, 2019
Duration: 115 mins.
Director: Shuji Okui
Writer: Shuji Okui (Screenplay) Sawao Yamanaka (Original Story)
Starring: Amane Okayama, Yoko Goto, Kenshiro Iwai, Kae Okumura, Atsuko Hirata, Seminosuke Murasugi, Kaoru Noguchi, Shuji Okui,
I am of the generation that grew up with the anime FLCL being the in thing when I was high school and the band The Pillows provided the music for the show. This year is the 30th anniversary year for the band and the lead singer’s original story is turned into a film starring solid supporting actor and occasional lead, Amane Okayama. Of course, the film features performances by The Pillows and also members of different bands like Straightener.
Synopsis: Yusuke (Amane Okayama) is unsatisfied with life as he works in his uncle’s ramen shop. He dreams of becoming a photographer and he gets his chance just as he meets a woman named Yukari at a concert thrown by The Pillows…
Geki × cine “Seven people of the skull castle” Season Moon 
ゲキ×シネ「髑髏城の七人」Season風 「GekixShine Dokuroshou no Shichinin-Tsuki Kagen」
Release Date: September 13th, 2019
Duration: 212 mins.
Director: Hidenori Inoue
Writer: Kazuki Nakashima (Screenplay),
Starring: Mamoru Miyano, Hiroki Suzuki, Tomoki Hirose, Ryo Kimura, Koudai Matsuoka, Aki Hano, Tetsuya Chiba,
Synopsis: It is early 1590 and Toyotomi Hideyoshi rules the land following the death of Nobunaga but, far away from the capital, in the eastern plains, a mysterious rebel by the name of Tenmao is gathering his “Skull Corps” to launch a civil war. Some troops from this group chase a girl named Sagiri but she is saved by a passing vagabond named Sutenosuke and taken to a nearby brothel town called Mukai village. This place serves as a post town between the capital and the eastern plain and it is where all sorts of people with different schemes and histories bump into each other as is seen in this stageplay.
Mitorishi 
みとりし 「Mitorishi」
Release Date: September 13th, 2019
Duration: 110 mins.
Director: Mitsuhito Shiraha
Writer: Mitsuhito Shiraha (Screenplay), Kumiko Shibata (Novel)
Starring: Takaaki Enoki, Honoka Murakami, Shota Takasaki, Satoru Saito, Hisato Okata,
This is a drama about nurses who provide palliative care and it is based on the experience of Kumiko Shibata.
Synopsis: A retired businessman named Shiba loses his daughter in a traffic accident and tries to commit suicide but is prevented by a friend. He is put in touch with a nurse and decides to enter the nursing profession and care for those who are near death and their families. Five years later, Shiba works in Okayama and supports people who will reach their last moments.
Attack of the Giant Teacher 
アタック・オブ・ザ・ジャイアントティーチャー 「Attaku Obu Za Jaianto Ti-cha-」
Release Date: September 15th, 2019
Duration: 70 mins.
Director: Yoshikazu Ishii
Writer: Yoshikazu Ishii (Screenplay), Yoshikazu Ishii (Novel)
Starring: Makoto Kojima, Takashi Toyota, Takehiko Fujita, Miyuki Takase, Michiko Hikosaka,
Special effects maestro Yoshikazu Ishii (Godzilla FINAL WARS) creates a film where a teacher at a school becomes huge and fights against invading aliens.
Synopsis: Kenzo Miyazawa is a teacher but with the lack of students it will soon close. He organises the students in a musical version of “Momotaro and Tsuru” at the school festival. On the day of the school festival, aliens crash the party in a UFO and demand the delivery of a couple of Miyazawa’s students. In this emergency, Miyazawa swallows two capsules and instantly becomes huge. He will face the aliens …