I’m splitting this trailer post up again but not because there’s too many in number but too many interesting films. The real meat comes tomorrow but just ahead of their release is one great looking title – Oh Madame Marmalade, how I love thee, I wish you were a video-game character then I could play with you… Uh… I mean the game! – and two others. Looking at the title of the post, this could be a light novel that would get an anime adaptation… It All Began When I Met You Madame Marmalade my Mysterious Lovecraft Girl.
Before the trailers, a little summary of the posts this week:
This week I posted about two more Japanese films screening as part of the BFI’s Gothic season. They are the mighty Kuroneko and The Ghost Story of Yotsuya. I also my fourth entry in the Republic of Thieves Read-along and babbled out an incoherent post about the brilliance of Kyousogiga. Messy and undignified but heartfelt. I’m also went looking for the games Ruin Arm and Lady Stalker Apocalypse Engine, and Wonder Project J2. Bringing things back to films, I went to see Gravity last night and it was a fantastic film. Exciting, tense and straight to the point, no messing around. I’ll be going to see the Korean film Flu next which actually has a UK release!
Here they are!
It All Began When I Met You 
Japanese: すべて は 君 に 逢えた から
Romaji: Subete wa Kimi ni Aeta Kara
Running Time: 106 mins.
Release Date: November 22nd, 2013
Director: Katsuhide Motoki
Writer: Atsuko Hashibe (Screenplay)
Starring: Hiroshi Tamaki, Rin Takanashi, Fumino Kimura, Masahiro Higashide, Tsubasa Honda, Miwako Ichikawa, Emiri Kai, Saburo Tokito, Ryutaro Yamasaki, Nene Otsuka, Chieko Baisho, Nenji Kobayashi
This looks like one those awful Hollywood romance flicks packed full of actors that were released a few years ago. New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day or whatever they were. Bah! I’m a cynic so I hate that stuff. Katsuhide Motoki, director of the comedy Drugstore Girl, is here with an omnibus movie containing six love stories set in and around Tokyo Station to celebrate its 100th anniversary. It opened in 1914. Anyway, characters include a bullet train driver, students and what not. Actors include Rin Takanashi (Goth Love of Death), Masahiro Higashide (The Kirishima Thing) and Nene Otsuka (The Foreign Duck, Kiseki). And… Oh my God.. Hiroshi Tamaki, the guy from the utterly indescribably dull low-budget J-hora Ghost System, a film so dull I never thought I would mention it again… He’s certainly gone up in the world!
Madame Marmalade’s Mysterious Puzzle Answer Version 
Japanese: ナゾトキネマ マダム・マーマレードの異常な謎 解編
Romaji: Madamu Marmalade no Ijo na Nazo: Kaito Hen
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: November 22nd, 2013
Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura, Norio Tsuruta, Daiki Ueda
Writer: Yoshihiro Nakamura, Norio Tsuruta, Daiki Ueda (Screenplay),
Starring: Haruna Kawaguchi, Atsuko Takahata, Hajime Yamazaki, Narushi Ikeda, Shiro Namiki Tamae Ando, Koko Mori, Noriko Nakagoshi, Ippei Kanie, Maika Hara, Noriko Eguchi, Hana Sugisaki
Time for some fun with a foxy detective! This is the follow-up to last month’s puzzle omnibus film which demanded audience interaction to solve a mystery hidden in a series of short films held together by the framework of an investigation conducted by Madame Marmalade. For each short film there were different directors including Yoshihiro Nakamura (The Foreign Duck, See You Tomorrow, Everyone) probably doing drama, Norio Tsuruta (Ring 0: Birthday, Dream Cruise) probably doing horror and an unknown in Daiki Ueda. With this Answer Version of the film the audience gets to find out the answers to some questions posed by the last film and the people who got the questions right get their names placed in the film. Awesome.
30 years ago, Shunnosuke Todo, the master of the film world revealed to his wife that there is a secret in three short films which contained a love story before he passed away. Now his wife is on the verge of death so she hires Madame Marmalade (Kawaguchi) to find the secret!
Love Craft Girl 
Japanese: ラブクラフト ガール
Romaji: Rabukurafuto Gāru
Running Time: 91 mins.
Release Date: November 22nd, 2013
Director: Katsutoshi Hirabayashi
Writer: Keiko Kanome (Screenplay)
Starring: Sei Ando, Tomoya Nakamura, Masako Chiba, Yuki Sakurai,
LOVECRAFT GIRL??? Oh, it’s about women’s sex toys and not Cthulhu. Take it from me working in an office full of women where you’re the token male can be sanity shattering when they talk about sex never mind actually meeting Cthulhu… Anyway, Katsutoshi Hirabayashi (director of Penguin Fufu) is not trying to brainwash us into joining the Esoteric Order of Dagon or anything else Lovecraftian, he’s put this sex comedy together. Sei Ando, actress in Orpheus’ Lyre and Air Doll, acts alongside Tomoya Nakamura who came in Rampo Noir and Quirky Guys and Gals.
Akane Ogura (Ando) has joined a company that produces women’s sexual products as a designer. Since catching her boyfriend cheating on her she can focus on creating the best product on the market.
