Welcome to the weekend…
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We start off with the tragic news of the passing of Haruma Miura who has died in what appears to be an act of suicide. This has been a shock that has reverberated around the world since he was steadily working in dramas and films, some of which will air later this year and next, and he was quite popular. Whatever the reasons, let us hope he has found peace.
Earlier this week, I posted a review of Kontora and an interview with its director, Anshul Chauhan, and Japan Cuts 2020 (preview) started so a whole bunch of reviews I worked on were posted on V-Cinema and I am currently writing one.
What is released this weekend?
Patlabor: The Movie (4DX Release) Image may be NSFW.
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機動警察パトレイバー the Movie 「Kidou Keisatsu Patlabor the Movie」
Release Date: July 15th, 1989
Duration: 99 mins.
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Writer: Kazunori Ito (Screenplay), Akemi Takada (Original Character Design)
Starring: Mina Tominaga (Noa Izumi), Ryunosuke Ohbayashi (Kiichi Goto), Daisuke Gouri (Hiromi Yamazaki), Issei Futamata (Mikiyasu Shinshi), Tomomichi Nishimura (Detective Matsui), Megumi Hayashibara (Weather Forecaster, Babylon Project TV commercial announcer)
Production: Production I.G
This is a 4DX release to celebrate just over 30 years since it was first brought into cinemas.
Synopsis: The year is 1999 and large robots have revolutionised construction work. They are called Labors. They assist in the renovation of Tokyo, including artificial islands in Tokyo Bay. However, the suicide of a mysterious man involved in the construction project sets off a series of Labor-related crimes and an AI mystery that only members of a special unit in Tokyo’s Mobile Police can tackle. This unit is led by Captain Kiichi Gotou and spearheaded by a young pilot named Noa Izumi and her Patlabor Alphonse.
All About Chiaki Mayumura (Provisional) Image may be NSFW.
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眉村ちあきのすべて(仮) 「Mayumura Chiaki no subete (kari)」
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
Duration: 75 mins.
Director: Hajime Matsuura
Writer: Hajime Matsuura (Script),
Starring: Chiaki Mayumura, Eri Tokunaga, Makoto Shinada, Getto, Sara Ogawa, Ikuo Minewaki,
Synopsis: Chiaki Mayumura is an actual idol who has made a semi-autobiographical film with different styles and elements melded together. It won the Audience Award, Jury Special Award, Best Musician Award, and Actress Award at MOOSIC LAB 2019.
Dong Teng Town Image may be NSFW.
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ドンテンタウン 「Donten Taun」
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
Duration: 61 mins.
Director: Kouhei Inoue
Writer: Kouhei Inoue (Script),
Starring: Ryo Sato, Show Kasamatsu, Ai Yamamoto, Ryui Ushio, Saki Iwasaki, Gantsu Morita, Ryo Anraku,
Synopsis: Another MOOSIC LAB 2019 project, this won the best Actor Award. It is the story of a singer-songwriter named Sora who has moved into a danchi (public housing complex). She is struggling to regain her creativity when she discovers a cassette tape left by Tokio, a former resident who made money as a fake painter…
Theater: A Love Story Image may be NSFW.
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劇場 「Theater」
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
Duration: 136 mins.
Director: Isao Yukisada
Writer: Ryuta Horai (Script), Naoki Matayoshi (Original Novel)
Starring: Kento Yamazaki, Mayu Matsuoka, Kanichiro, Sairi Itoh, Masaki Miura, Ritsu Otomo
The first video is region-locked so here’s an Amazon Prime video since you can watch it via Amazon!
Synopsis: Nagata is a writer and director for theatre company but his works have flopped critically and commercially. This has soured his relationship with his theatre troupe and so Nagata feels lonely. Then, one day, he sees a university student named Saki and notices that she is wearing the same shoes as he is. This encourages Nagata to talk to her and he discovers that she dreams of becoming an actress. The two fall in love.
Who Knows about My Life
予定は未定 「Yotei wa mitei」
Release Date: July 17th, 2018
Duration: 27 mins.
Director: Teppei Isobe
Writer: Teppei Isobe, Kazuo Nagai (Script), Kazuo Nagai (Original Story)
Starring: Hiroko Yashiki, Hiromi Shinzyu, Misato Namba, Kazunari Tosa, Arata Yamanaka,
I wrote about this for OAFF2018 so…
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Synopsis: Ever wondered what the pressures of being single at 40 is like? Visit Junko Takarada, a beautiful and intelligent woman who was having a fruitless affair with her boss until he turned his attention to Rika, Junko’s cuter and younger subordinate. With bleak romantic prospects haunting her, Junko gets relief from a surprising source… a paper airplane comes flying into her life. When she opens it she sees a marriage notification but with only the side containing the male column filled in. Junko thought that a strange man had written the notification out and sent it flying, hoping to rely on destiny to connect him with someone. Gathering up all of the courage in her heart, she visits the address written in the marriage notification…
Overnight Walk
オーバーナイトウォーク 「O-ba-naito Uo-ku」
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
Duration: 43 mins.
Director: Teppei Isobe
Writer: Teppei Isobe, Kazuo Nagai (Script),
Starring: Hiroko Yashiki, Reiko Takada, Ryo Anraku, Hiroshi Hosokawa, Hitoshi Sasaki,
Synopsis: Sakura is a struggling actress living in Tokyo who is facing the decision of whether to take on work involving nudity. Her sister Yuriko visits her out of the blue, leaving their hometown and bringing memories, and the two compare notes on how their lives have turned out as they go for a midnight walk from Shimokitazawa to Shinjuku.
Engawa Lovers Image may be NSFW.
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縁側ラヴァーズ 「Engawa Rava-zu」
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
Duration: 77 mins.
Director: Yasumasa Konno
Writer: Yasumasa Konno (Script),
Starring: Gaku Matsuda, Ryoki Miyama, Tsubasa Sasa, Yuusuke Akiba, Yoichi Okano, Saki,
Yasumasa Konno… I recognised the director’s name. He directed Bright Night, which I saw at OAFF 2017. He’s been in regular work and has two films out this weekend.
Synopsis: A comedy that depicts the daily life of men who love the romantic atmosphere of old Japanese houses. Ryo, an instructor at a cram school, is living together with an old friend named Yukio, a former system engineer who is recovering from overwork. Their landlord, Okano, and Miiko, his daughter, also hang out there. The group like to lounge around together but soon Yukio decides to return to Tokyo…
Engawa Lovers 2 Image may be NSFW.
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縁側ラヴァーズ 「Engawa Rava-zu」
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
Duration: 77 mins.
Director: Yasumasa Konno
Writer: Yasumasa Konno (Script),
Starring: Sho Higano, Keita Seto, Kenya Nakao, Saki, Yoichi Okano, Mone Tsutsumi,
Synopsis: A fledgling movie director named Daisuke Hagiwara, and two guys in the hospitality business named Akito Ishibashi, and Asakura Tadashi, leave Tokyo and start a shared life by renting a house in a seaside town. However, Okano, their landlord, is tempted to sell the house to a rich foreign guy and tries his best to expel Hagiwara and the others. Meanwhile, a ghost appears in the house…
Attack on Titan: The Chronicle Image may be NSFW.
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進撃の巨人 クロニクル 「Shingeki no Kyojin Kuronikuru 」
Running Time: 120 mins.
Release Date: January 13th, 2018
Chief Director: Hajime Iseyama
Writer: Shintaro Kawakubo, Yauuto Kikuchi, (Supervision of Story), Hajime Isayama (Original Creator)
Starring: Yuuki Kaji (Eren Jaeger), Yui Ishikawa (Mikasa Ackerman), Marina Inoue (Armin Arlelt), Hiroshi Kamiya (Levi), Daisuke Ono (Erwin Smith),
Animation Production: Wit Studio
Attack on Titan ~Chronicle~ is a compilation film based on the first three seasons of the Attack on Titan anime in preparation for the final season of the show.
Synopsis: In a land where humans live in a walled city to protect themselves from man-eating giants, Eren Yeager and his friends join the 104th Training Corps with the aim of becoming a full member of the Survey Corps and readying themselves to face the Titans. Their preparations and battles unfold amidst a web of mysteries and conspiracies as they race to save the city and uncover more about the invading Titans and the dark secrets of their own members.
Beginning Today It Is My Turn Image may be NSFW.
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今日から俺は!!劇場版 「Kyo kara Ore wa!!: Gekijoban」
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
Duration: 114 mins.
Director: Yuichi Fukuda
Writer: Yuichi Fukuda (Script), Hiroyuki Nishimori (Original Manga)
Starring: Kento Kaku, Kentaro Ito, Nana Seino, Kanna Hashimoto, Yumi Wakatsuki, Taiga Nakano, Jun Sena, Yuya Yagira,
Synopsis: It is 1980’s Japan and high school student Takashi Mitsuhashi is sporting the tried and tested yankee look of dyed-blond hair. His look, aura and physical prowess make people think he’s a ruffian and that makes him the target of hardcases from other schools. Fortunately, he made friends with another transfer student, Shinji Ito (Kentaro Ito), and a girl named Riko Akasaka has a crush on him.
Step Image may be NSFW.
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ステップ 「Suteppu」
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
Duration: 118 mins.
Director: Ken Iizuka
Writer: Ken Iizuka (Script), Kiyoshi Shigematsu (Original Novel)
Starring: Takayuki Yamada, Rine Tanaka, Tamaki Shiratori, Misaki Nakano, Sairi Itoh, Rina Kawaei, Reiko Kataoka, Ryoko Hirosue, Kimiko Yo, Jun Kunimura, Ryo Iwamatsu, Nanami Hidaka, Akihiro Kakuta,
Synopsis: When his wife Tomoko died, Kenichi found himself living life as a single-father raising his daughter Miki alone. We watch them over 10 years, from Miki’s time in nursery school until her graduation from elementary school. Over the years, he gets help and advice from others…
Hachioji Zombies Image may be NSFW.
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八王子ゾンビーズ 「Hachiouji Zonbi-zu」
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
Duration: 98 mins.
Director: Osamu Suzuki
Writer: Osamu Suzuki (Script), Kiyoshi Shigematsu (Original Novel)
Starring: Kenjiro Yamashita, Yuki Kubota, Rei Fujita, Haruki Kiyama, Yuta Ozawa, Akira Takano, Hikaru Makishima, Kairi Miura, Koji Saikawa, Nozomi Bando,
Synopsis: Takashi Habuki has, so far, failed to become a dancer but has never truly given up on his dream. At his lowest ebb, he decides to visit the remote Kibo Temple. Instead of clearing out when night falls, as per the rules, he hangs around and begins to dance. This summons eight handsome zombies who also like to boogie.
Zk Brain Police 50 Beat for the Future Image may be NSFW.
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zk 頭脳警察50 未来への鼓動 「zk zunou keisatsu 50 mirai ee no kodou」
Release Date: July 18th, 2020
Duration: 100 mins.
Director: Ken Suenaga
Writer: N/A
Starring: PANTA, TOSHI, Ryuji Sawa, Gaku Miyata, Shinosukee Higuchi, Keei Okubo, Tokiko Kato,
Synopsis: A documentary that follows the rock band Brain Police, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Through following the band, we get a glimpse at the cultural changes over the time.