Happy weekend, everyone!
I hope you are all well.
I started the week with a review of the gentle family comedy The Taste of Tea (2004) and followed that with a preview of the free films and events at the Kotatsu Japanese Animation Festival 2020, an interview with Ryushi Linday, director of Idol (2020) and Kokutai (2019), and a look preview of the Japanese films at the Busan International Film Festival. The filmic highlight of the month has to be The Taste of Tea which I enjoyed a lot but I have been able to watch more…
In terms of films watched three horror movies, After Death (1989), Society (1989) and Spellcaster (1988), and three films by Hirobumi Watanabe.
What is released this weekend?
The Real Thing (Movie Version) 
本気のしるし 劇場版 「Honki no Shirushi Geekijouban」
Release Date: October 09th, 2020
Duration: 232 mins.
Director: Koji Fukada
Writer: Shintaro Mitani, Koji Fukada (Script), Mochiru Hoshisato (Original Novel)
Starring: Win Morisaki, Kaho Tsuchimura, Kei Ishibashi, Akari Fukunaga, Yukiya Kitamura, Shohei Uno, Shugo Oshinari, Masaki Naito,
Koji Fukada (Human Comedy in Tokyo and Harmonium). will be feted at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2020 which runs from October 31st to November 9th and his latest film, The Real Thing will be one of the titles in play. Before then, it is in cinemas.
This is a feature film adapted from a Nagoya Broadcasting Network TV drama that is based on a manga by Mochiru Hoshisato. So, the TV show has been edited down for a movie version. It was named as one of the Cannes Film Festival’s 2020 Official Selection. Koji Fukada has a lot of other films to his name and you can find a list of films reviewed by me on this page (if you are interested). It stars Win Morisaki from the Steven Spielberg film Ready Player One.
Synopsis: Billed as a suspense, the story follows Kuzumichi Tsuji (Win Morisaki). He has a good reputation and lives a boring life. Even though he is involved with two women in his workplace, he feels he has never fallen in love but when he saves the life of Ukiyo Hayama (Kaho Tsuchimura), who was stuck at a railroad crossing, his heart is swayed. Ukiyo has a mysterious aura that sucks Kuzumichi in…
Mechanical Telepathy 
メカニカル・テレパシー 「Mekanikaru Terepashi-」
Release Date: October 09th, 2020
Running Time: 76 mins.
Director: Akiko Igarashi
Writer: Akiko Igarashi (Screenplay),
Starring: Ryuichi Yoshida, Nanami Shirakawa, Yoshio Shin, Aoi Ibuki, Riku Tokimitsu, Ayaka Matsui, Yukina Aoyama,
This is a re-edited version of Visualized Hearts (review) which I saw at the Osaka Asian Film Festival 2017. I hope it does well!
Synopsis: An accident happens during an experiment involving a machine which visualises human hearts. Masaki goes to the laboratory to announce the official cancellation of the experiment, and is attracted to Aoi, the wife of the machine’s inventor, who has lost consciousness due to the accident. Masaki learns that the only way to reconnect Aoi and her husband’s hearts would be the success of the experiment.
Is the human heart identical with the real human? This sci-fi drama, based on an experimental short film by the director, depicts love and scepticism through the relationships between researchers who visualise human hearts. Actors from the CO2 Actor Scholarship Project play the main roles, including the lead Masaki portrayed by Ryuichi Yoshida, Aoi who is portrayed by Nanami Shirakawa, the inventor who is played by Yoshio Shin and Asumi, who feels for Masaki, who is played by IBUKI Aoi.
Under the Stars 
星の子 「Hoshi no Ko」
Release Date: October 09th, 2020
Duration: 109 mins.
Director: Tatsushi Omori
Writer: Tatsushi Omori (Script), Natsuko Imamura (Original Novel)
Starring: Mana Ashida, Masaki Okada, Kohei Otomo, Kengo Kora, Haru Kuroki, Masatoshi Nagase, Tomoyo Harada,
Synopsis: Chihiro (Mana Ashida) is a middle school student who is friends with Nabe-chan (Ninon), a popular classmate admired for her looks and she has a crush on her handsome math teacher (Masaki Okada). What neither of these people know is that Chihiro’s family belong to a cult. Her parents (Masatoshi Nagase and Tomoyo Harada) turned to their help when she was a child suffering severe eczema and a miracle water seemed to provide a cure. Since then, they have been a part of the cult but as Chihiro deals with the idea that others will consider her parents strange, she begins to question their beliefs.
Tokyo Telepath 2020 
Release Date: October 10th, 2020
Duration: 49 mins.
Director: Maiko Endo
Writer: Maiko Endo (Script)
Starring: Natsuko, Luka, Tomoya Matsumura, Yuasa Ema, Kaito Niwa, Crystal Performer Masaki
This is a mid-length film that has a sci-fi edge to it as it casts its gaze to the future of Tokyo. It comes from Maiko Endo, a director, producer and composer who has worked around the world and won awards. This film was at the International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year
Synopsis: Changes are afoot in Tokyo in the run-up to the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games as new buildings spring up and the populace unite behind the idea of being digitised in the ‘Fusion’ programme which will allow authorities to monitor and control their minds. There are some who resist such as two teen girls with special gifts and their special mission.
Super Mikincorinista 
スーパーミキンコリニスタ 「Super Mikinkorinisuta」
Release Date: October 10th, 2020
Duration: 97 mins.
Director: Naoya Kusaba
Writer: Naoya Kusaba (Script), Natsuko Imamura (Original Novel)
Starring: Mariko Takaya, Akari Matsukawa, Teruhiro Imamura, Musuko Kintoki, Jinmen Usagi,
This is the debut work of director Naoya Kusaba, who takes his experiences working with extras as an assistant director in TV and movies to make an original story about someone with the passion for acting. At the last Pia Film Festival, it won the Entertainment Award (Horipro Prize) and Gemstone Award (Nikkatsu Prize).
Synopsis: Mikincorinista (Mariko Takaya) is a wannabe actress who is working on the edges of the industry as an extra. She is about to turn 25 and she wants to make her impact soon but a mistake on set sees her dropped by her agency. She still has a huge passion for acting and something unique about her, so she renames herself Super Mikincornista and continues to work hard.
Azami-san no koto dare demonai koibito-tachi no fukei vol. 2 
あざみさんのこと 誰でもない恋人たちの風景 vol.2 「Azami-san no koto dare demonai koibito-tachi no fukei vol. 2」
Release Date: October 10th, 2020
Duration: 113 mins
Director: Michio Koshikawa
Writer: Michio Koshikawa (Script), Gaku Yakumaru (Original Novel)
Starring: Ena Koshino, Eita Okuno, Goichi Mine, Yoichiro Saito, Natsu Miyamoto,
Synopsis: Azami (Ena Koshino) left her family at the age of 17 and became the lover of an editor named Kitajima (Yoichiro Saito) even though she may have been considered underage. She stretched herself to become a woman who matched him, but Kitajima prioritised work, which left Azami feeling lonely. She soon started dating but the loneliness persisted until she meet Noda-kun (Eita Okuno), who was a completely different type of man from Kitajima-san. Around the same time, Azami reunites with her despised mother and experiences death and soon starts to reconsider loving and living.
Wish 
望み 「Nozomi」
Release Date: October 09th, 2020
Duration: 108 mins.
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Writer: Satoko Okudera (Script), Shusuki Shizukui (Original Novel)
Starring: Shinichi Tsutsumi, Yoshie Ichige, Yuriko Ishida, Kaya Kiyohara, Shota Matsuda, Kenshi Okada, Raita Ryu,
Synopsis: Kazuto Ishikawa iand his wife Kiyomi have an ideal life. He is an architect and she is a proof reader and they live in a house designed by Kazuto in the leafy suburbs with their high schooler son, Tadashi, and their junior high schooler daughter, Miyabi. Things turn sour when an injury causes Tadashi to quit playing for the school football team. He begins to hang out with delinquents and soon stays out all night without permission. One evening, Tadashi disappears. Kazuto and Kiyomi become concerned and their worries grow when he is implicated in the murder of a classmate. They want to believe in his innocence but the police suspect him…
Fruitful 
実りゆく 「Minori yuku」
Release Date: October 09th, 2020
Duration: 87 mins.
Director: Junichiro Yagi
Writer: Junichiro Yagi (Script), Shusuki Shizukui (Original Novel)
Starring: Kazuki Takeuchi, Yoji Tanaka, Eeima Tanaka, Koyuki Hashimoto, Takahiro Miura, Mayumi Ono,
Synopsis: This is a drama about a relationship between a son and his father who live on a family-run apple farm in Nagano prefecture. The son goes to Tokyo on weekends to perform live comedy while managing the farm with his father, but their relationship becomes difficult when his mother passed away and the son struggles to make his father happy whilst pursuing his own dreams. It stars Kazuki Takeuchi, one half of a Manzai duo.
Akuto: Kagaisha Tsuiseki Chosa 
悪党 加害者追跡調査 「Akuto: Kagaisha Tsuiseki Chosa」
Release Date: October 09th, 2020
Duration: 87 mins.
Director: Takahisa Zeze
Writer: Kenichi Suzuki (Script), Gaku Yakumaru (Original Novel)
Starring: Masahiro Higashide, Yutaka Matsushige, Yua Shinkawa, Akira Emoto, Sayaka Yamaguchi, Ikkei Watanabe, Sho Aoyagi, Misako Renbutsu, Yuka Itaya,
From May 12th to June 16, 2019, 6 episodes of this WOWOW serial drama were broadcast. They have been repackaged for a cinematic run. The screenings will be divided into two shows, A (episodes 1-3) and B (episodes 4-6). This is the third week a WOWOW drama has been given this treatment.
No trailer
Synopsis: When Shuichi Saeki was younger, his older sister was murdered. As an adult, he became a detective in order to seek revenge, but he quit his job and now works at a detective agency. One day, a couple hires the agency to find a man named Sakagami who killed their son. The boss of the agency, Masato, sends Shuichi out on the case. As he operates, his investigation brings him closer to his sister’s killers…