Happy Weekend.
I hope you are well.
There are quite a few Japanese films released this weekend so I’ve split this trailer post into two. Tomorrow’s post will have info on free films I’ve spotted.
What are the first batch of films released this weekend?
The Sunday Runoff 
決戦は日曜日 「 Kessen wa Nichiyoubi」
Release Date: January 07th, 2022
Duration: 105 mins.
Director: Yuichiro Sakashita
Writer: Yuichiro Sakashita (Script),
Starring: Masataka Kubota, Rie Miyazawa, Eiji Akaso, Chika Uchida, Takuma Otoo,
Synopsis: Billed as a socially conscious drama, we follow the workplace mishaps of Tsutomu Tanimura (Masataka Kubota), a private secretary for a veteran politician in a provincial city. When the politician collapses and is taken ill, his 45-year-old daughter, Yumi (Rie Miyazawa), decides to run for office. Her enthusiasm and naivete cause all manner of headaches for Tsutomu…
Truth: 1 Night, 1 Room, 3 Baddest Bitches 
truth 姦しき弔いの果て 「 truth kashimashiki tomurai no hate」
Release Date: January 07th, 2022
Duration: 71 mins.
Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Writer: Uiko Miura (Script), Yukihiko Tsutsumi (Original Story),
Starring: Ayano Fukumiya, Tomomi Kono, Kotoha Hiroyama, Jiro Sato,
This film was planned by three actresses looking to overcome a lack of work due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Using subsidies from the Agency for Cultural Affairs dedicated to keeping the arts going, the women had a budget of 7 million yen and the help of some industry vets to make this, including Yukihiko Tsutsumi who chose this to be the 50th film he has made. You can read more in an Asahi Shimbun article.
Synopsis: Three women, all of whom shared the same lover (Jiro Sato), discover the existence of each other on the night of his funeral as they all descend upon his studio to mourn. They couldn’t be more different from each other, one being a delinquent-turned single mother (Fukumiya), another being a mysterious celebrity doctor (Kono) and the last being a beautiful but vain receptionist (Hiroyama). Each is convinced that their lover loved them the most and so, due to their pride, the three women engage in a battle of wits to prove it.
Bungo Stray Dogs the Movie: Beast 
映画 文豪ストレイドッグス BEAST 「 Eiga Bungo Sutorei Doggsu BEAST」
Release Date: January 07th, 2022
Duration: 117 mins.
Director: Koichi Sakamoto
Writer: Kafka Asagiri (Script/Original Light Novel),
Starring: Shohei Hashimoto, Yuki Torigoe, Rui Tabuchi, Ayaka Konno, Kosuke Kuwano, Ryoki Nagae,
Synopsis: This is the first live-action film based on Bungo Stray Dogs, which has had manga and anime and stage adaptations. The story imagines characters named after real-life literary giants in modern-day Yokohama who are locked in battle. This film presents a “what-if” story where characters such places and Atsushi Nakajima is in the Port Mafia working as “the White Reaper” and Ryunosuke Akutagawa who grows up poor winds up joining the Armed Detective Agency in order to rescue his sister Gin…
Brother, Android, and Me 
弟とアンドロイドと僕 「 Otouto to Andoroido to Boku」
Release Date: January 07th, 2022
Duration: 117 mins.
Director: Junji Sakamoto
Writer: Junji Sakamoto (Script),
Starring: Etsushi Toyokawa, Masanobu Ando, Yuki Kazamatsuri, Ken Yoshizawa, Yuki Katayama,
Synopsis: This is an original film written and directed by Junji Sakamoto. It stars Etsushi Toyokawa as Kiryu Kaoru, a lonely robotics engineer who has struggled anxieties over his own existence. In order to quell his anxiety, he starts building an android that looks like him. This android is called, “me.” One day, his half-brother visits and Kiryu kicks off a plan to get himself, his android, his bed-ridden father, and a mysterious girl into a strange interplay with his half-brother…
Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru Shichi Tamashii no Ryujinmaru – Saikai- 
魔神英雄伝ワタル 七魂の龍神丸 再会 「 Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru Shichi Tamashii no Ryujinmaru – Saikai- 」
Release Date: January 07th, 2022
Duration: 105 mins
Director: Hiroshi Koujina
Writer: Shingo Nagai (Screenplay), Hajime Yatate (Original Creator)
Starring: Mayumi Tanaka (Wataru Ikusabe), Kazue Ikura (Tora), Megumi Hayashibara (Himiko Shinobibe), Tomomichi Nishimura (Shibaraku Tsurugibbe), Tessho Genda (Ryujinmaru)
Animation Production: Sunrise
Synopsis: This is a compilation movie consisting of nine episodes of the anime that have been re-edited and had new footage added to it. The story takes place after the fall of the king of the demon world and the rise of a new enemy forces our main protag Wataru, with his friends Shibaraku, Torao, and Himiko, to go Mount Sougai to recover the giant robot Ryujinmaru.
Maniac Driver 
マニアック・ドライバー 「 Maniakku Doraiba」
Release Date: January 07th, 2022
Duration: 75 mins.
Director: Kurando Mitsutake
Writer: Kurando Mitsutake (Script),
Starring: Tomoki Kimura, Iori Kogawa, Saryu Usui, Ayumi Kimito, Kiichi Sonobe, Yoshiki Kondo, Ai Sayama, Yohta Kawase,
Kurando Mitsutake, director of genre fare like Karate Kill and Gun Woman, tries his hand at giallo.
Synopsis: A serial killer is stalking the streets of Tokyo using his taxi to lure in prey. Said prey are beautiful women, the most beautiful of whom the maniac driver wants to commit murder-suicide with in order to quell the demons that the death of his wife unleashed…