Happy Weekend!
I hope you are well.
This is the first of a two-part trailer post because lots of films were released this weekend plus two My Hero Academia specials (which I won’t write about).
Here are the first batch of films:
Plan 75 
Release Date: June 17th, 2022 (Japan)
Duration: 112 mins.
Director: Chie Hayakawa
Writer: Chie Hayakawa, Jason Gray (Script),
Starring: Chieko Baisho, Hayato Isomura, Taka Takao, Yumi Kawai, Stefanie Arianne
Chie Hayakawa graduates from award-winning shorts to making her feature debut with Plan 75, an expansion of her story in the anthology film Ten Years Japan. The film is led by veteran actress Chieko Baisho (Tora-san’s sister in the long-running Tora-san series) and rising star Hayato Isomura (Tokyo Revengers).
Synopsis: In a future Japan where the birthrate has continued to decline and the number of older people is bigger than ever, the government has created a programme called Plan 75. This system gives senior citizens the chance to be voluntarily euthanised from the age of 75. Despite initial controversy, it has been accepted by the public. Michi Kakutani (Chieko Baisho), a 78-year-old woman who has been living alone since the death of her husband, is struggling to survive but when she is laid off from her job as a hotel cleaner, she begins to consider applying for “Plan 75. Meanwhile, Hiromu (Hayato Isomura), a city official responsible for handling Plan 75 cases, and Yoko (Yumi Kawai), a call centre operator who supports elderly people who have chosen to die until their day comes, begin to question the nature of the “Plan 75” system.
The Pass: Last Days of the Samurai 
峠 最後のサムライ 「Touge Saigo no Samurai」
Release Date: July 17th, 2022
Duration: 114 mins.
Director: Takashi Koizumi
Writer: Takashi Koizumi (Script), Ryotaro Shiba (Original Novel)
Starring: Koji Yakusho, Takako Matsu, Tatsuya Nakadai, Min Tanaka, Kyoko Yoshine, Kento Nagayama,
This is a historical epic based on a popular novel. It has been adapted for the screen by Takashi Koizumi, an experienced director who might be most famous for After the Rain (2000). He was an assistant director to Akira Kurosawa on numerous films, including Ran and Kagemusha.
Synopsis: It is 1867 and the reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate has finally come to an end after 260 years as the Emperor is returned to power. Change does not come so easily and a civil war erupts between imperial loyalists in the west of Japan and supporters of the Shogun who still cling on to the old ways. In 1868, the battle of Toba-Fushimi starts the Boshin War. Caught in the middle is Tsuginosuke Kawai (Koji Yakusho), the chief retainer of the Nagaoka domain in Echigo. He tries to remain neutral to protect his clan but when peace negotiations fail, Kawai decides to face the end of the samurai era with dignity…
BL Metamorphosis 
メタモルフォーゼの縁側 「Metamorufo-zu no Engawa」
Release Date: June 17th, 2022
Duration: 118 mins.
Director: Shunsuke Kariyama
Writer: Yoshikazu Okada (Script), Kaori Tsurutani (Original Webcomic),
Starring: Mana Ashida, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kyohei Takahashi, Kotone Furukawa, Asumi Kikuchi, Ken Mitsuishi, Tomoko Ikuta, Taeko Ito, Yuki Shioya,
Synopsis: 17-year-old high school student Urara who works at a book store and secretly enjoys reading boy’s love manga, something she shares with 78-year-old Yuki, a widow who has just started out in the genre. Their shared love of the manga creates a relationship that transcends age and position.
Koi wa Hikari 
恋は光 「Koi wa Hikari」
Release Date: June 17th, 2022
Duration: 111 mins.
Director: Keiichi Kobayashi
Writer: Keiichi Kobayashi (Script), Akieda (Original Manga),
Starring: Fuju Kamio, Nanase Nishino, Yuna Taira, Fumika Baba, Aina Yamada, Saki Hanaoka,
Synopsis: University student Saijo can tell when a woman is in love because he can see a bright glow around them. His childhood friend Kitashiro claims that she has feelings for him, rivals abound as classmate Yadorigi, a woman who has a habit of hitting on guys already with girls, trying to seduce him while Saijo and another girl named Shinonome regularly exchange a diary where they explore the concept of love.
Youkai Sharehouse: The Movie 
妖怪シェアハウス 白馬の王子様じゃないん怪 「Youkai Sheahausu: Kaettekitan Kai」
Release Date: June 17th, 2022
Duration: 104 mins.
Director: Keisuke Toyoshima
Writer: Yumie Nishiogi (Script),
Starring: Fuka Koshiba, Marika Matsumoto, Manami Igarashi, Katsuya Maiguma, Nobue Iketani, Koji Ohkura, Ayumu Mochizuki, Mijika Nagai,
Synopsis: A feature film continuation of the TV drama where a timid woman named Mio lives with youkai while pursuing a career as a writer. Mio meets a mysterious genius mathematician named AITO and falls in love with him but that love endangers youkai. Meanwhile, young people are losing their desires.
Kimitachi wa Mada Nagai Tonneru no Naka 
君たちはまだ長いトンネルの中 「Kimitachi wa Mada Nagai Tonneru no Naka」
Release Date: June 17th, 2022
Duration: 87 mins.
Director: Yuusei Naruse
Writer: Yumie Nishiogi (Script), Bot-chan against tax increase (Original Novel),
Starring: Konatsu Kato, Naoya Kitagawa, Fuma Sadamoto, Kensuke Takahashi, Jin Aoki, Emiko Kawamura, Honoka Ueda,
A film that aims to get people to think about the future of Japan.
Synopsis: High school senior Asami Takahashi is the daughter of a former Ministry of Finance official. Perhaps this is why that she has a strong ideological grounding that sees her argue with her teacher in her political economy class and work together with classmates Abe and Nakatani to revitalize the declining shopping arcade. Asami connects with a local reporter to get a newspaper article about a festival in the shopping arcade written up and, on her way home, she meets a talented councilor named Muto, who used to be a Sentai hero.
Make the Devil Laugh 
鬼が笑う 「Oni ga Warau」
Release Date: June 17th, 2022
Duration: 124 mins.
Director: Ryuichi Mino
Writer: Kazuhiko Mino (Script),
Starring: Shuhei Handa, Mariko Akama, Mai Ohtani, Masahiro Umeda, Yoshinori Okada,
Synopsis: A gritty human drama where nothing goes right for lead character Kazuma who, after killing his father in order to protect his mother and younger sister from violence, gets locked up in prison and, upon release, has the stigma of being a murderer. Living in a halfway house and working at a scrap mill where bullying is rife, he struggles to become a part of society again but as he begins to stand up for more vulnerable co-workers and for himself, he begins to lose hope.