Happy Weekend
This is the first of a two-part trailer post so come back tomorrow for more.
I’m making good use of my Letterboxd account and logging a film a day.
What are the first batch of films released this weekend?
世界は僕らに気づかない 「Seikatsu wa Bokura ni Kidzukanai」
Release Date: , 2022
Duration: 112 mins.
Director: Kasho Iizuka
Writer: Kasho Iizuka (Screenplay),
Starring: Kazuki Horike, GOW, Masafumi Shinohara, Tomoka Murayama, Kenji Iwaya,
This comes from Kasho Iizuka who is a writer, director and cinematographer whose works, like his 2011 Pia Film Festival Special Jury Prize-winning autobiographical debut Our Future, are concerned with the existence of people who don’t fit neatly in society. In 2022, he released two films, Futari no Sekai, a drama concerned with transgenderism, and Angry Son, in which he tackles immigration through the prism of a single-parent family.
You can read my review of the film here and an interview with director Kasho Iizuka here. It plays at this year’s Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme.
Synopsis: If ever a film lived up to its title, it’s Angry Son which presents a perma-mad protag Jungo (HORIKE Kazuki), a high school student living in rural Ota City, Gunma Prefecture. Audiences are asked to sympathise with his temper tantrums, most of which are aimed at his feisty Filipina mother Reina (GOW). Fortunately, she gives as good as she gets as she and her son navigate aggravating instances of xenophobia, being a single-parent household, and his quest to search for a father he has only ever known through child-support payments.
If you can resist the urge to dislike the angry one, you will find writer/director IIZUKA Kasho’s drama rich with incidents and issues, from exploring homosexuality and the mixed-race experience, to Filipino life in Japan. It always remains entertaining and has a heart-warming tear-jerker of a finale that replaces anger with love thanks to fully fleshed-out side characters offering a hopeful look at people learning to live together.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Overture to a New War 
銀河英雄伝説 新たなる戦いの序曲（オーヴァチュア） 「Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Arata naru Tatakai no Overture」
Release Date: December 18th, 1993
Duration: 90 mins
Director: Keizo Shimizu, Kenichi Maeda,
Writer: Shimao Kawanaka (Screenplay), Yoshiki Tanaka (Original Creator)
Starring: Kei Tomiyama (Yang Wen-li), Ryo Horikawa (Reinhard von Lohengramm), Masashi Hironaka (Siegfried Kircheis), Kazuhiko Inoue (Dusty Attemborough), Keiko Han (Annerose von Grunewald),
Animation Production: Kitty Films
This is a 4K remastered version of this film to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original novel’s publication. It follow’s My Conquest is the Sea of Stars released last month.
This is a story that takes place just before the main story of Yoshiki Tanaka’s seminal work. It features the first meeting of Yang Wen-li and Reinhard von Lohengramm. It was directed by Noboru Ishiguro. He helmed different anime series and works including Space Battleship Yamato, Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Orguss, Humanoid Monster Bem, Megazone 23, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
Synopsis: The war between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance grinds on and Count Reinhard von Lohengramm of the Galactic Empire arrives at the Imperial capital of Odin to a hero’s welcome after crushing an Alliance fleet at the 4th Battle of Tiamat. With victory comes promotion to the rank of High Admiral. Meanwhile, Yang returns home to discover that a friend is going to propose to the girl he loves. Rest is deferred for both as Reinhard is ordered by Duke Otho von Braunschweig to attack the Alliance space with a fleet of ships. This time, von Braunschweig leaks the plan to the Alliance who send a massive fleet in response. Reinhard figures out their plan while Commodore Yang tries to have his side’s forces.
Ichikei’s Crow 
イチケイのカラス 「Ichikei no Karasu」
Release Date: January 13th, 2023
Duration: 119 mins.
Director: Ryo Tanaka
Writer: Hideya Hamada (Screenplay), Rito Asami (Original Manga),
Starring: Yutaka Takenouchi, Haru Kuroki, Takumi Saito, Osamu Mukai,
Ryo Tanaka seems to have good form directing TV dramas and movie spin-offs. His most recent work includes The Confidence Man JP and Ichikei’s Crow. Lead stars Yutaka Takenouchi (Birds Without Names) and Haru Kuroki (The Bride of Rip Van Winkle) are back to reprise their roles.
Synopsis: Two years have passed since Michio Iruma (Yutaka Takenouchi) left Tokyo District Court, Branch 3, First Criminal Division (“Ichikei”) and he now works as a judge at Setouchi in Okayama Prefecture. While working on an assault case involving Japan’s youngest ever Minister of Defence, Michio realises he is up against more powerful forces than he expected. Meanwhile, Chizuru Sakama (Haru Kuroki), Michio’s former colleague, begins work as a lawyer under a judges’ work experience system. Her case is in the town next to Michio’s and involves a large local company that supports the town. There is a connection between hers and Michio’s cases.
And So I’m at a Loss 
そして僕は途方に暮れる 「Soshite Boku wa Tohou ni Kureru」
Release Date: January 13th, 2023
Duration: 122 mins.
Director: Daisuke Miura
Writer: Daisuke Miura (Screenplay),
Starring: Taisuke Fujigaya, Atsuko Maeda, Etsushi Toyokawa, Mieko Harada, Akiyoshi Nakao, Karina, Shuhei Nomura,
Daisuke Miura, director of Love’s Whirlpool and Call Boy, is working with idol Taisuke Fujigaya of Kis-My-Ft.2 in an adaptation of his own stageplay in which Fujigaya also held the lead role. Co-stars include Atsuko Maeda (To the Ends of the Earth) and Etsushi Toyokawa (Seppun).
Synopsis: Yuichi Sugawara (Taisuke Fujigaya) is a freeter with a great girlfriend named Satomi (Atsuko Maeda) and loyal friends, his sister, and mother but he takes each of them for granted and leaves them when confronted over infidelity, bad behaviour, and criticism. Eventually, Yuichi meets his long-absent father, Koji, who also ran away from tough situations. Koji invites Yuichi to his home and the young man accepts and turns off his phone to cut contact with others. That is when he decides to change his life.
JSB3 LIVE FILM RISING SOUND 
Release Date: January 13th, 2023
Duration: 99 mins.
Director: Daisuke Ninomiya
Writer: N/A
Starring: NAOTO, Naoki Kobayashi, Kenjiro Yamashita, Ryuji Imaichi, Hiroomi Tosaka, ELLY, Takanori Iwata,
Synopsis: The first live film of the popular dance and performance group “J SOUL BROTHERS from EXILE TRIBE”. It collects the best of the groups performances on previous live tours.
Himitsu no Nacchan 
ひみつのなっちゃん。 「Himitsu no Nacchan」
Release Date: January 13th, 2023
Duration: 97 mins.
Director: Yasujiro Tanaka
Writer: Yasujiro Tanaka (Screenplay),
Starring: Kenichi Takito, Shu Watanabe, Tomoya Maeno, Takanori (Cunning) Takeyama, Chieko Matsubara, Hiroaki Iwanaga,
Strong supporting actor Kenichi Takito (Love’s Whirlpool) camps it up in what looks to be Yasujiro Tanaka’s debut feature?
Synopsis: When Nacchan, a former drag queen, dies suddenly, three of Nacchan’s drag queen friends try to erase the history that she was gay and had been a drag queen before her family find out. However, Nacchan’s mother Keiko invites them to the funeral and so the three head to Gujo City in Gifu Prefecture.
Geki x Cine: Shinshu Braigai 
ゲキ×シネ「神州無頼街」 「Geki x Shine: Shinshu Buraigai」
Release Date: January 13th, 2023
Duration: 176 mins.
Director: Hidenori Inoue
Writer: Kazuki Nakajima (Screenplay),
Starring: Sota Fukushi, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Masahiro Takashima, Mamoru Miyano, Ryo Kimura,
Synopsis: The time is the end of the Edo period and the Bando family are hosting a banquet in Shimizu Minato, Suruga Province. It is all a cover for an assassination plot that will be disrupted by Eiryu Akitsu, a young doctor, and Kusagari, a cheerful and good-natured interloper.
The Fools Orokamono-tachi no Uta 
THE FOOLS 愚か者たちの歌 「The Fools Orokamono-tachi no Uta」
Release Date: January 13th, 2023
Duration: 113 mins.
Director: Shinichi Takahashi
Writer: N/A
Starring: Ko Ito, Ryo Kawada, Seiji Fukushima, Masayasu Murakami, Hiroshi Sekiguchi, Kazuya Wakabayashi,
Synopsis: A documentary about THE FOOLS, an underground rock band that has been active since the 1980s. The director has been a long-time fan and the film goes into details about the lives, repeated arrests for drugs, successive illnesses and deaths of band members, and more.