Happy Weekend
This is the first of a two-part trailer post. Come back tomorrow for more.
This week was all about previews of film festivals but I’ve been beavering away with film reviews and reading manga. I also participated in a recording of the Heroic Purgatory podcast to cover the 2008 Thai film Chocolate.
What are the first batch of films released this weekend?
Tokyo Revengers 2 Bloody Halloween: Decisive Battle 
東京リベンジャーズ2 血のハロウィン編 決戦 「Toukyou Ribenja-zu 2 Chi no Harouin Hen: Kessen」
Release Date: June 30th, 2023
Duration: 90 mins.
Director: Tsutomu Hanabusa
Writer: Izumi Takahashi (Screenplay), Ken Wakui (Original Manga)
Starring: Takumi Kitamura, Yuki Yamada, Yosuke Sugino, Mio Imada, Gordon Maeda, Kento Nagayama, Mahiro Takasugi, Nijiro Murakami,
This is the second of a two-part story set for cinemas.
Synopsis: The conflict between Tokyo Manjikai Gang and Valhalla kicks off and Takemichi throws himself into it to save Hinata and the future.
Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos the Movie Part 2 
劇場版 美少女戦士セーラームーンCosmos 後編 「Gekijouban Bishoujo Senshi Se-ra- Mu-n Cosmos Kouhen」
Release Date: June 30th, 2023
Duration: 80 mins.
Director: Tomoya Takahashi
Writer: Kazuyuki Fudeyasu (Script), Naoko Takeuchi (Original Creator/Supervision),
Starring: Kotono Mitsuishi (Usagi Tsukino/Sailor Moon), Ai Maeda (Setsuna Meioh/Sailor Pluto), Ami Koshimizu (Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter), Hisako Kanemoto (Ami Mizuno/Sailor Mercury), Rina Satou (Rei Hino/Sailor Mars), Sayaka Ohara (Michiru Kaioh/Sailor Neptune),
Animation Production: Studio DEEN, Toei Animation,
The second part of a two-part theatrical film depicting the “Shadow Galactica Arc” of Sailor Moon.
Synopsis: Sailor Moon goes into battle with Shadow Galactica to prevent them from conquering the galaxy. Sailor Galactica, the Warrior of Destruction, takes out Sailor Moon’s friends one after another and Sailor Moon has to gather her courage for a final decisive battle that will determine the fate of the everything.
Go! Anpanman: Roboly to Pokapoka Present 
それいけ！アンパンマン ロボリィとぽかぽかプレゼント 「Soreike! Anpanman: Robori to Pokapoka Purezento」
Release Date: June 30th 2023
Duration: 64 mins.
Director: Toshikazu Hashimoto
Writer: Takashi Yanase (Original Novels)
Starring: Keiko Toda (Anpanman), Ryuusei Nakao (Baikinman), Keiko Kitagawa (Dororin),
Animation Production: TMS Entertainment
Synopsis: Roboly is a robot girl who lives in Comet Robo, a place where robots who can make anything live. Roboly is the best at making things but when she learns of something that even she cannot make, she leaves Comet Robo with the robot bird Koto to find it. On the way, she acquires a music box and travels to Anpanman’s world to find the owner. When she meets Anpanman and friends, she notices that her chest feels “warm” and begins wondering about her first feelings. Meanwhile, Baikinman invents a mecha called “Roboking” and attacks Comet Robo. Cue Anpanman and friends travelling there.
Mountain Woman 
山女 「Yama Onna」
Release Date: June 30th, 2023
Duration: 100 mins.
Director: Takeshi Fukunaga
Writer: Takeshi Fukunaga, Ikue Osada (Screenplay)
Starring: Anna Yamada, Ayame, Denden, Masatoshi Nagase, Toko Miura, Mirai Moriyama, Haya Nakazaki, Ryutaro Ninomiya, Yota Kawase,
Takeshi Fukunaga made waves with his Hokkaido-set drama Ainu Mosir (currently on Netflix) that draws on the conflict between contemporary Japan and the traditions of the Ainu people. He’s back with Mountain Woman, a film which ditches the contemporary part and looks at old Japan in a story that looks at poverty and discrimination. It is another well-received work and stars a who’s who of contemporary actors and actresses.
Synopsis: We are taken to Tohoku, circa the 18th century, to a village short on food due to extreme cold weather. Rin (Anna Yamada) is despised by her fellow villagers but finds peace at Hayachimine mountain. A shrine to the goddess of thieves is set up there. When Rin’s father (Masatoshi Nagase) causes an incident and she defends him, she leaves home and goes deep into the mountain where she meets a mysterious mountain dweller (Mirai Moriyama)…
Life of Mariko in Kabukicho 
探偵マリコの生涯で一番悲惨な日 「Tantei Mariko no Shogai de Ichiban Hisanna Hi」
Release Date: June 30th, 2023
Duration: 116 mins.
Director: Eiji Uchida, Shinzo Katayama
Writer: Yoshitatsu Yamada, Eiji Uchida, Shinzo Katayama (Screenplay),
Starring: Sairi Itoh, Yutaka Takenouchi, Yukiya Kitamura, Shohei Uno, Yuya Matsuura, Momoi Shimada,
An episodic story made up of six parts (the directors each handled three stories), all set in various areas of Shinjuku and featuring far-out stories that go on there.
Synopsis: Mariko is a bartender at Curl Mall, which is located in Shinjuku’s Golden Gai area. When not serving drinks, she works as a private detective and her clients, such as the FBI, ask her to find an alien that has blended in among people in Kabukicho. With the help of her boyfriend Masaya (Yutaka Takenouchi), she is on the case.
Immigration Under the Rim 
縁の下のイミグレ 「Enonoshita no Imigure」
Release Date: June 30th, 2023
Duration: 77 mins.
Director: Yusei Naruse
Writer: Hidemasa Kondo (Screenplay), Hidemasa Kondo (Original Work)
Starring: Natasha, Kazuki Horike, Yuuichi Nakamura, Sanshiro Inomata, Magy, LaSalle Ishii,
This is based on a work by a real-life politician. One of the stars is Kazuki Horike (Angry Son).
Synopsis: Real-life model Natasha plays a Vietnamese woman who travelled to Japan on a technical internship. In this comedy, we see how she is treated unfairly at the factory she works in and how an acquaintance gets outside help which isn’t totally reliable…