The epic clearing out of about 20 years of my life continued this week as I recycled lots of CDs and VHS tapes, a computer with the Windows 98 OS and a lot of Edge magazines. I also got covered in a heck load of dust. Work has been hectic what with school holidays but I had a few days off (HA!). On Thursday I went to see The Book Thief at the cinema. The film was pretty good.
As far as Japanese things go I read the manga for Helter Skelter, watched the first two episodes of the funny Watashi no Kiraina Tantei dorama and I am now convinced that Hoozuki no Reitetsu and Space Dandy are the best shows this winter season as I watched episode 8 for both.
I published some trailers yesterday and the reviews for The Great Passage and Why Don’t You Play in Hell, two Japanese films I recommend to everyone. Now… on to the trailers! There are some really interesting ones today!
Touching the Skin of Eeriness 
Japanese Title: 不気味なものの肌に触れる
Romaji: Bukimina mono no Hada ni Fureru
Release Date: March 01st, 2014
Running Time: 54 mins.
Director: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Writer: N/A
Starring: Shota Sometani, Natsumi Seto, Jun Murakami, Ayumi Mizukoshi, Hoshi Ishida, Aoba Kawai, Kiyohiko Shibukawa,
There are some really awesome, awesome actors here but this trailer is hard to figure out. It looks a little shounen ai, a little horror and a lot of interperaive dancing and that last one scares me the most because I just. Cannot. Stand. It. The story is about a guy named Chihiro (Sometani) who lost his father and is tormented by loneliness despite living with others. To conquer his emotions he takes up dancing…
Love’s Whirlpool 
Japanese Title: 愛の渦
Romaji: Ai no Uzu
Release Date: March 01st, 2014
Running Time: 123 mins.
Director: Daisuke Miura
Writer: Daisuke Miura (Script/Stage Play/Original Novel)
Starring: Yoko Mitsuya, Hirofumi Arai, Mugi Kadowaki, Sosuke Ikematsu, Kenichi Takito, Ryusuke Komakime, Tokio Emoto, Eriko Nakamura
This trailer is not safe for work so you have been warned.
A group of people gather at a well-furnished apartment in Roppongi for sex that will last from midnight to 5AM. They are all strangers to each other and lead ordinary lives like being a college student, office worker, nursery teacher and part time worker but all desire sex. It is meant to be plutonic, just fun but for some it becomes more as other emotions are tapped…
Neko Samurai 
Japanese Title: 猫侍
Romaji: Neko Samurai
Release Date: March 01st, 2014
Running Time: 100 mins.
Director: Yoshitaka Yamaguchi
Writer: Yuji Nagamori, Yoshitaka Yamaguchi
Starring: Kazuki Kitamura, Misako Renbutsu, Yasufumi Terawaki, Yosuke Asari, Kanji Tsuda, Megumi Yokoyama, Shingo Mizusawa,
Who can kill a cat? Cats rock! It seems this samurai agrees in this fun looking film which is based on a TV show.
Kyutaro (Kitamura) was once a fearsome samurai but has fallen on hard times and tries to keep a low profile. When a man named Sakichi (Mizusawa) sees an example Kyutaro’s swordsmanship he hires the samurai to kill a white cat named Tamanojoh who has bewitched his boss Yozaemon (Ito) and left him immature. Kyutaro takes the job but when he sees how lovely the white cat is he has a change of heart.
Sukima Onna Gekijouban 
Japanese Title: 隙間女 劇場版
Romaji: Sukima Onna Gekijouban
Release Date: March 01st, 2014
Running Time: N/A
Director: Jiro Nagae
Writer: Jiro Nagae, Tsuyoshi Akama (Script)
Starring: Ayaka Kikuchi, Yurika Tachibana, Eiji Moriyama, Yu Ashihara
Ah, another AKB48 idol gets plunged into a horror movie. The cinematography looks better than what is usually seen in film projects of this kind but the imagery is super familiar. The yurei is a girl who can crawl through gaps. See girls from Idling and AKB48 get chased by GAP GIRL!
Koharu (Kikuchi) visits her sister Kyoko (Ashihara) at her apartment and finds her unconcious in a room covered in masking tape. When Kyoko regains consciousness she tells the story of tempting the curse an evil spirit who exists in a vacant house. The spirit can travel through gaps and doesn’t like being disturbed which is what Kyoko did when she entered that house. Koharu investigates…
Typhoon Family 
Japanese Title: 台風一家
Romaji: Taifū Ikka
Release Date: March 01st, 2014
Running Time: 81 mins.
Director: Oku Hidetaro
Writer: Oku Hidetaro (Script)
Starring: Yuko Miyamoto, Arata Furuta, Seiji Nozoe
In this movie we follow a family where people suffer various things and rebel. A son doesn’t take an entrance exam, there’s sexual abuse going on and the mother moves away with her disabled daughter.
