Welcome to the second trailer post of three
You can find the first trailer post here while the third one for this week goes live tomorrow.
There are about 15 fresh Japanese films hitting screens, so five per post. Also released is Andrei Tarkovsky’s mighty movie Nostalghia. The finale for that film brought me to tears. There are also a lot of Johnnie To movies hitting a cinema – Exiled, Election 1 & 2, and Breaking News.
What are the next set of films released this weekend?
Take Me to Another Planet 
違う惑星の変な恋人 「Chigau Wakusei no Hanna Koibito」
Release Date: January 26th, 2024
Duration: 126 mins.
Director: Satoshi Kimura
Writer: Satoshi Kimura (Screenplay),
Starring: Riko, Miwako Kakei, Ayumu Nakajima, Keito Tsuna, Nagi Murata,
Website Twitter: @chigawaku2024
This film played at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2023
Synopsis: Love confusion strikes Mu-chan and Glico, two ladies who work at a hair salon and two friends. When Glico’s ex-lover, Mo, shows up, feelings are rekindled but when Glico meets an old acquaintance named Benji, things get confused as she kind of likes him and Mu-chan develops a liking to. Nevertheless, Glico and Mo, help Muchan try to make Benji fall in love with her, all while he is interested in somebody else…
Karajishi Kamen LION-GIRL 
唐獅子仮面 LION-GIRL 「Karajishi Kamen LION-GIRL」
Release Date: January 26th, 2024
Duration: 121 mins.
Director: Kurando Mitsutake
Writer: Kurando Mitsutake (Screenplay), Go Nagai (Original Manga),
Starring: Tori Griffith, Julie Burrise, Derek Mears, Stefanie Estes, David Sakurai,
This is based on original characters created by Go Nagai, the manga-ka responsible for “Devil Man,” “Mazinger Z.” It was adapted for the screen by Kurando Mitsutake, a Los Angeles-based director responsible for Gun Woman (2014) and Maniac Driver (2020). The original dialogue is in English and a Japanese-dubbed version is available for Japan.
Synopsis from IMDB: In the year 20XX, mysterious meteors bombard the Earth and usher in an age of horrific beasts known as ‘ANOROC’, hunting and killing humans for their life force. The Earth has one last defender against them; her name is ‘LION-GIRL’.
For Whom the Flowers Bloom 
誰が為に花は咲く 「Ta ga Tame ni Hana wa Saku」
Release Date: January 26th, 2024
Duration: 121 mins.
Director: Tomoyuki Fujiwara
Writer: Tomoyuki Fujiwara (Screenplay), ,
Starring: Hina Yukawa, Rion Takahashi, Hijiri Kojima, Matsumoto Club, Miyu Okumura,
Website Twitter: @Subarashikifilm
Synopsis: Tsubaki is a high school girl whose life goes off the rails when her father is accused of murder and he disappears. She and her brother move in with her grandfather and suffer discrimination for being the family of a murderer. They grow up with this pressure and their absent parent but continue to try their best until Tsubaki’s younger brother goes missing and social media bullies and the police descend upon the family again with the expectation that the father will emerge from hiding…
The Street Sliders Tengoku to Jigoku LIVE AT BUDOKAN 1987
天国と地獄 LIVE AT BUDOKAN 1987 「The Street Sliders Tengoku to Jigoku LIVE AT BUDOKAN 1987」
Release Date: January 26th, 2024
Duration: 103 mins.
Director: Tomoyuki Fujiwara
Writer: Tomoyuki Fujiwara (Screenplay), Go Nagai (Original Manga),
Starring: The Street Sliders: Hiroaki Murakoshi, Kohey Tsuchiya, Yoji Ichikawa, Masao Suzuki,
Website Twitter: @tss40th
Synopsis: A digitally remastered recording of “Heaven and Hell,” a live concert that the rock band The Street Sliders performing at Nippon Budokan on January 30, 1987. The Street Sliders celebrated the 40th anniversary of their debut last year by reuniting for the first time in about 22 years.
Hashi Monogatari “Yakusoku” 
橋ものがたり「約束」 「Hashi Monogatari “Yakusoku”」
Release Date: January 26th, 2024
Duration: 121 mins.
Director: Shigemichi Sugita
Writer: Shigemichi Sugita (Screenplay), Shuhei Fujisawa (Original Novel),
Starring: Sennosuke Kataoka, Kana Kita, Futo Nozomi, Sayaka Yamaguchi, Tomoko Fujita,
It has been a while since there has been an adaptation of a Shuhei Fujisawa work. This one is based on “Yakusoku” from his classic short story collection “Hashi Monogatari”. It stars Sennosuke Kataoka, a rising star of the Kabuki world.
Synopsis: Kosuke’s apprenticeship to a Kazari craftsman is about to expire and he waits on a bridge for his sweetheart but, despite their mutual feelings for each other, a secret in his life and a secret in hers could prevent any such meeting. Still, he waits with an ornamental hairpin he made for her…