Welcome to the first of two trailer posts for this week
Resuming normal posting activities
I have fallen into procrastinating after spending a concentrated amount of time writing. I’m shaking myself out of it by remaining committed to planning days and finishing off posts buuuuuut…
Persona 3: Reload has caught my attention. Not necessarily playing it but listening or watching things about it, including Twitch streamers. That’s usually on in the background while I write about films and then I glance at it every now and again, drawn by the music or wanting to see the action/characters.
It looks awesome! Anyway…
What are the first bunch of films released this week?
All the Long Nights 
夜明けのすべて 「Yoake no Subete」
Release Date: February 09th, 2024
Duration: 119 mins.
Director: Sho Miyake
Writer: Sho Miyake, Kiyoto Wada (Screenplay), Maiko Seo (Original Novel),
Starring: Mone Kamishiraishi, Hokuto Matsumura, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Ken Mitsuishi Ryo, Haruka Imou, Sawako Fujima,
Website Twitter: @yoakenosubete IMDB
My first encounter with Sho Miyake was through the film Wild Tour (2018). He has since gone on to make And Your Bird Can Sing (2018), and Small, Slow But Steady (2022), the Japan Academy Award hit film. He also directed Ju-on: Origins but we won’t talk about that.
Synopsis: Misa Fujisawa experiences premenstrual syndrome and she is unable to control her irritability. During one particularly severe bout of PMS, she explodes with anger at a work colleague, a new hire named Takatoshi Yamazoe who seems unmotivated at work. His behaviour is because he has something going on inside himself, too. He suffers from panic disorder and has become withdrawn. The more time they spend together, the more they develop a mutual understanding and a bond forms as they see ways to support each other.
Migawari Mission 
身代わり忠臣蔵 「Migawari Chushingura」
Release Date: February 09th, 2024
Duration: 119 mins.
Director: Hayato Kawai
Writer: Akihiro Dobashi (Screenplay/Original Novel),
Starring: Tsuyoshi Muro, Eita Nagayama, Haruna Kawaguchi, Kento Hayashi, Kazuki Kitamura, Akira Emoto,
Website Twitter: @migawari_movie IMDB
This is a Chushingura, a fictionalised work based on the original 48 Ronin story, it has one of the main characters replaced by a double who has to maintain the façade in order to prevent a bloodbath. Tsuyoshi Muro plays both of the two brothers, one of whom replaces the other and each of whom has a different personality.
Synopsis: After Asano Takumi-no-kami, the lord of the Ako clan, assaults court functionary Kira Kozuke-no-suke, he is instructed to commit seppuku. This means that his lands will be seized by the Shogun and his samurai would become ronin. However, because Kira fled the assault, a disgraceful action that would also destroy his clan, a plan is worked up by one of Kira’s retainers in which Kira’s younger brother pretends to be the older brother to fool the Shogun…
The Dancing Okami – Lady Kaga 
レディ加賀 「Redi Kaga」
Release Date: February 09th, 2024
Duration: 108 mins.
Director: Toshiro Saigo
Writer: Noriko Watanabe, Toshiro Saigo (Screenplay),
Starring: Fuka Koshiba, Ruka Matsuda, Ryo Aoki, Shizuka Nakamura, Arisa Yagi, Natsuki,
Website Twitter: @Ladykaga_movie
This is a film that uses the real-life tourism hook of the hospitality of women working at inns and onsen in Ishikawa Prefecture (once known as Kaga) as the basis for a fun song and dance-filled time.
Synopsis: Yuka Higuchi had once tried to pursue tap dancing in Tokyo but returned home to her parents and to take on the family’s onsen. It is hard going at first, but her cheerfulness and determination sees her push forward and even plan a tap dancing event with which to bring joy to the onsen.
Ichigatsu no Koe ni Yorokobi o Kizame 
一月の声に歓びを刻め 「Ichigatsu no Koe ni Yorokobi o Kizame」
Release Date: February 09th, 2024
Duration: 108 mins.
Director: Yukiko Mishima
Writer: Yukiko Mishima (Screenplay),
Starring: Atsuko Maeda, Maki Carrousel, Sho Aikawa, Ryota Bando, Reiko Kataoka, Shohei Uno,
Website Twitter: @ichikoe_movie
Yukiko Mishima (Dear Etranger) has created a drama based on personal experiences. It is split between three main characters who are on three islands – Nakajima at Lake Toya in Hokkaido, Hachijojima in the Izu Islands, and Dojima in Osaka.
Synopsis: Maki lives alone near Lake Toya. Her family has arrived for New Year’s celebrations and to enjoy an osechi meal she has prepared. However, since Maki lost her second daughter, a pall is cast over events.
Makoto is a cow farmer living on Hachijojima Island. He raised his daughter Umi alone after his wife died in a traffic accident and Umi left their home five years ago. When she returns, it is with unexpected news: she is pregnant.
Reiko has returned to her hometown on Dojima to attend the funeral of her ex-lover. She brings with her the inability to touch anyone due to past trauma. She meets a rental boyfriend, a man whom she hopes she can change herself with.
UVERworld KING’S PARADE Otoko Matsuri REBORN at Nissan Stadium 
UVERworld KING’S PARADE 男祭り REBORN at Nissan Stadium 「UVERworld KING’S PARADE Otoko Matsuri REBORN at Nissan Stadium」
Release Date: February 09th, 2024
Duration: 157 mins.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
Starring: TAKUYA∞, Katsuya, Akira, Nobuto, Shintaro, Seika,
Synopsis: UVERworld held a live performance for male fans only, in July 2023. It looks like they have done this “Man Festival” since 2011 when they performed at an event with 230 people. This event has grown in popularity and 70,000 men gathered at Nissan Stadium to hear the band play.
Kaze yo Arashi yo Gekijouban 
風よ あらしよ 劇場版 「Kaze yo Arashi yo Gekijouban 」
Release Date: February 09th, 2024
Duration: 108 mins.
Director: Tsuyoshi Yanagawa
Writer: Koichi Yajima (Screenplay), Yuka Murayama (Original Novel),
Starring: Yurika Yoshitaka, Eita Nagayama, Nao Matsushita, Minami, Maho Yamada,
Yurika Yoshitaka starred in a 2022 drama about Noe Ito, a real-life women’s rights activist in the Taisho period. This is the movie version. You can see another cinematic representation of her in Yoshishige Yoshida’s stunning Eros + Massacre.
Synopsis: In the Taisho era, Noe Ito grew up in a poor family in rural Fukuoka and refused to marry to support her family. Instead, she moved to Tokyo by herself and joined the Bluestocking Society, a women’s group that challenged male-dominated society in various areas such as morality and the institution of marriage in order to push for women’s liberation. The film depicts this, as well as her relationships, all culminating with her untimely death during the chaos of the Great Kanto Earthquake and the right-wing crackdown on free speech and dissent.