Welcome to the first of two trailer posts this week
Only 12 films this week, so come back tomorrow of the second post
The Japanese Film Festival Online has finished its first phase, in which 27 films were available, and I watched nine films and enjoyed them. I used the films partially as Japanese-language practice since I am trying to up immersion time in hearing the language spoken. My thanks go out to the Japan Foundation for putting this on!
Anyway…
Here’s the first group of films released this weekend.
Gintama on Theater 2D: Ikkoku Keisei-hen 
銀魂オンシアター2D 一国傾城篇 「Gintama on shiata – 2D 2 Ikkoku Keisei-hen」
Release Date: June 21st, 2024
Duration: 100 mins
Director: Youichi Fujita
Writer: Michiko Yokote, Kento Shimoyama (Screenplay/Series Composition), Hideaki Sorachi (Original Creator),
Starring: Tomokazu Sugita (Gintoki Sakata), Rie Kugimiya (Kagura), Daisuke Sakaguchi (Shinpachi Shimura), Yuuko Kaida (Tsukuyo), Aya Hirano (Nobume Imai),
Animation Production: Bandai Namco Pictures
This is the second instalment of “Gintama on Theater 2D,” a cinema screening of popular episodes from the anime series “Gintama. Here, episodes from the 2013 TV broadcast of the Courtesan of the Nation Arc, episodes 5–9 in the third season, are re-edited and given additional bonus footage as part of the “Gintama 20th Anniversary Project.”
Synopsis: Gintoki comes to the aid of Suzuran, a legendary oiran (courtesan) who remained in Yoshiwara district well into old age, believing in a promise she made to a loved one a long time ago. Said loved one is rumoured to be related to the previous shogun, Tokugawa Sadamasa, so, in order to find out the truth, Gintoki and his friends sneak into Edo Castle through Kagura’s best friend, Soyohime, the sister of the current shogun.
Omuro-ke dear friends 
大室家 dear friends 「Oomuro-ke dear friends」
Release Date: June 21st, 2024
Duration: 44 mins
Director: Naoyuki Tatsuwa
Writer: Masahiro Yokotani (Screenplay/Series Composition), Namori (Original Creator),
Starring: Chiwa Saito (Nadeshiko Omuro), Emiri Kato (Sakurako Omuro), Rina Hidaka (Hanako Omuro), Aoi Koga (Misaki Takasaki), Sumire Uesaka (Megumi Sonokawa)
Animation Production: Studio Lings, Passione
Website Twitter: @omrk_movie ANN MAL
Synopsis: This is the second of two medium-length anime movie spin-offs of the YuruYuri manga (the trailer for the first one is here), created by Namori. The story zeroes in on the “drama” between the three Omuro sisters. Tense times are had over clothing.
Kuchinai Sakura 
朽ちないサクラ 「Kuchinai Sakura」
Release Date: June 21st, 2024
Duration: 119 mins.
Director: Hiroto Hara
Writer: Yoshitatsu Yamada, Shota Gajin (Screenplay), Yuko Yuzuki (Original Novel),
Starring: Hana Sugisaki, Riku Hagiwara, Kosuke Toyohara, Ken Yasuda, Kokoro Morita, Tomoko Fujita, Soko Wada,
Website Twitter: @kuchinai_sakura
This is an adaptation of a novel by Yuko Yuzuki (The Blood of the Wolves).
Synopsis: A female university student living in Hirai City, Aichi Prefecture, is found murdered after reporting that she had been repeatedly stalked. An article in a local newspaper reveals that the police had been slow to act because the person handling the case had gone on a trip. The apartment is thrown into disarray as a search is on for the source of the leak and Izumi Moriguchi, a member of the Prefectural Police Public Relations and Appeals Section, suspects that her best friend, Chika Tsumura, a reporter, broke a promise to her and wrote the article. Chika denies this and tries to prove her innocence, but she is found dead a week later. Moved by remorse and guilt over, Izumi vows to catch Chika’s killer…
Hey Handsome 
おいハンサム!! 「Oi Hansamu!!」
Release Date: June 21st, 2024
Duration: 119 mins.
Director: Masatoshi Yamaguchi
Writer: Masatoshi Yamaguchi (Screenplay), Risa Ito (Original Manga),
Starring: Kotaro Yoshida, Haruka Kinami, Yui Sakuma, rena Takeda, Megumi, Ren Sudo, Eri Fuse, Rina Ohta,
Website Twitter: @oi_handsome IMDB
This is the film adaptation of a TV drama and sees the cast and crew return (more on the drama in the IMDB link above).
Synopsis: The Ito family consists of the father, Gentaro, the mother, Chizuru, eldest daughter Yuka, middle-daughter Rika, and Mika, the youngest daughter. While the parents want nothing but happiness for their kids, Chizuru’s love life isn’t going so well even though her career is going great, Rika is divorced, and Mika isn’t getting along with her fiancé. Things are thrown further askew when Chizuru makes a shocking confession and Gentaro acts strangely on TV and the girls endure more man trouble…
Kyuu Juu-sai. Nani ga medetai 
九十歳。何がめでたい 「Kyuu Juu-sai. Nani ga medetai」
Release Date: June 21st, 2024
Duration: 99 mins.
Director: Tetsu Maeda
Writer: Satomi Oshima (Screenplay), Aiko Sato (Original Novel),
Starring: Mitsuko Kusabue, Miki Maya, Toshiaki Karasawa, Tae Kimura, Sawako Fujima, Runa Nakashima, Koki Mitani, Joe Odagiri, Mamoru Miyano,
Website Twitter: @90_medetai IMDB
This film is based on Aiko Sato’s best-selling collection of humorous essays about her interactions with the world.
Synopsis: Aiko Sato, an award-winning writer, has passed the age of 90 and stopped writing and reduced her interactions with the wider world. She spends her days in a state of depression but all of that changes when a middle-aged editor named Yoshikawa comes to her with a request to write essays. Aiko’s essay, in which she expresses her anger at a world that makes life difficult, becomes an unexpected hit and her life begins to change drastically…
Shin Sancha no Poltergeist 
新・三茶のポルターガイスト 「Shin Sancha no Poruta-gaisuto」
Release Date: June 21st, 2024
Duration: 88 mins.
Director: Keisuke Toyoshima
Writer: N/A
Starring: Yukiko Sumi, Shoji Yokozawa, Shiro Yamazaki, Kazutoshi Kodama, Masahiro Higashide (Narrator),
Website Twitter: @extreme_film
Synopsis: This is a sequel to a documentary-style film that captured the freaky occurrences of a haunted multi-tenant building in Sangenjaya, Tokyo, where an entertainment production company is located. Even after the film was released, the hauntings continued and it Yukiko Kado, an occult expert, goes into the building once again with lots of media tech and science equipment and experts to examine psychic phenomena…