Welcome to this week’s trailer post.
Only one post this week.
So, my coverage of Japan Cuts and New York Asian Film Festival got off to a start this week and that included two reviews that bridged my coverage of Nippon Connection 2024 – All the Long Nights and Shunga: The Lost Japanese Erotica. I rate both films highly and I can see them being in my top ten of the year come December. The same can be said for Whale Bones and Motion Picture: Choke, both of which reeeeaaally impressed me with their use of cinema theatricality to, in the case of Whale Bones, craft a narrative wherein the central protag’s perspective is unreliable since it is heavily influenced by a social media AR app, and in the second case, Motion Picture: Choke, create a post-apocalyptic cavewoman’s story which managed to encompass the path of human civilisation.
Stay tuned for more reviews!
In terms of movies, I watched a grip of French titles including All the Fine Promises (Jean-Pay Civeyrac, 2003), The Apartment (Gilles Mimouni, 1996), Knife + Heart (Yann Gonzalez, 2018), The Public Woman (Andrzej Zulawski, 1984), and Infested (Sebastien Venicek, 2023). Each of them was really good, although I found myself cackling with disbelief over the crazy plot twists in The Apartment.
What are the Japanese films released this weekend?
Ghost Cat Anzu 
化け猫あんずちゃん 「Bakeneko Anzu-chan」
Release Date: July 19th, 2024
Duration: 94 mins.
Director: Yoko Kuno, Nobuhiro Yamashita
Writer: Shinji Imaoka (Screenplay), Takashi Imashiro (Original Manga),
Starring: Mirai Moriyama (Anzu), Noa Goto (Karin), 
Animation Production: Shin-Ei Animation, MIYU Productions
Website Twitter: @ghostcat_anzu ANN IMDB
Nobuhiro Yamashita (Hard-Core, The Drudgery Train) is co-directing with Yoko Kuno, who is making her directorial debut with this title. Her credits feature many animation production roles such as animation director of rotoscope on The Murder Case of Hana and Alice (2015) and animator/designer positions on various Crayon Shin-chan films. Anzu will combine 2D digital animation with rotoscope animation.
Shinji Imaoka (Reiko and the Dolphin (2020) interview with director Imaoka, Far Away, Further Away) adapted Takashi Imashiro’s manga into screenplay form.
In terms of cast, ghost cat Anzu is voiced by Mirai Moriyama, lead of The Drudgery Train, while Noa Goto voices Karin. Both actors had their movements and facial expressions captured in footage by the live-action team led by director Yamashita and this footage will serve as a reference for the rotoscoping, which will be handled by Shin-Ei Animation (responsible for Doraemon and Shin-chan films) and French studio Miyu Productions.
The film was featured at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and Annecy Animation Festival.
Synopsis: Karin is taken by her father to the family-run temple which is where she meets a cat named Anzu. He isn’t an ordinary cat. He lives like a human and speaks like a human and rides a moped around town and earns his keep as a part-time masseuse like a human. This jovial bipedal creature was found by Karin’s grandfather over 30 years ago and has a strong personality. Karin has a strong personality too, but after initial clashes…
怨泊 ONPAKU 「ONPAKU」
Release Date: July 19th, 2024
Duration: 99 mins.
Director: Shogo Fujii
Writer: Shogo Fujii (Screenplay),
Starring: Josie Ho, Lawrence Chou, Kazuya Takahashi, Tomoko Kurokawa, Kazuki Shirakawa,
Website Twitter: @onpaku_movie IMDB
This is a Hong Kong-Japan horror from Shogo Fujii (Mimicry Freaks) and starring Josie Ho (Dream Home, So Close, Dead or Alive: Final). It will be screened at the New York Asian Film Festival soon, so I’ll try and get a review up!
Synopsis: Sarah, the CEO of a company in Hong Kong, has embarked on a business trip to Tokyo after breaking up with her boyfriend. Things go awry as soon as she touches down as the person handling work on the Japan side is an ex lover and the hotel she had booked is unable to accommodate her due to the sudden visit of the President of the United States to Tokyo. She is forced to stay at a private accommodation run by an old lady and this is where things go from bad to scary as she has visions of a man hurting a woman in a room, and a rotting body is found under the floor. It turns out that the house has a dark history and Sarah has a connection to it…
Ano ko wa dare? 
あのコはだぁれ？ 「Ano ko wa da~re?」
Release Date: July 19th, 2024
Duration: 107 mins.
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Writer: Takashi Shimizu, Rumi Kakuta (Screenplay/Original Story),
Starring: Nagisa Shibuya, Ikoi Hayase, Soma Santoki, Towa Araki, Shota Sometani, Satoru Matsuo Maya Imamori,
Website Twitter: @anokodare_movie IMDB
Takashi Shimizu of the Ju-On series continues to produce horror films at a fair clip, becoming one of the few J-Horror directors from the boom period, aside from Hideo Nakata, to stay in the game.
Synopsis: During the summer vacation period, temporary teacher Honoka Kimijima is a temporary teacher and so it is not exactly fair that she see one of the students suddenly jump from the school rooftop to their death in mysterious circumstances. Less fair still is that a ghost appears to be haunting a class she is in charge of over the summer period. There’s something about “that girl” that is whispered among the students.
Run for Money: Tokyo Mission 
逃走中 THE MOVIE 「Tosochu THE MOVIE 」
Release Date: July 19th, 2024
Duration: 97 mins.
Director: Masaki Nishiura
Writer: Miho Aotsuka (Screenplay),
Starring: Takumi Kawanishi, Sota Nakajima, Shoya Kimata, Sukai Kinjo, Reiya Seguchi, Daiki Sato, Ririka Tanabe, Chika Uchida, Mijika Nagai,
Website Twitter: @tosochu_movie
This is based on a variety show that dates back to 2004 and features celebrities trying to stay on the run and evade capture at the hands of hunters for as long as possible to win a prize. Amongst the runners are members of the boybands j01 and Fantastics from Exile Tribe.
Synopsis: When they were in high school, Yamato, Eijiro, Ken, Riku, Yugo, and Joji were members of the track team and good friends. After graduation, they went their separate ways. The six reunite when they each receive an email inviting them to participate in a competition to win a cash prize but their feelings have changed for each other and their bond is really put to the test when they are chased by hunters who have no scruples about making people disappaer.
Watashi ga ore no jinsei!? 
私が俺の人生!? 「Watashi ga ore no jinsei!?」
Release Date: July 19th, 2024
Duration: 93 mins.
Director: Yuji Nakamae
Writer: Yuji Nakamae (Screenplay),
Starring: Ayame Gouriki, Hiroyuki Onoue, Jingi Irie, Nao Hoshino, Mitsuki Kimijima, Keisuke Horibe,
Website Twitter: @tosochu_movie JFDB IMDB
I have to admit that I am still a fan of Ayame Gouriki (Black Butler) and am glad to see her still working.
Synopsis: Kaori has struggled to find a job ever since being laid off by her company during the COVID-19 pandemic and she has yet to tell her boyfriend. Her neighbour, Daisuke, is a taxi driver and going steady with a girl named Kyoko. Things get a little freaky Friday when Kaori and Daisuke crash into each other, tumble down a set of stairs and switch bodies. I hate it when that happens, and these two hate it even more as they have to pretend to be each other while figuring out how to set things right again and switch bodies back which means Kaori having to pretend to be a competent driver (spoiler alert: she’s a paper driver) and Daisuke getting a job at the taxi firm. Meanwhile, his girl suspects an affair since the two are always together…
Yamato yo towa ni: Rebel 3199 Part 1 Dark Invasion 
ヤマトよ永遠に REBEL3199 第一章 黒の侵略 「Yamato yo towa ni: Rebel 3199 Dai Ishho Kuro no Shinryaku」
Release Date: July 17th, 2024
Duration: 69 mins
Chief Director: Harutoshi Fukui, Director: Naomichi Yamato
Writer: Hideki Oka (Screenplay), Harutoshi Fukui (Screenplay/Series Composition), Yoshinobu Nishizaki (Original Creator),
Starring: Daisuke Ono (Susumu Kodai), Houko Kuwashima (Yuki Mori), Anan Furuya (Jiro Shima), Ayahi Takagaki (Saki Todo), Chitose Morinaga (Caroline Riaden), Hochu Ohtsuka (Shiro Sanada),
Animation Production: Studio Mother
Website Twitter: @new_yamato_2199 ANN MAL
This is the first of seven films.
Synopsis: The year is 2207 A.D. and just two years after the annihilation of Gamilas and Iskandar, Earth comes under threat from a mysterious giant object known as the Grand Reverse. It breaks through the Earth Defense Forces… forces and soldiers from the Grand Reverse take over the capital. Time for Space Battleship Yamato to sally forth into an unexplored time and space.
Gekijouban SutoPuri: Hajimari no monogatari – Strawberry School Festival!!! 
劇場版すとぷり はじまりの物語 Strawberry School Festival!!! 「Yamato yo towa ni: Rebel 3199 Dai Ishho Kuro no Shinryaku」
Release Date: July 17th, 2024
Duration: 83 mins
Director: Naoki Matsuura
Writer: Chika Suzumura (Screenplay), Masato Kashiwabara (Original Creator),
Starring: Colon (Colon), Jel (Jel), Nanamori. (Nanamori.), Riinu (Riinu), Root (Root), Satomi (Satomi), Atsumi Tanezaki), Haruka Tomatsu,
Animation Production: LIDEN FILMS, 3DCG Production: SANZIGEN
Website Twitter: @stpr_movie ANN MAL
Synopsis: Strawberry Prince are a boyband who are represented by illustrated characters. They got their start on Nico Nico Douga singing covers and playing video games and then selling CDs. This looks to be their first film and it tells their origin story.