Welcome to the one and only trailer post of the week.
I have started doing festival work in preparation for a big event next year. Before that, I have a couple of films to review and publish interviews for and a few festivals to cover!
I started my autumn festival coverage with a look at the 2024 editions of the Venice and the Toronto International Film Festivals, both of which will get going within the month.
In terms of films I have watched, Sans Soleil (1983) and Tokyo Days (1988) by Chris Marker. I also watched this great little short called Twilights (1994). Those were my standouts.
What are the Japanese films released this weekend?
The Voices at War Movie 
劇場版 アナウンサーたちの戦争 「Gekijouban Anaunsa-tachi no sensou」
Release Date: August 16th, 2024
Duration: 113 mins.
Director: Masae Ichiki
Writer: Yasuko Kuramitsu (Screenplay),
Starring: Go Morita, Ai Hashimoto, Kengo Kora, Kenta Hamano, Sakurai Fujiwara, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Kanji Furutachi, Fumiyo Kohinata, Ken Yasuda,
Website Twitter: @voice_is_at_war IMDB
This film is based on a true story. It depicts what radio announcers were doing and propaganda efforts of the Japanese government during World War II.
Synopsis: The drama principally follows talented radio announcer Nobutaka Wada and younger colleague Morio Tateno, both of whom gripped the public with their reporting of the outbreak of war and raised spirits with propaganda when times were good, only for Wada to have a crisis of conscience as the war gets worse for Japan and Tateno turns against the older man for his wavering commitment. Other announcers are seen, each going across Asia to broadcasting stations in occupied territory to promote local Japanization while a rookie female announcer named Mieko is side-lined due to authorities demanding heroic broadcasting.
A Samurai in Time 
侍タイムスリッパー 「Samurai Taimu Surippa-」
Release Date: August 17th, 2024
Duration: 113 mins.
Director: Junichi Yasuda
Writer: Junichi Yasuda (Screenplay), ,
Starring: Makiya Yamaguchi. Yuno Sakura, Yuji Takadera, Norimasa Fuke, Yoshihary Fukuda, Hajime Inoue, Ichiko Kurenai, Ken Shonozaki,
Website Twitter: @samurai_movie IMDB
A week before its release in Japan, this indie film about a time-travelling samurai won gold in the BEST ASIAN FEATURE category at Fantasia Film Festival. Here were the winners:
Gold: A SAMURAI IN TIME (Dir. Junichi Yasuda, Japan)
Silver: TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN (Dir. Soi Cheang, Hong Kong)
Bronze: PENALTY LOOP (Dir. Shinji Araki, Japan)
This may be an indie but it looks great because it was shot with the special cooperation of Toei Kyoto Studio, a site that has produced many major dramas and films, like Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji (1955) and Samurai Reincarnation (1981), and that also houses a theme parl.
Synopsis: It is the end of the Edo period and Kosaka Shinzaemon, a samurai of the Aizu domain, is in Kyoto to assassinate another samurai but just as their blades are about to clash, Kosaka struck by a lightning bolt and knocked unconscious. When he comes to, he finds himself in a modern-day period drama studio where he is taken in by the kind-hearted people and his well-practiced swordsmanship earns him a living.
Shinpei, 
心平、 「Shinpei,」
Release Date: August 17th, 2024
Duration: 105 mins.
Director: Tatsuro Yamashiro
Writer: Haruka Takenami (Screenplay),
Starring: Eita Okuno, Yua Ashihara, Shiro Shimomoto, Hidetoshi Kawaya, Ryuju Kobayashi, Yohta Kawase, Yuko Kageyama,
Website Twitter: @shinpei_movie
Synopsis: The setting for this film is Fukushima in 2014 and the drama follows a farming family who live in a small village. The father, Ippei, a part-time farmer, has struggled to find work since the nuclear meltdown in 2011. The son, Shinpei, has a mild mental disability and is allowed to roam around. Shinpei’s sister, Ichigo, is lumped with doing the family’s daily chores. When a neighbour informs Ippei and Ichigo that Shinpei has been seen stealing from houses in restricted zones, the two follow him and discover an unexpected sight.
Touken Ranbu Kai: Douden Chikashi Haberau Monora 
刀剣乱舞 廻 々伝 近し侍らうものら 「Touken Ranbu Kai: Douden Chikashi Haberau Monora」
Release Date: August 16th, 2024
Duration: 69 mins
Director: Kazuya Ichikawa
Writer: Kenichi Suemitsu (Screenplay),
Starring: Tarusuke Shingaki (Hasebe Heshikiri), Tomoaki Maeno (Kunihiro Yamanbagiri), Soma Saito (Tsurumaru Kuninaga), Kosuke Toriumi (Mikazuki Munechika), Takuya Sato (Shokudaikiri Mitsutada),
Animation Production: Domerica
Website Twitter: @touken_kai ANN MAL
Synopsis: This is a prequel to a TV anime that finished airing earlier this year . It is part of a wider mixed media project that encompasses stage plays and more, that started life as a “sword personification training game” which saw famous swords from Japanese history turned into bishounen.
Zegapain STA 
ゼーガペインSTA 「Ze-gapein STA」
Release Date: August 16th, 2024
Duration: 69 mins
Director: Masami Shimoda
Writer: Katsuhiko Takayama (Screenplay), Hajime Yatate, Takehiko Ito (Original Creator),
Starring: Ayako Kawasumi (Shizuno Misaki), Kana Hanazawa (Ryoko Kaminagi), Natsuki Hanae (Sid), Tomokazu Sugita (Toya), Yui Ishikawa Basufota)
Animation Production: Sunrise
Website Twitter: @zega_official ANN MAL
Synopsis: Zegapain STA is part of the Zegapain franchise’s comeback. It is the first of a two-part film that slots into a wider effort going under the name Zegapain Project Reunion. It recounts the 2006 TV anime and tells the story of what happened after the final episode of the TV anime.
In the original story, Kyo, a high schooler, joins a team piloting mecha in a fight against aliens. He must face a new threat after retrieving memories he lost after the last conflict.
KING OF PRISM Dramatic PRISM.1 
刀剣乱舞 廻 々伝 近し侍らうものら 「Touken Ranbu Kai: Douden Chikashi Haberau Monora」
Release Date: August 16th, 2024
Duration: 61 mins
Director: Masakazu Hishida
Writer: Jou Aoba (Screenplay),
Starring: Junta Terashima (Shin Ichijo), Masashi Igarashi (Minato Takahashi), Shota Aoi (Louis Kisaragi), Shunsuke Takeuchi (Alexander Yamato), Soma Saito (Yukinojo Tachibana),
Animation Production: Tatsunoko Production
Website Twitter: @kinpri_PR ANN MAL
Synopsis: This is the first theatrical version in four years of the popular “KING OF PRISM” anime series. Male idols perform song and dance routines in “Prism Show” championships. The film appears to be based on the TV series, which was released in 2019, and reconstructed with new parts.