Welcome to the first of three trailer posts of the week.
The next two follow over the next two days.
I’ve been half-watching horror films while writing since this is October and my daytimes are spent going to work like normal as the autumn weather slowly gives way to winter. This is my favourite part of the year as the weather is at an exquisite coolness and it’s great for watching films.
What are the first set of trailers for this week?
Maru 
まる 「Maru」
Release Date: October 18th, 2024
Duration: 117 mins.
Director: Naoko Ogigami
Writer: Naoko Ogigami (Screenplay),
Starring: Tsuyoshi Domoto, Go Ayano, Riho Yoshioka, Win Morisaki, Junki Tozuka, Mari Hamada, Akira Emoto, Satomi Kobayashi,
Website Twitter: @movie_maru2024 JFDB IMDB
Naoko Ogigami follows her sublime mid-life crisis drama Ripples with this Uzumaki-sounding film where idol/singer Tsuyoshi Domoto, in his first leading film role in 27 years, plays an artist who becomes obsessed with circles. He has excellent support from Akira Emoo, Mari Hamada, Riho Yoshioka, and Go Ayano.
Synopsis: Sawada graduated from an art college decades ago and has yet to make it as an artist. Now, as a 44-year-old, he works as an assistant to a another, more popular artist. Indeed, he has lost the will to create art and simply follows orders. However, surviving an accident sees him injured and fired from his job but sets off a switch in his head where he paints the letter “O” and finds that his work becomes a hit on social media. He soon becomes obsessed with O’s wherever he sees them.
Fuzjko Hemming, a Pianist with a Romantic Tone 
恋するピアニスト フジコ・ヘミング 「Koi suru pianisuto Fujiko Hemming」
Release Date: October 18th, 2024
Duration: 119 mins.
Director: Soichiro Komatsu
Writer: N/A
Starring: Fujiko Hemming
Website Twitter: @Fuzjko_film
Synopsis: This documentary is about the world-renowned pianist Fujiko Hemming, who passed away in April 2024 at the age of 92. This documentary covers four years of her life, starting in 2020, and includes her reunion with the piano she played in Okayama during the war, her memories of her family, and footage of her performing.
ADABANA 
徒花 ADABANA 「ABADANA」
Release Date: October 18th, 2024
Duration: 94 mins.
Director: Sayaka Kai
Writer: Sayaka Kai (Screenplay),
Starring: Kiko Mizuhara, Arata Iura, Masatoshi Nagase, Toko Miura, Miyako Koda, Yuka Itaya, Hideko Hara, Yuki Saito,
Website Twitter: @adabana_movie
Sayaka Kai hit the international festival circuit with her debut, the crime thriller Red Snow (2019), which starred veteran actors Masatoshi Nagase, Nahana, Arata Iura, and Koichi Sato. Her latest is a French-Japanese co-production that has a sci-fi bent that could be Cronenbergian – Brandon and David – since it deals with disease and doubles.
Synopsis: It is the near future and wealthy people with an illness can hire a double to act as a substitute. Shinji is from such a wealthy family and while he is in a hospital awaiting surgery, a clinical psychologist named Mahoro explores his memories with him. This is when his memories come back to him and he begins to ask about his identical-looking other self…