My long week at work is about to end and I’m about to start a short four day holiday where I prep for my Japanese exam. I’ve already had my speaking test where I introduced this blog to my class and traumatised people with trailers for Suicide Club, Cure: The Power of Suggestion and others. Next week is my final exam and I have spent most of this week studying. The only anime/film related thing I have done is to watch Ping Pong The Animation and Crystal Blaze and post more about this year’s Terracotta Far East Film Festival (new info on the guests). Enough from me, here are the trailers for the films released for this week in Tokyo! I’m going to shuffle off and go back to studying.
Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro 
Japanese Title:ルパン三世 カリオストロの城
Romaji: Rupan Sansei Kariosutoro no Shiro
Running Time: 96 mins
Release Date: May 09th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Writer: Yasuo Otsuka (Screenplay), Haruya Yamazaki, Hayao Miyazaki (Script), Monkey Punch (Original Manga)
Starring: Yasuo Yamada (Arsene Lupin III), Makio Inoue (Goemon Ishikawa), Kiyoshi Kobayashi (Jigen Daisuke), Goro Naya (Inspector Zenigata), Eiko Masuyama (Fujiko Mine), Sumi Shimamoto (Lady Clarisse de Cagliostro)
Film of the weekend, everybody else go home! This is the remaster of the CLASSIC, Castle of Cagliostro. It’s getting screened in cinemas across Japan and there will be reissues of the original 1979 poster and pamphlet for the film. We all know the story (or should know), Lupin and best-pal/partner in crime Jigen, search for a counterfeiter who has rendered their latest casino heist a waste of time. They discover that the counterfeiter is in the secluded country of Cagliostro and that a wicket count is holding a beautiful and innocent princess in a tower… I love this anime and I’d recommend it as one of a number of entry titles for those not familiar with Japanese animation. It’s definitely one of Miyazaki’s best.
Live 
Japanese Title:ライヴ
Romaji: Raivu
Running Time: 105 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Noboru Iguchi
Writer: Noboru Iguchi (Screenplay), Yusuke Yamada (Original Novel)
Starring: Yuki Yamada, Ito Ono, Yui Morinaga, Mari Iriki, Kokone Sasaki, Yuka Eda, Shinji Kasahara, Mitsuki Koga
Noboru Iguchi adapts a Yusuke Yamada story! It’s about a mysterious death race that is suddenly broadcast live on television where racers are eliminated in gruesome ways one by one. It’s a hit with the viewing public. What people don’t realise is that the runners taking part in the race have no option but to compete to ensure that their loved ones don’t come to any harm at the hands of a mysterious group! There are participants like Naoto Tamura (Yamada), a freeter who is racing to save his mother!
My Pretend Girlfriend 
Japanese Title:百瀬、こっちを向いて
Romaji: Momose, Kocchi wo Muite
Running Time: 109 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Saiji Yakumo
Writer: Kyoko Inukai (Screenplay), Eiichi Nakata (Original Novel)
Starring: Akari Hayami, Taro Takeuchi, Osamu Mukai, Asuka Kudo, Anna Ishibashi
The international title, My Pretend Girlfriend, makes this sound like some lame school comedy based on an equally lame anime but the trailer paints it out to be a heartfelt and emotional story… Perhaps a little flimsy but certainly not a comedy. The Japanese title is Look Over Here, Momose which is nicer and speaks of the yearning for love that the characters have. In the story, Noboru (Takeuchi) is an anonymous high school student who looks up to his sempai Miyazaki (Kudo) who is much more popular and has two girlfriends: the adventurous Momose (Hayami) and Tetsuko (Ishibashi), a girl from a wealthy family. Tetsuko catches Miyazaki with Momose so to put her off the trail of his infidelity he asks Noboru and Momose to pretend they are dating. They both agree because they both like Miyazaki but Noboru might really love Momose…
Wood Job! 
Japanese Title:（ウッジョブ） 神去なあなあ日常
Romaji: (Ujjobu) kamisari nānā nichijō
Running Time: 116 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Shinobu Yaguchi
Writer: Shinobu Yaguchi(Screenplay), Shion Miura (Original Novel)
Starring: Shota Sometani, Masami Nagasawa, Hideaki Ito, Yuka, Naomi Nishida, Makita Sports, Ken Mitsuishi, Akira Emoto
Yuki Hirano (Sometani) is a high school grad who has failed his university entrance exams. He expects to spend the near future working a part time job but sees a brochure for a year-long forestry training scheme and soon he’s in a remote mountain village called Kamusari which has none of the amenities of Tokyo but immense beauty and warm-hearted locals and a beautiful young woman named Naoki (Nagasawa) He just has to survive his rough and ready instructors like Yoki (Ito).
This is adapted from a novel by Shion Miura (Mahoro Eki Mae Bangaichi, The Great Passage) and it’s full of great actors like Shota Sometani (Himizu), Ken Mitsuishi (Rent-a-Cat, Noriko’s Dinner Table) and more!
A2-B-C 
Japanese Title: A2-B-C
Romaji: A2-B-C
Running Time: 71 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Ian Thomas Ash
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
This is a 3/11 documentary from American documentary filmmaker Ian Thomas Ash who has lived in Japan for more than a decade. He made this film which focusses on several families affected by the disaster. They live in Date city, 37 miles away from the Fukushima power plant, and the city was never evacuated so they know have to deal with living with radiation. It was at last year’s Raindance Film festival and I met the director of the film but I was so tired I merely stood around feeling awkward and said nothing.
Eiga Panpaka Pantsu Bananan Okoku no Hiho 
Japanese Title:えいがパンパカパンツ バナナン王国の秘宝
Romaji: Eiga Panpaka Pantsu Bananan Okoku no Hiho
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Benpi Neko
Writer: Benpi Neko, Kazumi Ishizuka (Screenplay)
Starring: Yoshino Nanjo, Kaoru Mizuhara,Takahiro Ogata, Satoshi Mukai,
Animals wearing pants. The main character is a pig who wears pants. The story follows a family of pigs (who wear pants) who go on holiday and get stuck in the Bananan kingdom, a jungle realm full of creepy creatures instead of Hawaii.
Dystonia 
Japanese Title:ジストニア
Romaji: Jisutonia
Running Time: 100 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Tomoo Kawabata
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
According to Wikipedia, dystonia is a serious neurological disorder where the muscles contract into twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures. This documentary records the activities of patients and physicians to show the way people cope and the support they get from doctors and family.
Ressha Daikoushin The ☆Movie Shinkansen to Wakuwaku Densha dai shugo 
Japanese Title:れっしゃだいこうしん ザ☆ムービー しんかんせんとわくわくでんしゃ大集合
Romaji: Ressha Daikoushin Sa ☆Mubi shinkansen to Wakuwaku den sha dai shugo
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Hiromu Tani
Writer: N/A
Starring: Yukitoshi Nagafuchi,Reiko Tokunaga, Ai Nonaka
This is the sixth instalment of a film series aimed at children and rail-loving adults complete with introductions to trains in various regions and with quizzes and animated sequences.
Renai manga wa yayakoshi atsumare! Koisuru mosozoku
Japanese Title:恋愛漫画はややこしい 集まれ！恋する妄想族れっしゃだいこうしん ザ☆ムービー しんかんせんとわくわくでんしゃ大集合
Romaji: Renai manga wa yayakoshī atsumare! Koisuru mōsozoku
Running Time: 81 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Rihito Arao
Writer: N/A
Starring: Shinpei Saito, Kanako Kataoka, Uta Kohaku, Kanako Yamada,
From what I can make out, lead actor Shinpei Saito is the president of an IT company in Fukushima and he had the dream of appearing in a movie and so he made this film about a guy who failed to get into university and gets into adventures like romancing a girl and becoming addicted to girls manga… It’s directed by Rihito Arao whose last film was Bonsai Girl (2011).
Iwaki Noto Fukushima Voice 
Japanese Title:いわきノート FUKUSHIMA VOICE
Romaji: Iwaki Noto Fukushima Voice
Running Time: 86 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Shun Arima, Mito Shino, Sasaki Kikaede
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
It has been quite a while since we have had a 3/11 film in a trailer post but here we have two in one. This is from multiple directors, all college students, who covered Iwaki City which lies in Fukushima Prefecture where Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant continues to be a major problem. They go across the city and meet people with different professions and places in society to discuss the future of the area.
We’re a Bounty Hunter Team 
Japanese Title:俺たち賞金稼ぎ団
Romaji: Oretachi Shokin Kasegidan
Running Time: 99 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Koichi Sakamoto
Writer: Yoshifumi Sakai
Starring: Atsushi Maruyama, Ryo Ryusei, Syuusuke Saito, Yamato Kinjo, Akihisa Shiono, Ayuri Konno, Yumi Sugimoto, Yuki Yamada, Rei Saito
Super Sentai veteran Koichi Sakamoto has had a number of films he directed released in recent months (Red vs Pink, Girl’s Blood) and this is his latest title which involves a disparate group of people tracking down an arsonist and joining forces.
Yoshinaka densetsu Yoshinaka ana 
Japanese Title:ヨシナカ伝説 義仲穴
Romaji: Yoshinaka densetsu Yoshinaka ana
Running Time: 67 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Kitatane Akibaru
Writer: N/A
Starring: Yoji Matsuda, Emiri Nakayama, Ichiro Ogura, Yoko Watanabe, Steve Eto,
When a contagious disease spreads in a small mountain village, only a young woman seems impervious to it. The Kamakura shogunate send a monk and physician to check the place out where they uncover a conspiracy.
Recently Butterfly… 
Japanese Title:最近、蝶々は…
Romaji: Saikin, Chōchō wa…
Running Time: 96 mins
Release Date: May 10th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Naoyuki Tomomatsu
Writer: Naoyuki Tomomatsu (Screenplay), Shungiku Uchida (Manga Series: Saikin, Chocho wa)
Starring: Maki Aoyama, Ryo Asagiri,Risa Goto, Yuya Tokumoto, Horiken, Iona, Aya Kisaki, Ayumi Kuroki,
I first saw Shungiku Uchida when she starred in Takashi Miike’s Visitor Q. Then, I forgot about her because I didn’t see her appear in anything else again… Until now. She has written and stars in this film where the erotic and suspense combine to make an erotic suspense story (what else?). Uchida is a talented person who has overcome a lot and made a formidable career. Her latest story looks absolutely bizarre. A magazine reporter tracks down a seriously foxy woman with butterfly bruises who preys on men and sucks the juices out of them. It’s partly supernatural and it seems like the woman is being controlled by a supernatural being who murders anybody who gets in her way. Uchida is one of the stars in this and she is the taxi driver.
