There are so many films released this weekend I have split this post into two. Here are a mixture of some of the big hitters for this weekend with some documentaries. Sunday’s post will contain another mix.
Monsterz 
Japanese Title:モンスターズ
Romaji: Monsuta-zu
Running Time: 112 mins
Release Date: May 30th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Hideo Nakata
Writer: Yusuke Watanabe (Screenplay), Kim Min-seok (Original Script)
Starring: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Takayuki Yamada, Satomi Ishihara, Tomorowo Taguchi, Yutaka Matsushige, Tae Kimura,
Hideo Nakata of Ringu fame is back with an adaptation of a 2010 Korean film called Haunters which starred Gang Dong-Won (Duelist). Anyway, the story is about the battle between two men with special abilities. The film stars Tatsuya Fujiwara (Parade) and Takayuki Yamada (13 Assassins) who looks even more handsome with his neat haircut. Also in the film is Tomorowo Taguchi who is a legend thanks to his performance in Tetsuo: The Iron Man.
A Man (Fujiwara) possesses the ability to manipulate others with his eyes. With his ability he killed his abusive step-father but was abandoned by his mother. He now lives the life of a loner. His life changes again when he encounters a man he cannot manipulate. That man is Shuichi Tanaka (Yamada) who lives with his friends and works a dead-end job. He may not have money but his voice has special abilities…
Rose Color’s Buko 
Japanese Title:薔薇色のブー子
Romaji: Bara Iro no Buko
Running Time: 93 mins
Release Date: May 30th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Yuichi Fukuda
Writer: Yuichi Fukuda (Screenplay),
Starring: Rino Sashihara, Yusuke Santamaria, Tsuyoshi Muro, Fuku Suzuki, Tomorowo Taguchi, Kotaro Shiga
HKT48’s Rino Sashihara stars as a female college student named Sachiko. Her nickname is Buko because she is a pessimist but she holds out hope that she will meet a man like in one of the many romance manga she reads to spice up her boring life. One day, on Twitter, she meets a guy with the ID Sparrow. He likes manga and looks like Johnny Depp. SCORE! Rino sets up a date with the guy but getting there will be fraught with many difficult events…
The Assorted Horizon 
Japanese Title:劇場版 The Assorted Horizons
Romaji: Gekijouban The Assorted Horizons
Running Time: 126 mins
Release Date: May 30th, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Hideaki Yoshikawa
Writer: N/A
Starring: Sound Horizon
GET READY VIDEO GAME AND ANIME FANS! Sound Horizon, the world’s best fantasy band, led by composer Revo are getting a movie. We’re talking about the guys behind the hit themes for Attack on Titan and the score for the 3DS game Bravely Default! This film is released to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their debut. No trailer.
Nemurihime: Dream On Dreamer 
Japanese Title:眠り姫 Dream On Dreamer
Romaji: Nemurihime: Dream On Dreamer
Running Time: 111 mins
Release Date: May 31st, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Kooichi Ueno
Writer: Kooichi Ueno (Screenplay),
Starring: Reina Fujie, Miyu Takeuchi, Junichi Gamou, Erina Nakayama, Shota Miyamoto, Mika Katsumura, Ryoma Ishikawa
Idol horror again. Dream Princess. This trailer looks stylish with cute idols and menacing sets and then the dudes with exposed brains and old people vomiting blood show up. Darn old people taking up valuable minutes in the film where I could be watching beautiful young women (grumble, grumble).
Ayame (Fujie of NMB48) play a bunch of high school girls attacked by a mysterious disease which causes her to feel sleepy regardless of the time and endure a reoccurring daydream where her sister Hiiragi (Takeuchi) dies. Ayame must fight against the dream and the disease!
June Light’s 3 Sisters 
Japanese Title:六月燈の三姉妹
Romaji: Rokugatsudou no Sanshimai
Running Time: 104 mins
Release Date: May 31st, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Kiyoshi Sasabe
Writer: Ryuji Mizutani (Screenplay),
Starring: Kazue Fukiishi, Eri Tokunaga, Yo Yoshida, Kanji Tsuda, Yoshie Ichige, Jun Inoue
Toraya is a family run sweet shop that faces disaster thanks to the appearance of a large shopping centre. The unusual family that run it are the divorced parents, a divorced eldest daughter, a middle daughter in the process of getting divorced and a younger daughter who is a bit of a black sheep because she has just broken off her engagement. The daughters and the husband of the middle daughter decide to try and save the shop.
Apparently, “Rokugatsudou” in the Japanese title refers to a lantern festival held throughout Kagoshima Prefecture annually. Also, apparently, there’s a guy out there crazy enough to divorce Kazue Fukiishi (star of Noriko’s Dinner Table). Now unless she was beating me up every day like the lady in Kotoko does to her beau, I’d stick it out.
SAYAMA Mienai Tejo o Hazusu Made 
Japanese Title: SAYAMA みえない手錠をはずすまで
Romaji: SAYAMA Mienai Tejo o Hazusu Made
Running Time: 105 mins
Release Date: May 31st, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Ki Hijio
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
The Sayama Incident and the fallout from the botched police investigation is the subject of this film. After the brutal murder of a girl, Kazuo Ishikawa was framed for the crime by police who was targeted because he was a member of iscriminated against burakumin social minority. He spent a number of years in prison and was released in 1994. He is seeking a retrial. We see Kazuo and his wife Sachiko who supported him and showed support and love even in the direst circumstances.
Gekijouban Yuto-Kun Ga Iku 
Japanese Title:劇場版 ゆうとくんがいく
Romaji: Gekijouban Yuto-Kun Ga Iku
Running Time: 52 mins
Release Date: May 31st, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Ryo Higuchi, Aya Otawa
Writer: Eiichi Mizoi (Screenplay),
Starring: Junko Takeuchi (Yuto), Kenichi Ogata (Nonno), M A O (Lulu)
Yuto Nagatomo plays for Inter Milan and gets a short anime kinda based on him. When he encounters tough rivals he has to train hard and hangs out with a girl and a mysterious old man who was once a football legend.
Uwakoi 
Japanese Title:うわこい
Romaji: Uwakoi
Running Time: 111 mins
Release Date: May 31st, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Norihisa Yoshimura
Writer: Hitoshi Ishikawa, Chihiro Nakamura, Norihisa Yoshimura (Screenplay), Masahiro Itosugi (Original Manga)
Starring: Yurina Yanagi, Tomoyuki Ishida, Nami Motoyama, Nao Eguchi
An adaptation of an ecchi manga.
When Yukiteru (Ishida) burns his house down he has to move into the house of his friend Yuno (Yanagi). As they have grown up they have become known as a couple but a transfer student in Yuno’s class, Rena (Motoyama), becomes interested in Yukiteru and the two become intimate…
Yukiteru, dude. That new girl doesn’t hold a candle to Yuno in terms of looks.
Sad Tea 
Japanese: サッドティー
Romaji: Saddo Tei
Running Time: 120 mins.
Release Date: May 31st, 2014
Director: Rikiya Imaizumi
Writer: Rikiya Imaizumi
Starring: Shunya Abe, Fumiko Aoyagi, Takuya Fuji, Kayo Hoshino, Aya Kunitake, Chihiro Nagao, Seiji Okabe, Ryutaro Ninomya, Yumi Sato
This was released last year and is part of the ENBU seminar workshop and screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival. A love story about a group of people including an idol, a shop clerk and a salaryman who hangs out at a coffee shop. Will they meet the loves of their lives?
The Next Generation Patlabor Chapter 2 
Japanese: THE NEXT GENERATION パトレイバー 第2章
Romaji: THE NEXT GENERATION‐Patlaborー Dai 2 Sho
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: May 31st, 2014 (Japan)
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Writer: Mamoru Oshii, (Screenplay), Masami Yuki(Original Novel)
Starring: Erina Mano, Toshio Kakei, Seiji Fukushi, Rina Ohta, Shigeru Chiba, Yoshinori Horimoto, Yoshikatsu Fujiki, Kouhei Shiotsuka, Shigekazu Tajiri
This is the first in a seven-part series of films that act as a continuation of the Patlabor series with a brand new set of characters. Kenji Kawai is returning to the franchise to compose the music. Apparently, there’s going to be a lot of slapstick humour amidst the robot action.
Labors are robots used in various industries like construction. With their introduction to Japan, a new type of crime became prevalent: Labor Crime. To combat this, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police created a unit of Patrol Labors to help. The story is set in Tokyo in 2013, and we follow “third generation” of Patlabor. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police has disbanded Section 2 Division 1 of police robots, and Section 2 Division 2 barely has survived the budget cuts forced upon the police due to the long recession. What problems will the unit face now?
