Welcome to another trailer post. We’re almost midway through 
September and that means closer to the Raindance Film Festival (here’s my preview). I’ll be attending that and, hopefully, interviewing some directors. I’ll have to see how my schedule shapes up. It will be tight because I’ll also be going to see the Tate’s exhibition about JMW Turner’s painting towards the end of his career. After Raindance, I’ll be going to the BFI London Film Festival (here’s my preview). Fewer films to see there but there is The World of Kanako, my most anticipated title of 2014. I hope to get the preview of the Vancouver Film Festival completed next week.
The week has been very busy with lots of extra hours at work, Japanese class and yet I still found time to write up my autumn anime season picks for the blog and start on a massive backlog of reviews including one from last year’s Raindance and this year’s Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme. I also completed Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology on the PSP. Truthfully, I was ready to complete it long ago but I stopped playing it because it was not that much fun. Time to start playing Star Ocean: First Departure. No 
movies watched this week. As far as anime goes, I watched all of the latest episodes from my summer picks – the Space Dandy episode Lovers Are Trendy, Baby, was fun and heart-breaking. Scarlet and Dandy made such a good couple. Tokyo Ghoul is getting even more exciting and over the top and Barakamon is maintaining its high quality brilliance but the biggest investment in time, attention and effort for me happened when I started watching the anime adaptation of Monster again, a mature and dark anime I rate highly. 70+ episodes and it is worth it!
This week I posted about the London Film Festival and Takashi Miike’s latest horror title, As the God’s Will which is released next month.
What’s released this weekend in Japan? Lots of excellent films, much like last year’s September!
Rurouni Kenshin The Legend Ends 
Japanese: るろうに剣心 伝説の最期編
Romaji: Rurouni Kenshin: Densetsu no Saigo-hen
Release Date: September 13th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 135 mins.
Director: Keishi Otomo
Writer: Kiyomi Fujii, Keishi Otomo, (Screenplay), Nobuhiro Watsuki (Original Manga)
Starring: Takeru Satoh, Emi Takei, Yu Aoi, Munetaka Aoki, Ryunosuke Kamiki, Yusuke Iseya, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Kaito Oyagi, Tao Tsuchiya, Maryjun Takahashi, Kazufuki Miyazawa,
The Kyoto arc of the original manga comes to an explosive end as Kenshin must face off against another elite assassin, Shishio Makoto, a man who wants to overthrow the newly formed government.
Honey Flappers 
Japanese: ハニー フラッパーズ
Romaji: Hani- Furappa-zu
Release Date: September 13th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 80 mins.
Director: Megumi Sasaki
Writer: Hiroyuki Machino, Kenji Hirayama, Megumi Sasaki (Screenplay),
Starring: Anri Sakaguchi, Yukie Kawamura, Saaya, isaki Nitou, Yukiko Kawabe, Haruna Yabuki, Yuuri Morishita, Asuka Kishi, Sayuri Anzu, Ayumi Orii, Ruri Shinato
Mika (Sakaguchi) struggles at university but all of that changes when she gets a job as a hostess at Club Honey, a cabaret club and battles to be the best hostess in town!
Maiko wa Lady 
Japanese: 舞妓はレデイ
Romaji: Maiko wa Redei
Release Date: September 13th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 135 mins.
Director: Masayuki Suo
Writer: Masayuki Suo (Screenplay),
Starring: Mone Kamishiraishi, Hiroki Hasegawa, Jurina Matsui, Sumiko Fuji, Eri Watanabe, Tamiyo Kusakari, Tomoko Tabata, Naoto Takenaka, Sakurako Ohara, Gaku Hamada, Tou Muto,
Haruko Saigo (Kmshiraishi) is a Kagoshima girl with dreams of becoming a geisha. She heads to Kyoto and starts ife as a maiko (apprentice geisha) but finds that learning the traditions and coping with the different way of life is a little bit harder than expected.
Umi wo Kanjiru Toki (When I Sense the Sea) 
Japanese: 海を感じる時
Romaji: Umi wo Kanjiru Toki
Release Date: September 13th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 118 mins.
Director: Hiroshi Ando
Writer: Haruhiko Arai (Screenplay), Kei Nakazawa (Original Novel)
Starring: Yui Ichikawa, Sosuke Ikematsu, Masaki Miura, Kumi Nakamura, Sakiko Takao, Madoka Sakai,
Based on a famous novel by Kei Nakazawa.
Emiko (Ichikawa) and Yo (Ikematsu) are both members of their high school newspaper club and run into each other in the club room during a break. Emiko is attracted to Yo and desires him despite the fact that he has a girlfriend. The two kiss and this sparks a relationship based mostly on sex. Emiko follows Yo to Tokyo when he attends university and their relationship continues but how will it end…?
Murder Workshop 
Japanese: 殺人ワークショップ
Romaji: Satsujin Wa-kushoppu
Release Date: September 13th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 75 mins.
Director: Koji Shiraishi
Writer: Koji Shiraishi (Screenplay),
Starring: Shohei Uno, Akiko Kiuchi, Mie Nishimura, Asami Ito, Hidetoshi Tokudome,
Murder Workshop comes from ENBU Seminar, an indie collective constantly releasing shorts and features. These guys pair up buding actors with experienced directors and other professionals for on the job training. This latest one is directed by horror vet Koji Shiraishi and it stars Shohei Uno. Shiraishi’s latest film was featured in last week’s trailer post and is a prolific low-budget horror auteur. Shohei Uno is a character actor who is moving into taking the lead roles.
Here’s the music video for the film’s theme:
Akiko is abused by her lover. When she receives an email offering training to kill a person, she signs up for the course. When she gets to the workshop, she finds herself surrounded by people ready to be taught to kill and all lead by their mysterious and brutal teacher (Uno)!!!
Cardfight!! Vanguard The Movie: Neon Messiah 
Japanese: 劇場版 カードファイト!! ヴァンガードネオンメサイア
Romaji: Gekijouban Cardfight!! Vanguard Neon Mesaia
Release Date: September 13th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 70 mins.
Anime Director: Shin Itagaki, Live Action Director: Takashi Motoki
Writer: Mayori Sekijima (Screenplay), Akira Ito (Original Creator)
Starring: Daigo (Daigo), Izumi Kitta (Misaki Tokura), Takuya Sato (Toshiki Kai), Tsubasa Yonaga (Aichi Sendo), Mamoru Miyano (Koji Ibuki),
The Cardfight!! Vanguard franchise is big and there are two films 
getting released today, one an anime, the other live-action, both starring the musician DAIGO. Two directors are working on this. The live-action one is directed by Takashi Motoki and the anime is directed by Shin Itagaki (Ben-To, Teekyuu). In the live-action film, DAIGO is the strongest Cardfight!! Player and gets challenged to battles thanks to a criminal organisation, while in the anime, Aichi and Kai join forces to battle a massive threat..
Atorie Iroiro (Atelier of Variety) 
Japanese: アトリエ いろいろ
Romaji: Atorie Iroiro
Release Date: September 13th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 135 mins.
Director: Ryosuke Yoshiyuki
Writer: N/A
Starring: Keisuke Mita
Atelier of Variety? The documentary was shot over the course of ten years and follows the book illustrator Keisuke Mita as he works with people with various mental disabilities.
Club Andalusia Ginza Namiki Street 
Japanese: 銀座並木通り クラブアンダルシア
Romaji: Ginza Namikidouri Kurabu Andarushia
Release Date: September 13th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 92 mins.
Director: Hideki Wada
Writer: Hideki Wada, Ryou Kurashina, Keiji Sagami (Screenplay), Ryou Kurashina, Takeshi Mine (Original Manga)
Starring: Hiroki Matsukata, Nao Eguchi, Dai Watanabe, Yuji Abe, Ryo Nishikata, Sayaka Tsuruta, Rie Ishihara,
Oh no, another adaptation of a manga. Hold it! This one is based on the rather mature and mysterious titles of Ryou Kurashina and Takeshi Mine, two experienced creatives. This story is set in Club Andalusia which is located in Ginza where hostess and customers meet and when they gather together you can bet large amount of secrets and mysteries are created as well as the sparks of romance…
The Pinkie 
Japanese: さまよう 小指
Romaji: Samayou Koyubi
Release Date: September 14th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 63 mins.
Director: Lisa Takeba
Writer: Lisa Takeba (Screenplay),
Starring: Ryota Ozawa, Miwako Wagatsuma, Haruka Suenaga, Kanji Tsuda
The best day of the month with the best film! When writing about film festivals you get to know a lot of the titles that are on tour around the world and, of course, you pick up one or two that you really want to see. The Pinkie is one of those films. I first encountered it when writing the Rotterdam International Film Festival post and I had hoped that I would see it at Raindance or the London Film Festival. Alas, no. It’s getting released in Japan this weekend and I still think it looks like a heap of fun. It also has the best poster that I have seen this year (apart from Snow White Murder Case)! Here’s my original blurb from Rotterdam:
Wow, this looks like a lot of fun which is why I put it first. It comes from Lisa Takeba who was at last year’s festival with a short film about an alien private detective who is wandering around earth. If that sounds a little random, this one reads a lot more interesting as it looks like a mash-up of anime, film and Japanese pop culture and fashion where a female stalker has her way with the guy of her dreams. Lisa Takeba has a background in advertising and writing videogames so she’s got a lot of experience with different styles to work with! It stars Miwako Wagatsuma who is an actress worth tracking because she is taking on interesting roles as can be seen from her filmography which includes Guilty of Romance, The End of Puberty, Sentimental Yasuko, Kuro and Shing Shing Shing.
Since they were both five, Ryosuke has been stalked by Momoko – the ugliest girl in the village. Momoko’s love for Ryosuke is so boundless that she has her face surgically altered to suit his taste – but still, he wants nothing to do with her. Ryosuke is more interested in the girlfriend of a yakuza boss. But when the boss finds out about their affair, he has Ryosuke’s little finger hacked off. Magically, the finger falls into Momoko’s hands, and she uses it to clone Ryosuke, so she can finally have him (or almost him) for herself – and that’s the first five minutes.
