The Raindance Film Festival has launched and I’ll be heading there next week – commitments at work mean that I cannot take a holiday sooner (not that I’m complaining because I’m thankful that I have a job!) and I’ll miss out on some of the Japanese films that are screening between now and when I get to London. I’ll be able to see the titles I miss when I get my signed copy of the New Directors From Japan DVD! Enough bragging.
I didn’t watch any films this week – I’m still trying to review about a dozen or more… I have watched lots of anime. Zankyou no Terror, Space Dandy, Barakamon, Shirogane no Ishi Argovellon. Great stuff. The only thing I posted about this week is the anime I’ll be watching in the autumn season.
What is released in Japan this weekend?
Zero 
Japanese Title: 劇場版 零 ゼロ
Romaji: Gekijouban Rei Zero
Release Date: September 26th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: N/A
Director: Mari Asato
Writer: Mari Asato (Screenplay), Eiji Ohtsuka (Original Novel)
Starring: Ayumi Nakajo, Aoi Morikawa, Fujiko Kojima, Jun Miho, Karen Miyama, Noriko Nakagoshi, Kasumi Yamaya, Minori Hagiwara, Yuri Nakamura, Kodai Asaka,
I previewed this film last month and I’m looking forward to it because it adapts a favourite video game of mine, Fatal Frame. The next Fatal Frame game is released today. The film which was released yesterday, has been directed by Mari Asato, a female director who has been mentioned here on this blog thanks to films like Bilocation (2014) and Ju-on: Black Ghost (2009) and she looks to have captured the horror atmosphere here!
At an old girl’s school located in the heart of the countryside, student Aya Tsukimori (Ayami Nakajo) becomes part of an ancient “cursed incantation” and is trapped in her school dormitory. At the same time, students begin to report ghost sighting around the school while others disappear and are later discovered to have drowned in mysterious circumstances. Aya attempts to contact fellow pupil Michi Kazato (Aoi Morikawa) who begins investigating the disappearances of her classmates and the two become wrapped up in a deadly mystery…
Mother 
Japanese: マザー
Romaji: Maza
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 83 mins.
Director: Kazuo Umezu
Writer: Kazuo Umezu (Screenplay),
Starring: Ainosuke Kataoka, Mimi Maihane, Shoko Nakagawa, Kimie Shingyuji,
Nothing to do with the Korean film which reviewed ages ago. This is an autobiographical title by Kazuo Umezu. Horror manga fans will know him as the guy behind Drifting Classroom (heart-breaking) and Orochi (intriguing) among others.
Sakura Wakakusa (Maihane) is editing the autobiography of Kazuo Umezu (Kataoka) and heads to the mountain village to research more about his past knowing that his mother, Ichie (Shingyoji) had a huge influence on Umezu. Whilst looking around, she finds herself attacked by strange phenomenon and it seems to come from Ichie who should be dead and in the ground!
Danger Dolls 
Japanese: 少女は異世界で戦った
Romaji: Shojo wa Isekai de Tatakatta
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 97 mins.
Directors: Shusuke Kaneko
Writer: Hirotoshi Kobayashi (Screenplay)
Starring: Rumi Hanai, Rina Takeda, Kayano Masuyama, Nana Seino, Mao mita, Kazuki Namioka, Mana Sakura, Noburo Kaneko, Kohki Okada,
Danger Dolls is a sci-fi tale about a bunch of girls who work by day as defenders of our reality by fighting with aliens from a parallel world with swords and by going undercover as idols! I don’t know which is more impressive. This was shown at the Asian Film Festival of Dallas.
Fuja 
Japanese: 風邪
Romaji: Fuuja
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 90 mins.
Directors: Izo Hashimoto
Writer: Izo Hashimoto (Screenplay)
Starring: Yosuke Kubozuka, Manami Konishi, Tet Wada, Chris Peppler, Akira Emoto, Kumiko Akiyoshi, You Takahashi,
No trailer.
Kikuo Himura (Kubozuka) has developed the cure for the cold virus… and the formula for the vaccine is stored in his HEAD! The news of his vaccine causes the medical world to chase after him with secret organisations and rival doctors after his secrets. A mysterious woman named Sakurako (Konishi) may be able to help…
Hunger Z 
Japanese: ハンガー・ゼット
Romaji: Hanga Zetto
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 74 mins.
Directors: Naoto Tsukiashi
Writer: Takeyuki Morikaku (Screenplay)
Starring: Ryouta Murai, Nagisa Odaijima, Asami, Atsushi Mizutani, Shinya Niiro, Koji Saito, Daisuke Tamaru, Takuro Hayashi, Katsuki Naamura.
In a world overrun with zombies humans are on the brink of extinction! The zombies realise this and come up with a plan to save their food source – farming! Humans are now livestock confined to farms, forced to breed and make food. Toshiyuki is an unassuming young man caught by the z-heads and partnered with a girl. As is most commonly the case with zombie films, she’s gorgeous and this is the male protagonists chance to date a girl out of his league!
Akira No.2 
Japanese: アキラＮｏ．２
Romaji: Akira No.2
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 122 mins.
Directors: Norihisa Yoshimura
Writer: Norihisa Yoshimura, Kazumi Shinoda, Sakurako Inoue (Screenplay) Hiromasa Okushima (Original Manga),
Starring: Ryota Ozawa, Yasuhiro Kido, Maasa Igarashi, Shodai Fukuyama, Manami Hashimoto,
Akira, the No. 2 boy in a high school full of delinquents battles other Yankees for the top position.
Phantom Limb 
Japanese: 幻肢
Romaji: Genshi
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 92 mins.
Directors: Michihito Fujii
Writer: Michihito Fujii (Screenplay), Soji Shimada (Original Novel),
Starring: Ryo Yoshiki, Mitsuki Tanimura, Yuya Endo, Shiro Sano, Satsuki, Ichirota Miyakawa,
The film’s budget was funded by the Japanese equivalent of Kickstarer.
Medical student Masato Kanbara (Yoshiki) is out for a drive with his girlfriend Haruka Itonaga (Tanimura) when they suffer an accident. When Masato recovers, he has no memory of the accident or his girlfriend and this leads to depression. His doctors treat this with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) which causes him to have visions of Haruka. As they interact, he falls deeply in love wth her…
Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet -Meguru Kōro, Haruka- 
Japanese: 翠星のガルガンティア めぐる航路、遥か 前編
Romaji: Suisei no Gargantia -Meguru Kōro, Haruka-
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 54 mins.
Directors: Kazuya Murata
Writer: Gen Urobuchi, Daishiro Tanimura (Screenplay)
Starring: Kaito Ishikawa (Ledo), Hisako Kanemoto (Amy), Ai Kayano (Saaya), Kana Asumi (Melty), Tomokazu Sugita (Chamber), Inori Minase (Reema),
This is the first of two OVAs getting a release in the cinema that continues the story ad features the return of staff and cast. Since I haven’t finished watching the TV anime, I’ll link to Anime News Network and their news bit which does have the synopsis.
Mono oki no Piano (Piano Barn) 
Japanese: 物置のピアノ
Romaji: Mono oki no Piano
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 115 mins.
Directors: Chiaki Nitani
Writer: Miho Saito, Nozomi Kasahara, Yuto Kitsunai (Screenplay), Misaho Hara (Original Story)
Starring: Ena Koshino, Kyoko Yoshine, Takahiro Watanabe, Shiro Sano, Kaori Kanda, Junkichi Orimoto, Yume Sasaki, Hatsunori Hasegawa,
Two sisters living on a peach farm in Koori town, Fukushima Prefecture,are opposites. Haruka Miyamoto (Yoshine) feels less beautiful than her sister Akiba Miyamoto (Koshino) and hates being compared to her. She finds comfort in playing a piano in a barn. A year after the Great East Japan Earthquake, she decides she wants to be a pianist. Akiba, for her part, moved to Tokyo to attend college. When she moves back to Koori, Haruka is unsettled and memories connected to the disaster she has tried to forget resurface.
Girls High-school 
Japanese: アルプス女学園
Romaji: Arupusu Jogakuen
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: N/A
Directors: Takeshi Oota
Writer: Junya Okunishi (Screenplay)
Starring: Mai Nakahara, Rina Miyazaki, Haurka Momokawa, Misaki Momose, Ai Shinozaki, Ayaka Kawai,
A youth drama starring members of Idoling!!!, Super Girls and Tokyo Cheer2 Party who are in a private school somewhere in Yaanashi Prefecture and that school is going to be closed due to poor management. Can the girls save it???
gdgd Fairies the Movie — Wonder What Kind of Movie That’ll Be…? 
Japanese: 劇場版gdgd妖精s（ぐだぐだフェアリーズ） っていう映画はどうかな…？
Romaji: Gekijō-ban gdgd Yōseis tte Iu Eiga wa Dō kana…?
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 61 mins.
Directors: Sota Sugahara
Writer: Kotaro Ishidate (Screenplay)
Starring: Satomi Akesaka (Fusako Mochida), Kaoru Mizuhara (shrshr), Satomi Akesaka (krkr), Suzuko Mimori (pkpk), Natsuki Mori (Witch), So Nozawa (King)
Gudaguda fairies is a CG animated project which tells the story of a group of firies who lie inside the trees of fairy forest
Konna Watashi-tachi ga Nariyuki de Heroine ni Natta Kekka www ‘Narihero www’ 
Japanese: こんな私たちがなりゆきでヒロインになった結果www『なりヒロwww』
Romaji: Konna Watashi-tachi ga Nariyuki de Heroine ni Natta Kekka www ‘Narihero www’
Release Date: September 27th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 14 mins.
Directors: Sota Sugahara
Writer: Takuya Masumoto (Screenplay),
Starring: Maaya Uchida (Arisu Soyogi), Mutsumi Tamura (Sokura Soyogi), Yuiko Tatsumi (Purato Soyogi), Kouji Ochiai (DT), Taisuke Nishimura (Cats Toukatsu),
This runs with those gdgd fairy things. It’s a short about three sisters who battle some evil organisation named “Black Inc.” I think…
