I’m back from London and the Raindance Film Festival and I am in the process of writing lots of reviews for the blog and other websites like Anime UK News and so there is a lot for me to write about like Fuku-chan of Fukufuku Flats, How Selfish I Am!, The Light Shines Only There, and… the final film I saw at Raindance, And the Mud Ship Sails Away. I talked to the director of that film and also got to interview the director Yosuke Fujita, the genius behind Fuku-chan, a segment in Quirky Guys and Gals, and Fine, Totally Fine, one of my favourite comedies of the last few years and tell him how much I liked it!
Whilst in London, I went to the Courtauld Gallery to see their collection and to see my favourite Impressionist painting, A Bar at the Folies-Bergere. I also went the Japan Centre (something that has become a routine).
But I had to go to work the next day so all of those reviews are on the back-burner for now. The only thing I posted about this week was Final Fantasy XIII, a post that is long overdue and I have written lots of notes for months ago.
What’s released this weekend in Japan?
A Samurai Chronicle 
Japanese: 蜩の記
Romaji: Higurashi no Ki
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 129 mins.
Director: Takashi Koizumi
Writer: Takashi Koizumi, Motomu Furuta (Screenplay), Rin Hamuro (Original Novel)
Starring: Koji Yakusho, Junichi Okada, Maki Horikita, Mieko Harada,
Based on Rin Hamurao’s Naoki award winning prize.
Toda Shuukoku was arrested for having an affair with one of his feudal lord’s concubines and murdering a person who exposed the scandal. In a normal situation he would have been expected to commit seppuku but because he was in charge of an important project he was allowed ten years to live with his family and complete his work. At the end of the ten years, he must then commit seppuku.
Seven years later, a samurai named Danno Shouzaburou commits a crime at his clan’s castle. Instead of being punished conventionally, he is given the assignment to install himself in Toda’s house and ensure that Toda commits suicide. If not, Danno must kill Toda and his entire family.
Taiyo no Suwaru Basho 
Japanese: 太陽の坐る場所
Romaji: Taiyo no Suwaru Basho
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 102 mins.
Director: Hitoshi Yazaki
Writer: Hitoshi Yazaki (Screenplay), Mizuki Tsujimura (Original Novel)
Starring: Asami Mizukawa, Fumino Kimura, Takahiro Miura, Kanna Mori, Shingo Tsurumi,
Two girls named Kyoko live two different lives. One is the queen bee at school. When she grows up, she will become a local news reporter. One is plain and ignored by classmates. When she grows up, she will be a successful actress. When they meet in a high school class reunion ten years after graduation, they find that they and their classmates are part of a vicious circle of rumours, jealousy and spite and a secret unites them all.
Ogawa-cho Serenade 
Japanese: 小川町セレナーデ
Romaji: Ogawacho Serena-de
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 119 mins.
Director: Keinosuke Hara
Writer: Keinosuke Hara (Screenplay),
Starring: Risa Sudo, Izumi Fujimoto, Ken Yasuda, Kinako Kobayashi, You Takakhashi, Kokone Hamada, Ren Osugi,
The legend that is Ren Osugi is back in a film about Okama… is that term offensive? What about Okoge? There’s a film with that name.
Manami (Sudo) runs the “Snack Bar Sayoko” where she raised her daughter Sayoko (Fujimoto) as a single mother. The father, Angel (Yasuda) is still around but he’s a drag queen not that Sayoko knows, she just sees him as a friend… After graduating from high school and experiencing some failed romances, Sayoko returns home and finds that the snack bar is in financial difficulty so Sayoko opens a new bar… an Okama one. Can you guess what happens next? Sayoko asks Angel for help.
Love Session 
Japanese: ラブセッシュン
Romaji: Rabu Sesshun
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 85 mins.
Director: Eiji Itaya
Writer: N/A
Starring: Crystal Kay, Hiroko Shimabukuro, Keisuke Ilmari Ogihara, Masatsugu, Chiba, Koki Okamoto, Minako Yoshida, Fumiya Takeuchi, Reiji Okamoto, Hama Okamoto, Ryoji Narita,
A music documentary where veteran musicians send video letters to younger artists with advice and personal stories and they create music based on their reactions to it for a concert. Musicians include Rip Slyme and Crystal Kay.
LAST LOVE / Mistress 
Japanese: LAST LOVE 愛人
Romaji: LAST LOVE Koibito
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 102 mins.
Director: Hitoshi Ishikawa
Writer: Hitoshi Ishikawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Risa Sudo, Izumi Fujimoto, Ken Yasuda, Kinako Kobayashi, You Takakhashi, Kokone Hamada, Ren Osugi,
A middle-aged man named Iwata works as a caretaker of an apartment and lives the life of a bachelor. He once had the dream of being a guitarist but gave that up and now lives a quiet life cleaning up after others. A young woman named Yumi dreams of being a dancer but struggles to make money and is depressed. She becomes the mistress of a married man. When the wife finds out the relationship collapses and Yumi is in desperate circumstances, her depression striking a new blow. Iwata and Yumi meet and their lives change…
The New World of Synthesizer in Osaka 
Japanese: ナニワのシンセ界 The New World of Synthesizer in Osaka
Romaji: Naniwa no Shinsekai The New World of Synthesizer in Osaka
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 75 mins.
Director: Jun Ohsuga
Writer: N/A
Starring: Shin Arakawa, Aya Nishida, Unyo 303, Risa, Mine,
Synthesizers. Japan is famous for them and this documentary looks at the effect that the musical instrument has had on the music world with analysis of Roland, Korg, Moog, and Yamaha synthesizers and musicians who have used the instrument over the years including many from the synthesizer scene in Osaka.
Soba ni iruyo! Jiheishou (Oodizumu) to Kurumasiu no Kantoku 
Japanese: そばにいるよ！ 自閉症（オーディズム）と車椅子の監督
Romaji: Soba ni iruyo! Jiheishou (Oodizumu) to Kurumasiu no Kantoku
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 75 mins.
Director: Hiroko Yukaha
Writer: N/A
Starring: Tazuko Makitsubo, Haruko Mabuchi, Misako Konno, Kimiko Inui, Haruka Kadono
This is a posthumous film work from Tazuko Makitsubo who recently passed away. She directed films about children with autism and the socially vulnerable such as the elderly and ill and in this one she shows the impact that a child with autism has on a family and society.
Iro-do Shijuhatte Takarabune Corporation 
Japanese: 色道四十八手 たからぶね
Romaji: Iro-do Shijuhatte Takarabune Corporation
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 71 mins.
Director: Koichiro Igawa
Writer: Koichiro Igawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Tomohiro Okada, Nana Ida, Mayuko Sasaki, Takahiro Nomura,
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the pink film movies in the 1960s, we get a new low-budget adult fulm which shows instances where pink films have spiced up the lives of a couple. This is connected to Mamoru Watanabe, one of the three pillars of the pink fim industry, who died last year. He was in the process of making a film looking at Shijuhatte and Shunga at the time. Koichiro Igawa, another pink film director, is now taking up his old projects.
Saru Window Period 
Japanese: サルウインドウ・ピリオド
Romaji: Saru Uindou Puriodo
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 85 mins.
Director: Yoichiro Hayama
Writer: Yoichiro Hayama (Screenplay),
Starring: Nobuaki Fujioka, Tomomi Shigeno, Natsumi Nanase, Akihiro Nakatani, Kohei Kuroda, Chiho Katsura, Chie Yamaguchi,
The first instalment in the “Saru” or “monkey” series by Yoichiro Hayama. A horror drama about a home care helper with a bad heart who finds an immediate transplant but contracs HIV due to the bad organ. This dashes his hopes of starting a family and his health begins to decline… illegal operations and strange diseases, organ transfers and violence. All with a jaunty tune in the trailer.
Kamatoto 
Japanese: カマトト
Romaji: Kamatoto
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 71 mins.
Director: Koichiro Igawa
Writer: Koichiro Igawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Haruka Momokawa, Mizuki Yamaguchi, Mai Ishioka, Hasuno Kinoshita, Koharu Nonami, Saki Shimizu, Ai Shinozaki,
Idol groups Kaiketsu! Tropical Maru and AeLL star in a drama about a girl named NAtumi (Momokawa) who has grown up in a small fishing village but ddreams of being a pop idol in Tokyo. Her father is against this idea and the two gradually grow apart and even clash. When Natsumi’s father dies in an accident at work, Natsumi and her friends start on the road to stardom.
Kabadeen! Hanafubuki Koko hen 
Japanese: カバディーン!!!!!!! 嗚呼・花吹雪高校篇
Romaji: Kabadeen! Hanafubuki Koko hen
Release Date: October 04th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 63 mins.
Director: Go Ohara
Writer: Go Ohara, Kota Oura (Screenplay),
Starring: Shogo Suzuki, Toshiyuki Someya, Takuya Yoshimura, Ryosuke Tsuruta, Teppei Sasayama, Junpei Sasayama, Ryuhei Sakata, Arisa Komiya
WTF is this? Japan finally produces a movie about school kids that isn’t creepily focussed on girls, is full of guys goofing around and it looks downright hilarious! If this were a live-action adaptation of Haikyuu!!, I’d watch it . For the first half of the trailer. Anyway, this is about a bunch of ikemen high school boys who play a game called Kabaddi and that originates in India, apparently. It’s a contact sport halfway between British Bulldog and wrestling. The basketball team are invited to sign up.
