Back from the BFI London Film Festival and two more films go on my huge backlog of reviews to write… Wednesday was all about The World of Kanako and The Furthest End Awaits, two massively different films and both awesome. I got to meet Tetsuya Nakashima and have my picture taken with him as well as ask some questions! On top of those two films, I also watched Black Butler on Friday and enjoyed a lot – Ayame Gouriki and Hiro Mizushima were both fantastic in bringing the characters to life. Next week I have to watch Annabelle and the week after I watch Ghostbusters. Is this review list going to ever be whittled down?
I’ll get to it. I hope to have The World of Kanako, Fuku-chan the The Light Only Shines There done and posted in the next two weeks.
Anyway, not much else this week except television like Shingeki no Bahamut, Parasyte (WHAT AN AWESOME SECOND EPISODE!), Gugure! Kokkuri-san (still very funny), and The Walking Dead which had an awesome episode to open up series five with.
This week I posted a review of the film How Selfish I Am! Which I saw at the Raindance Film Festival.
What’s released in Japan this weekend?
God Tongue: Kiss Pressure Game The Movie 2 Psychic Love 
Japanese: ゴッドタン キス我慢選手権 THE MOVIE2 サイキック・ラブ
Romaji: Goddotan Kisu Gaman Senshuken The Movie2 Saikikku Rabu
Release Date: October 17th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 117 mins.
Director: Nobuyuki Sakuma
Writer: Nobuyuki Sakuma (Screenplay),
Starring: Hitori Gekidan, Hiroaki Ogi, Yuki Himura, Osamu Shitara, Ken Yahagi, Ai Uehara, Minami Kojima, Marina Shiraishi, Hideaki Ito,
I remember a moment, back in the distant past of 2013, writing about the first God Tongue movie in a trailer post quite well. The reason I remember it is because I like the title God Tongue. So mysterious and sexy. Is the movie a romance or a dark mystery? Does the protagonist have a silver tongue that allows him/her to charm their way into and out of situations? That poster has so much going on, it looks awesome! Is it the sequel to the awesome video game, God Hand? It could also be a Pink film.
Subsequent research (browsing videos on YouTube – very scientific, as you can see) led me to watch the original TV show it is based on and I was disappointed. It is based on a variety show where comedians making jokes about/involving sexy women on cheap sets. It was a drag to watch. I suppose this stuff is funnier if you’re Japanese and understand the language perfectly.
Hitori Gekidan is dropped off at a school where there is someone with psychic powers causing trouble and he must not kiss for an entire day or something…
Disconcerto (English Title) / Rhapsody in front of Mahoro Station 
(literal title)
Japanese: まほろ 駅前 狂騒曲
Romaji: Mahoro Ekimae Kyousoukyoku
Release Date: October 18th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 124 mins.
Director: Tatsushi Omori
Writer: Tatsushi Omori, Hikaru Kurozumi (Screenplay), Shion Miura (Original Novel),
Starring: Eita, Ryuhei Matsuda, Yoko Maki, Masatoshi Nagase, Kengo Kora, Maro Akaji, Nao Omori, Miku Iwasaki, Shohei Uno, Hirofumi Arai, Masaki Miura, Tomoko Naraoka,
This was recently screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival which I wrote about and from which I have copied and pasted the following text.
Director Tatsushi Omori had a strong year in 2013 with his film, The Ravine of Goodbye, and switches tones with this laid back title. He reunites with his leading lady from that film, Yoko Maki, and teams her up with two of Japan’s most talented young actors, Eita and Ryuhei Matsuda. This is the sequel film which was the sequel of a television series which was based on the novel of Shion Miura. Tony Rayns calls this, “a package of unsinkable charm!,” and he knows his stuff.
Tada (Eita) runs a “benriya” – a do-it-all service – in front of the fictional Mahoro Station n Tokyo. He is optimistic unlike his friend Gyoten (Matsuda) who is cynical. The two blunder through various assignments but when people and events from Gyoten’s past show up their friendship is pushed to breaking point…
Itsuka no, Genkan Tachi to
Japanese: いつか の、 玄関たちと、
Romaji: Itsuka no, Genkan Tachi to
Release Date: October 18th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 85 mins.
Director: Yu Katsumata
Writer: Yu Katsumata (Screenplay),
Starring: Reina Fujie, Mugi Tachibana, Aya Enjoji, Chiako Matsubara, Houka Kinoshita Michi Yamamura, Mayuno Katsuo, Kouyou IGarashi
Aya Fujie, an idol from NMB48 stars as a girl named Ayame who recently graduated from high school. Her sister reappears after eloping with someone and she has a daughter but there are complicated details surrounding who the father is… Ayame must now adjust.
Kids=Zero 
Japanese: Kids=Zero キッズ＝ゼロ
Romaji: Kids=Zero Kizzu=Zero
Release Date: October 18th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 62 mins.
Director: N/A
Writer: Yasutoshi Murakawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Aihime Yamaoka, Ai Yamazaki, Kei Kagaya, Ryoichi Yamaguchi
A tokusatsu series where kids in a talent school take the lead in the fight against evil. Some serious acting and acrobatics can be seen from these young ones, some of whom are mixed-race.
Kenjuu to Medama-shou 
Japanese: 拳銃と目玉焼
Romaji: Kenjuu to Medama-shou
Release Date: October 18th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 113 mins.
Director: Junichi Yasuda
Writer: Junichi Yasuda (Screenplay),
Starring: Takahiro Ono, Yuno Sakura, Hiroshi Tanaka, Kyohei Yaguchi, Hiroki Takeuchi, Takashi Tanimatsu, Miki Fujioka,
Only a teaser but this looks… interesting. What’s going on??? This is a self-produced film from Junichi Yasuda, made from money earned from bridal photography and corporate video production. With a camera and a limited crew, he has produced an action film where the hero, Shiro (Ono) a kind-hearted bachelor, lives in a small town. He finds out that the man who runs the town factory, Sakamoto (Tanaka) is involved in hunting down a group of dangerous individuals and resolves to join the fight perhaps with the intention of impressing the secretary at his workplace.
The Kumamoto Dormitory 
Japanese: 故郷の詩
Romaji: Kokyo no Uta
Release Date: October 18th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 71 mins.
Director: Goichi Mine
Writer: Goichi Mine (Screenplay),
Starring: Goichi Mine, Kaori Iida, Akira Goto, Momoka Okabe, Yuki Maeda, Akihiro Hishida, Ryu Kenichiro,
This was at the 2012 Pia Film Festival where it picked up a number of plaudits and where I got the synopsis from:
Daikichi is an aspiring stuntman, who left his cute girlfriend back in his hometown of Kumamoto and came to Tokyo. But he wasted his days in Tokyo drinking with his friend Tenshi, an aspiring filmmaker also from Kumamoto, picking up girls, and working on ideas for a film that will never be completed. Before he knows it, he is about to graduate. His future is unclear and his dream might not come true. Realizing that both his love life and filmmaking have hit dead ends, Daikichi sets out to perform the greatest stunt of his lifetime.
The Next Generation Patlabor Chapter 5 
Japanese: THE NEXT GENERATION ‐パトレイバー第5章
Romaji: THE NEXT GENERATION ‐PatlaborーDai 5 Shou
Release Date: October 18th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: N/A
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, Hinako Saeki, Daisuke Takashi,
This is the fifth in a seven-part series of films that act as a continuation of the Patlabor series with a brand new set of characters. In this one, we get the two segments, “Enkyori Sogeki 2000″ (Long-range Sniping 2000) which is all about an elite sniper named Kasha who confronts the teacher who trained her in Russia, and episode 9, “Crocodile Dungeon.” Where we see the guys and girls of Section 2 venture underground to investigate rumour of a white crocodile that create pearls but they find something even scarier and Izumi ha to save the day. A feature length film is set for release after the next episode and will open during Japan’s Golden Week holidays next year.
Prince of Tennis Musical Seigaku vs Shitenhouji 
Japanese: ミュージカル「テニスの王子様」青学vs四天宝寺
Romaji: Myuujikaru `Tenisu no Oujisama’ Seigaku vs Shitenhouji
Release Date: October 18th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 184 mins.
Director: Takeshi Konomi
Writer: Yukio Ueshima (Screenplay), Takeshi Konomi (Original Manga)
Starring: Yuki Kogoshi (Ryoma Echizen), Kazuyoshi Yamamoto (Shuichiro Oishi), Shintaro Anzai (Shiraishi Kuranosuke),
There are a lot of Prince of Tennis musicals and that’s because the series is massively popular in Japan. This is a recording from March of this year and is directed by the manga’s original creator.
Planet Mizusa / Wakusai Mizusa 
Japanese: 惑星ミズサ
Romaji: Wakusai Mizusa
Release Date: October 18th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 96 mins.
Director: Ryouken Sato
Writer: Ryouken Sato (Screenplay),
Starring: Hideki Fujioka, Aimi Satsukawa, Yuya Matsuura, Shohei Uno, Lily Franky, Mitsuyo Hoshino,
I love the poster for this one. The trailer looks interesting and there are a numbe actors in here like Lily Franky and Shohei Uno. A man named Yoshisuke (Fujioka) lives in a small town where strange things are afoot. He then meets a girl who claims to be an alien. Her name is Mizusa (Satsukawa). A strange relationship develops between them.
Bonus video:
