Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Dear Audience.
I’m covering all bases because we have just had one big event (Christmas) pass by and this will be the last trailer post of 2014 before we get to the next (New Year).
I hope everyone reading this is in good spirits and has had a great holiday. I have. I spent time with friends and family and got some cool presents which will allow me to watched a lot more films! I also gobbled a lot of posh chocolates and biscuits and Christmas dinner. Going back to films… I watched a bunch of including Blue Jasmine, Mai Mai Miracle, Dagon, and Plastic Love Story, played catch-up with Garo, finished Gugure!! Kokkuri-san and Psycho-Pass 2 and was left devastated by the latest episode of Parasyte. Also, I thought that the Christmas special of Doctor Who was rather good (better than the ones of previous years). If only the preceding series had been as fun.
I cannot believe a year has passed by so I have a bunch of end of year posts geared up and ready to roll out over the next couple of weeks.
In terms of writing I took part in a round-up of 2014 with Anime UK News where I championed Space Dandy and SF Signal’s Mind Meld where we took a look at the best sci-fi on TV and I championed Space Dandy. Again ;)
I thought that for my final film review of the year I’d go with one that touched my heart a lot and selected Kimi no Tomodachi.
What are the final set of theatrical releases in Tokyo this weekend?
Princess Jellyfish 
Japanese Title: 海月姫
Romaji: Kuragehime
Release Date: December 27th, 2014
Running Time: 126 mins.
Director: Taisuke Kawamura
Writer: Akiko Higashimura (Original Manga), Toshiya Ono (Screenplay)
Starring: Rena Nounen, Masaki Suda, Hiroki Hasegawa, Chizuru Ikewaki, Rina Ohta, Tomoe Shinohara, Azusa Babazono, Nana Katase,
This looks funny. According to Wikipedia, it’s based on a manga by Akiko Higashimura and I have read good things about it. It was adapted into an 11-episode anime back in 2010. I must admit that I have not seen it but the trailer for the film has won me over. It looks to be in good hands. Director Yasuhiro Kawamura has a filmography full of live-action adaptations of manga and the cast include some great actors, most notably Chizuru Ikewaki. The lead role is played by Rena Nounen, a very beautiful fashion model and rising star and one to watch out for.
Tsukimi (Nounen) is an aspiring illustrator who is crazy about jellyfish but lacks confidence especially when around men and attractive people. It’s a good thing that she lives in a communal apartment called Amamizukan where men are not allowed and she’s surrounded by otaku women, who believe in living life without men.
One day Tsukimi gets into trouble at tropical fish shop, a stylish woman helps her out but that woman has a secret. She is actually a he. Kuranosuke (Suda) is a university student who dresses like a woman to rebel against his powerful politician father. Kuranosuke starts hanging at with Tsukimi at Amamizukan and when it is threatened with demolition the two join forces to help all of the girls become successful in their lives to save the building.
Five Minutes to Tomorrow 
Japanese Title: 海月姫
Romaji: Kuragehime
Release Date: December 27th, 2014
Running Time: 129 mins.
Director: Isao Yukisada
Writer: Takayoshi Honda (Original Manga), Anne Horiizumi (Screenplay)
Starring: Haruma Miura, Liu Shishi, Joseph Chang,
The synopsis of the film makes me think about What Time is it There? (2001), a film directed by Taiwanese auteur Tsai Ming-liang because the setting is in Taipei, it involves a guy working with time pieces pining after a girl… These similarities are superficial. Five Minutes to Tomorrow was filmed in Shanghai and not Taipei and it lacks that Ming-liang style of alienation and loneliness that emanates from his static shots and wordless scenes. This looks more melodramatic. Miura is speaking Mandarin (I’m assuming it’s Mandarin he’s speaking) and looks to be in fine romantic lead form.
Ryo (Miura) is a clockmaker living in Taipei. One day he meets a beautiful woman named Maggie (Liu Shishi) who asks him for gift ideas for her identical twin sister Michelle (also Liu Shishi). Ryo begins dating Maggie but is very much aware that she and Michelle look so alike he gets confused if they switch places. It’s not just looks that the two ladies share because Maggie is secretly in love with Michelle’s boyfriend Leon. Still, Ryo persists in getting closer to Maggie and slowly but surely they connect, however tragedy lies in wait on the eve of Michelle’s wedding to Leon and the characters will find that identity and love become blurred even further…
Izaihou 
Japanese Title: イザイホウ
Romaji: Izaihou
Release Date: December 27th, 2014
Running Time: 49 mins.
Director: Gakuya Nomura
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
Anthropologists gather! In the year of 1966 Gakuya Nomura set out for a small island 5 km off the coast of Okinawa to film a ritual that is performed by women aged between 30 and 41. At the time of filming it was a ritual passed down between generations but it is now no longer practiced because of a lack of successors for the role. Watch a bit of history here with this film.
Sokyu no Fafner Exodus 
Japanese Title: 蒼穹のファフナー EXODUS
Romaji: Sokyu no Fafner Exodus
Release Date: December 27th, 2014
Running Time: N/A
Chief Director: Takashi Noto, Director: Nobuyoshi Habara
Writer: Tow Ubukata (Screenplay/Series Composition)
Starring: Kohei Kiyasu (Soshi Minashiro), Makoto Ishii (Kazuki Makabe), Marika Matsumoto (Maya Tomi), Saori Seto(Mai Doma), Satomi Arai (Sakura Kaname),
People who go to the Maihama Amphitheater will see the preview screening of a new Sokyu no Fafner anime. This is the start of a 26-episode TV series due to premiere during the winter 2015 season. It is the 10th anniverary project of a franchise that I have never heard of and it reunites the cast and staff to bring the anime back from the past for a new generation.
Aaaand that’s it for badly translated trailers this year. Here’s a music video for you guys to see the end of the year out with. I know I will:
