Hello dear audience!
I hope you are well!
This week I have been in work every day but that has not stopped me from writing more things for the blog, which may or may not be a good thing because you might be sick of my ramblings. Said ramblings have included a round-up of the Japanese films at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival and I also answered a series of anime questions which give some background to my background in anime. I also did a quick review of the first episode of the anime Honey and Clover. I enjoyed writing these posts so much I wanted to write a review of Biomega and review Mamoru Oshii’s films!
Films? I watched plenty of them this week! I was in London watching
two dramas My Little Sweet Pea (2014) and Bolt from the Blue (2014) last Saturday as well as popping into the Japan Centre and buying a lot of chocolate and the Royal Academy to see the Rubens exhibition. I came home and watched the western Sweetwater (2013) and then Predator (1987) and the last two Berserk anime movies as well as many clips of the wonderful Philomena Cunk.
What is released this weekend in Japan?
Present for You
Japanese Title: プレセント フォー ユー
Romaji: Puresento Fo- Yu-
Release Date: February 07th, 2015 (Japan)
Running Time: 93 mins.
Director: Yoshihiko Dai
Writer: Yoshihiko Dai (Screenplay)
Starring: Joe Odagiri, Akira Emoto, Jun Fubuki, Isao Natsuyagi, Munetaka Aoki,
A great cast and an interesting idea but the review over at the Japan Times website is pretty dismissive.
Synopsis right from the website:
At a shady health food company in Shimbashi, part-time employee Kajiwara is left behind when the other staff takes off with the company’s money. Brought before The Boss, the president of parent company Give Me Money, in a skyscraper towering over Shimbashi,Kajiwara is commanded to recover the funds alone. He makes back half a billion yen owing in record time and earns the favor of The Boss. Charged with cleaning up Japan, Kajiwara is made the president of dummy health food company, Present For You. But The Boss is a man who doesn’t believe in love and sneers at people who so much as trust each other. Under the guise of cleaning up Japan, he dictates people he doesn’t like to be sent to Kajiwara’s office in a bag for disposal. One rainy night, the “present” delivered to Kajiwara’s office.
However difficult their lives, however weak and susceptible to sorrow they are, these are people who hold love and hope for their friends in their hearts. Their harsh town doesn’t give them much love. And, in truth, they don’t really care what happens here today. That they were there is enough. They will deal with the rest. Even the truth of the love between fugitives Muneoka and Yuki doesn’t mean anything to them. Here’s hoping you’ll meet someone like them one day.
Sukimasuki
Japanese Title: スキマスキ
Romaji: Sukimasuki
Release Date: February 07th, 2015 (Japan)
Running Time: 82 mins.
Director: Kota Yoshida,
Writer: Yumi Unita (Originl Manga), Kota Yoshida (Screenplay)
Starring: Keita Machida, Kokone Sasaki, Eriko Nakamura, Mizuki Kusumi, Masayasu Yagi, Miyavi Matsunoi,
There were about four or five films about guys peeping on girls and girls peeping on guys. Here’s another one.
University student Heisaku (Machida) peeps on his neighbour Fumio (Sasaki). Fumio is aware of this and peeps on Heisaku.
Mango and the Red Wheelchair
Japanese Title: マンゴーと赤い車椅子
Romaji: Mango- to Akai Kurumaisu
Release Date: February 07th, 2015 (Japan)
Running Time: 93 mins.
Director: Shigeo Nakakura
Writer: Toshiro Fukushima, Yukiko Yamamuro, Shigeo Nakakura, (Screenplay)
Starring: Naoto, Takanari Ishii, Sayaka Akimoto, Riho Yoshioka, Kaoru Sugita, Mire Aika, Bengal,
When 23-year-old nurse Ayaka (Akimoto) falls from her 04th floor apartment an survives, she finds herself a patient at her hospital and paralysed from the waist down. She has a hard time dealing with it and complains bitterly to hospital staff and family. She finds solace and comfort by communicating with her grand mother and other people who use wheelchairs. Her greatest inspiration and source of positivity is the rock star Shota (Naoto) who also uses a wheelchair.
Reflection Mr. Children
Japanese Title: プレセント フォー ユー
Romaji: Puresento Fo- Yu-
Release Date: February 07th, 2015 (Japan)
Running Time: N/A
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
Starring: The band Mr Children: Kazutoshi Saurai, Kenichi Tahara, Keisuke Nakagawa, Hideya Suzuki,
Mr Children are a big band and they celebrated their 21st anniversary last year. This documentary was recorded on their Mr Children Father & Mother 21 Anniversary Festival Fan Club Tour.
The BiS Cannon Ball Run 2014, The Movie
Japanese Title: 劇場版 BiSキャノンボール2014
Romaji: Gekijouban BiS Kyanon Bo-ru 2014
Release Date: February 07th, 2015 (Japan)
Running Time: N/A
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
Starring: Pour Lui, Nozomi Hirano, Ten Tenko, First Summer Uika, Saki Kamiya, Megumi Koshouji,
The Bis Cannon Ball Run 2014, The Movie is a documentary film from Company Matsuo and it’s all about the idol group BiS who set the world aight for a few years with their satirical take on the idol culture in Japan before their disbandment last year. This group is new to me but after listening to some of their music and reading their Wikipedia page, I think they are interesting.
And that’s the lot. Not much, right? Don’t worry. Next week is packed.
Here’s the not so random music video:
