Hello audience!
It has been a busy week for me writing reviews and previews for films yet to be released (some really interesting ones like Obon no Otouto and Soredake/That’s It). I published a review for Han Gong-Ju and updated the information for the theatrical release of Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends which I watched yesterday. I also watched Seventh Code, Deep Red, Watashi no Otoko, and The Young Victoria.
I watched part of the press conference for the Cannes Film 
Festival (image to the right). I liked the Josh Brolin short directed by the Coen brothers. It was amusing, the rest of the press conference less so. There were a few Japanese/co-productions films announced and I’ll post about them next week (that post is prepped). Also, that’s how I dress at my job. I now know my fashion style is dishevelled cinephile.
What’s released in Japan this weekend?
Vampire in Love
Japanese: 恋するヴァンパイア
Romaji: Koi Suru Vampaia
Release Date: April 17th, 2015
Running Time: 102 mins.
Director: Mai Suzuku
Writer: Mai Suzuki (Screenplay),
Starring: Mirei Kiritani, Shota Totsuka, Seiichi Tanabe, Nene Otsuka, Natsume Mito, Choi Jin-Hyuk, Akira Emoto, Ekin Cheng,
The first time Matsuo Suzuki directed actor Ryuhei Matsuda was for the hilarious otaku love-story Koi no Mon (2004). That was over ten years ago. They have been on screen together in other films but we’re interested in comedies and this looks very funny.
Kiira (Kiritani) is a vampire who lives like a normal little girl and only her hood friend Tetsu (Totsuka) knows. Her goal in life is to become the best baker around. Then, when she reaches the age of twelve, her parents die and she is sent to live with distant relatives and loses contact with Tetsu… Until, eight years later, he appears at the bakery she works at and the two start dating but Kiira is worried about her vampiric nature…
ANIME MIRAI 2015
Anime Mirai (Future of animation) is a training programme where studios are selected by The Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) to be recipients of a share of 214.5 million yen given by the Japanese government’s Agency of Cultural affairs in order to find and foster talent in the Japanese animation industry. These young animators who were selected received 38 million yen to create 30 minute projects that showcase some of the best and brightest ideas out there.
The Association of Japanese Animations has given out money to a variety of studios and their young animators as part of a training programme and rounded up the results of their work on their Anime Mirai projects aaaaand… This year doesn’t seem as strong as previous years which have had titles like Death Billiards (which became the anime Death Parade). As is usually the case with this project, there are four titles, each running at around 25 minutes but unlike previous years there are too many cute girls and not enough else. Check out the website for more and check out this Anime News Network page (which I used to write the preview) for more information.
Aki’s Music-Playing
Japanese: アキの奏で
Romaji: Aki no Kanada
Release Date: April 17th, 2015
Running Time: N/A
Director: Youhei Suzuki
Writer: N/A
Starring: Rina Satou (Aki Miyagawa), Kenji Hamada (Michio Yoshioka),
This tale comes from the studio J.C. Staff (Azumanga Daioh) and is directed by Youhei Suzuki who has directed episodes of La storia della Arcana Famiglia and “Hentai” Prince and the Stony Cat. It’s all about a girl named Aki Miyagawa who travelled to Tokyo to pursue her dream to be a Taiko drummer, but had a hard time balancing her strict training regimen with her part-time job. Now, after 15 years, she’s returning to coach others for a taiko festival.
Happy ComeCome
Japanese: ハッピーカムカム
Romaji: Happi- Kamukamu
Release Date: April 17th, 2015
Running Time: N/A
Director: Yumiko Suda
Writer: N/A
Starring: Naoko Watanabe, Shotaro Moriya, Ai Ichitaro, Megumi Aratake,
Probably the most experienced director in this year’s Anime Mirai is Yumiko Suda with numerous episodes, and a film, of Chibi Maruko-chan, and Urusei Yatsura and Folktales from Japan. She takes the lead over at the studio SynergySP in this anime about a lonely guy named Hiroshi who orders a maid robot from a company called Happy Come Come, but ends up with the robot mom Yoshiko instead. Yoshiko acts more motherly than Hiroshi’s real mother, and over time she is able to heal his heart.
Kumi to Tulip
Japanese: クミとチューリップ
Romaji: Kumi to Churippu
Release Date: April 17th, 2015
Running Time: N/A
Chief Director: Makoto Tezuka, Director: Fumihiro Yoshimura
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
The house that Osamu Tezuka (Astro-Boy) built, Tezuka Productions, and Tezuka’s son Makoto bring a sci-fi tale to the table. It is all about a little girl named Kumi who lives in a robot-filled world with sparkling metal skyscrapers. Kumi’s playground is a garden by one of those skyscrapers with a man-made water fountain, artificial vegetation, and digital water and butterflies. Kumi meets an old man who visits the park every day to paint the artificial flowers. The old man tells Kumi of when he discovered a “breathing” tulip sprouting amidst the artificial flowers, and the two decide to watch over the tulip together as it grows.
Music Girl
Japanese: 音楽少女
Romaji: Ongaku Shoujo
Release Date: April 17th, 2015
Running Time: N/A
Director: Kenichi Ishikura
Writer: Kana Yamada (Screenplay),
Starring: Asami Seto (Eri Kumagai), Manami Numakura (Haru Chitose), Saori Hayami (Sakura Nakayama),
Studio DEEN, the guys who produced Fruits Basket and You’re Under Arrest! Are under the command of director Kenichi Ishikura (Sakura Trick) and written by Kana Yamada (who also worked on Sakura Trick).It’s all about a girl named Eri, and she likes to stay indoors. She once liked singing but stopped. All that changes when she meets a mysterious but enthusiastic transfer student named Haru who loves Eri’s singing. The story follows the two during one summer of their high school life as their love sometimes overlaps and sometimes passes by each other
Acchan
Japanese: あっちゃん
Romaji: Acchan
Release Date: April 18th, 2015
Running Time: 103 mins.
Director: Nario
Writer: N/A
Starring: Atsushi Inoue, Sora Aoi, Kenji Ohtsuki, Masayo Ishizaki, Ayako Inoue, Yoko Yazawa, Kazuya Miyata,
Documentary that follows Atsushi Inoue, a central figure of the punk rock band “Nyurotika” who were big around 1984. Then it all fell apart due to contract issues, feuds between the record label and band members. That was 30 years ago. He is very different now since he works in a candy store but still dabbles in music. Find out what happened to him and the band in the 1980-90’s and hear from fans such as Kenji Ohtsuki and famed playwright Kudo Kankuro.
Naoto Hitorikiri Alone in Fukushima
Japanese: ナオトひとりっきり Alone in Fukushima
Romaji: Naoto Alone in Fukushima
Release Date: April 04th, 2015
Running Time: N/A
Director: Sakichi Sato
Writer: Mayu Nakamura
Starring: Naoto Matsuura
This is a documentary about a 55-year-old man named Naoto Matsumura (interesting article here) who is surviving in a town in the no man’s land surrounding the Fukushima nuclear reactors caring for abandoned animals. Witness their struggle to survive.
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’
Japanese: ドラゴンボールZ 復活の「F」
Romaji: Dragon Ball Z: Fukkatsu no F
Release Date: April 18th, 2015
Running Time: 93 mins.
Director: Tadayoshi Yamamuro
Writer: Akira Toriyama (Screenplay/Original Creator),
Starring: Masako Nozawa (Son Goku, Son Gohan), Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta), Hiromi Tsuru (Bulma), Ryusei Nakao (Frieza),
Multiple Dragonball anime aired when I was in high school and I watched a lot of them until I got bored (the same thing happened with Gundam). Akira Toriyama, creator of the massively popular anime, returns to write the movie and his trick for this movie sees him resurrect classic villain Frieza.
Detective Conan: Sunflowers of Inferno
Japanese: 名探偵コナン 業火の向日葵
Romaji: Meitantei Conan: Gouka no Himawari
Release Date: April 18th, 2015
Running Time: 113 mins.
Director: Kobun Shizuno
Writer: Takeharu Sakurai (Screenplay), Gosho Aoyama (Original Creator),
Starring: Minama Takayama (Conan Edogawa), Kappei Yamaguchi (Kaito Kuroba/Kaito Kid), Hiroshi Isobe (Koji Azuma), Nana Eikura (Natsumi Miyadai), Wakana Yamazaki (Ran Mori), Rikiya Koyama (Kogoro Mori)
All of the paintings… A lot of my Japanese friends know art. They know it to such an extent that I am made to feel foolish because I’m the one who works in a gallery and I don’t know as much as they do. The trailer reminded me of the story of the Japanese businessman who bought Van Gogh’s Sunflowers for tens of millions of dollars just before the economic bubble burst. He was one of many businessmen to sink silly money into art. Here’s a website with more stories and facts and figures about art and crazy prices paid by Japanese businessmen. Anyway, here’s the trailer and synopsis. All I will say is that Conan Edogawa and Kaito Kid (two creations of Gosho Aoyama), are going head to head in a fight over art!.
Conan Edogawa as he tries to track down Kaito Kid, who is supposedly steals a replica of one of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers paintings during an auction. (A real version of the painting depicted was owned by a Japanese collector, until it was destroyed during World War II. A version of the painting depicted in the movie was recently recreated.)
Eiga Crayon Shin-chan: Ora no Hikkoshi Monogatari ~Saboten Daishuugeki
Japanese: 映画クレヨンしんちゃん オラの引越し物語～サボテン大襲撃～
Romaji: Eiga Crayon Shin-chan: Ora no Hikkoshi Monogatari ~Saboten Daishuugeki
Release Date: April 18th, 2015
Running Time: 104 mins.
Director: Masakazu Hashimoto
Writer: Kimiko Ueno (Screenplay), Yoshito Usui (Original Creator),
Starring: Akiko Yajima (Shinnosuke Nohara), Keiji Fujiwara (Hiroshi Nohara), Miki Narahashi (Misae Nohara), Satomi Koorogi (Himawari Nohara), Maaya Sakamoto (Carolina), Rino Sashihara (Sumaho-chan),
In the kindergartner “Shin-chan’s” 23rd movie, he and his family say their goodbyes to Kasukabe City and move to Mexico.
Watch Rakugo on the Cinema Screen: “Master Storytellers of the Showa Period 8”
Japanese Title: スクリーンで観る高座 シネマ落語「落語研究会 昭和の名人 八」
Romaji: Sukurīn de miru kōza shinema rakugo `rakugo kenkyūkai Shōwa no meijin hachi
Release Date: April 18th, 2014 (Japan)
Running Time: 106 mins.
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
Starring: Bunki Katsura, Bunraku Katsura, Matsuo Yamazaki,
This is the eighth in a series of films about Rakugo, a form of verbal entertainment where a lone storyteller sits on a stage and depicts a long and complicated comical story with nothing but a paper fan and a small cloth for props and a change in pitch and tone in voice to provide life to different characters.
And that’s it for this week’s trailers. Here’s the random music video of the week:
