Hello readers!
This is one of the few weekends of 2015 which have rolled by that I feel that there’s a great selection of films on offer. A mix of indie and big budget flicks and anime. Not too much of one or the other and there’s plenty that was fun and interesting to watch. I’d be interested in watching all of these films.
I think that part of my positivity is the fact that I saw some rather excellent films since I last posted a trailer post. Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends (epic movie!), Fatal Frame, The Young Victoria (that one was harmless), Synodoche New York (you’re in the scene not filming it), and The Tale of The Princess Kaguya. I have been listening to nothing but Japanese shoegaze music again.
What’s released in Japan this weekend?
Kyoukai no Kanata – I’ll Be Here – Future Chapter
Japanese Title: 劇場版 境界の彼方 I’LL BE HERE未来篇
Romaji: Kyokai no Kanata – I’ll Be Here – Mirai-hen
Release Date: April 25th, 2015 (Japan)
Running Time: 45 mins.
Director: Taichi Ishidate
Writer: Jukki Hanada (Screenplay), Nagomu Torii (Original Light Novel),
Starring: Risa Taneda (Mirai Kuriyama), Kenn (Akihito Kanbara), Minori Chihara (Mitsuki Nase), Tatsuhisa Suzuki (Hiroomi Nase), Yuri Yamaoka (Ai Shindo),
I’ve got less and less time for Kyoto Animation the more I see of their work. Beautiful as it is, stories and characters don’t keep my interest (slice-of-life tales about cute girls tend to tire me out these days and I don’t want to see lesbian bears ever again) and yet despite the fact Kyoukai no Kanata was a narrative mess I still liked it and there were a few tears after the finale of the TV anime back in 2013. I really liked the characters… Well, Mirai Kuriyama. So I want to see more of her.
This is the second film based on Kyoukai no Kanata. The first film, Kako-hen, was released in March and retold the events of the television series while this film will work, set one year after the television series.
The director of the movie is Taichi Ishidate, director of the TV anime as well as director on episodes of K-ON! and Hyouka, an anime I really liked. The screenplay comes from writer Jukki Hanada who has two great works on his filmography in Steins;Gate and Nichijou. Miku Kadowaki, character designer, has worked on many Kyoto Animation titles like Free! Eternal Summer, Hyouka, Nichijou, and Tamako Market. The seiyuu remain the same with KENN reprising his role as Akihito, and Risa Taneda coming back as Mirai.
The story of the movie is a retelling of the TV anime which is about two students with supernatural powers. The first we encounter is Akihito Kanbara (KENN) who is half demon (yomu) and invulnerable to wounds. When he sees Mirai Kuriyama (Risa Taneda) on the school roof and about to attempt what looks like suicide he intervenes. The two get to know each other and Akihito discovers that Mirai is from a cursed line of warriors who are able to manipulate blood. Despite her distaste for him (fuyukai desu), the two grow closer and as this happens, dark forces move in to try and take advantage of Akihito.
Parasyte Part 2 / Parasyte: The Final Act
Japanese Title: 寄生獣 完結編
Romaji: Kiseiju Kanketsu Hen
Release Date: April 25th, 2015 (Japan)
Running Time: 117 mins.
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Writer: Ryota Kosawa (Screenplay), Hitoshi Iwaaki (Original Manga),
Starring: Shota Sometani (Shinichi Izumi), Ai Hashimoto (Satomi Murano), Sadao Abe (Migi), Eri Fukatsu (Ryoko Tamiya), Masahiro Higashide (Hideo Shimada), Nao Omori (Kuramori), Pierre Taki (Miki), Hirofumi Arai (Uragami), Tadanobu Asano (Goto), Kimiko Yo (Nobuko Izumi), Jun Kunimura (Detective Hirama),
People who follow me on Twitter will know I’m a big fan of the Parasyte TV anime which I think was perfectly executed. This is the second of two live-action films and I am seriously wondering how they can measure up to the manga or TV anime considering they have limited running-time. Anyway, these films and anime adapt Hitoshi Iwaaki’s original manga serialized in Kodansha’s Afternoon magazine from 1990-1995. The 10-volume series (later reprinted in an eight-volume version) has more than 11 million copies in print.
The film stars Shōta Sometani (live-action xxxHOLiC, Himizu, Soredake/That’s It) who plays the lead role of Shinichi Izumi. He is joined by Eri Fukatsu (Villain) who plays Ryōko Tamiya, Shinichi’s former-teacher who is a Parasite take, and Ai Hashimoto (The Kirishima Thing, live-action version of Another) plays Satomi Murano, Shinichi’s classmate and girlfriend. Jun Kunimura as detective Hirama strikes me as great casting as do the enemy parasites but the voice of Migi sounds off after watching the anime – Aya Hirano was perfect.
The story takes place in a world where alien beings called Parasites come to Earth and start taking over humans by entering in through their noses and ears and attaching themselves to their brains. One alien called Migi is only able to take over high school student Shinichi Izumi’s right arm, and is unable to control Shinichi completely. Migi and Shinichi learn to co-exist, and the two battle other Parasites who see humans only as food. The second part of the film sees Shinichi an Migi try to figure out how to beat a group of Parasites who have control of the mayor of their city and are creating a network of feeding spot. Ryoko Tamiya also makes a re-appearance but is she still going to be a threat to Shinichi?
Ryuzo And The Seven Henchmen
Japanese: 龍三と七人の子分たち
Romaji: Ryuzo to Shinichinin no Kobuntachi
Release Date: April 25th, 2015
Running Time: 111 mins.
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Writer: Takeshi Kitano (Screenplay),
Starring: Tatsuya Fuji, Masaomi Kondo, Akira Nakao, Ken Yasuda, Hisako Manda, Takeshi Kitano, Toru Shinagawa,
Warner Bros. Japan strike again to help make Takeshi Kitano’s latest film about old yakuza gangsters cleaning up the crime world. When I first read about it, looked like another “I’m too old for this,” action comedies put out by ageing actors. Now that I have seen the full trailer it looks amusing. The film stars a lot of actors who have played yakuza and tough guy roles Tatsuya Fuji (he has been in the Stray Cat Rock series, Bright Future). Reading through the filmographies of some of these guys is fascinating because you find een more classic ‘60s and ‘70s action films like Quick-Draw Okatsu (1969).
Anyway, here’s the trailer for Kitano’s film:
Ryuzo (Tatsuya Fuji) and his seven former henchmen are all retired yakuza in their 70s who live quiet lives as regular old men (so this is what happens when a yakuza doesn’t die…). One day, Ryuzo becomes the victim of a phishing scam and is outraged. He calls his seven men together to reform their society.
Asleep
Japanese: 白河夜船
Romaji: Shirakawa yofune
Release Date: April 25th, 2015
Running Time: 91 mins.
Director: Shingo Wakagi
Writer: Shingo Wakagi, Kai Suzumoto (Screenplay), Banana Yoshimoto (Original Novel)
Starring: Sakura Ando, Arata Iura, Mitsuki Tanimura, Guama, Maki Izawa, Aya Takekou, Yoshiaki Takahashi,
I am a fan of Banana Yoshimoto’s writing and I am a fan of Sakura Ando. It therefore stands to reason that I want to see a film based on Banana Yoshimoto’s novel of the same name (published in 1989) and see Sakura Ando (the highlight of Love Exposure, tragic in Shokuzai, and delightful in For Love’s Sake) in the lead role. There’s also Arata (Ping Pong, After Life) and Mitsuki Tanimura (Arcana, The Snow White Murder Case).
Terako (Ando) sleeps a lot. She only wakes when she gets a call from her married middle-aged lover, Iwanaga (Arata), a controlling man. She wants to break it off and her life is made even more confused because she is mourning the suicide of her close friend Shiori (Tanimura), whose unusual occupation was sleeping with strangers – no sex just a comforting presence for when they wake – for pay. Every day she falls into a deep sleep, Iwanaga calling her, unsure over whether she wants to continue. Is she depressed?
Chateau de la Reine
Japanese: 王妃の館
Romaji: Ouhi no Yakata
Release Date: April 25th, 2015
Running Time: 123 mins.
Director: Hajime Hashimoto
Writer: Junichiro Taniguchi, Kei Kunii (Screenplay), Jiro Asada (Original Novel)
Starring: Yutaka Mizutani, Rena Tanaka, Kazue Fukiishi, Hiroyuki Onoue, Munetaka Aoki, Yumi Adachi, Renji Ishibashi,
The hotel Chateau de la Reine in Paris is considered the finest hotel in the city with over 300 years of history. A travel agency, which is teetering on bankruptcy comes up with a plan to offer suite rooms at the Chateau de la Reine for night and day periods. The plan appears perfect, but the tourists who made reservations have unusual requests and attitudes…
Umi yama aida Ise jinguu no mori kara hibiku messeji
Japanese: うみやまあひだ 伊勢神宮の森から響くメッセージ
Romaji: Umi yama aida Ise jinguu no mori kara hibiku messeji
Release Date: April 24th, 2015
Running Time: 79 mins.
Director: Masaaki Miyazawa,
Writer: Junichiro Taniguchi, Kei Kunii (Screenplay), Jiro Asada (Original Novel)
Starring: Shinnyo Kawai (Shinto Priest of Ise Grand Shrine), Kengo Kuma (world-acclaimed Architect; models and drawings of his major works is permanent collection at MOMA), Mitsuo Ogawa (Master of Carpenter), Takeshi Kitano (world-acclaimed Filmmaker; “Fireworks”, “Zatoichi”, “Sonatine”), Katsuhiko Kurata (Forest Manager of Ise), Soju Ikeda (Kiso timber company Owner), Genmyo Ono (Chief Abbot of Horyuji Temple; Horyuji is the World Heritage, one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world), Masaru Tanaka (Professor Emeritus in Kyoto University), Tsutomu Ohashi (Neuroscientist and Music Composer of the movie “AKIRA”), Shigeatsu Hatakeyama (Oyster Fisherman; chosen by the United Nations as one of the winners of the Forest Heroes Awards), Akira Miyawaki (Ecologist; contributed to forest regeneration by planting over 40 million native trees around the world), Yoshihiro Narisawa (Chef; won the Sustainability Award at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants)
Thank the movie Gods that more and more Japanese films have English-language pages because that allows me to copy and paste the information about these Japanese documentaries about very Japanese subjects.
Masaaki Miyazawa, one of the most prestigeous photographers in Japan, has been taking photos of shrines and temples for more than 10 years and has found the Japanese identity through this experience. He encountered Shikinen Sengu at Ise Jingu, the most sacred ceremony that is held once every 20 years for over a thousand years. He then decided to take a journey all over Japan to direct this film. He went into some deep mountains, sacred forests, and beautiful coasts. He talked with a oyster fisherman, a scientist, a master of carpenter, an architect, a filmmaker and some others. This documentary is about Mr. Miyazawa’s beautiful journey to seek the memory of people who has lived together with nature in the mountains and the oceans.
<DIRECTOR STATEMENT>
“The deity makes an equal treatment for everyone and everything”. It is my starting point of the journey when I heard this comment from a Shinto priest at Ise Grand Shrine. I have found that my country has two thousand years of history where people have lived together with forest through cyclic regeneration. This documentary is a compilation of my ten-year journey of seeking the deep root of our culture.
Caesium and the Girl
Japanese: セシウムと少女
Romaji: Seshiumu to Shoujo
Release Date: April 25th, 2015
Running Time: 109 mins.
Director: Ryo Saitani
Writer: Ryo Saitani (Screenplay),
Starring: Yusuke Kawazu, Hatsuo Yamaya, Nankin, Takao Iida, Kaira Shirahase, Masato Nagamori, Keiji Yamasaki, Miho Kaneno.
According to Eiga.com, the director of this film runs the Laputa cinema in Asagaya which is inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s film, Laputa Castle in the Sky. If it’s this cinema then he has a sweet job. Anyway, this is a fantasy about a girl named Mimi who gets struck by lightening and involved with some mythical figures while looking for a myna bird.
Shishuu Tsugu no hi Itan
Japanese: 死臭 つぐのひ異譚
Romaji: Shishuu Tsugu no hi Itan
Release Date: April 25th, 2015
Running Time: 67 mins.
Director: Masakazu Kikuchi
Writer: Allen Sumiyoshi (Screenplay),
Starring: Nozomi Maeda, Towa Hasegawa, Yusuke Konno, Emi Yoshida,
Oh look, a movie adaptation of another low-budget video game. This one is based on A Stench of Death and is so low-budget it doesn’t show up on IMDB or Asian Wiki. A lot of the actors and the director do and they have worked on churning out horror titles. I’m not keeping count but that makes three low-budget horror games. Ao Oni, Death Forest, and now this. There’s a Reddit forum discussing this game.
Anyway, back to the film… Nozomi Maeda takes the lead as a girl who lives in a quiet residential area where a girl went missing some time before. While walking towards a phone box, the phone starts ringing and she gingerly takes the handset and hears the voice of a woman but it sounds like she is in the middle of a storm. Then her voice is cut off and strange stuff starts happening…
Walking with My Mother
Japanese: 抱擁
Romaji: Houyou
Release Date: April 25th, 2015
Running Time: 93 mins.
Director: Katsumi Sakaguchi
Writer: N/A
Starring: Suchie Sakaguchi, Mariko Miyazono, Satoshi Sakaguchi, Katsumi Sakaguchi,
This one got its international premiere at last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival and it looks like emotionally powerful stuff. Here’s the info on the film from the festival webpage:
How do you live after losing your loved ones? Suchie (78) is distraught after losing her daughter and then her husband. Countless tranquilizers were given to calm her. Her son, Director Katsumi Sakaguchi, turns to his camera to understand her more. When Mariko arrives for the funeral and sees her sister’s despair, she decides to take her back to their hometown for the first time in 38 years. Here, Mariko devotes her life to her sister. Her son reveals four painful years of her distress and conflict through the camera. Grief always comes after the sadness of losing those closest to us. What rescued her from it?
