Happy weekend, people!
I have gone and published this trailer post early because Halloween falls on a Saturday this year and I traditionally post a film review on Halloween so this Saturday is reserved for a review of a film I think is pretty special and scary on a soulful level and just right for Halloween. So far this week I have spent more time watching television shows like The Walking Dead, Subete ga F ni Naru: The Perfect Insider, and lots of time practicing Japanese –passive form, transitive/intransitive.
Earlier this week, I posted an announcement about the release of Makeup Room. Expect a film review on Saturday.
What’s released this weekend?
Remember in my review for Happy Hour (2015) when I praised Japan and Korea for producing and sustaining more female filmmakers than the West? Take a look at the names of the directors and you’ll notice that nearly half of the releases are directed by women and for most it is not their first feature but their third or fourth and they cast plenty of middle-aged women. Western films fans! Broaden your horizons and look East.
Sideline
サイドライン「Saidorain」
Release Date: October 31st, 2015
Running Time: 94 mins.
Director: Sakurako Fukuyama
Writer: Sakurako Fukuyama (Screenplay),
Starring: Yusuke Fukuda, Koichi Yoshino, Yuki Murata, Reina Asami, Ryoga Funatsu, Takuya Kusakawa, Kai Ogasawara, Takashi Matsuo,
Synopsis: Daigo (Yusuke Fukuda) and his friends are part of the young men’s club of their neighborhood association and have been friends since childhood. As adults they are drifting apart but are reunited when they meet an eight-year-old girl named Hana and discover that Hana’s mother Usage (Reina Asami) is raising her alone since the death of her husband. The guys get together for the festival and aim to perform a male cheerleading routine.
My Love Story!!
俺物語!!「Ore Monogatari!!」
Release Date: October 31st, 2015
Running Time: 105 mins.
Director: Hayato Kawai
Writer: Akiko Nogi (Screenplay), Kazune Kawahara, Aruko (Original Manga),
Starring: Ryohei Suzuki, Mei Nagano, kentaro Sakaguchi, Sawa Suzuki, Yasufumi Terawaki,
I like the anime adaptation of Ore Monogatari!! a lot and I feel that the live-action film will have to do a lot to live up to. The trailer looks decent enough. The actors managed to do a decent job of portraying the characters but where will the story go?
Synopsis: Takeo Goda (Ryohei Suzuki) is an ultramasculine guy who I best friends with Makoto Sunakawa (Kentaro Sakaguchi), a bishounen. Takeo is super popular with the guys because of his athletic abilities but the girls ignore him in favour of Makoto. That changes when Takeo saves high school girl Rinko Yamato (Mei Nagano) from a pervert on a train. Takeo falls in love with her but thinks Rinko likes Makoto. This changes when Rinko tracks Takeo down…
Inu ni namae wo tsukeru hi
犬に名前をつける日「Inu ni namae wo tsukeru hi」
Release Date: October 31st, 2015
Running Time: 107 mins.
Director: Akane Yamada
Writer: Akane Yamada (Screenplay)
Starring: Satomi Kobayashi, Takaya Kamikawa, Misato Aoyama, Saori Imamura, Satoshi Fujii,
Synopsis: Kuno Kanami (Satomi Kobayashi) is a woman who works at an animal protection centre and one of a number of people who help rescue the animals left to fend for themselves after the Great East Japan Earthquake. She works on a television show called “a dog’s life” which is all about animals left behind in the disaster.
Onna no ko yo shitai to odore / Girls, Dance with the Dead
女の子よ死体と踊れ「Onna no ko yo shitai to odore」
Release Date: October 31st, 2015
Running Time: 70 mins.
Director: Kayoko Asakura
Writer: Kayoko Asakura (Screenplay)
Starring: Ano, Chibo, Chiffon, Kechon, Mone, Yonapi, Keiko Furuuchi, Fukiko Hara, Hiroaki Kawatsure, Teruhiko Nobukuni,
Synopsis: The Yurumerumo! girls more about them on Tokyo Girls Update take part in a horror comedy where one of the members of the group, Ano, is a corpse brought back to life through an occult ceremony. Ano was quite happy being dead so the Yurumerumo! Girls start trying to kill her off… permanently.
Tokyo no Hi
東京の日「Tokyo no Hi」
Release Date: October 31st, 2015
Running Time: 102 mins.
Director: Chihio Ikeda
Writer: Chihiro Ikeda (Screenplay)
Starring: Kyoko Kagawa, Makiko Watanabe, Shuri, Saki Tanaka, Jundai Yamada, Chizuru Asano, Daisuke Sasaki,
Synopsis: Akari has made a very capricious decision to move to Tokyo. With no plan and no experience to help her she stuffs everything into her suitcase and wanders around until she reaches a café where a man named Yusuke works. He offers her the opportunity to stay at his place and so two lonely people being living together and warm to each other…
Fukushima: Ikimono no kiroku 3
福島 生きものの記録 シリーズ3 拡散「Fukushima: Ikimono no kiroku 3」
Release Date: October 31st, 2015
Running Time: 91 mins.
Director: Masanori Iwasaki
Writer: N/A
Starring: Hiroaki Koide
Synopsis: Here’s an update on the animals in the Fukushima area courtesy of director Masanori Iwasaki’s series which explores the environmental impact of radition from Fukushima Daiichi.
We Are Perfume: World Tour 3rd Document
Release Date: October 31st, 2015
Running Time: 120 mins.
Director: Taketoshi Sado
Writer: N/A
Starring: Perfume: Yuka Kashino, Ayaka Nishiwaki, Ayano Ohmoto
Synopsis: It has been years since I last listened to Perfume but I am aware of their growing global popularity and this documentary covers their world tour which included a visit to this year’s SXSW festival. Expect behind the scenes, exclusive interviews and more.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin ‘Artesia’s Sorrow’
機動戦士ガンダム THE ORIGIN II 哀しみのアルテイシア「Kido Senshi Gundam: The Origin II Kanashimi no Aruteishia」
Release Date: October 31st, 2015
Running Time: 58 mins.
Chief Director: Yoshikazu Yasuhiko,Director: Takashi Imanishi
Writer: Katsuyuk Sumisawa
Starring: Mayumi Tanaka (Casval Rem Deikun – young), Megumi Han (Artesia Som Deikun), Shuuichi Ikeda (Char Aznable), Ayumi Tsunmatsu (Astraia Tor Deikun) Eizou Tsuda (Zeon Zum Deikun), Miyuki Sawashiro (Crowley Hamon),
Synopsis: This is the second in a four part series that will tell the story of Casval Rem Deikun and Artesia Som Deikun (Char and Sayla, before Char became known as the Red Comet) before the One-Year War in UC.0068. The episode’s story moves three years ahead to U.C. 0071. The story will follow the tearful separation of the siblings Casval and Artesia (before they became known as Char and Sayla). It will also feature more of the development of the mobile suits, particularly on the Zeon side. It will play for two weeks in 15 Japanese cinemas. Find out more at Anime News Network.
Eiga Go! Princess Precure Go! Go!! Gōka 3-bon Date!!!
映画Ｇｏ！プリンセスプリキュア Ｇｏ！Ｇｏ！！豪華３本立て！！！「Eiga Go! Princess Precure Go! Go!! Gōka 3-bon Date!!!」
Release Date: October 31st, 2015
Running Time: 75 mins.
Director: Akifumi Zako, Hiroshi Miyamoto, Yukio Kaizawa
Writer: Kaori Yamagata (Screenplay)
Starring: Hibiku Yamamura (Kirara Amanogawa/Cure Twinkle), Masumi Asano (Minami Kaido/Cure Mermaid), Yu Shimamura (Haruka Haruno/Cure Flora), Cho (The King) Kaori Yamagata (The Queen), Kana Hanazawa (Princess Pampururu), Hinata Uegaki (Princess Prefi),
This is at the Tokyo International Film Festival which is heavily laden with anime.
Synopsis: The movie this time around is the first for Pretty Cure: Go! Go!! Gorgeous Triple Feature!!! It’s a sparkling Happy Halloween party at the movie theater!! This fall, the highly popular TV series Go! Princess Pretty Cure (ABC, tv asahi affiliates) is coming to the big screen! It’s a Halloween-themed super-gorgeous triple feature, with “A Precious Treasure of Pumpkin Land”, “Lefy’s Wonderful Night”, and “Cure Flora and a Mysterious Mirror”. “Strongly, kindly, and beautifully” Pretty Cures get a glamour power-up, including CG anime and the appearance of their mini-sized versions!
Japanese Movie Box Office Results for this Week:
Galaxy Turnpike (2015/10/24)
Library Wars – The Last Mission (2015/10/10)
The Intern (2015/10/10)
Bakuman (Release: 2015/10/03)
Maze Runner 2 The Scorch Trials (2015/10/23)
Transporter Ignition (2015/10/24)
Heroine Shikkaku (2015/09/19)
UFO Gakuen no Himitsu (2015/10/10)
The Anthem of the Heart (2015/09/19)
John Wick (2015/10/16)
