Happy weekend… or rather, new week.
Sorry, this trailer post’s a bit late because I wanted to let my review of Uzumasa Limelight have a share of the… limelight on the blog. I gave that a 4/5 because I enjoyed it a lot and it can teach viewers a thing or two about the Japanese film industry. I also posted some PR about the film’s theatrical release as part of the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme.
I watched a couple of Japanese zombie movies last week like Wild Zero (1999). I also went to the cinema to watch The Revenant and was blown away by the epic scope of the visuals, great acting by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy, the great musical score by Ryuichi Sakamoto and the nuanced look at the Native American characters.
What was released last weekend? Lots of stuff.
AKECHI kunoichi ninpo gaiden
AKECHI くノ一忍法外伝「AKECHI kunoichi ninpo gaiden」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016
Running Time: 79 mins.
Director: Hiroyuki Kawasaki
Writer: Shinji Hirata (Screenplay),
Starring: Noriko Fujioka, Narumi Yonezawa, Yasuko Tsuji,
Synopsis: This one is an ultra low-budget movie from pink film director Hiroyuki Kawasaki. It doesn’t show up on IMDB and doesn’t appear to have a website but it is listed on Wikipedia’s list of ninja films. The film takes place during the Sengoku period and focusses on eight kunoichi who are caught between Oda Nobunaga and his general Akechi Mitsuhide.
Ii nioi no suru eiga
いいにおいのする映画「Ii nioi no suru eiga」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016
Running Time: 73 mins.
Director: Mai Sakai
Writer: Mai Sakai (Screenplay),
Starring: Rie Kaneko, Haruhi Nakajima, Kaito Yoshimura, micci the mistake, possession mongoloid, Velladon
Rie Kaneko from the idol group Ladybaby makes a feature film appearance in this weird little title that was crowdfunded. It doesn’t look bad and I’ve now decied that Ladybaby is my new favourite idol group. Info straight from Tokyo Girls Update.
Synopsis: High school girl Rei (Rie Kaneko) wants to be a lighting technician and her friend Kaito (Kaito Yoshimura) is a whiz when it comes to organising the music production but these childhood friends get sucked into the world of Vampillia who has musical friends that Rei and Kaito can work with and some pretty dark desires to boot…
Omote to ura the Final
表と裏「Omote to Ura Dai 2-shou」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016
Running Time: 120 mins.
Director: Kenichi Fujiwara
Writer: Mayuko Yoshiyuki, Kenichi Fujiwara (Screenplay)
Starring: Kaname Endo, Shunsuke Daito, Chihiro Ohtsuka, Saori Takizawa, Manabu Hamada, Mikio Ohsawa, Sayaka Tsuruta,
A young and idealistic lawmaker named Kyoichi (Endo) and a yakuza named Shoji (Daito) who were childhood friends at the same orphanage. Both want to change a corrupt world but while Kyoichi does so through politics and charisma, Shoji uses violence and the two reunite to change society… “in and out.”
New Initial D the Movie Legend 3: Mugen
新劇場版 頭文字D Legend 3 –夢現– 「Shin Gekijouban Initial D Legend 3 -Mugen-」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016
Running Time: 65 mins.
Chief Director: Masamitsu Hidaka, Director: Tomohito Naka
Writer: Mayori Sekijima (Screenplay), Shuuichi Shigeno (Original Manga)
Animation Production: LIDEN FILMS, SANZIGEN Animation Studio
Starring: Mamoru Miyano (Takuma Fujiwara), Yuichi Nakamura (Keisuke Takahashi), Daisuke Ono (Ryosuke Takahashi, Hiroaki Hirata (Bunta Fujiwara), Minoru Shiraishi (Itsuki Takeuchi),
This is the third in a trilogy of films that retell the original Initial D story.
Synopsis: High school student Takumi Fujiwara works at a gas station during the day and as a delivery boy for his father’s tofu shop during the night. Thanks to his experience driving his father’s Toyota Sprinter AE86 Trueno, he develops precise driving skills and soon becomes the greatest amateur road racer on Mt. Akina’s highway and this makes him a rival to racing groups in the prefecture who want to take him on in races.
Code Geass: Akito the Exiled 5 (To Beloved Ones)
コードギアス 亡国のアキト 最終章「愛シキモノタチヘ」「Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito 5 「Itoshiki Mono-tachi e」 」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016 (Japan)
Running Time: 59 mins.
Director: Kazuki Akane
Writer: Yoshinari Asakawa (Screenplay), Hiroshi Ohnogi (Original Creator),
Animation Production: Sunrise
Starring: Miyu Irino (Akito Hyuuga), Maaya Sakamoto (Layla Malkal), Ai Kayano (Anna Clement), Takahiro Sakurai (Suzaku Kururugi), Yoko Hikasa (Ayano Kousaka)
The year is 2017 around the time Lelouch took on the alter-ego “Zero” and built up his “Black Knights” rebellion army to free Japan from The Holy Britannian Empire but the Akito series is a spin-off which takes place in Europe. This was originally a four episode OAV which was meant to finish last year but was given one last episode.
Synopsis: The Holy Britannian Empire has invaded the continent and is about to defeat the E.U and a young pilot named Akito Hyuuga leads a special team fighting to prevent what seems inevitable. Then Layla Malkal, a former Britannian Aristocrat comes to the E.U.’s aid, commanding the “Wyvern” Knightmare corps comprised of Japanese teenagers and t looks like they might be able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat but the risks involved in every battle are immense.
Gekijouban Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam Over the wishes
ラストエグザイル 銀翼のファム Over The Wishes「Rasuto Eguzairu Ginyoku no Famu Over The Wishes」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016
Running Time: 120 mins.
Director: Yukio Takahashi
Writer: N/A
Animation Production: Gonzo
Starring: Aki Toyosaki (Fam Fan Fan), Ai Kayano (Millia il Velch Cutrettola Turan), Aoi Yuuki (Giselle Collette Vingt), Chiwa Saito (Teddy), Jun Fukuyama (Orang),
Synopsis from ANN: The Sky Pirate Fam and Millia (the princess who Fam rescued as her Turan Kingdom faced devastation) wage a battle against the Ades Federation that reduced Turan to ashes, and aim to establish a revived Turan Kingdom.
Ika rete iru?
イカれてイル？ 「Ika rete iru?」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016
Running Time: 78 mins.
Director: Michihiro Takeuchi
Writer: Michihiro Takeuchi (Screenplay)
Starring: MAGiC BOYZ
Synopsis: The MAGiC BOYZ are a bunch of junior high school kids who have become the world’s first Hip-Hop idol group with magical powers and they are a part of the Stardust Promotion agency so they are pop-music cohorts with Momoiro Clover Z. They made this movie in the style of a fake documentary.
Mood Swings
ゆれる心「Yureru kokoro」
Release Date: February 01st, 2016
Running Time: 75 mins.
Director: Shuji Kataoka
Writer: Shuji Kataoka (Screenplay)
Starring: Saki Seto, Akiyoshi Shibata, Haruna Yabuki, Shiro Shimomoto, Akira Aoyama, Rin Ogawa
Synopsis: Misaki (Saki Seto) is an OL who is involved in the wedding of a co-worker and collaborating with a senior she has a crush on.
Kokonotsu no mado
9つの窓「Kokonotsu no mado」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016
Running Time: 99 mins.
Director: Kei Hiro, Ai Nagura, Kazuya Ogawa, Tsuyoshi Sone, Yo Hirose,
Writer: N/A
Starring: Rie Kitahara, Shinobu Mogi, Yuria Kizaki, Sae Miyazawa, Chiyori Nakanishi, Yui Yokoyama, Yuuna Ego, Anna Iriyama,
Synopsis: The Short Shorts Film Festival and AKB48 collaborate to create nine short movies with stories of first love and vampires making up the content.
Given ima, koko, ni aru shiawase
Given いま、ここ、にあるしあわせ「Given ima, koko, ni aru shiawase」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016
Running Time: 90 mins.
Director: Natsuko Takahashi
Writer: N/A
Starring: Chie Ayado (Narrator)
Synopsis: Three children with incurable illnesses and their families are the focus of this documentary.
Hakuoki SSL sweet school life THE MOVIE
薄桜鬼SSL sweet school life THE MOVIE「Hakuoki SSL sweet school life THE MOVIE」
Release Date: February 06th, 2016
Running Time: 78 mins.
Director: Michihiro Takeuchi
Writer: Michihiro Takeuchi (Screenplay)
Starring: Toshiyuki Someya, Atsushi Kimura, Masyu Ishiwatari, Seiya Inagaki, Katsuhiko Ibuka, Yuki Tamaki, Ryouma Baba,
Synopsis: Otome games are big business in Japan and slowly taking off in the West as developers and fans catch up which is where dedicated bloggers like Otoge Meow comes in to spread knowledge. That’s where I got some information for this. We have a live-action feature film adaptation of the Hakuoki game series which recasts the cast of Shinsengumi samurai warrior characters as teachers and students in modern Japan. The film is a continuation of a dorama.
Japanese Movie Box Office Results for this Week:
Nobunaga Concerto (2016/01/23)
Saraba Abunai Deka: Long Goodbye (2016/01/30)
Star Wars The Force Unleashed (2015/12/18)
Black Mass (2016/01/30)
The Inerasable (2016/01/30)
Eiga Youkai Watch: Enma Daioh to Itsutsu no Monogatari da Nyan! (2016/12/19)
Shuriken Sentai Ninninger vs. ToQger The Movie: Ninjas in Wonderland (2016/01/23)
Paddington (2016/01/15)
Seasons/Les Saisons (2016/01/15)
Orange (2016/12/12)
