This week has been very busy for me. A promotion… or maybe a sideways move between departments… at work means I get more hours at the gallery and less time watching films and anime and writing. I’d cry but it places me in the rather unique position of possibly getting sent to Japan on business… Fingers crossed, this actually works out!
I spent most of this week watching the final episodes of Red Data Girl, My Youth Rom-Com and Aku no Hana and wrote up reviews for World War Z and The Berlin File and desperately trying to whip together a review for See You Tomorrow, Everyone which is proving harder than expected. In a post film discussion with Alua and Tired Paul I was certain about what I thought but putting it into words has been tough.
What films are released today?
GFP Bunny 
Japanese Title: GFP BUNNY タリウム少女のプログラム
Romaji: GFP Bunny Tariumu Shoujo no Puroguramu
Running Time: 82 mins.
Director: Yutaka Tsuchiya
Writer: Yutaka Tsuchiya
Starring: Yuka Kuramochi, Kanji Furutachi, Makiko Watanabe, Takahashi,
Trailer of the week. Heck, I’ve wanted to see this film for so long it hurts. I don’t need to see the rest. I so want to see this film and the chances of it coming to the UK seem slim but one can always hope. It sounds so twisted and it seems to push the medium plus it has some great actors. It has appeared at the Rotterdam International Film Festival which I reported on and where the following blurb comes from…
Yutaka Tsuchiya is considered one of the more interesting names amongst indie film makers in Japan and scored major kudos with his film Peep “TV” Show. He has been largely silent since then but now he has released this interestingly titled film which stars Kanji Furutachi who has appeared in trashy genre pieces like Dead Waves and great films like The Woodsman & the Rain and Dreams for Sale. He is supported by Sion Sono regular Makiko Watanabe (Himizu, Love Exposure).
Apparently based on a true story (with some key facts changed), we follow the actions of Thallium Girl (Kuramochi) who is slowly poisoning her mother with thallium and records her detached world view in her diary. It is clear she has some mental problems which are exacerbated by bullying at school. This just causes her to retreat from reality into a darker place.
Final Gintama: The Movie – Be Forever Yorozuya 
Japanese Title: 劇場版 銀魂 完結篇 万事屋よ永遠なれ
Romaji: Gekijouban Kanketsuhen Yorozuya Yo Eien Nare
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: N/A
Director: Yoichi Fujita
Writer: Hideaki Sorachi (Screenplay)
Starring: Tomokazu Sugita (Gitoki Sakata), Rie Kugimiya (Kagura), Daisuke Sakaguchi (Shinpachi Shimura), Akira Ishida (Katsura Kotarou), Fumiko Orikasa (Yagyuu Kyuubei), Kenichi Suzumura (Sogo Okita)
This is billed as the final Gintama movie. It’s based on one of those anime series that has 100+ episodes and lots of battles. Kind of like Naruto. I must admit I haven’t seen it but I’m not into shounen anime so there. Actually the setting sounds interesting – a ronin who is engaged as an odd-jobs sort of chap in Edo era Japan under alien domination. This new film is written by original manga-ka Hideaki Sorachi and directed by Yoichi Fujita, the man who handled a lot of the television episodes as well as the comedy Binbogami Ga! The seiyuu from the TV anime are returning with Tomokazu Sugita (Kyon in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) reprising the role of Gitoki, Rie Kugimiya (Masako in Ghost Hunt) voicing Kagura and Daisuke Sakaguchi (Hyou in Mononoke) voicing Shinpachi.
Final Girl: Last Girl Standing 
Japanese Title: 終焉少女 Last Girl Standing
Romaji: Shuuen Shoujo Last Girl Standing
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: 35 mins.
Director: Kentaro Yamagishi
Writer: Sho Kubota (Screenplay)
Starring: Suzuka Morita, Hitomi Miyake, Naomi Anzai, Keina Koshino, Yukie Kawamura
I’m used to seeing cute idols getting scared to death in horror movies but this is ew. Die Hard 2 crossed with AKB48! Gore, guns and girls! I loe it. When terrorists take over a school it is up to the students to rescue. Said students are idols in groups like PASSPO ☆. It looks as silly as it sounds but hey, the school girl fetish in anime has resulted in creating shows about school girls and tanks and assault rifles so why not? The only cast member I recognise is Yuki Kawamura (Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl, Carved 2).
I Did Not Go on the Trip
Japanese Title: ボクが修学旅行に行けなかった理由
Romaji: Boku ga Shuugakuryokou ni Ikenakatta Riyuu
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: 40 mins.
Director: Shogo Kusano
Writer: Shogo Kusano (Screenplay)
Starring: Karin Ogino, Mayu Tomita, Mio Masui, Ai Negishi, Koji Yamamoto, Saeko Makita, Maki Fukumi, Miyu Inamori
Remember that trailer about school girls shooting up terrorists? You should, it was just aboe. Well, if you didn’t find that distasteful, here’s another genre flick starring the idols from P ☆ GIRLS who sneak into their performing arts school at night and reveal pent up emotions. No ghosts. No violence. Just fun and games and talking. This one is directed by Shogo Kusano who is best known from his 2012 film Empty.
Ninja Kids!!! 2 Summer Mission Impossible 
Japanese Title: 忍たま 乱太郎 夏休み 宿題 大作戦！ の段
Romaji: Nintama Rantaro Natsuyasumi Shukudai Daisakusen! No Dan
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: 88 mins.
Director: Ryuta Tasaki
Writer: Masayuki Ikeda (Screenplay)
Starring: Seishiro Kato, Roi Hayashi, Hiroki Uchi, Ken Nishida, Renji Ishibashi
Ninja Kids!!! is back for a sequel!!!. Rantaro and friends must take extra courses during their summer vacation to stay in Ninjutsu school but when a mysterious castle appears out of nowhere he finds himself in a quest to retrieve a demon blade with immense powers. While I enjoyed the antics of the Ninja Kids!!! in the Miike film the trailer doesn’t leave me too enthusiastic for their forthcoming adventures. It’s directed by Ryuta Tasaki (Salvage Mice).
Shin Usagi Yasei no Tohai 
Japanese Title: 真・兎 野性の闘牌
Romaji: Shin Usagi Yasei no Tohai
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: 84 mins.
Director: Yuichi Onuma
Writer: Makoto Ito (Original Manga), Yuichi Onuma (Screenplay)
Starring: Kazuma Sano, Ayame Misaki, Hideo Sakaki, Ayu Higashi, Yutaro Imai, Haruka Kurosawa, Marika Fukunaga, Kenjia Matsuda
Makoto Onuma’s gambling manga gets a big screen adaptation nearly two decades since it was first published in 1996! It is directed by Yuichi Onuma who is also helming the Schoolgirl Complex manga to movie adaptation which will get released later this year. It stars a lot of pretty young actors like Haruka Kurosawa (Vampire Heaven) and Marika Fukunaga (Ju-On: Old Lady in Black) but there are some older actors in the shape of Hideo Sakaki and Kenji Matsuda who have appeared in titles like Versus and Ju-On: The Grudge.
High school student Shun Takeda (Sano) is the victim of bullies. When he is forced to play Ikasama Mahjong he bolts when he realises he has a bad hand. His actions attract the attention of Ai Yamaguchi (Misaki) who notices his skill at Mahjong and tries to get him to join the gambling group called ZOO.
Jukai: Mount Fuji Suicide Forest 
Japanese Title: 樹海のふたり
Romaji: Jukai no Futari
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: 124 mins.
Director: Hideya Yamaguchi
Writer: Hideya Yamaguchi (Screenplay)
Starring: Toshiyuki Itakura, Atsushi Tsutsumishita, Kumiko Endo, Setsuko Karasuma, Kitaro, Yumiko Fujita, Tsubasa Inoue
Mount Fuji as a suicide spot only came to my attention because of the Kurosawa Corpse Delivery Service manga. The reason why people commit suicide there is that it’s so quiet. Hanging is a favourite method due to wild creatures disfiguring bodies. It’s pretty distressing stuff when you consider how hopeless one must feel to opt out of life. There are plenty of suicide films but few that I know of set somewhere famous like Mount Fuji. This drama changes that by sending characters to the location and showing the impact it has on them while satirising TV. The only actor I recognise is Kitaro (A Story of Yonosuke, Fine Totally Fine).
Takeuchi (Itakura) and Abe (Tsutsumishita) are TV directors who make a documentary where they interview people who want to commit suicide on Mount Fuji. Their documentary is a success and the TV company wants a sequel but exploiting the suicidal for ratings causes guilt in the two.
Soreike! Anpanman: Tobase! Handkerchief of Hope 
Japanese Title: それいけ!アンパンマン とばせ!希望のハンカチ
Romaji: Soreike! Anpanman: Tobase! Kibo no Handkerchief
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: 84 mins.
Director: Takashi Yanase
Writer: Tomoko Konparu (Screenplay)
Starring: Keiko Toda, Ryusei Nakao, Mikio Date, Takeshi Tomizawa,
Takashi Yanase is the creator of Anpanman and, until last year, he was head of the Japan Cartoonists association. He’s back with the latest film involving his massively popular children’s superhero. The film is written by Tomoko Konparu and she has handled series composition for things like Chi’s Sweet Home and written the scripts for Master Keaton and Dirty Pair. All bases covered! In this tale Anapanman teams up with an elephant named Pao who lives in the clouds and the two try to clean up the air using a handkerchief or something… On top of this film there will also be a short one about mischievous ghosts and cuddling. This is clearly kids stuff but it looks nice. From the images. Couldn’t find a trailer.
Taiwan Identity 
Japanese Title: 台湾アイデンティティー
Romaji: Taiwan Aidentiti-
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: 102 mins.
Director: Mitsuko Sakai
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
Mitsuko Sakai has been mentioned on this blog before with her documentary about Taiwanese architect Guo Maolin. She’s back with another doc on Taiwan. Taiwan Identity is a documentary exploring the views of six people a generation of people who lived under Japanese rule which stretched from 1895 to 1945. It explores issues like the end of World War 2, the 228 Incident and independence as well as views on Japan. This is a follow-up to Mituko’s doc Taiwan Life (2008)
GOGO Ikemen 5 
Japanese Title: GOGO♂Ikemen 5
Romaji: GOGO♂イケメン5
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: 84 mins.
Director: Sakurako Fukuyama
Writer: Ibuki Sakura (Original Manga), Sakurako Fukuyama (Screenplay)
Starring: Young Min, Min Woo, Dong Hyun, Jung Min, Hyun Seong, Kwang Min, Maari, Sintaro Akutsu, Sara Takatsuki, Eisuke Sasai
OMYGOD! REAL LIFE BISHIES!! THESE BOYS ARE LIKE SO KAWAII DESU NE!!! THIS IS GOING TO BE TOTEMO SUGOI AS HELL! <3
This stars the Korean idol band Boyfriend and is actually based on a light novel series. Well, I’ve seen worse. I’m not a female so in the absence of love and adoration over their pretty boy features I can only watch this feeling jealousy. Utter, intense, hatred-grade jealousy.
Five pretty boys who are mobbed by female high school students (the lucky swine, if only I was that popular ;_;) are tired of girls who only care about their appearance (I can deal with them if you want guys…) so they give up on finding real love until they meet Kanna who is pure and natural. They all fall in love with her and fight each other for her affection (seriously guys, send me some of those pretty and shallow women if you find them a problem).
Election 
Japanese Title: 選挙
Romaji: Senkyo
Release Date: July 06th, 2013
Running Time: 149 mins.
Director: Kazuhiro Soda
Writer: N/A
Starring: Kazuhiko Yamauchi
Kazuhiro Soda’s documentary follows Kazuhiko Yamauchi’s attempts to get a place on Kawasaki City Council as part of the Liberal Democratic Party on a Nuclear Power agenda after the Great East Japan Earthquake.
