Hello dear audience!
I need to study more! I still want to blog! Difficult choices lay ahead for me but I think I can balance everything until I get to June/July and a four week period where I will be working incessantly. I’ll try and stock up on film reviews for that period. For now, I am mixing and matching posts!
I posted a review for Wild Zero (1999) and news about the US theatrical release of the Noami Kawase movie An (2015).
What’s released this weekend?
Cherry Blossom Memories
桜ノ雨「Sakura no ame」
Running Time: 98 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Atsushi Ueda
Writer: Hirotoshi Kobayashi (Screenplay) halyosy (Original Novel)
Starring: Maika Yamamoto, Koudai Asaka, Ryohei Hirota, Ikumi Hisamatsu, Toko Miura, Yuki Inoue, Tomoko Tabata,
Synopsis: Miku (Maika Yamamoto) is a shy high school student and a member of the school’s chorus club. She loves singing and has feelings for Haru (Koudai Asaka), the head of the chorus club. Their teacher, Meiko (Tomoko Tabata), is going to retire and she hopes the chorus club can win the last chorus competition she will oversee. The song selected for the chorus competition is “Sakura no Ame” and it’s a tough one that will push the singers.
Hoshigaoka Wonderland
星ガ丘ワンダーランド「Hoshigaoka Wanda-rando」
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Running Time: 111 mins.
Director: Show Yanagisawa
Writer: Show Yanagisawa, Koko Maeda (Screenplay),
Starring: Tomoy Nakamura, Nozomi Sasaki, Yoshino Kimura, Masaki Suda, Anne Watanabe, Hayato Ichihara, Hirofumi Arai, Yutaka Matsushige,
Synopsis: Atsuto (Tomoya Nakamura) is a young man who works at the lost and found department at the Hoshigaoka Station. It is a fitting job for someone who was abandoned by his mother (Yoshino Kimura) when he was young. He likes to imagine about the owner of the lost item and what happened to cause the item to be lost but when Atsuto learns that his mother committed suicide his life begins to change…
Sailor Suit and Machine Gun: Graduation
セーラー服と機関銃 –卒業–「Se-ra- Fuku to Kikanju – Sotsugyou-」
Running Time: 118 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Koji Maeda
Writer: Ryo Takada (Screenplay) Jiro Akagawa (Original Manga)
Starring: Kanna Hashimoto, Hiroki Hasegawa, Masanobu Ando, Takuro Ohno, Shohei Uno, Koki Maeda, Tokio Emoto, Kanji Furutachi, Shingo Tsurumi, Eita Okuno
Synopsis: Izumi Hoshi (Kanna Hashimoto) is a high school girl but what many don’t know is that she has led a yakuza faction, seeking out the killer of her yakuza boss uncle. She found that killer and used a machine gun to end that person’s life. Her yakuza group, mission accomplished, disbanded and everyone retreated into civilian life. Alas, some dangerous people won’t let Izumi and her gang retire quietly…
Where Florence Sleeps
フローレンスは眠る「Furo-rensu ha nemuru」
Running Time: 121 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Katsuto Kobayashi, Kenji Kobayashi
Writer: Katsuto Kobayashi, Kenji Kobayashi (Screenplay)
Starring: Ryo Fujimoto, Yuki Sakurai, Gaku Yamamoto, Atsuka Kishi, Karin Yamaguchi, Ichirota Miyagawa,
Synopsis: “Florence no Namida” is a priceless diamond and Hideki Sato (Ichirota Miyagawa), the CEO of a chemical company, is kidnapped because his family owns the diamond. This same family refuse to hand over the diamond and begin fighting over ownership of the business. The kidnapper is shocked but continues with his crime because his mother died over the diamond.
Boku ga inochi o itadaita 3-kakan
ぼくが命をいただいた3日間「Boku ga inochi o itadaita 3-kakan」
Running Time: 56 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Risa Kudo
Writer: Shinichi Tanaka (Screenplay)
Starring: Kirato Wakayama, Yuna Taira, Kazuya Takahashi, Yuuko Itou, Chieko Matsubara, Denden,
Risa Kudo, star of Rika: Zombie Hunter, is a director and cinematographer in her own right and this is her latest title. No trailer but Yuna Taira talks about the film.
Synopsis: High school boy Yusuke (Kirato Wakayama) heads to his grandparent’s farm in the mountains to experience the traditions and wholesome food that his father Keita (Kazuya Takahashi) grew up with. He hates it but with a lot of effort, his grandparents Fumi (Chieko Matsubara0 and Genzo (Denden) bring the city boy around.
Sarome no musume anazasaido in progress
サロメの娘 アナザサイド in progress「Sarome no musume anazasaido in progress」
Running Time: 70 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Kei Shichiri
Writer: Kei Shichiri, (Screenplay)
Starring: Izumi Aoyagi, Misaki Kudo, Ikuyo Kuroda, Yoko Chosokabe,
No trailer
Synopsis: Indie warrior Kei Shichiri makes experimental shorts and this is part of a series of films connected to the historical/cultural figure of Salome. How that translates to modern Japan, I’m not sure…
Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016
映画ドラえもん 新・のび太の日本誕生「Eiga Doraemon Shin Nobita no Nippon Tanjou 」
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Running Time: 104 mins.
Director: Shinnosuke Yakuwa
Writer: Shinnosuke Yakuwa (Screenplay),
Animation Production: Shin-Ei Animation
Starring: Megumi Oohara (Nobita), Wasabi Mizuta (Doraemon), Yumi Kakazu (Shizuka), Tomokazu Seki (Suneo), Subaru Kimura (Gian),
This is a remake of a 1989 film
Synopsis: Nobita is fed up of being told off at home and in school comes up with the idea of running away from home because he is always being scolded at home and at school. Additionally, Gian, Shizuka, and Suneo all have their own reasons for running away from home. Together with Doraemon, they all travel through time to the Japan of 70,000 years ago.
Fukushu Shitai
復讐したい「Fukushuu Shitai」
Running Time: 98 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Atsushi Muroka
Writer: Yusuke Yamada (Originl Novel), Yoshimasa Akamatsu, Atsushi Muroka (Original Screenplay,
Starring: Masaru Mizuno, Ken Kaito, Yoshinori Okada, Maryjun Takahashi, Yuka Ueno,
I have a copy of the Yusuke Yamada novel this is based on. I bought it when attending the 2012 London Film Festival with the intention of translating it. That project didn’t happen.
Synopsis: Masaru Mizuno from the idol unit BOYS AND MEN plays Yasuyuki, husband to a recently murdered wife. He gets his chance for revenge when the government catches the culprit and sets up a death game on an exotic island with criminals and victims fighting each other.
Girl of the Sea
人魚に会える日。「Ningyo ni aeru hi.」
Running Time: 93 mins.
Release Date: March 03rd, 2016
Director: Ryugo Nakamura
Writer: Ryugo Nakamura (Screenplay)
Starring: Kanan Gima, Aimoco, Cocco, Kenta Nakaza, Yayoi Shiroma, Singo Chinen, Satoshi Kawamitsu,
Synopsis: This is a film set in Okinawa that was made with the help of students. It takes in the controversial issues of the Futenma airforce base move and its impact on the locals.
Otona no renai jijou
オトナの恋愛事情「Otona no renai jijou」
Running Time: 99 mins.
Release Date: February 27th, 2016
Director: Kei Morikawa
Writer: Kei Morikawa (Screenplay)
Starring: Junko Maru, Yuki Mamiya, Yoshihiko Arima, Yuka Takeda, Makoto Ashikawa,
Synopsis: 37-year-old Shiori works for a women’s magazine and is covering the issue of AV actors. One catches her eye and the eye of her younger niece.
New Directions in Japaese Cinema Shorts
Four new directors were given the chance to make films in 2015 thans to funding from the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Here’s a compilation of clips from the films in one trailer:
Chichi no Kekkon
父の結婚「Chichi no Kekkon」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Momoko Fukuda
Writer: Momoko Fukuda (Screenplay)
Starring: Itsuji Itao, Sonim, Takashi Yamanaka, Jyonmyon Pe, Kinuo Yamada
Synopsis: A young woman (Sonim) returns to her family home to visit her father (Itsuji Itao), a widower who wishes to remarry. She gets a surprise when it turns out that he intends to be the bride…
Hana kujira chichi
はなくじらちち「Hana kujira chichi」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Takahiro Horie
Writer: Takahiro Horie (Screenplay)
Starring: Yoshiyuki Morishita, Mei Kurokawa, Yuji Nakamura
Synopsis: A man named Tetsuji (Yoshiyuki Morishita) abandoned his family and became homeless. One day he is reunited with his daughter Hana (Mei Kurokawa) who has become a professional wrestler and is about to get married…
Koware hajime teru, heiheihei
壊れ始めてる、ヘイヘイヘイ「Koware hajime teru, heiheihei」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Takuma Sato
Writer: Takuma Sato (Screenplay)
Starring: Taga, Yukino Kishii, Tetsuya Makita, Minori Nakata, Boumoto Sakiko,
Synopsis: A businessman named Makoto has a habit of drop kicking people who are bothering the girl of his dreams at her workplace, a convenience store.
Tsumi to basu
罪とバス「Tsumi to basu」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: March 05th, 2016
Director: Yusuke Fujii
Writer: Yusuke Fujii (Screenplay)
Starring: Abe Shinnosuke, Dai Watanabe, Kawai Aoba, Kana Nakagawa, Yuko Fueki,
Synopsis: Used-car salesman Goro is kicked out of his house by his wife and stuck with his brother Yoshio. They encounter a woman named Naomi who is looking for her recently disappeared boyfriend.
Japanese Movie Box Office Results for this Week:
I’m Not Just Going to Do What Kurosaki-kun Says (2016/02/27)
The Martian (2016/02/05)
Nobunaga Concerto (2016/01/23)
The Finest Hours (2016/02/27)
Born in the EXILE Sandaime J Soul Brothers no Kiseki (2016/02/12)
Point Break (2016/02/20)
Star Wars The Force Unleashed (2015/12/18)
Saraba Abunai Deka: Long Goodbye (2016/01/30)
Hateful Eight (2016/02/27)
Girlz und Panzer der Film (2015/11/21)
