Happy weekend, people!
I hope you are all well. I’m still spending a lot of my free time writing about lots of different things but I had more time to do the trailer post this week which is ironic because last weekend had the better batch of films that I wanted to pay more attention to. This weekend does have some appealing titles like Sunny 32 and that’s mostly because of the cast. I played catch-up by posting about the Japanese Films at the Glasgow Film Festival and posting a review for the wonderful ensemble comedy Room for Let. Also released was a lot of information for this year’s Osaka Asian Film Festival and the line-up of films is pretty fine!
What is released this weekend?
Our Blue Moment 
パンとバスと2度目のハツコイ 「Pan to basu to 2 dome no hatsukoi」
Running Time: 111 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Rikiya Imaizumi
Writer: Rikiya Imaizumi (Screenplay),
Starring: Mai Fukagawa, Kenjiro Yamashita, Sairi Itoh, Sara Shida, Megumi Abe, Yuhi, Kei Otozuki,
This one was at last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival.
Synopsis: Fumi, who works at a bakery, accidentally bumps into Yuasa, a bus driver. He was her first love in junior high school but they were unable to make a connection back then. However, with their current love lives looking bleak, maybe now is the moment to make the leap…
River’s Edge 
リバーズ・エッジ 「Riba-zu Ejji」
Running Time: 118 mins.
Release Date: February 16th , 2018
Director: Isao Yukisada
Writer: Isao Yukisada (Screenplay),
Starring: Fumi Nikaidou, Ryo Yoshizawa, Aoi Morikawa, Shuhei Uesugi, Sumire, Shiori Doi,
Isao Yukisada has made a lot of films. Go is his 2001 teen action film which was nominated for over 50 international awards and is best-known by foreigners but his biggest film in Japan is Crying Out Love in the Center of the World which reached an audience of 6.2 million, making it Japan’s most commercially successful film of 2004. I’ve reviewed two of his works, Parade (2010) and Aroused by Gymnopedies (2016). This was at the Berlin Film Festival.
Synopsis: This is a film told from a variety of perspectives, all linked up to show a generation and their experiences with extreme emotions. Stories consist of a bulimic model who gorges herself on food every night, a gay highschooler who is bullied by classmates who discovers something gruesome in a polluted river, a girl who pushes the boundaries of rough sex to frightening levels, and an introvert who reads her pregnant sister’s diaries.
Cherry Boys 
チェリーボーイズ 「Cheri- Bo-izu」
Running Time: 113 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Kenichiro Nishiumi
Writer: Daigo Matsui (Screenplay), Tomohiro Koizumi
Starring: Kento Hayashi, Shuntaro Yanagi, Tomoya Maeno, Elaiza Ikeda, Kasumi Yamaya, Mei Matsumoto, Amane Okayama, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Asuka Kishi,
Daigo Matsui, director of “Japanese Girls Never Die” and “How Selfish I Am!” writes the adapted screenplay for a film about a bunch of guys who want to get laid.
Synopsis: Shinichi (Kento Hayashi), Tatsuya (Shuntaro Yanagi) and Makoto (Tomoya Maeno) have all hit 25 and despite thinking nonstop about sex, they are still virgins. Desperate to get laid, they conconct elaborate plans but it might be hard pulling them off when they live in a provincial town.
Sunny / 32 
サニー/32 「Sani- / 32」
Running Time: 110 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Kazuya Shiraishi
Writer: Izumi Takahashi (Screenplay),
Starring: Rie Kitahara, Mugi Kadowaki, Pierre Taki, Lily Franky, Taro Suruga,
Website IMDB
Kazuya Shiraishi, director of “Twisted Justice” (2016), “Dawn of the Felines” (2017), links up with his main actors from “The Devil’s Path” (2013) along with Mugi Kadowaki who was really good in the lead role in “Double Life” (2016).
Synopsis: A middle school teacher named Akari Fujii (Rie Kitahara) is kidnapped on her 24th birthday. These two men who abduct her call themselves “The Most Lovely Murderers in Criminal History” and they are big admirers of a girl named Sunny, an internet idol…
Kamen Rider Para-DX with Poppy 
仮面ライダーエグゼイド トリロジー アナザー・エンディング PartII 仮仮面ライダーパラドクスwithポッピ 「Kamen Raida- Eguzeido Toriroji- Anaza- Endingu Part II Kamen Raidā Paradokusu Uizu Poppī」
Running Time: 53 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Nobuhiro Suzumura
Writer: Yuya Takashi (Screenplay), Shotaro Ishinomori (Original Creator)
Starring: Shouma Kai, Ruka Matsuda, Hiroki Iijima, Tetsuya Iwanaga, Hayato Onozuka, Shouma Machii, Yurina Yanagi,
Website
The second of the Kamen Rider Ex-Aid V-Cinema trilogy and this one focuses on the characters of Parado/Kamen Rider Para-DX and Poppy Pipopapo/Kamen Rider Poppy.
Synopsis from Kamen Rider wikia: Saiko Yaotome is a doctor dedicated to recovery treatments and heads “Let’s Make Bugsters”, a new training game created for the recovery of people that disappeared. The test run has Emu raising Parado and Saiko raising Poppy. There is something different about the Parado in the game, though. The “real” Parado has been trapped and he faces his mysterious double, with the strength of the bond with Emu.
Kurueru sekai no tame no rekuiemu 
狂える世界のためのレクイエム 「Kurueru sekai no tame no rekuiemu」
Running Time: 88 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Kei Oota
Writer: Kei Oota (Screenplay),
Starring: Ayu Higashi, Shunya Abe, Shinya Yamamura, Kentaro Nakasato, Komiya Takayasu,
Synopsis: Kei Ota’s feature film debut sees him take the role of writer, director, editor and more and he made it while holding down his own job. The story is about an unemployed man named Toshiaki who picks up a knife and heads off to finish it all when he runs into a woman named Chisato who recruits him into her violent gang.
Gure- no ko panda chiisana gure-to no seicho- nikki 
グレーの子パンダ 小さなグレートの成長日記 「Gure- no ko panda chiisana gure-to no seicho- nikki」
Running Time: 26 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Masayuki Shiohama
Writer: N/A
Starring: Moeno Sumida (Narrator)
Synopsis: A rare grey panda was born at Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Base in China in 2016. This documentary, originally screened in science museums, looks at its growth and gives information on pandas.
Clairvoyance (Cicada) 
千里眼 Cicada 「Senrigan Cicada」
Running Time: 72 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Dean Yamada
Writer: Yu Shibuya (Screenplay),
Starring: Yugo Saso, Masayuki Yui, Sakae Kimura, Junpei Yasui, Hitomi Takimoto, Hiroko Wada,
Website IMDB
Heartland Film Festival screened this film and the link contains an interview with the film director who is also a university lecturer. It seems he made it with students he took to Japan.
Synopsis from IMDB: Cicada is the story of Jumpei– a man who loses sight of his progeny when he finds out he is infertile, but then is given the gift of clairvoyance and begins to see glimpses of the future. These glimpses lead him to a series of cicada shells, which become symbolic of his desire to shed his old self. Though his lineage ends with himself, Jumpei starts anew as a father-figure to his sister’s young son.
Raika 
ライカ 「Raika」
Running Time: 94 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Akiyoshi Imazeki
Writer: Akira Ishikawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Sae Miyajima, Ksenia Aristotratova,
Website IMDB
This one was at last year’s Japan Film Festival Los Angeles. The trailer is pretty self-explanatory but this could be the next Citizen Kane. Probably not but you never know.
Synopsis: Yurya lives in Moscow and wants to be an actress. She runs into a Japanese woman outside a cemetery and strange relationship somewhere between friendship and love develops between the two until an incident on the subway splits them up…
Hirozu yunaito kessoku! Yatsurugi × toraio × ninja reppu 
ヒーローズユナイト 結束！ヤツルギ×トライオー×忍者烈風 「Hirozu yunaito kessoku! Yatsurugi × toraio × ninja reppu」
Running Time: 76 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Eiji Kamikura
Writer: N/A (Screenplay),
Starring: Kosuke Yanagawa, Ryosuke Tanonaka, Kazuhiro Yasuda, Ruri Shinato,
Synopsis: Different tokusatsu shows are bashed together. This could be the next Citizen Kane.
Raizu Dharuriser – The Movie 
ライズ ダルライザー THE MOVIE 「ライズ ダルライザー THE MOVIE」
Running Time: 145 mins.
Release Date: February 09th, 2018
Director: Katsunori Sato
Writer: Katsunori Sato (Screenplay) Takeaki Wachi (Original Story)
Starring: Takeaki Wachi, Momona, Yusuke Miura, Satoshi Tamura, Takashi Miyao,
Synopsis: Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture has a new local hero. Akihiro wanted to become an actor but had to give up his dream as a result of his wife ‘s pregnancy. He returned to his family’ s home in Shirakawa city and returned to real life until he took part in a local character contest promoted by the city. He makes a hero character “Dharuriser” (I think that’s the correct spelling) which is based on his city’s traditional crafts. Little does he realise that the mysterious group “Dice” have plans to take over the place and he will have to fight for real.
9 Nain 
9 ナイン 「9Nain」
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Jiro Ishikawa
Writer: Yasuyuki Tsutsumi (Screenplay),
Starring: Rena Ichiki, Atsushi Maruyama, Akira Maeda, Daiki Kameda, Ken Nakajima,
Synopsis: Rena Ichiki, a graduate from Nogizaka 46, has taken the lead role of Saya, an actress who wants to star in a film about boxing. She joins a real-life gym to learn the skills to look like the real deal on the big screen but learns that its owner is deep in debt and the gym might be knocked down. What will she and the other young people who use it do? Daiki Kameda, a real boxer, also stars in this film.
N.Y. Maxman 
N.Y.マックスマン 「N.Y. Makkusuman」
Running Time: 56 mins.
Release Date: February 17th, 2018
Director: Akihide Masuda
Writer: Takuro Fukuda (Screenplay),
Starring: Yuu Inaba, Yudai Chiba, Rio Uchida, Mizuki Yamamoto, Shota Matsushima,
Synopsis: Following the first “Mr. MAXMAN” and sequel “Bros. MAXMAN”, now the third MAXMAN is here, this time from New York!
This is the third in the MAXMAN trilogy and it starts in New York where audiences will be introduced to Hiro Max, aka N.Y. MAXMAN, the grandson of Mr. M, the artist of the American comic “MAXMAN”. It then shifts to America where the three MAXMAN heroes try and rescue an idol named Kaho Kaito who is kidnapped after threatening to reveal terrorist plans her father was involved in.
Panda kopanda 
パンダコパンダ 「Panda kopanda」
Running Time: 35 mins.
Release Date: December 17th, 1972
Director: Isao Takahata
Writer: Hayao Miyazaki (Screenplay/Original Story)
Starring: Kazuko Sugiyama (Mimiko), Yoshiko Oota (Pan-chan), Kazuo Kumakura (Papanda),
Animation Production: Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Synopsis: This is a digital remaster of the original 1972 film. Panda Kopanda (Panda! Go Panda!) which was created by Ghibli founders Hayao Miyazaki (story, layout, key animation) and Isao Takahata (direction). The story begins with a farewell. 7-year-old Mimiko sees off her grandmother who is going on a trip and returns home by herself. She lives in a nice house in a bamboo grove in a friendly village and she’s a kid from the 70s so she’s tougher than millennials so it’s probably no problem. When she arrives back home from the train station, she discovers a baby panda and the two quickly become friends. She name’s it Pannie. Then the baby’s father shows up and she names it Papanda. She asks Papanda if he will be her father and he agrees and the three become a happy family.
Panda kopanda Rainy Day Circus
パンダコパンダ 雨ふりサーカス 「Panda kopanda Ame furisa-kasu」
Running Time: 39 mins.
Release Date: March 17th, 1973
Director: Isao Takahata
Writer: Hayao Miyazaki (Screenplay/Original Story)
Starring: Kazuko Sugiyama (Mimiko), Yoshiko Oota (Pan-chan), Kazuo Kumakura (Papanda), Yoshiko Ohta (Baby Tiger)
Animation Production: Tokyo Movie Shinsha
Synopsis: This is the sequel to Panda Kopanda and the family is expanded when a little tiger appears at their home on the day a circus comes to town. It starts raining but they head to the circus anyway. Since you’re sitting under the big top, who care?