Happy weekend, people!
I am still pushed for time and it’s going to be a regular thing for a while because I am going to embark on some travels. That means the trailer posts are going to suffer a lack of information and some bad translations. My apologies. I will fix these at a later date. I do go back through old festival posts and replace trailers that have disappeared/update things so I will try and get around to doing it to these trailer posts.
This week, I have posted about “Destruction Babies” (2016) and the tragic passing of the great actor, Ren Osugi.
What is released this weekend?
Let’s Decorate the Promised Flowers in the Farewell Morning
さよならの朝に約束の花をかざろう 「Sayonara no Asa ni Yakusoku no Hana wo Kazarou」
Running Time: 115 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Mari Okada
Writer: Mari Okada (Screenplay),
Starring: Manaka Iwami (Maquia), Miyu Irino (Ariel), Misaki Kuno (Medmel), Tomokazu Sugita (Izol), Hiroaki Hirata (Barlow), Yoko Hikasa (Dita), Rina Satou (Mido),
Animation Production: P.A. Works
The film will be the directorial debut of anime screenwriter Mari Okada (The Anthem of the Heart, The Dark Maidens) and it was animated at P.A. Works.
Synopsis from ANN: The story begins with Maquia, who is from a family where all the members stop aging in their mid teens. She has no parents and, although her days are peaceful, she feels lonely. Their peace is shattered when an army invades, seeking the secret to her people’s immortality. Leilia, the most beautiful girl in her clan, is taken away, and the boy Maquia has secret feelings for disappears. Maquia is able to escape, but she loses her friends and her home. Wandering alone in the forest, she finds Erial, a baby boy who has lost his parents. The story follows the changing relationship between the two as Erial grows up and Maquia does not.
Does the Flower Bloom 
花は咲くか 「Hana wa Sakuka」
Running Time: 88 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Kaori Tanimoto
Writer: Natsuko Takahashi (Screenplay), Shoko Hidaka (Original Manga)
Starring: Tsurugi Watanabe, Hironari Amano, Akihisa Shiono, Atomu Mizuishi, Yasukaze Motomiya,
Synopsis: Thirty-something Kazuaki Sakurai (Hironari Amano) works for a big ad agency and his latest assignment is shooting a CM in a traditional Japanese house. It is there that Yoichi Mizukawa, a 19-year-old art student, lives with his cousins. Yoichi loves to paint but when the older man takes a romantic interest in him, Yoichi feels something stirring within him. Could a romance blossom? It may not because Kazuaki is then transferred to Osaka…
Legend of the Demon Cat 
空海 「Kuukai KU-KAI」
Running Time: 132 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Chen Kaige
Writer: Chen Kaige, Hui-Ling Wang (Screenplay), Baku Yumemakura (Original Novel)
Starring: Shota Sometani, Huang Xuan, Hiroshi Abe, Sandrine Pinna, Keiko Katsuzaka, Zhang Tianai, Shohei Hino, Zhang Yugi, Oho Ou,
This one was at the Tokyo International Film Festival. It is based on a book written by Baku Yumemakura. He’s an interesting chap who has written extensively about many subjects.
Synopsis: It is the era of the Tang Dynasty and Kukai (Shota Sometani) is a Japanese Buddhist monk who has travelled to China to learn about its culture. While living in Chang’an city, he meets Rakuten Haku (Huang Xuan), a poet who he becomes friends with. This duo investigate when Concubine Yang and then powerful men connected to a historical case start dying. The deaths are attributed to a demon cat but is this just superstition or reality?
Leon 
レオン 「Reon」
Running Time: 100 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Renpei Tsukamoto
Writer: Erika Yoshida (Screenplay), Kaori Ookura, Tomofusa Kiyoshi (Original Manga)
Starring: Kang Ji-Young, Naoto Takenaka, Ikusaburo Yamazaki, Ryo Yoshizawa, Aya Omasa, Shinji Saito, Mikie Hara, Aoba Kawai,
Kang Ji-young, star of the Japanese adaptation of “Orphan Black”, is the lead in this film and she shares the big screen with her fellow “Orphan Black” leads, Naoto Takenaka and Ikusaburo Yamazaki.
Synopsis: Reon (Kang Ji-Young) has been dumped by her boyfriend and fired from her job. Things can’t get worse for her at this present moment but when she gets into a traffic accident with a man, she finds she has swapped bodies. Who is the person she is now inhabiting? Reo Asahina (Naoto Takenaka), a CEO and playboy. The two must try and find a way to reverse the swap! Until then, they will have to play each other!
Shukatsu 2 
シュウカツ2 「Shuukatsu 2」
Running Time: 70 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Seiji Chiba
Writer: Seiji Chiba (Screenplay, Original Work)
Starring: Shu Watanabe, Toshiyuki Someya, Kimito Totani, Takuya Mizoguchi, Kentaro Shimazu, Koji Isayama,
Seiji Chiba… That name is familiar… Something about Aliens and Ninjas… Oh no. The director of the ultra low-budget, “Alien vs. Ninja”… He’s back with a more normal but still cheap film.
Synopsis: There are a new set of actors portraying students who are at the interview stage of the job hunting process. It’s a “Debate” in which the students are whittled down to the two who will get the final interview. Their histories with other companies also affect their chances.
Infini-T Force: Gatchaman Saraba Tomo yo 
劇場版Infini-T Force／ガッチャマン さらば友よ 「Infini-T Force / Gacchaman Saraba Tomo yo」
Running Time: 90 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Jun Matsumoto
Writer: Jun Kumagai (Screenplay)
Starring: Ai Kayano (Emi Kaido), Aya Endo (Sasaoka), Eiichiro Funakoshi (Dr. Nambu), Kenichi Suzumura (Polymar/Takeshi Yoroi), Soma Saito (Casshan/Tetsuya Azuma), Tomokazu Seki (Ken Washio/Gatchaman G-01).
Animation Production: Digital Frontier
Synopsis from MAL: Emi is a seventeen-year-old girl living in Shibuya. Her father is always away with work and she’s grown listless. Suddenly, a twist of fate involving a certain magical item changes everything. A mysterious pencil, of all things, is linked to the appearance of heroes from another world! Could this be the start to the excitement she’s so desperately craving, or is there something more?
Going the Distance
かぞくへ 「Kazoku he」 
Running Time: 117 mins.
Release Date: October 29th, 2016
Director: Yujiro Harumoto
Writer: Yujiro Harumoto (Screenplay),
Starring: Shinichiro Matsuura, Masahiro Umeda, Yumi Endo, Nobu Morimoto, Koji Mitsumizo,
Synopsis: Asahi is a boxing trainer in Tokyo. He grew up in an orphanage but now he is going to start a family with Kaori because they plan to marry soon despite the fact that Kaori’s mother looks down on her prospective son-in-law because of his background and job. When Asahi’s best friend Hiroto is scammed by a shady businessman he has to make a difficult choice between the two closest people in his life.
Devil 
悪魔 「Akuma」
Running Time: 83 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Michihito Fujii
Writer: Kento Yamaguchi (Screenplay), Junichrio Tanizaki (Original Work)
Starring: Koki Maeda, Ito Ohno, Kaito Yoshimura, Nina Endo, Yorie Yamashita,
This is the third of the Tanizaki tribute trilogy following “Between Men and Gods” and “Fumiko’s Feet”. This one stars Nina Endo “Yamato (California)” which was at last year’s Osaka Asian Film Festival and “Tourism” which appears at this year’s Osaka Asian Film Festival.
Synopsis: Saeki (Kaito Yoshimura) has moved to Tokyo to enter university. He will lodge in the Hayashi residence which resides in a quiet residential area. This being based on a Tanizaki book, our main character is surrounded by beautiful women whose bodies can be fetishised and feared and subjected to masochistic tendencies. Chie, a high school student and Teruko (Ito Ohno) who has strange sex appeal. She has a man in her thrall, Suzuki (Goki Maeda) an alcoholic who suffers from hallucinations. Saeki gets involved with these three but Teruko could be more dangerous than he realises…
Ikidzuka 
息衝く 「Ikidzuka」 づ DU!!!!!
Running Time: 130 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Bunyo Kimura
Writer: Bunyo Kimura, Shunsuke Sugita, Hirotaka Kuwahara, Kisara Nakaue, Shin Kanezawa (Screenplay),
Starring: Tomoki Kimura, Nana Nagao, Yota Kawase, Maki Nishiyama, Takuya Nakamura, Yuki Koyama, Yoshie Sakamoto,
Synopsis: Three individuals who were brought up in a cult try to deal with life outside it.
Ishin reppuu tengu hangan 
維新烈風 天狗判官 「Ishin reppuu tengu hangan」
Running Time: 104 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Tsutomu Konno
Writer: N/A
Starring: Shinji Kasahara, Seijirou Nakamura, Mao Noguchi, Masaaki Harano, Shuto Washio, Yuki Kurofuji,
Synopsis: Two siblings try and stop a clash between rival powers based in Kyoto and Edo.
Witch Which 
維新烈風 天狗判官 「Wicchi fuwicchi」
Running Time: 78 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Mai Sakai
Writer: Takahito Onishi (Screenplay), Mai Sakai (Original Story)
Starring: Tom Fujita, Giiko, Riku Hagiwara, Yuni Hong, Takuya Matsumoto, Micci the Mistake, Sara Ogawa, Shion Sasaki,
Synopsis: Two girls who are the descendants of witches find themselves getting involved with a boy who is from a family of werewolves.
Five short films were produced in 2017 by the Agency for Cultural Affairs under the “New Directions in Japanese Cinema = ndjc” banner. Here are some details:
Saraba, Daiyamondo 
さらば、ダイヤモンド 「Saraba, Daiyamondo 」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Kazuhiro Nakagawa
Writer: Kazuhiro Nakagawa (Screenplay)
Starring: Yuuki Ito, Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuuki Sato, Mami Hashimoto,
Synopsis: Three people, Genki, Hayato, Ryosuke are best friends who were in their university baseball club. Even after graduating and starting careers, their relationship has not changed, but after the age of 30, Ryosuke ‘s marriage and Hayato’ s overseas relocation means a new life for the guys and Genki has to start his as well.
Tokyo Capsule 
トーキョーカプセル 「To-kyo- Kapseru」
Running Time: 27 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Emi Saito
Writer: Emi Saito (Screenplay)
Starring: Ririka, Ryo Kawai, Daikichi Sugawara,
Synopsis: Riko moved to Tokyo with a vague expectation of making it big but she ends up working in a capsule hotel. Meanwhile, Naoki who is staying at the capsule hotel where Riko works is drawn into a career change involving the place…
Monchan 
もんちゃん 「Monchan」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Jinhong Kim
Writer: Jinhong Kim (Screenplay)
Starring: Yuuki Ito, Tsuyoshi Ito, Yuuki Sato, Mami Hashimoto,
Synopsis: A young boy is picked up by his father’s lover when he falls ill in school. When he slips out of the house, he encounters strange girls.
Bakemono to Onna 
化け物と女 「Bakemono to Onna 」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Akira Ikeda
Writer: Akira Ikeda (Screenplay)
Starring: Kazumi Kumakura, Kitaro, Yoshiki Arizono, Hirofumi Shiba, Tomoko Yokoe,
Synopsis: Yuko Higuchi is a middle-aged woman who works in a small town named Tsubaru. She lives a lonely life without a family or partner. One day, rumors spread around the town that creepy youkai have appeared and the town mayor fathers the inhabitants to settle fears. Yuko hears the sound of a shamisen coming from the dark and is attracted to it. What she finds is a big youkai…
Curry and Rice 
カレーライス Curry and Rice 「Kare-raisu」
Running Time: 30 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Shunsako Okuno
Writer: Shunsako Okuno (Screenplay)
Starring: Kai Inowaki, Niko Ando, Yuuya Matsuura, Toshihiro Yashiba, Kenji Iwaya,
Synopsis: Jeanne is an international student from France and has followed her older brother who is studying Japanese literature at a university. A man named Shigeru wants to introduce Jeanne to curry rice….
Tamayura 
たまゆら 「Tamayura 」
Running Time: 80 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Hirokazu Tsuchida
Writer: Hirokazu Tsuchida (Screenplay)
Starring: Haruka Kubo, Nao Okabe, Aoi Tatsumi, Jyonmyon Pe, Shinji Kasahara, Ryosuke Kawamura, Kazuki Muramatsu, Chiharu, Shoichiro Tanigawa,
Synopsis: Hirokazu Tsuchida is a doctor and has built this film around actual events that have taken place in hospitals.
Yakyuu buin, engeki no butai ni tatsu! 
野球部員、演劇の舞台に立つ！ 「Yakyuu buin, engeki no butai ni tatsu!」
Running Time: 102 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Setsuo Nakayama
Writer: Kazumi Suzuki, Shozo Katashima, Taiga Yamazaki, Hasebe Pro Winner, (Screenplay), Yumiko Takeshima (Original Novel),
Starring: Kento Hayashi, Yoshiko Miyazaki, Shunpei Kawagoishi, Anna Yamada, Moe Sasaki, Kyoka Shibata, Haruka Imo, Natsuki Tanaka,
Synopsis: Set in Fukuoka Prefecture, we see the race to save a high school baseball team who should be on the verge of participating in the Koshien.
Shimanto inochi no shimai 
四万十 いのちの仕舞い 「Shimanto inochi no shimai」
Running Time: 108 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Masayuki Mizobuchi
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
Synopsis: Shimanto, Kochi, this is the place where Nozomi Ogasawara practices medicine. This documentary is one of many that have followed him as he visits patients and talks to them to understand them better and bring them happiness.
Negai to yuragi 
願いと揺らぎ 「Negai to yuragi」
Running Time: 148 mins.
Release Date: February 24th, 2018
Director: Kazuki Agatsuma
Writer: N/A
Starring: N/A
Synopsis: Horyo Valley in Minami Sanriku-cho, Miyagi Prefecture was one of the many areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami and director Kazuki Agatsuma has chronicled the destruction and slow resurrection of the area in his documentary “Hadenya ni ikiru hitobito” and he returns a couple of years later to look at the progress with this film.
Here’s a list of films chronicling the Great East Japan Earthquake. I really need to resurrect it and fill in missing entries. Also creating a fiction/non-fiction list would be helpful.