Happy weekend, people!
I hope you are all well.
I’ve started doing regular PR work for a festival which is on the horizon and I’m making my way through as many films as I can and I also re-watched some Ghibli films which are getting aired on television in the UK. That written, I’ve been in work every day this week (it’s a 12 day work week) and hanging out at places and eating Japanese food when I get the chance as I try and take advantage of the nice weather. This week was chicken katsu curry, next week will be a sushi party of sorts.
In terms of posts on this blog, there was one for the Japanese Film Festival Los Angeles which starts in a couple of weeks time and there was one for Donation Theater, a way of donating money to a charity while also getting the chance of watching indie films. It’s all set up to help the people of western Japan recover after the rainfall. I hope you will help out.
What’s released this weekend in Japan?
Sensei Kunshu 
センセイ君主 「Sensei Kunshu」
Running Time: 104 mins.
Release Date: August 01st, 2018
Director: Sho Tsukikawa
Writer: Erika Yoshida (Screenplay), Momoko Koda (Original Manga)
Starring: Ryoma Takeuchi, Minami Hamabe, Taiki Sato, Rina Kawaei, Yuki Saso, Riko Fukumoto, Yuma Yamoto, Yua Shinkawa,
Synopsis:High schooler Ayuha Samaru (Minami Hamabe) is a good girl who gives her best in everything but when she runs into financial difficulties while settling the bill at a gyudon restaurant it seems she’s in a bit of a pinch until a handsome young man intervenes and pays for her. It turns out that he is her new home room teacher Yoshitaka Hiromitsu (Ryoma Takeuchi), and Ayuha is convinced that he is her fated loved one.
Ao-Natsu Kimi ni Koi Shita 30-nichi 
青夏 きみに恋した30日 「Ao Natsu Kimi ni Koi Shita 30-nichi」
Running Time: 113 mins.
Release Date: August 01st, 2018
Director: Takeshi Furusawa
Writer: Yukiko Mochiji (Screenplay), Atsuko Nanba (Original Manga)
Starring: Wakana Aoi, Hayato Sano, Aimi Terakawa, Rinka Kumada, Seika Furuhata, Shiori Akita, Takumi Kizu, Atom Mizuishi,
Synopsis:A high school girl from Tokyo (Wakana Aoi) spends her summer in the country where she meets a high school boy (Hayato Sano) and the two fall in love.
My Hero Academia THE MOVIE: The Two Heroes 
僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE 2人の英雄（ヒーロー） 「Boku no Hi-ro- Akademia THE MOVIE 2 Hito no Eiyuu (Hi-ro-)」
Release Date: August 02nd, 2018
Running Time: 96 mins.
Director: Kenji Nagasaki
Writer: Yousuke Kuroda (Screenplay), Kohei Horikoshi (Original Creator)
Starring: Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita), All Might (Kenta Miyake), Ochako Uraraka (Ayane Sakura), Shoto Todoroki (Yuuki Kaji), Wolfram (Rikiya Koyama), David Shield (Katsuhisa Namase), Melissa Shield (Mirai Shida)
Animation Production: Bones
Synopsis: Deku and All Might are getting ready for summer training when they are invited to I-Island, a high-tech artificial moving island where the scientists of the world have their knowledge pooled together for an upcoming exhibition about Quirk. While there, Deku meets a Quirkless girl named Melissa and gets thrown into a hostage situation when the island’s security system is hijacked by villains…
Doushiyoumonai Koi no Uta 
どうしようもない恋の唄 「Doushiyoumonai Koi no Uta」
Running Time: 96 mins.
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Director: Kenichiro Nishiumi
Writer: Ichiro Ryu, Hitoshi Ishikawa (Screenplay), Yuu Kusanagi (Original Novel)
Starring: Shinsuke Kato, Rina Fujisaki, Yuki Mamiya, Rion Takahashi, Kokone Sasaki, Hitoshi Ishikawa, Hideo Sakaki,
Synopsis:Mitsutoshi Yashiro (Shinsuke Kato) has lost everything when his business goes under and his wife leaves him. He heads to a red light district to have sex one last time and he meets Hina (Rina Fujisaki) who alters his course of actions…
The Exorcist Nurse 
黒看 「Kurokan」
Running Time: 94 mins.
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Director: Masafumi Yamada
Writer: Masaki Tsujino, Masafumi Yamada (Screenplay), Aruji Kuroki (Original Short Story)
Starring: Nanami Yamada, Haruka Momokawa, Kaori Saeki, Masumi Hirose, Yu Wakamatsu,
Synopsis:Toshie Asama (Nanami Yamada) is a nurse at a hospital that becomes the focal point of weird phenomena after a patient named Yukiko Norita (Kaori Saeki) is admitted. Yukiko is a newly-wed who develops ulcers when her husband touches her. Could this and all the other things be the result of a curse?
Poem of Seasons Woven Together / Flavors of Youth -International Version- 
詩季織々 「Shikioriori」
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Running Time: 74 mins.
Chief Director: Haoling Li
Director/Writer: Haoling Li (Shanghai Koi), Jiaoshou Yi Xiaoxing (Hidamari no Choshoku), Yoshitaka Takeuchi (Chiisana Fashion Show)
Starring: Chiisana Fashion Show: Minako Kotobuki (Irin), Haruka Shiraishi (Lulu), Hiroki Yasumoto (Steve), Hidamari no Choshoku: Taito Ban (Shaomin), Mariya Ise (Shaomin), Shanghai Koi: Ikumi Hasegawa (Shiaoyu), Takeo Otsuka (Rimo)
Animation Production: CoMix Wave Films
Synopsis (ANN report paraphrased): This is a collection of three shorts titled Hidamari no Choshoku (Sunny Breakfast), Chiisana Fashion Show (A Small Fashion Show), and Shanghai Koi (Shanghai Love), and they are all set in Chinese cities. As can be ascertained from the titles, they are based on the themes of food, clothing, and shelter. Hidamari no Choshoku is about a young man working in Beijing and his grandmother in his hometown. Chiisana Fashion Show is about sisters living in Guangzhou. Shanghai Koi is set in 1990s Shanghai and is an homage to 5 Centimeters Per Second.
K SEVEN STORIES Episode2 「SIDE: BLUE Tenrou no Gotoku」 
K SEVEN STORIES Episode2 「SIDE:BLUE 天狼の如く」
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Running Time: 64 mins.
Director: Shingo Suzuki
Writer: Azano Kouhei (Screenplay), GoRA, GoHands (Original Creator)
Starring: Kenjiro Tsuda (Gouki Zenjou), Tomokazu Sugita (Reishi Munakata), Takahiro Sakurai (Izumo Kusanagi), Yuuki Kaji (Tatara Totsuka), Taku Yashiro (Daichi Yamata), Miyuki Sawashiro (Seri Awashima),
Animation Production: GoHands
Synopsis: The story continues with Munakata teaching sword fighting skills to Gouki Zenjou.
Kamen Rider Build: Be The One 
劇場版 仮面ライダービルド Be The One 「Gekijouban Kamen Raida- Birudo Be The One」
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Director: Kazuya Kamihoriuchi
Writer: Shogo Muto (Screenplay), Shotaro Ishinomori (Original Work)
Starring: Atsuhiro Inukai, Eiji Akaso, Kouhei Takeda, Kaho Takada, Yuki Ochi, Yukari Taki, Yuiaki Kiyama,
Synopsis:The Japanese Civil War has left the people of the country yearning to be reunited and three friends Sento, Hokuto and Touto support each other in that very mission. The country is split into regions with governors, all of whom are part of an evil organisation called “Blood Tribe”, which intends to take over the entire world. Their first plan is to destroy Sento Kiryu/Kamen Rider Build through manipulating Sento’s friends and other civilians against him. Can he overcome this threat?
Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger vs. Keisatsu Sentai Patranger en Film 
快盗戦隊ルパンレンジャーVS警察戦隊パトレンジャー en film 「Kaito sentai rupanrenja VS keisatsu sentai patorenja en film」
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Director: Teruaki Sugihara
Writer: Junko Komura (Screenplay),
Starring: Asahi Itou, Shogo Hama, Haruka Kudo, Kousei Yuuki, Ryo Yokoyama, Kazusa Okuyama, Seiya Motoki,
Website IMDB Power Rangers Wikia
Synopsis:An inter-dimensional crime syndicate known as Gangler acquire dangerous weapons after raiding the Lupin Collection, a vast ensemble of dangerous items acquired by the legendary gentleman thief Arsène Lupin over his career. There are two Super Sentai teams out to stop them: one being the Lupinrangers: Kairi Yano, Toma Yoimachi and Umika Hayami who aim to steal back the collection to not only live up their namesake’s reputation but also wish back those they have lost. The other team are the Patrangers: Keiichiro Asaka, Sakuya Hikawa and Tsukasa Myojin who are tasked to uphold justice by retrieving the collection and taking down the members of Gangler. The mysterious Noël Takao who aids them as the fourth member in both teams.
The next couple are short films made by graduates of Tokyo University of the Arts from 2015 – 2017. They worked on each other’s films and the three films are in one of the trailers:
Garandou
がらんどう 「Garandou」
Running Time: 29 mins.
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Director: Anna Kawahara
Writer: Anna Kawahara (Screenplay),
Starring: Risa Kojima, Tamami Sakakura, Nina Kumagaya, Koichi Sakaguchi,
Synopsis:Anna Kawahara’s film is about a young woman who lost her mother at a young age and resents her father. The young woman connects with her grandmother.
Zenra Resistance
ゼンラレジスタンス 「Zenra Rejisutansu」
Running Time: 15 mins.
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Director: Tatsuro Nishikawa
Writer: Mizuho Nakano (Screenplay),
Starring: Yoshio Hosokawa, Miki Takemoto, Tetsuro Mihara, Yusuke Oishi, Yuuki Tomoyama, Daisuke Fujisawa, Eijo Takuto,
Synopsis: This one is about a guy who used to go streaking. He has hidden it from his girlfriend but when an old friend contacts him, he cannot contain his passion… or his naked body.
Fureto tsumori de 
触れたつもりで 「Fureto tsumori de」
Running Time: 28 mins.
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Director: Tatsuro Nishikawa
Writer: Anna Kawahara (Screenplay),
Starring: Erika Oota, Mitsunori Izumi, Yasuyuki Sakurai, Kikka Oishi, Daisuke Matsuki, Nobuyuki Yukawa,
Synopsis: A former criminal goes to an instrument shop where a high school girl works. Their meeting heralds a new relationship that leads to a certain incident…
Tokyo Noir 
東京ノワール 「Tokyo Nowa-ru」
Running Time: 82 mins.
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Director: Masa Yamashita
Writer: Masa Yamashita (Screenplay),
Starring: Kotaro Inoue, Hiroshi Ryougoku, Akira Ohtata, Ichiro Kusakabe, Hiroshi Ota, Yusuke Kasai, Marino Baba,
Synopsis: Narumi is the leader of a yakuza group but is eager to retire. It has been a year since the death of his friend and he has been looking for a way out but when a gun trafficking job goes wrong and a cop is shot, Narumi is in the cross-hairs of cops and criminals alike.
Crazy Road of Love 
恋のクレイジーロード 「Koi no Kureiji- Ro-do」
Running Time: 18 mins.
Release Date: August 04th, 2018
Director: Koji Shiraishi
Writer: Koji Shiraishi (Screenplay),
Starring: Shohei Uno, Shunsuke Tanaka, Sumire Ashina, Noriyuki Takahashi,
Synopsis: A bus travelling down a quiet country road picks up a woman. At least that’s what it seems like until it turns out to be a man with a shovel who bludgeons one passenger and threatens the driver to make him keep driving. Then he turns his attention to a young man and his girlfriend…