Happy weekend, people!
I hope everyone is fine!
I took two days off work and had a special day on Friday and then a nice relaxing start to the weekend where I watched films on Donation Theater and visited people. I posted information about the Japanese Films at the Vancouver International Film Festival 2018 and a review of the wonderful documentary Of Love and Law which will play at next month’s BFI London Film Festival.
What is released this weekend in Japan?
West North West 
西北西 「Seihokusei」
Running Time: 102 mins
Director: Takuro Nakamura
Writer: Takuro Nakamura (Screenplay),
Starring: Hanae Kan, Sahel Rosa, Yuka Yamauchi,
Synopsis: Kei (Hanae Kan) is a melancholy young woman who works in a cafe in Tokyo cafe and in an uncertain relationship with her girlfriend, a model named Ai (Yuka Yamauchi). When Kei meets an exchange student from Tehran studying art, Naima (Sahel Rosa), they instantly connect despite cultural and religious differences. This connection, however, sparks the jealousy of Ai…
Hibiki 
響 HIBIKI 「Hiki」
Running Time: 104 mins.
Release Date: September 14th, 2018
Director: Sho Tsukikawa
Writer: Masafumi Nishida (Screenplay), Mitsuru Yanamoto (Manga)
Starring: Yurina Hirate, Keiko Kitagawa, Ayaka Wilson, Masanobu Takashima, Yuya Yagira, Tory Nomaguchi, Mizuki Itagaki, Shun Oguri,
Synopsis: A literary magazine has launched a web competition to find a new voice to save the publishing industry. They get many submissions but the one that excites an editor named Hanai is a handwritten manuscript written by someone named Hibiki Akui. There is no contact address but the work is so revolutionary Fumi Hanai (Keiko Kitagawa) is desperate to track her down. Meanwhile an eccentric and introverted girl named Hibiki (Yurina Hirate) has entered her high school’s literature club and meets a collection of interesting characters…
3D Kanojo Real Girl 
3D彼女 リアルガール 「3D Kanojo Riaru Ga-ru」
Running Time: 114 mins.
Release Date: September 14th, 2018
Director: Tsutomu Hanabusa
Writer: Minato Takano, Tsutomu Hanabusa (Screenplay), Mao Nanami (Manga)
Starring: Ayami Nakajo, Hayato Sano, Hiroya Shimizu, Moka Kamishiraishi, Yuri Tsunematsu, Sayaka Kanda, Riki Takeuchi, Mari Hamada,
Synopsis: High school boy Hikaru Tsutsui (Hayato Sano) is a bit of an anime and game otaku and, as you can guess, he’s a bit of a nobody in school. However, one girl likes him and her name is Iroha Ikarashi (Ayami Nakajo) and she confesses her feelings to him.
Also, his father is played by Riki Takeuchi and I cannot imagine how cool/irritating that would be…
Aura Aurora 
aura aurora オーラ・オーロラ 「aura aurora o-ra o-rora」
Running Time: 60 mins.
Release Date: September 14th, 2018
Director: Kosujiro Otsubo
Writer: N/A
Starring: Aburadako, Allergy, Madame Edward, Sadedazz
Synopsis: Junji Yasuda films are unearthing 80s punk-rock groups and do so by using live footage recorded at the time to show on screen today.
Itoshi no Airi-n 
愛しのアイリーン 「Itoshi no Airi-n」
Running Time: 137 mins.
Release Date: September 14th, 2018
Director: Keisuke Yoshida
Writer: Keisuke Yoshida (Screenplay), Hideko Arai (Original Work)
Starring: Ken Yasuda, Nattsu Shitoi, Aoba Kawai, Dionne Monsanto, Seiji Fukushi, Toru Shinagawa, Yoji Tanaka,
This one looks good. A great character-actor in Ken Yasuda and direction from Keisuke Yoshida (My Little Sweet Pea) who does great family dramas.
Synopsis: Ken Yasuda plays Iwao, a man who never fell in love until the age of 42 and while working abroad. With his Filipina bride named Irene (Nattsu Shitoi), he returns to his home town but arrives just as his father’s funeral is underway. Iwao’s mother is not best pleased…
The Hungry Lion 
飢えたライオン 「Ueta Raion」
Running Time: 78 mins.
Release Date: September 15, 2018
Director: Takaomi Ogata
Writer: Takaomi Ogata, Fujio Ikeda (Screenplay)
Starring: Urara Matsubayashi, Atomu Mizuishi, Mariko Tsutsui,
Takaomi Ogata has been around since the early 2010s and he has always dealt with tough social issues. I watched three of his early feature films but only reviewed one, Sunk Into the Womb, a brutal story of a woman who abandons her children. This one has a story that looks equally harrowing since it portrays an innocent person having their reputation murdered by the media, the lies and scandals that people mindlessly consume. It was at the Tokyo International Film Festival last year and Rotterdam and the New York Asian Film Festival this year. Here’s my review on V-Cinema.
Synopsis: When Hitomi’s homeroom tutor is taken away by the police for suspected child prostitution and child pornography she has no idea that her life will also be affected. A sex video is leaked and a rumour starts that Hitomi is the girl in the video. It’s all a lie, but it spreads like wildfire and Hitomi kills herself. This is griss for the scandal mill that is the media and reporting intensifies, creating a false image of Hitomi.
NETSTAR Saisei Kaisu no muko-gawa 
NETSTAR 再生回数の向こう側 「NETSTAR Saisei Kaisu no muko-gawa」
Running Time: N/A
Release Date: September 15th, 2018
Director: Katsumasa Takemori
Writer: Kindan (Forbidden) Boys (Original Work)
Starring: Ikkun, Tanaka, Messiah, Mori,
Synopsis: The Kindan Boys were/are (I don’t know) YouTube “celebrities” and they became a big hit with young people who loved their antics. This is them telling their own story.
Voice Actor Bowling Grand Prix 
声優ボウリングランプリ 「Seiyuu Bouringu Guran Puri」
Running Time:67 mins.
Release Date: September 15th, 2018
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A
Starring: Tomohito Takatsuka, Shugo Nakamura, Hiroshi Watanabe, Yuki Iwai,
Synopsis: Voice actors do some competitive bowling with punishment games involved. There’s a DVD release which this film is meant to act as hype for.
No joke, I find it endearing that there are people who like voice actors so much that they’d go to a cinema to watch a film about them bowling. It’s innocent. I’m being naive. Ignorance is bliss.
Urufuna Shissi 
ウルフなシッシー 「Urufuna Shissi-」
Running Time: 79 mins.
Release Date: September 15th, 2018
Director: Daisuke Ono
Writer: Daisuke Ono (Screenplay),
Starring: Daisuke Ono, Ryoka Neya, Daizou Nakamura, Minae Mayanagi, Sohei Motomura, Ippei Tanaka, Ayako Shiina,
Synopsis: This comedy depicts two fools, one male and one female. The female is Ayako, a wannabe actress, and her boyfriend is an AV director. The male is Tatsuo and, although they are kinda friends, he fails to understand her feelings and the two vent their irritations over some drinks.
Lenses on Her Heart 
きらきら眼鏡 「Kirakira Megane 」
Running Time: 121 mins.
Release Date: September 15th, 2018
Director: Kazutoshi Inudo
Writer: Yusuke Moriguchi (Screenplay), Akio Morisawa (Original Work)
Starring: Hiroto Kanai, Chizuru Ikewaki, Seika Furuhata, Yosuke Sugino, Moemi Katayama, Sara Shida, Masanobu Ando, Takuji Suzuki,
Synopsis: A lonely subway worker named Tachibana (Hiroto Kanai) buys a used book and finds a business card between the pages and an underlined sentence that moves his heart. He decides to call the person whose details are on the card and he meets a lady named Akane (Chizuru Ikewaki) who can see things sparklingly…