How have you lot been? All’s well? Plenty of films and anime to watch like me? A good week at work? Great weather? Perfect. Yet today is going to be even better because I have a lot of time set aside for the thing I like most… gazing at gravure idols… I mean, writing reviews! By the time this is posted I will be finishing reviewing a lot of
films the process of which started at 5am this morning. It’s a good thing too because after posting about the Japanese films at Raindance I launched into my Kiyoshi Kurosawa Season and then a review of Serpent’s Path. Right after this I will watch Gatchaman Crowds. This week I watched Insidious 2 and The Drudgery Train and my heart was torn to shreds by the latest episode of Watamote.
I have also discovered great soundtrack to write reviews to with some 80’s inspired music. My day is set for fun with more films and anime. Enjoy the trailers for the Japanese films released this weekend!
Unforgiven 
Japanese Title: 許されざる者
Romaji: Yurusarezaru Mono
Release Date: September 13th, 2013
Running Time: 119 mins.
Director: Lee Sang-Il
Writer: Lee Sang-Il (Screenplay),
Starring: Ken Watanabe, Jun Kunimura, Eiko Koike, Yura Yagira, Koichi Sato, Akira Emoto, Shiono Kutsuna, Kenichi Takito, Youkiyoshi Ozawa, Takahiro Mirua, Sjiori Kutsuna
This is the remake of the 1992 Clint Eastwood film of the same name. It swaps out the US and cowboys for Japan in the late 1800’s and samurai. I have reviewed one Lee Sang-Il film and that was Villain where he got a fantastic performance from lead actor Satoshi Tsumabuki. This is his first film since Villain and he gets a star-studded cast with Ken Watanabe (Letters from Iwo Jima, Inception, Tampopo), the grizzled Akira Emoto (A Woman and War, Starfish Hotel), Koichi Sato (Infection), and two of my favourites, Eiko Koike (Rebirth, Penance, Kamikaze Girls, 2LDK) and Jun Kunimura (Outrage,Vital, Audition). It played at the Venice Film Festival.
Jubei Kamata (Watanabe) was once a loyal samurai for the Edo shogunate government. Famous for being a skilled and deadly fighter he killed many and became infamous in Kyoto but disappeared during the battle of Goryoukaku. Ten years later and he is living with his child, looking after his wife’s grave in peace after vowing never to pick up his sword again but being in poverty forces him to do just that as he accepts the assignment of being a bounty hunter.
Taka no Tsume GO Utsukushiki Eriēru Shōshū Purasu
Japanese Title: 鷹の爪GO 美しきエリエール消臭プラス
Romaji: Taka no Tsume GO Utsukushiki Eriēru Shōshū Purasu
Release Date: September 13th, 2013
Running Time: 110 mins.
Director: FROGMAN
Writer: FROGMAN (Screenplay),
Starring: FROGMAN, Junji Inagawa, Akie Suzuki, Mayuko Kawakita
According to Wikipedia, Eagle Talon (Taka no Tsume) was a popular Flash anime created by Ryo Ono (FROGMAN) where the evil villains are the protagonists of the story and the superhero, Deluxe Fighter, is a narcissistic and largely incapable bully. This is the film spin-off.
ATARU The First Love & The Last Kill
Japanese Title: 劇場版 ATARU The First Love & The Last Kill
Romaji: Gekijouban ATARU The First Love & The Last Kill
Release Date: September 14th, 2013
Running Time: N/A
Director: Hisashi Kimura
Writer: Takeharu Sakurai (Screenplay),
Starring: Maki Horikita, Masahiro Nakai, Chiaki Kuriyama, Kazuki Kitamura, Yuta Tamamori, Yasuko Matsuyuki, Haruka Shimazaki, Kaoru Mitsumune
The 2012 TBS television dorama Ataru gets a big screen sequel that was filmed extensively in the US – Las Vegas and Los Angeles. I’ve not watched it and the only stars familiar to me are the wonderful Maki Horikita (One Missed Call Final, The Locker 1 & 2) and Chiaki Kuriyama (Shikoku, Exte), my idol since her appearance in Battle Royale…
Ataru (Nakai) is a young man with autism who has extraordinary abilities in terms of his memory and deductive reasoning skills. He is able to process trivial details to get clear answers. As a result he is in demand from the police. In this film he has to match wits with Madoka (Horikita), a deadly killer who has the same abilities as Ataru. When a bombing occurs and a mystery virus is unleashed, Ataru and his friends in the police work with the FBI to track down Madoka.
Miss Zombie
Japanese Title: Miss Zombie
Romaji: Miss Zombie
Release Date: September 14th, 2013
Running Time: 85 mins.
Director: SABU
Writer: SABU (Screenplay),
Starring: Ayaka Komatsu, Makoto Togashi, Riku Ohnishi, Taro Suruga, Tateto Serizawa, Takaya Yamauchi, Toru Tezuka
When I first started looking at Japanese film reviews online back in 2001 or thereabouts, Sabu was a name that kept coming up thanks to his popular action comedies like Drive and Monday. He directed the very popular adaptation of Usagi Drop back in 2011 and has been quiet… until this grim looking film appeared. Grim, maybe, but very special. The scenes in the trailers look like something out of Lars von Trier’s awful film Breaking the Waves what with a woman exploited and hounded. It’s probably less misogynistic. Anyway, the use of black and white and the interesting camera movements and the crisp visuals make this look interesting at the very least. Gravure idol Ayaka Komatsu plays a zombie named Sara (resists urge to Google her name) and she has a cast including Makoto Togashi (Cure), Tateto Serizawa (Isn’t Anyone Alive?) and Toru Tezuka (Noriko’s Dinner Table, The Land of Hope).
Sara (Komatsu) rocks up at a in a town in a cage wth numerous scars on her body and glazed eyes. There is also a gun and a note that reads “Do not give it meat”. The people around her are disgusted and treat her cruelly but when a young boy named Kenichi drowns her zombie skills are called into action and she brings him back to life… undead life… at the behest of Kenichi’s mother Shizuko (Togashi). This brings a spark of life to Sara and the people of the town become fascinate with her, especially the men…
Code Geass: Akito the Exiled Second Volume: Wyvern Torn Apart 
Japanese Title: コード ギアス 亡国 の アキト 第2章 「引き裂かれし翼竜」
Romaji: Kudou Koudogiasu Boukoku no Akita Dai 2-shou ‘Hikisaka Reshi Yokuryu’
Release Date: September 14th, 2013
Running Time: 59 mins.
Director: Kazuki Akane
Writer: Miya Asakawa (Screenplay), Goro Taniguchi, Ichiro Okouchi (Original Creator)
Starring: Maaya Sakamoto (Layla Malkal), Miyu Irino (Akito Hyuga), Ai Kayano (Anna Clement), Keiji Fujiwara (Klaus Warrick), Mamiko Noto (Maria Shaingu), Yoko Hikasa (Ayano Kousako)
More than a year after the release of the first part, we get the continuation of the side story of the Lelouch rebellion where the Holy Britannian Empire invade the Euro Universe with a special division of “Wyvern” Knightmare corps. Who are comprised entirely of Japanese teens commanded by Layla Malkal (Sakamoto), a former Britannian Aristocrat.
Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions The Movie 
Japanese Title: 小鳥遊六花 改 劇場版 中二病でも 恋がしたい！
Romaji: Kotoriasobu Rokka Aratame Gekijouban Chuunibyou Demo Koigashita!
Release Date: September 14th, 2013
Running Time: 97 mins.
Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
Writer: Jukki Hanada (Screenplay), Torako (Original Work)
Starring: Jun Fukuyama (Yuta Togashi), Maaya Uchida (Rikka Takanashi), Azumi Asakura (Kumin Tsuyuri), Chinatsu Akasaki (Shinka Nibutani)
Kyoto Animation have a habit of bringing high quality, gorgeous slice of life anime to Japanese television screens. Chūnibyō demo Koi ga Shitai! Is one of their popular titles and this film compiles the first television season but from Rikka’s eyes. This has long been o my to-watch list so I better hurry up!
Yūta Togashi is a boy who used to suffer from something called “Chū-2 byō”. “Eighth-Grade Syndrome”, refers to matured individuals with an absurd self-created persona. Remember the times as a child when there was a TV character you found appealing and you pretended to possess their superhuman abilities in real-life? A chuunibyou is a teenage or adult form of that, but to such an extent that the fictional persona defines their entire lifestyle. However he outgrew this phase when he left middle school and wants to start anew with high school. Unfortunately, Rikka Takanashi knows his secret past and she has the same syndrome. Cue hilarity as she does her best to embarrass him in various social situations.
SAIBAKU Made ~Ini Shamisen Kanaderu be 
Japanese Title: 祭爆 SAIBAKU までぃに三味線奏でるべ
Romaji: SAIBAKU Made ~Ini Shamisen Kanaderu be
Release Date: September 14th, 2013
Running Time: 91 mins.
Director: Mitsuru Tomizawa
Writer: N/A
Starring: Yujiro Takahashi
Yujiro Takahashi was an important figure in Japanese music. A master of the tsugaru shamisen, he was known for his performances of folk songs and teaching and became famous on the world stage. This documentary captures the history of the man all the way to his death in September 2012.
To the Bottom of the Month 
Japanese Title: 月 の 下 まで
Romaji: Tsuki no Shita Made
Release Date: September 14th, 2013
Running Time: 96 mins.
Director: Morito Okumura
Writer: N/A (Screenplay),
Starring: Takashi Naha, Takumi Matsuzawa, Tomita Kudo, Maki Takayama,
Katsuo (Naha) is a fisherman who lives in a port city with his son Yusuke (Matsuzawa). Life is tough because he is a single father and Yusuke has mental disabilities and his mother is nowhere to be found but Katsuo takes responsibility for his situation.
Venetia’s Garden of the Four Seasons 
Japanese Title: ベニシャさん の 四季 の 庭
Romaji: Benishia-san no Shiki no Niwa
Release Date: September 14th, 2013
Running Time: 92 mins.
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Writer: Miyuki Takahashi (Screenplay), Sarie Hinakura (Original Work)
Starring: Venetia Stanley-Smith, Tadashi Kajiyama
Venetia Stanley-Hastings? Sounds thoroughly British. So this is a film about a member of the British aristocracy who fled Britain at the age of 19 during the 1960’s to go to Japan despite having no money (on her person not because she was poor or anything) and ended up teaching English, marrying a Japanese man and having kids and starting her own NHK show where she teaches the value of British herbs that she grows in her garden in Kyoto. Read this Japan Times article for a great summation of a thoroughly interesting lady.
