Welcome to the first trailer post of the week.
Image may be NSFW.
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There will be one more to come.
I caught up on two of this year’s bigger horror movies last week, Heart Eyes and The Monkey, and they were alright. The latter went for grotesquery and achieved it with visual aplomb but what got me the most was the visualisation of the monkey’s presence, particularly with regards to how it would be introduced with its eyes first and the rest of its contorted face coming into focus. Heart Eyes won me over more because of the chemistry between the lead actors.
What are the first set of Japanese films released this week?
V. MARIA Image may be NSFW.
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Release Date: April 01st, 2025
Duration: 94 mins.
Director: Daisuke Miyazaki
Writer: Santa Ikegami (Screenplay),
Starring: Hina Kikuchi (Maria), Masataka Fujishige (Kanata), Sahel Rosa (Kyoko), Mayuki (Hana), Ryuji Sato, Tomoko Fujita (Grandmother),
Twitter: @Mcinema_MMJ
I wrote about this one last month after it had its world premiere at Osaka Asian Film Festival 2025.
I enjoyed this one a lot. It initially fits into Daisuke Miyazaki’s ouevre of music-themed female-fronted coming-of-age stories but broadens its view with a considerable amount of older characters who are important to the story. It is less experimental and more precisely put together than, say, Tourism, and ably depicts the growth of its main character. The use of Visual Kei culture also led to some exquisitely beautiful music scenes and the transition to the credits offers a sublime feeling of catharsis.
Synopsis: Despite growing up in a single-parent household, Maria was never that close with her mother. After her mother suddenly dies, Maria sorts through her belongings and she finds CDs, photographs, a diary, and an unplayable demo tape named “MARIA” that her mother had collected when she was around Maria’s age. Curious about her mother’s past, Maria heads to a live music club and this is where she encounters the musical culture of… Visual Kei.
MIYAZAKI Daisuke, an OAFF regular known for music-themed and youth-oriented films, uses the world of Visual Kei as the setting for his coming-of-age story. To create an authentic vibe, CDs and posters and other ephemera from the heyday of Visual Kei are featured and filming took place at Meguro Rokumeikan, a live music venue considered a mecca for visual kei bands.
Jungle Emperor Leo, aka Kimba the White Lion Image may be NSFW.
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ジャングル大帝 劇場版 「Janguru Taitei Gekijouban」
Release Date: July 07th, 1966
Duration: 75 mins
Director: Eiichi Yamamoto
Writer: Masaki Tsuji (Screenplay), Osamu Tezuka (Original Manga)
Starring: Yoshiko Ohta (Leo), Hajime Akashi (Tommy), Hisashi Katsuta (Mandy), Kinto Tamura (Coco), Minoru Midorikawa (Panja),
Animation Production: Mushi Production, Tezuka Productions,
Synopsis: This is the story of Leo, a white lion, who is the son of the king of the jungle. His father died in a hunting trap and his mother gave birth to him when in captivity while on board a ship during transportation but Leo leapt into the sea to escape the humans and returned to the African jungle in order to carry on his father’s legacy. He is recognized by other animals for his kindness and wisdom, and with the help of his friends, he brings the jungle together. However, three beasts, feared as the “Gods of Death,” appear…
Kataomoi sekai Image may be NSFW.
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片思い世界 「Kataomoi sekai」
Release Date: April 04th, 2025
Duration: 126 mins.
Director: Nobuhiro Doi
Writer: Yuji Sakamoto (Screenplay),
Starring: Suzu Hirose, Hana Sugisaki, Kaya Kiyohara, Ryusei Yokohama, Tomorowo Taguchi,
Website Twitter: @kataomoi_sekai IMDB
Yuji Sakamoto (Monster (2023)) wrote the screenplay for Nobuhiro Doi’s last film, the glossy relationship drama We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (2021), an alright experience that ran through the romance cliches and lazily introduced trends that Millennials lived through.
This film seems to have a similar tone of being a nice-looking story of foiled loves and features top flight actors Suzu Hirose (Our Little Sister (2015), The Third Murder (2017)), Hana Sugisaka (Blade of the Immortal (2018), Ichiko (2023)) and Kaya Kiyogara (You’re Not Normal, Either (2021), Gobangiri (2024)).
Synopsis: Three young women, Misaki, Yuka. and Sakura live together in an old house in a corner of Tokyo, sharing the same living room, bedroom, food, and time together. They have felt a strong bond for each other for 12 years and each has their own “unrequited love” for the other.
Oishikute naku toki Image may be NSFW.
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おいしくて泣くとき 「Oishikute naku toki」
Release Date: April 04th, 2025
Duration: 109 mins.
Director: Hatsuki Yokoo
Writer: Nanoha Ito (Screenplay), Akio Morisawa (Original Novel)
Starring: Kento Nagao, Ami Toma, Rintaro Mizusawa, Haruka Imou, Ryo Ikeda, Yukiko Shinohara, Ken Yasuda, Dean Fujioka, Rie Mimura,
Website Twitter: @oishikutenaku IMDB
Hatsuki Yokoo has released a few films in recent years, including Kon, Kon. (2023) and Gon Mama (2022). He is once again adapting a novel by Akio Morisawa, following that latter work. Another Morisawa adaptation (which is more famous) is Lenses on Her Heart (2018).
Synopsis: Classmates Shinya and Yuka are both appointed to the school newspaper and have to try and run it together but they are awkward around each other. Slowly, they get along better as they share a similar loneliness for Shinya lost his mother at a young age while Yuka has problems at home. As they grow closer, however, Yuka suddenly disappears and Shinya is left at a loss and with nothing but a promise the two made to keep him going. One day, 30 years after their sudden separation, Yuka’s secret is revealed.
Meet Me at Angie’s Bar Image may be NSFW.
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アンジーのBARで逢いましょう 「Anji- no BAR de aimashou」
Release Date: April 04th, 2025
Duration: 88 mins.
Director: Yurugu Matsumoto
Writer: Daisuke Tengan (Screenplay),
Starring: Miitsuko Kusabue, Yoko Matsuda, Yuzu Aoki, Naomasa Musaka, Daisuke Kuroda,
Website Twitter: @angienobar
Yurugu Matsumoto has been steadily working in film and TV for a while. I first became somewhat aware of him on Joy of Man’s Desiring. I later learned that he was the assistant director on films by Nobuhiko Obayashi Hanagatami and Seven Days), and I have posted a trailer for his own directorial work Let It Be: Bloom (2024).
He’s teamed up with Daisuke Tengan, son of Shohei Imamura and writer on totelly top films The Eel (1997), Audition (1999), 13 Assassins (2010), and Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (2001).
Synopsis: When a mysterious and tough-talking white-haired wanderer named Angie appears in town and opens a bar in property with a history of controversy, the people of the town, who are all living with their own problems, are influenced by her and regain their sense of self.