Japanese Movies/Discussion/Recommendations

Wynter wrote:I just recently saw Goemon. It was a fun flick.

True that :victory:

One year late but I'm glad to catch "Happy Flight". Ought to be renamed Happy Fright though.

An ANA and Narita airport sponsored movie, i think but it's packed with fun with Haruka Ayase in the shadow of her 'Hotaru' persona. Didn't expect this to be better than Aya's airline drama or Takuya's Good Luck or even Kdrama "Air City". But this movie is funny. It has a very well crafted story that fit 12episodes of aviation operations into a 109 minute movie.

"Kimi ni Todoke" live-action film planned

The popular shojo manga "Kimi ni Todoke" by Karuho Shiina is reportedly getting a live-action film, according to Anime News Network.

The romantic comedy tells the story of the shy high school girl Sawako Kuronuma, nicknamed Sadako for her resemblance to the character from the horror film "Ringu." The misunderstood Sawako sees her life completely change when the popular boy Kazehaya begins talking to her, leading her to open up.

A television drama adaptation of the manga was widely rumored last year, but the show never materialized.

But wait, there's more:

"Hoshi no Furu Machi" manga being adapted to film

Hidenori Hara's coming-of-age manga "Hoshi no Furu Machi" is being turned into a live-action film. The project was revealed in an announcement that open auditions are being held for various parts, targeting men and women between the ages of 10 and 24.

The original comic was serialized from 2006 to 2008. Set in Toyama, it revolves around a young boy named Kotaro Tsutsumi, who fails to continue at a university prep school in Tokyo. As a result, he moves to the city of Himi in Toyama, living with a distant relative and attending a local high school. Through various experiences, his failure turns into a blessing, as he finds love and begins to discover what he really wants to do in life.

Filming is scheduled to take place this spring. The target release date has not yet been announced.

Just finished downloading Rickshaw Man (1958) starring Mifune Toshiro and directed by Inagaki Hiroshi... I've never seen it before, but with those two, it's worth a watch.

Anyone seen it? Comments?

EDIT: From Wiki:
The Rickshaw Man, is listed on IMDB as having won Toshiro Mifune the Best Actor award and director Hiroshi Inagaki the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival in 1958.

gaijinmark wrote:"Kimi ni Todoke" live-action film planned

The popular shojo manga "Kimi ni Todoke" by Karuho Shiina is reportedly getting a live-action film, according to Anime News Network.

The romantic comedy tells the story of the shy high school girl Sawako Kuronuma, nicknamed Sadako for her resemblance to the character from the horror film "Ringu." The misunderstood Sawako sees her life completely change when the popular boy Kazehaya begins talking to her, leading her to open up.

A television drama adaptation of the manga was widely rumored last year, but the show never materialized.

But wait, there's more:

"Hoshi no Furu Machi" manga being adapted to film

Hidenori Hara's coming-of-age manga "Hoshi no Furu Machi" is being turned into a live-action film. The project was revealed in an announcement that open auditions are being held for various parts, targeting men and women between the ages of 10 and 24.

The original comic was serialized from 2006 to 2008. Set in Toyama, it revolves around a young boy named Kotaro Tsutsumi, who fails to continue at a university prep school in Tokyo. As a result, he moves to the city of Himi in Toyama, living with a distant relative and attending a local high school. Through various experiences, his failure turns into a blessing, as he finds love and begins to discover what he really wants to do in life.

Filming is scheduled to take place this spring. The target release date has not yet been announced.

WoW and it all started from the manga...really climbing up in the popularity poll :applaud: :victory:

gaijinmark wrote:"Kimi ni Todoke" live-action film planned

The popular shojo manga "Kimi ni Todoke" by Karuho Shiina is reportedly getting a live-action film, according to Anime News Network.

The romantic comedy tells the story of the shy high school girl Sawako Kuronuma, nicknamed Sadako for her resemblance to the character from the horror film "Ringu." The misunderstood Sawako sees her life completely change when the popular boy Kazehaya begins talking to her, leading her to open up.

A television drama adaptation of the manga was widely rumored last year, but the show never materialized.

But wait, there's more:

"Hoshi no Furu Machi" manga being adapted to film

Hidenori Hara's coming-of-age manga "Hoshi no Furu Machi" is being turned into a live-action film. The project was revealed in an announcement that open auditions are being held for various parts, targeting men and women between the ages of 10 and 24.

The original comic was serialized from 2006 to 2008. Set in Toyama, it revolves around a young boy named Kotaro Tsutsumi, who fails to continue at a university prep school in Tokyo. As a result, he moves to the city of Himi in Toyama, living with a distant relative and attending a local high school. Through various experiences, his failure turns into a blessing, as he finds love and begins to discover what he really wants to do in life.

Filming is scheduled to take place this spring. The target release date has not yet been announced.

:woot: :dancing: Excellent! I have read the first 5 volumes of Kimi ni Todoke! 2010 is going to rock.

Plus there is all this upcoming
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ff20100108r1.html

I just hope that whoever they cast as the leads worth it. Preferably, not Matsumoto Jun and Aragaki Yui as wildly rumored to be in the TV version some time ago.

Bananaman's Shitara stars in courtroom manga adaptation

Toro Kitao's manga "Saibancho! Koko wa Choeki 4 Nen de, Dousuka?" is getting another live-action adaptation. It was previously turned into the television drama "Bouchou Mania 09" this past fall, but now it will become a theatrical film under the original title, directed by Keisuke Toyoshima.

The movie will star comedian Osamu Shitara (36), of the duo Bananaman, in his first lead role. Unlike the drama version (which starred Osamu Mukai as a part-timer), this adaptation has Shitara playing a freelance writer. The story still focuses on the protagonist sitting in the audience at various trials, curiously observing the interactions between the people in court.

Filming started in November and has already finished. Theatrical release is currently scheduled for early summer. In addition to Shitara, the cast features Nana Katase (28) as a prosecutor and Shitara's comedy partner Yuki Himura (37) as a defendant.

I've never watched it but thought perhaps by separating the words others might know about it.

^ Huh? :headscratch:

Spam?

joneray wrote:I've never watched it but thought perhaps by separating the words others might know about it.

?????

"Tsubaki" actresses co-star in "Flowers"

Toho has revealed a new film by director Norihiro Koizumi ("Taiyou no Uta," "Gachi Boy"). Titled "FLOWERS," the movie stars six women seen in Shiseido's popular TSUBAKI commercials: Yu Aoi (24), Yuko Takeuchi (29), Lena Tanaka (29), Yukie Nakama (30), Kyoka Suzuki (41), and Ryoko Hirosue (29).

"FLOWERS," which has been in the works since late 2008, was planned by creative director Takuya Onuki, whose works include the TSUBAKI commercials. The movie portrays six related stories, spanning three generations.

It begins in the 1930s with a woman named Rin Miyazawa (played by Yu Aoi), who is troubled by the marriage that her parents have arranged for her. Seeking freedom, she leaves the house on her wedding day, and later in life gives birth to three daughters. The oldest, Kaoru (Takeuchi), loses her husband in a car accident. The second, Midori (Tanaka), is a working woman who tries to decide between her job and a marriage proposal. The youngest, Sato (Nakama), is born with weak health and passes away after delivering her second child. Sato's daughters are played in the present day by Suzuki and Hirosue.

Filming started last April and continued for half a year. Theatrical release has been set for June 12, 2010.

"Lena" Tanaka?

Rena's sister? :hehe:

Kinema Junpo names "Dear Doctor" #1

Film magazine Kinema Junpo has published its annual Best Ten lists and awards for 2009. The highest ranked film was Miwa Nishikawa's "Dear Doctor," which has been a consistent favorite among critics. In addition to topping the list, it also picked up two awards for Best Screenplay and Best Actor.

1.Dear Doctor (Miwa Nishikawa)
2.Viyon no Tsuma (Kichitaro Negishi)
3.Tsurugidake: Ten no Ki (Daisaku Kimura)
4.Ai no Mukidashi (Sion Sono)
5.Shizumanu Taiyo (Setsuro Wakamatsu)
6.Kuuki Ningyou (Hirokazu Koreeda)
7.Ultra Miracle Love Story (Satoko Yokohama)
8.Summer Wars (Mamoru Hosoda)
9.Daremo Mamotte Kurenai (Ryoichi Kimizuka)
10.Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru (Sumio Omori)


Awards:
•Best Director: Daisaku Kimura (Tsurugidake: Ten no Ki)
•Best Screenplay: Miwa Nishikawa (Dear Doctor)
•Best Actor: Tsurube Shofukutei (Dear Doctor)
•Best Actress: Takako Matsu (Viyon no Tsuma)
•Best Supporting Actor: Tomokazu Miura (Shizumanu Taiyo)
•Best Supporting Actress: Hikari Mitsushima (Ai no Mukidashi, Pride, Kuhio Taisa)
•Best New Actor: Takahiro Nishijima (Ai no Mukidashi)
•Best New Actress: Mieko Kawakami (Pandora no Hako)
•Best Cultural Film: Chinmoku wo Yaburu (Toshikuni Doi)

That reminds me how Mizuki Arisa is sometimes referred as Mizuki Alisa. :)

bmwracer wrote:"Lena" Tanaka?

Rena's sister? :hehe:

She changed it herselfa about 2 years ago, maybe to avoid confusion to Tanaka Reina.

xploring wrote:She changed it herselfa about 2 years ago, maybe to avoid confusion to Tanaka Reina.

Really?

That would be odd, since "L" is nearly unpronounceable for Japanese nationals and it ends up being an "R" anyways. :beaten:

bmwracer wrote:
Really?

That would be odd, since "L" is nearly unpronounceable for Japanese nationals and it ends up being an "R" anyways. :beaten:

I guess that's why she changed it, or her agency did for her. Her Japanese name didn't change.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468864/

Anyone watched Shinkokyû no hitsuyô? 8thSin wrote that "This is the best Japanese movie I've seen to date out of almost 300, and I can't imagine a better "countryside" movie than this. "


I think I am going to give it a try.

xploring wrote:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0468864/

Anyone watched Shinkokyu^ no hitsuyo^? 8thSin wrote that "This is the best Japanese movie I've seen to date out of almost 300, and I can't imagine a better "countryside" movie than this. "

I saw this movie. Here's my review of it that I wrote on another website:

Shinkokyu no Hitsuyo (Breathe In, Breathe Out): This 2004 movie is about a small group of (mostly) young people from the Japanese mainland who are hired as temporary workers to harvest sugarcane on an Okinawan island. Each of the six workers has a backstory which is touched upon as the movie progresses. The major plot point is whether these decidedly unrural people can complete the harvest by the deadline; failure to do so will result in financial ruin for the old couple who have hired them. (btw, this couple is probably the epitome of the ideal ojii-chan and obaa-chan).
They have a month to finish the job, and much of the movie shows the difficulty and drudgery involved in harvesting sugarcane, armed only with a sickle and ax.
For you Hawaii locals who had relatives work in the cane fields, the movie makes you appreciate how tough those workers had it. I certainly did.
This is a nice little movie.



For what it's worth, in the same post, I wrote about another movie that also takes place in the countryside that I thought was better than Shinkokyu no Hitsuyo:

Yuki ni Negau Koto (What the Snow Brings): This is imo the best of the three movies I'm describing here. Made in 2006, it's about two estranged brothers who reunite in the harsh winter environment of Hokkaido where the elder is a trainer of horses and the younger comes looking for money.
The type of horse racing depicted here is Banei racing. Huge draft horses, weighing a ton or more, race over a straight, sand-packed 200 meter course, pulling weighted sleighs that weigh a thousand pounds or more. There are also two large humps that the horses have to go over during the course of the race. The jockey stands on the sleigh and seems to spend much of his (or her) time whipping the horse to get it to go faster. The races are plodding, exhaustive affairs, and watching them, you don't know whether to feel awed at the immense power and effort of these animals or appalled at the brutal nature of this sport.
Sato Koichi plays the older brother, a brusque short-tempered man given to sudden bursts of violence (Sato is good at playing these kinds of roles) while Iseya Yusuke plays the younger brother, financially desperate and at a loss of what to do. In addition, there's a whole slew of recognizable veteran actors who pop in and out of the film: Koizumi Kyoko, Tsugawa Masahiko, Shiina Kippei, Yamazaki Tsutomu, Kagawa Teruyaki.
It's a solidly good movie, set in a world most people aren't familiar with, dealing with a whole slew of relationship issues involving siblings, parents, benefactors, colleagues, bosses, employees, horses, jockeys and trainers, plus unrequited love and redemption.


Yikes, quoting myself (twice!) must make me look pretty ostentatious. :sweat: