In tearjerker “And So The Baton Is Passed”, an adaptation of the eponymous hit novel by Meiko Seo, director Tetsu Maeda follows the stories of two girls and their stepparents. Yuko (bubbly and very likable Mei Nagano) is a girl who smiles regardless of what the world throws at her. Her doting stepfather Morimiya (Kei Tanaka in a performance that manages to make every scene feel like a J-drama) is an easy-going man who raises the girl after her mother disappeared one day. Miitan (Kurumi Inagaki) is a girl who cries easily, who is told by her new stepmother Rika (Satomi Ishihara in an equally exuberant and ominous performance) to smile whatever happens. One day, the girl’s chocolate-obsessed father Mito (Nao Omori) tells Miitan and Rika that he is moving to Brazil to make the best chocolate in the world. He leaves his daughter and wife to fend for themselves.
- 6/25/2022
- by Martin Lukanov
- AsianMoviePulse
Hot off the back of “Kaguya-sama: Love Is War – Final”, Hayato Kawai returns with his second feature of 2021, “First Gentleman”. An adaptation of Maha Harada’s 2013 novel, the film dives into the world of contemporary Japanese politics with indifferent results. A convoluted comedy of sorts, Kawai’s sanitised feature leaves much to be desired.
“First Gentleman” is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival
A keen zoologist and bird watcher, Hiyori (Kei Tanaka) comes home from a Hokkaido research trip to find that his wife, Rinko (Miki Nakatani), has become the first female Prime Minister of Japan. Naturally, Rinko’s drastic career move puts Hiyori in the unlikely position of being Japan’s First Gentleman. Not accustomed to the spotlight but desperate for his wife to succeed, Hiyori must fend off troublesome parties on all fronts to protect Rinko and help her to become a force for change in the country.
“First Gentleman” is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival
A keen zoologist and bird watcher, Hiyori (Kei Tanaka) comes home from a Hokkaido research trip to find that his wife, Rinko (Miki Nakatani), has become the first female Prime Minister of Japan. Naturally, Rinko’s drastic career move puts Hiyori in the unlikely position of being Japan’s First Gentleman. Not accustomed to the spotlight but desperate for his wife to succeed, Hiyori must fend off troublesome parties on all fronts to protect Rinko and help her to become a force for change in the country.
- 6/23/2022
- by Tom Wilmot
- AsianMoviePulse
It is one of the biggest truths of international cinema, that the level (of extremity if you prefer) the highschool drama has reached in the Japanese movie industry, in actually unparalleled, with films that range from “Confessions” to “Flowers of Evil”, from “Crows Zero” to “Liverleaf” and from “Assassination Classroom” to “Lesson of the Evil, including everything between. Hideo Jojo, who has mainly worked in adult films, in an adaptation of the manga series “Joshikosei ni Korosaretai” by Usamaru Furuya, presents another testament to the fact.
“To Be Killed by a High School Girl” is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
The absurdity here mostly revolves around the main protagonist, Haruto Higashiyama, a young, smart, and handsome history teacher, whose appearance in Niitaka High School has made him immediately popular with his students, and particularly the female ones. Higashiyama, however, harbors a rather dark secret, since his biggest dream is...
“To Be Killed by a High School Girl” is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
The absurdity here mostly revolves around the main protagonist, Haruto Higashiyama, a young, smart, and handsome history teacher, whose appearance in Niitaka High School has made him immediately popular with his students, and particularly the female ones. Higashiyama, however, harbors a rather dark secret, since his biggest dream is...
- 3/17/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Haruto Higashiyama is a high school teacher because he wants to be killed by a beautiful high school girl. While he is a popular and well-regarded teacher at Nitaka High School, he has spent the past nine years secretly formulating his bizarre plan. His two ideal conditions for his death are: “It must be a perfect crime” and “He must be killed with her full effort”. Haruto is now ready to put his plan into motion.
(Sources: Crunchyroll and AsianWiki)
This is a live-action adaptation of the suspense manga “Joshikosei ni Korosaretai” by Usamaru Furuya (Litchi☆Hikari Club), which was initially serialised in Shinchosha’s bi-monthly magazine Go Go Bunch in 2013. There are two tankōbon volumes, the first was shipped in 2015 with the second and final volume in 2016 after the manga ended. Written and directed by Hideo JŌJŌ (On the Edge of Their Seats), the film stars Kei Tanaka (Your Turn to Kill...
(Sources: Crunchyroll and AsianWiki)
This is a live-action adaptation of the suspense manga “Joshikosei ni Korosaretai” by Usamaru Furuya (Litchi☆Hikari Club), which was initially serialised in Shinchosha’s bi-monthly magazine Go Go Bunch in 2013. There are two tankōbon volumes, the first was shipped in 2015 with the second and final volume in 2016 after the manga ended. Written and directed by Hideo JŌJŌ (On the Edge of Their Seats), the film stars Kei Tanaka (Your Turn to Kill...
- 3/4/2022
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Romantic drama is directed by Akiko Oku, whose last film won the audience award at Tiff 2017.
Japan’s Free Stone Productions has sold romantic comedy Marriage Hunting Beauty to China’s Lemon Tree Media and CatchPlay for Taiwan.
Based on a popular web comic, the film is directed by Akiko Oku whose last film, Tremble All You Want, won the audience award at last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (Tiff).
Mei Kurokawa heads the cast of the film, playing a web designer in her 30s, who tries online dating to find a husband, but finds herself torn between an...
Japan’s Free Stone Productions has sold romantic comedy Marriage Hunting Beauty to China’s Lemon Tree Media and CatchPlay for Taiwan.
Based on a popular web comic, the film is directed by Akiko Oku whose last film, Tremble All You Want, won the audience award at last year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (Tiff).
Mei Kurokawa heads the cast of the film, playing a web designer in her 30s, who tries online dating to find a husband, but finds herself torn between an...
- 10/23/2018
- by Liz Shackleton
- ScreenDaily
Ever heard of “Konkatsu”? No? Congratulations, because that means that you have not (yet) been part of the very popular trend of spouse hunting. An uncompromising way for women to find marriageable men. Akiko Ohku adds with “Marriage Hunting Beauty” another quirky romantic comedy to her oeuvre. After her success hit “Tremble All You Want” (2017), Ohku presents now the wild dating carnival of a desperate woman called Takako (Mei Kurokawa).
Marriage Hunting Beauty is screening at Japannual Festival
Online-Dating and single cafès configure the playground for the manga-based plot. Being only attracted by married men, Takako is frustrated of being a mistress. Together with the help of her best friend Keiko, played by Asami Usuda, she chooses two guys with different backgrounds. Sonoki (Tomoya Nakamura), a nerdy salaryman, whose character took inspiration from TV-Dramas like “Densha Otoko”, is dumbstruck by Takako’s presence and feels like he doesn’t deserve to be around her.
Marriage Hunting Beauty is screening at Japannual Festival
Online-Dating and single cafès configure the playground for the manga-based plot. Being only attracted by married men, Takako is frustrated of being a mistress. Together with the help of her best friend Keiko, played by Asami Usuda, she chooses two guys with different backgrounds. Sonoki (Tomoya Nakamura), a nerdy salaryman, whose character took inspiration from TV-Dramas like “Densha Otoko”, is dumbstruck by Takako’s presence and feels like he doesn’t deserve to be around her.
- 10/8/2018
- by Alexander Knoth
- AsianMoviePulse
Eiga.com is reporting that a new spin-off movie of the popular Aibou (Partners) series titled Aibou Series: X Day is in the works.
In 2009, Partners supporting character Mamoru Yonezawa (Seiji Rokkaku) got his own spin-off movie titled Partners: CSI Files. X Day will feature Metropolitan Police Department criminal investigator Kenichi Itami (Kazuhisa Kawahara) and cyber crime specialist Akira Iwatsuki (Kei Tanaka) in a brand new partnership.
In 2008, the first Partners movie, starring Yutaka Mizutani and Yasufumi Terawaki, built on the success of TV Asahi’s long-running TV drama by earning 4.44 billion yen at the box office.
In 2010, Mitsuhiro Oikawa teamed up with Mizutani for Partners: The Movie II which earned 3.17 billion yen.
Series 10 of the drama ended in March, and marked the end of Oikawa’s run.
The new movie will be directed by Hajime Hashimoto with a screenplay by Takeharu Sakurai, both of whom work on the TV drama.
In 2009, Partners supporting character Mamoru Yonezawa (Seiji Rokkaku) got his own spin-off movie titled Partners: CSI Files. X Day will feature Metropolitan Police Department criminal investigator Kenichi Itami (Kazuhisa Kawahara) and cyber crime specialist Akira Iwatsuki (Kei Tanaka) in a brand new partnership.
In 2008, the first Partners movie, starring Yutaka Mizutani and Yasufumi Terawaki, built on the success of TV Asahi’s long-running TV drama by earning 4.44 billion yen at the box office.
In 2010, Mitsuhiro Oikawa teamed up with Mizutani for Partners: The Movie II which earned 3.17 billion yen.
Series 10 of the drama ended in March, and marked the end of Oikawa’s run.
The new movie will be directed by Hajime Hashimoto with a screenplay by Takeharu Sakurai, both of whom work on the TV drama.
- 6/22/2012
- Nippon Cinema
With Naoko Ogigami’s Rent-a-Cat out today in Japan, distributor Suurkiitos is pulling no punches in the attempt to woo cat lovers. This new 3-minute special preview video is packed wall-to-wall with cats.
The movie stars Mikako Ichikawa as a woman named Sayoko who rents out a few of her many, many cats to lonely people in town. Sayoko has spent most of her life bouncing between quirky side jobs while living in her late grandmother’s cat-filled house in the corner of town. When she’s reunited with a man from her past (Kei Tanaka), her life is soon turned upside-down.
The movie stars Mikako Ichikawa as a woman named Sayoko who rents out a few of her many, many cats to lonely people in town. Sayoko has spent most of her life bouncing between quirky side jobs while living in her late grandmother’s cat-filled house in the corner of town. When she’s reunited with a man from her past (Kei Tanaka), her life is soon turned upside-down.
- 5/12/2012
- Nippon Cinema
On Thursday it was announced that Teruyoshi Uchimura of the comedy duo Ucchan Nanchan is working on a new movie called Bokutachi no Koukan Nikki (literally “our exchange diary”), his first since his 2006 feature-length debut Peanuts.
The film is based on the novel “Geinin Koukan Nikki ~ Yellow Heart no Monogatari” by screenwriter and television personality Osamu Suzuki. The story revolves around a fictional manzai comedy duo that are forced to deal with various problems due to their sustained lack of success.
Last year, Masayasu Wakabayashi of the comedy duo Audrey and actor Kei Tanaka co-starred in a stage adaptation of the novel.
This version will star Atsushi Ito and Keisuke Koide as a comedy duo called “Bousou Swimmers” who have been living in utter obscurity since forming 12 years earlier. At the end of their tether, they decide to start an exchange diary as a way to communicate with each other.
The film is based on the novel “Geinin Koukan Nikki ~ Yellow Heart no Monogatari” by screenwriter and television personality Osamu Suzuki. The story revolves around a fictional manzai comedy duo that are forced to deal with various problems due to their sustained lack of success.
Last year, Masayasu Wakabayashi of the comedy duo Audrey and actor Kei Tanaka co-starred in a stage adaptation of the novel.
This version will star Atsushi Ito and Keisuke Koide as a comedy duo called “Bousou Swimmers” who have been living in utter obscurity since forming 12 years earlier. At the end of their tether, they decide to start an exchange diary as a way to communicate with each other.
- 5/10/2012
- Nippon Cinema
Adding just over a dozen features and four shorts to the lists of previously announced titles (first round and Dokumente), the Berlinale announces that the Panorama program for this year's edition (February 9 through 19) is now complete. The breakdown: "53 feature films: 18 in the main program, 15 in Panorama Special and 20 in Panorama Dokumente.... 34 productions from 37 countries are screening as world premieres. Seven fictional films are directorial debuts. There are 12 German productions, and 24 women filmmakers presenting 16 films."
New narrative features:
Bugis Street Redux by Yonfan, Hong Kong. With Hiep Thi Le, Michael Lam, Greg-O and Ernest Seah.
Cherry by Stephen Elliott, USA. With Ashley Hinshaw, James Franco, Heather Graham, Dev Patel and Lili Taylor. World Premiere. The site.
Chocó by Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza, Columbia. With Karent Hinestroza, Esteban Copete, Fabio García, Daniela Mosquera, Jesús Benavides. Wp.
Glaube, Liebe, Tod (Belief, Love, Death) by Peter Kern, Austria. With Traute Furthner, Peter Kern, Joao Moreira Pedrosa.
New narrative features:
Bugis Street Redux by Yonfan, Hong Kong. With Hiep Thi Le, Michael Lam, Greg-O and Ernest Seah.
Cherry by Stephen Elliott, USA. With Ashley Hinshaw, James Franco, Heather Graham, Dev Patel and Lili Taylor. World Premiere. The site.
Chocó by Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza, Columbia. With Karent Hinestroza, Esteban Copete, Fabio García, Daniela Mosquera, Jesús Benavides. Wp.
Glaube, Liebe, Tod (Belief, Love, Death) by Peter Kern, Austria. With Traute Furthner, Peter Kern, Joao Moreira Pedrosa.
- 1/25/2012
- MUBI
Tajomaru: Avenging Blade
Stars: Shun Oguri, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Yuki Shibamoto, Kei Tanaka | Written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Shinichi Ichikawa | Directed by Hiroyuki Nakano
Tajomaru follows the exploits of a pair of brothers, Naomitsu and Nobutsuna (Oguri and Ikeuchi) their female childhood friend Ako (Shibamoto) and the street urchin they welcome into their family, Sakuramaru (Tanaka). When the quartet grow up, Ako’s powerful father dies. Although Naomitsu loves Ako, as the elder brother, Nobutsuna decides to take Ako as his own by force for political and monetary benefit. Naomitsu flees with Ako into the forests but are apprehended first by a shock betrayal and secondly by a bandit named Tajomaru. Although Naomitsu eventually defeats him in battle, Ako deserts him. Having bested the bandit, Naomitsu earns the man’s name and his legendary blade and finds himself in charge of a band of outlaws. Later, events conspire to compel Naomitsu to reclaim what he has lost.
Stars: Shun Oguri, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Yuki Shibamoto, Kei Tanaka | Written by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, Shinichi Ichikawa | Directed by Hiroyuki Nakano
Tajomaru follows the exploits of a pair of brothers, Naomitsu and Nobutsuna (Oguri and Ikeuchi) their female childhood friend Ako (Shibamoto) and the street urchin they welcome into their family, Sakuramaru (Tanaka). When the quartet grow up, Ako’s powerful father dies. Although Naomitsu loves Ako, as the elder brother, Nobutsuna decides to take Ako as his own by force for political and monetary benefit. Naomitsu flees with Ako into the forests but are apprehended first by a shock betrayal and secondly by a bandit named Tajomaru. Although Naomitsu eventually defeats him in battle, Ako deserts him. Having bested the bandit, Naomitsu earns the man’s name and his legendary blade and finds himself in charge of a band of outlaws. Later, events conspire to compel Naomitsu to reclaim what he has lost.
- 2/6/2011
- by Jack Kirby
- Nerdly
The official websiter Kentaro Otani’s Runway Beat has been updated with a 90-second trailer.
The film is an adaptation of a mobile phone novel by Maha Harada which was accessed a record 7 million times. D-Boys acting troupe member Koji Seto stars as Biito “Beat” Mizorogi, a transfer student with a “genius” fashion sense who teams up with several of his new classmates to plan a fashion show for their annual school festival.
According to Tokyograph, Nanami Sakuraba co-stars as a girl named Mei, Mirei Kiritani plays a model named Mikitty, Kei Tanaka plays a computer otaku, and Imalu plays Mei’s friend Anna.
Shochiku will be releasing “Runway Beat” in Japan sometime in March 2011.
Official website...
The film is an adaptation of a mobile phone novel by Maha Harada which was accessed a record 7 million times. D-Boys acting troupe member Koji Seto stars as Biito “Beat” Mizorogi, a transfer student with a “genius” fashion sense who teams up with several of his new classmates to plan a fashion show for their annual school festival.
According to Tokyograph, Nanami Sakuraba co-stars as a girl named Mei, Mirei Kiritani plays a model named Mikitty, Kei Tanaka plays a computer otaku, and Imalu plays Mei’s friend Anna.
Shochiku will be releasing “Runway Beat” in Japan sometime in March 2011.
Official website...
- 11/16/2010
- Nippon Cinema
On Friday, a teaser was released for a new film from director Kentaro Otani (Thirty Lies or So, Nana) called Runway Beat.
The film is an adaptation of a mobile phone novel by Maha Harada which was accessed a record 7 million times. D-Boys acting troupe member Koji Seto stars as Biito “Beat” Mizorogi, a transfer student with a “genius” fashion sense who teams up with several of his new classmates to plan a fashion show for their annual school festival.
Other cast members include Nanami Sakuraba as Mei, Mirei Kiritani as a model named Mikitty, Kei Tanaka as a computer otaku, and Imalu as Mei’s friend Anna.
Shochiku will be releasing “Runway Beat” in Japan sometime in March 2011.
Sources: Official website, Tokyograph...
The film is an adaptation of a mobile phone novel by Maha Harada which was accessed a record 7 million times. D-Boys acting troupe member Koji Seto stars as Biito “Beat” Mizorogi, a transfer student with a “genius” fashion sense who teams up with several of his new classmates to plan a fashion show for their annual school festival.
Other cast members include Nanami Sakuraba as Mei, Mirei Kiritani as a model named Mikitty, Kei Tanaka as a computer otaku, and Imalu as Mei’s friend Anna.
Shochiku will be releasing “Runway Beat” in Japan sometime in March 2011.
Sources: Official website, Tokyograph...
- 10/3/2010
- Nippon Cinema
On Friday, a teaser was released for a new film from director Kentaro Otani (Thirty Lies or So, Nana) called Runway Beat.
The film is an adaptation of a mobile phone novel by Maha Harada which was accessed a record 7 million times. D-Boys acting troupe member Koji Seto stars as Biito “Beat” Mizorogi, a transfer student with a “genius” fashion sense who teams up with several of his new classmates to plan a fashion show for their annual school festival.
Other cast members include Nanami Sakuraba as Mei, Mirei Kiritani as a model named Mikitty, Kei Tanaka as a computer otaku, and Imalu as Mei’s friend Anna.
Shochiku will be releasing “Runway Beat” in Japan sometime in March 2011.
Sources: Official website, Tokyograph...
The film is an adaptation of a mobile phone novel by Maha Harada which was accessed a record 7 million times. D-Boys acting troupe member Koji Seto stars as Biito “Beat” Mizorogi, a transfer student with a “genius” fashion sense who teams up with several of his new classmates to plan a fashion show for their annual school festival.
Other cast members include Nanami Sakuraba as Mei, Mirei Kiritani as a model named Mikitty, Kei Tanaka as a computer otaku, and Imalu as Mei’s friend Anna.
Shochiku will be releasing “Runway Beat” in Japan sometime in March 2011.
Sources: Official website, Tokyograph...
- 10/3/2010
- Nippon Cinema
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