Asian Filmz

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2009-07-19T23:26:00.001-07:00

Yatterman (Yattâman)

2009-07-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

The Danabrow Gang

On Friday night, an odd confluence of two very different fan bases occurred at the Director's Guild Theater in Manhattan, where cult director Takashi Miike and superstar Sho Sakurai presented the world premiere of Yatterman, a live-action spectacle based on a Japanese TV show. Presented by New York Comic Con, the event was kicked off by Subway Cinema's Grady Hendrix in a stunning pink suit, shrieking girls who seemed ready to lay down their lives for Sakurai-san, and deafening shouts of "Yatta! Yatta! Yatta!"

Yatterman was a hugely popular anime series in the late seventies that was revived last year in Japan, and the live-action adaption has been a long-standing ambition for Miike. I'll confess that I'd never heard of either, but a quick tour of YouTube gave me the general idea: Yatterman is a goofy, candy-bright comedy about Gan (Sakurai) and Ai (Saki Fukuda), two youngsters who work in a toyshop and, "every Saturday at 6:30," transform into a crime fighting team.

Their enemies are the Doronbow gang, which consists of sexy Lady Doronjo (Kyôko Fukada) and her groveling helpers Boyacky (Katsuhisa Namase) and Tonzra (Kendo Kobayashi). They construct a new giant robot every week, themed after whatever inventive scam they used to finance it. A sale of wedding dresses leads to a Bridesmaid-robot that shoots machine gun fire from its breasts; over sized sushi pays for a flying squid, and so forth.

By orders of mysterious "God of Thiefs" Skullobey (whose logo shows up everywhere from self-destruct buttons to the shapes of mushroom clouds), the Doronbow gang searches for parts of an all-powerful skull, a conceit that leads them across the world to places such as "Narway," "Ogypt," and the "Northern Halps" -- colorful and strangely warped settings for giant mecha fights with the Yatterman team and their dog-shaped giant robot, Yatterwoof.

If this all sounds completely ridiculous to you, let me assure you: it's even sillier than that. This being Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition), the film never misses an opportunity at sexual innuendo, cartoonish violence, or flashy visuals. The CGI isn't quite as slick as last year's underrated Speed Racer, but the super-bright color schemes and relentless goofiness make Yatterman feel like a distant cousin of the Wachowski Brothers' hyperreal fever dream -- which should come as no surprise, since both are based on anime by the same creator, Tatsuo Yoshida.

I'm sure many of the winking references to the original series sailed right over my head, and the euphoric fans in the premiere audience added an extra dimension to the excitement, but anybody with a sweet tooth for over-the-top spectacle might well enjoy Yatterman, even without prior knowledge of the show. Miike was right when he promised, by way of introduction, that everybody would be much happier after the film: I grinned like an "imbefool" all the way through.

Yatterman (2009)

Starring: Sho Sakurai, Kyoko Fukada, Katsuhisa Namase
Directed by: Takashi Miike
Produced by: Yoshinori Chiba
Release Date: TBA
Production Co.: Nikkatsu Corporation, Tatsunoko Production Co.

Tokyo Sonata

2009-07-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

Globalization claims another victim in the opening scenes of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Tokyo Sonata. Middle-aged administrator Ryûhei Sasaki (Teruyuki Kagawa) is fired when his company moves operations to China. Deeply humiliated, the stoic father and husband can't get himself to tell his wife and two sons about the layoff.

Instead, he continues to leave for work each morning, wearing suit and tie, briefcase in hand, to spend the day on employment lines or in the park, warming himself by burning oil drums, eating free meals from the soup kitchen. He befriends an old high school buddy who enacts the same charade. Through example, Ryuhei learns the tricks of the phony employed: setting up fake calls and inviting each other over for bogus business dinners.

Tokyo Sonata

Regent Releasing

In the meantime, Ryuhei's equally stoic wife Megumi (Kyôko Koizumi) struggles to hold her family together. She cooks elaborate meals and allows her husband's ruse to continue. Precocious Kenji (Inowaki Kai), the film's truth-telling conscience, embezzles lunch money to take forbidden piano lessons. Eighteen-year-old Takashi (Yû Koyanagi) voluntarily joins the American military to do something, anything, to avoid what he perceives as his father's futile existence.

Kurosawa coats this dire domestic melodrama with a thin veneer of desperate humor, wonderfully modulated by an outstanding cast. The beauty of Tokyo Sonata lies in the elegance in which the film dances between humor and a profound examination of tightly circumscribed lives.

In one scene, Megumi has fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for her husband's late return. When he finally arrives, she lifts her arms: "Pull me up." But Ryuhei, tired himself, has already disappeared into the bedroom. For a moment, it's a joke, played for laughs-- but Kurosawa holds the camera on Megumi, then closes in on her face: "Somebody, please pull me up!" she pleads, and now her desolation is anything but funny. If you've steered yourself into such a desperate dead end that you wish your entirely life was a dream, how do you start over?

Tokyo Sonata (2009)

Starring: Teruyuki Kagawa, Yu Koyanagi, Inowaki Kai, Haruka Igawa, Koji Yakusho
Directed by: Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Produced by: Yasushi Kotani, Michael J. Werner, Yukie Kito
Running Time: 1 hr. 59 min.
Distributors: Regent Releasing
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language.

"Ryomaden" adds Yoko Maki, Shihori Kanjiya

2009-07-19T22:28:00.003-07:00

On Tuesday, NHK unveiled the primary cast members for next year's taiga drama "Ryomaden." A total of 21 names were officially announced.

It was already known that Masaharu Fukuyama is playing the lead as Sakamoto Ryoma. Although Ryoko Hirosue has been cast as his first love, there will be at least two more key female characters: Yoko Maki as his wife, and Shihori Kanjiya as a swordswoman he encounters.

The rest of the roster includes Tetsuya Takeda, Teruyuki Kagawa, Nao Omori, Wakako Shimazaki, Kaoru Okunuki, Yo Oizumi, Takeru Sato, Jun Kaname, and Pierre Taki, most of whom have never appeared in a taiga drama before.

Filming is scheduled to start at the end of August, and the series broadcast will begin in January.

Ichiro's niece starts modeling

2009-07-19T22:28:00.001-07:00

11-year-old Kurumi Suzuki, the niece of beloved baseball player Ichiro, has just made her entry into show business as a model. On Wednesday, she appeared at a DVD release event for the American show "Hannah Montana," along with other celebrities such as Akane Osawa (23).

Kurumi, who is in sixth grade, is the daughter of graphic designer Kazuyasu Suzuki, Ichiro's older brother. Since seeing Ichiro on television when she was younger, she has been dreaming of becoming a celebrity. Kazuyasu discussed the matter with his friend, the director of talent agency Suns Entertainment, and they signed a contract three years ago.

Suns Entertainment is known for signing many well-endowed gravure idols, such as Megumi, but company head Yoshiharu Noda reportedly promised to not make Kurumi do any swimsuit modeling.

Live-action "Shinya Shokudo" planned for fall

2009-07-19T22:27:00.001-07:00

The newest issue of Shogakukan's Big Comic Original reveals that Yaro Abe's manga "Shinya Shokudo" is getting a television drama adaptation this fall. It was announced on the magazine's cover, but the magazine contained no further details about the project.

"Shinya Shokudo" is a story about an unusual restaurant open only late at night. The "master" of the restaurant has no set menu, offering customers, "If I can do it, I'll make it."

The manga has had three volumes released in tankoubon form, with the fourth scheduled for release on August 28. Earlier this year, the manga was nominated for the Manga Taisho award.

Spring 2009 Drama Preview!

2009-07-19T22:26:00.002-07:00

The spring drama season is usually a time for networks to focus on young stars. While there's plenty of that here, including "Atashinchi no Danshi" starring Maki Horikita, this spring has shifted away from the student crowd. Fans of typical school dramas may be disappointed, while mystery and suspense fans will surely have their fill. Still, the new lineup has something for everyone, and if all else fails, Takuya Kimura is coming to the rescue!

Hancho ~Jinnansho Azumihan~ (ハンチョウ〜神南署安積班〜)
TBS, Monday 8:00pm, premieres April 13

Jinnan Station is a small police station newly established in Harajuku, where Kuranosuke Sasaki plays the chief clerk of the station's detective force. Although he has the title of chief clerk, there are only five detectives working under him. In the first episode, the dead body of jewelry shop owner Mitsue Yokotani is discovered one early morning. With her purse missing from the crime scene, it appears to be the result of a robbery, but one detective (Muga Tsukaji) feels there's more to the case. The behavior of one nearby resident (Etsuko Ichihara) seems suspicious, so the team begins to investigate the woman. After an interesting encounter with the woman that night, she shows up at the station the next day, giving herself up as Yokotani's killer...

Other Cast: Shunsuke Nakamura, Tomoka Kurotani, Toshiki Kashu, Shogo Yamaguchi
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/hanchou2009/

Konkatsu! (婚カツ！)
Fuji TV, Monday 9:00pm, premieres April 20

Fuji TV has assembled a high profile cast and staff for its new Monday night drama series. SMAP's Masahiro Nakai plays the lead as the unemployed son of a tonkatsu restaurant owner. He finds a job that requires a married person, so he lies by saying that he has plans to marry, and he is forced to keep up the charade using a part-time worker from the restaurant (Aya Ueto). The relationship between the two is the key of this romantic comedy, though the series also focuses on family and friendship through Nakai's interactions with the other characters. KAT-TUN's Tatsuya Ueda is making his drama debut as Nakai's brother, while Ryuta Sato and Shosuke Tanihara play his friends.

Other Cast: Yumiko Shaku, Yukiya Kitamura, Ryo, Jun Fubuki, Isao Hashizume, Fumiyo Kohinata
Official Site: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/kon-katsu/

Atashinchi no Danshi (アタシんちの男子)
Fuji TV, Tuesday 9:00pm, premieres April 14

These days, the term "homeless" has taken on new meaning. There are youths referred to as "net cafe refugees," who have neither a job nor a place to live, but who find themselves hopping around internet cafes. One such refugee is a 20-year-old girl named Chisato (Maki Horikita), who lost her mother at a young age due to sickness. She spent her youth trying to escape from the huge debt her father left her, and her battle with the repossessors unfolded every night. However, her life changed after meeting one man named Shinzo (Masao Kusakari), changing her views on the meaning of "family." Shinzo comes from a rich family tracing back to the Edo period, and he adopted six good-looking sons with the hope of one becoming his successor, but all of them have strange personalities. Shinzo promises to free Chisato from her debt if she marries him and becomes the mother of his sons. However, a life with these six guys under one roof will not go smoothly...

Other Cast: Jun Kaname, Yoshinori Okada, Osamu Mukai, Yusuke Yamamoto, Koji Seto, Tomoki Okayama, Takeshi Tsuruno, Koji Yamamoto, Reiko Takashima
Official Site: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/atashinchi/

Shiroi Haru (白い春)
Fuji TV, Tuesday 10:00pm, premieres April 14

Former yakuza Haruo (Hiroshi Abe) is finally released from prison after completing his sentence. With nine years worth of prison gratuities in hand, he stops at a restaurant to enjoy a good meal, but all of his money ends up being stolen. With nothing left, he spends the night at a net cafe, and he manages to look up his old friend from his yakuza days. When Haruo visits the next day, he learns that his old girlfriend Mariko (Mahiru Konno) was living with another man, but later died of illness. Haruo, who had committed murder 9 years earlier to earn the money for Mariko's medical treatment, is shocked and angered. He decides to track down that other man (Kenichi Endo), who runs a bakery with his wife (Miho Shiraishi) and daughter Sachi (Nozomi Ohashi). Haruo later runs into Sachi at the park, but he has yet to find out the truth about her.

Other Cast: Yuriko Yoshitaka, Yuya Endo, David Ito
Official Site: http://ktv.jp/haru/

Fufudo 2 (夫婦道)
TBS, Wednesday 9:00pm, premieres April 15

Tetsuya Takeda and Atsuko Takahata return in this sequel to the 2007 series "Fufudo." Tea-loving Kosuke Takanabe (Takeda) and his reliable wife Satoko (Takahata) are an ordinary couple in Saitama who operate the manufacture and sale of tea on the Takanabe garden. They have three daughters, who have all married and left home, and one son named Shigeru (Yuto Suzuki) that they live with. The sequel starts in the spring, with Kosuke about to begin the harvest and Satoko planning to start a cafe in a section of their storefront. One day a TV producer (Joji Kokubo) comes to Takanabe's garden looking to do some filming for a show. Kosuke gets really excited about this opportunity for a growth in sales, but the show does not go as smoothly as Kosuke expected.

Other Cast: Shizu-chan, Seiko Takuma, Yuika Motokariya, Kaoru Sugita, Isao Hashizume
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/fufudo09/

Rinjo (臨場)
TV Asahi, Wednesday 9:00pm, premieres April 15

Masaaki Uchino stars as Kuraishi, a coroner known for his keen powers of observation and his thorough investigations. In the first case of the series, a man and woman are found dead in an apartment. Kuraishi asks apprentice coroner Ichinose (Dai Watanabe) for his opinion, and Ichinose concludes that the presence of hydrogen cyanide on the woman suggests a forced double suicide. However, Kuraishi presses him, asking questions such as "Why did she commit the crime last night?" When Ichinose replies that a coroner's job is simply to determine the cause of death, Kuraishi rebukes him and immediately heads off to the next case with his assistant Rumi (Yuki Matsushita). There, they find a man dead in his basement, and Kuraishi declares it a suicide, but detective Tachihara (Masanobu Takashima) insists that the evidence points to murder...

Other Cast: Sayaka Kaneko, Jun Hashizume, Masato Ibu, Kotomi Kyono
Official Site: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/rinjo/

Aishiteru ~Kaiyou~ (アイシテル～海容～)
NTV, Wednesday 10:00pm, premieres April 15

Aishiteru is a human drama based on a manga by Minoru Ito. After a young boy takes away another boy's life, the series draws the stories of their families as they cope with the tragedy. Both families are typical households that can be found anywhere, and the two mothers (Izumi Inamori, Yuka Itaya) are just like any other, devoting their lives to raising their kids with love. The show touches on many similar events that have occurred in recent years in Japan, but unlike other dramas that have done so, "Aishiteru" truly focuses on the lives of the families involved, as they each struggle to find their way to continue living.

Other Cast: Taro Yamamoto, Umika Kawashima, Tomoko Tabata, Shiro Sano, Misako Tanaka
Official Site: http://www.ntv.co.jp/aishiteru/

Hyoryu Net Cafe (漂流ネットカフェ)
TBS, Wednesday 12:29am, premieres April 15

It all started with a "net cafe." The hero Koichi (Atsushi Ito) is a soon-to-be father leading a complacent life. One day, he happens to stop by an internet cafe, and there he bumps into Kaho (played by model KIKI), his first love from his junior high school days. Having just fought with his wife, Koichi's heart is filled with his old feelings. All of a sudden, a strange wave flows through the computers and cell phones in the net cafe, and the entire place blacks out, just before rain begins to pour outside. Unable to leave safely, both Koichi and Kaho stay overnight at the net cafe. The next morning, when they step outside, they find the world is completely different. Koichi is determined to find out why the entire cafe has transported him to a different world, and to return to his family in the original world. As he fights against various fears and tries to solve the mystery, people start to disappear one after another. Can they all survive through such a crisis!? And what is the secret of his first love with Kaho!?

Other Cast: Reina Asami, Hidekazu Nagae, Masahiro Toda, Yuko Mano
Official Site: http://hyoryu-netcafe.jp/

Kyoto Chiken no Onna (京都地検の女)
TV Asahi, Thursday 8:00pm, premieres April 23

This is the fifth season of "Kyoto Chiken no Onna," a mystery series that first aired in 2003. The main character is Aya Tsurumaru (Yuko Natori), a prosecutor at the Kyoto District Public Prosecutor's Office. As a working mother, Aya's strength is her "housewife's intuition," which gives her insight into cases that none of the men in her office can see. While many familiar faces are returning to the series, the show will also see additions such as Susumu Terajima and newcomer Tsubasa Mori.

Other Cast: Toru Masuoka, Ikkei Watanabe, Keizo Kanie, Kana Wakisawa
Official Site: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/kyoto/

Ghost Friends (ゴーストフレンズ)
NHK, Thursday 8:00pm, premieres April 2

Ghost Friends is a cute, comical, and slightly scary drama about a high school girl named Asuka (Saki Fukuda), who begins to see ghosts after being involved in a traffic accident. Asuka realizes these ghosts have regrets and unfulfilled wishes, so she begins working towards granting their wishes. One day, Asuka meets Kaito (Takahiro Nishijima), who shares the same power. Asuka becomes curious about his mysterious atmosphere, and it turns out that he is a ghost in human form. Kaito came to the human world chasing after his girl friend Misora (Noriko Iriyama), another ghost who ran away and entered the human world. As Asuka helps Kaito in his search, she gradually falls in love with him. Through the interactions between Asuka and the ghosts, this comedy depicts one girl's experiences of love, friendship, and family.

Other Cast: Nana Katase, Megumi Nakayama, Yoshinori Okada, Jingi Irie, Tomochika
Official Site: http://www.nhk.or.jp/drama8/ghostfriends/

Yakou no Kaidan (夜光の階段)
TV Asahi, Thursday 9:00pm, premieres April 23

The Seicho Matsumoto novel "Yakou no Kaidan" is being adapted to television, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Matsumoto's birth. It is said that women seek dominance, while men are satisfied with fortune and fame. The story centers around one young man (Naohito Fujiki) who rises from the status of a simple stylist to the top of the beauty industry. The man is merciless, willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his desires. One of the victims of his ambition is a women's magazine editor, played by Yoshino Kimura. Desire, envy, and lust abound in this suspenseful human drama.

Other Cast: Yui Natsukawa, Keiko Oginome, Kimiko Yo, Shigeru Muroi, Nenji Kobayashi
Official Site: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/yako/

BOSS (BOSS)
Fuji TV, Thursday 10:00pm, premieres April 16

This series revolves around a group of peculiar detectives in a new division created to fight against an increase in atrocious crimes. A beautiful career woman (Yuki Amami) has just returned from training in the U.S. and is appointed as the "boss" of this division. But despite her intelligence and capabilities, she can never understand a man's heart, so she remains unable to find a husband. In fact, her assignment in the U.S. was really a demotion after she ruined her career track over a man. So why was she chosen as the boss of the new division? Even though the detectives are talented, they all have some kind of issue or flaw, and they are considered to be the "problem children" of the police force. In the end, the division's true purpose is just to isolate these problematic detectives.

Other Cast: Yutaka Takenouchi, Erika Toda, Junpei Mizobata, Michiko Kichise, Kendo Kobayashi, Yoichi Nukumizu, Tetsuji Tamayama
Official Site: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/BOSS/

LOVE GAME (LOVE GAME)
NTV, Thursday 11:58pm, premieres April 23

What is the LOVE GAME? If you can pass the ultimate challenge regarding love, you will receive 100 million yen. And you don't have to risk anything! However, there has never been one successful player... Yumiko Shaku plays the beautiful but mysterious "dealer" of this game. The first challenger is the 29-year-old businessman Koichi Takizawa (Shun Shioya), who is faced with the task of getting his wife to sign divorce papers in the next eight hours. Koichi accepts the challenge, believing that it will be easy to persuade his obedient wife (Hiromi Kitagawa) and explain to her afterwards that it was all just a game. But he discovers that she absolutely won't leave him, as she is hiding a shocking secret.

Official Site: http://www.ytv.co.jp/lovegame/

Konkatsu Rikatsu (コンカツ・リカツ)
NHK, Friday 10:00pm, premieres April 3

This drama is a story about women in their 30s to 40s, reflecting their current lifestyles. Nanami Machida (Sachiko Sakurai) realizes she is 39 years old, and even though she doesn't want to marry, she feels the need to get married and establish a family. On the other hand, Rikako Kudo (Misa Shimizu) had happiness until 39 years old, and finds herself having to divorce even though she does not want to. These two, who have been classmates since elementary school, hold different values and personalities. But as the questions of marriage and divorce arise, they both are searching for the true meaning of love.

Other Cast: Sayuri Kokusho, Keiko Matsuzaka, Maimi Okuwa
Official Site: http://www.nhk.or.jp/kindora/konkatsu/

Smile (スマイル)
TBS, Friday 10:00pm, premieres April 17

Bito Hayakawa (Jun Matsumoto) has a Filipino father and a Japanese mother, but he was born and raised in Japan and has never visited the Philippines. The ever-smiling Bito works at Machimura Foods during the day, and at night, he works a part-time job trying to make his dreams come true. One day during an incident at a bookstore, he meets a girl named Hana Mishima (Yui Aragaki), who lost her ability to speak due to an accident. But even though she can't speak, Bito is drawn to her beautiful smile. However, Bito becomes wrongly suspected by the police for a crime, and after meeting the lawyer Kazuma (Kiichi Nakai), the issue begins to grow... Together, Bito, Hana, and Kazuma will go through challenging times and have to overcome many obstacles.

Other Cast: Eiko Koike, Hidenori Tokuyama, Suzunosuke, Shun Oguri, Masanobu Katsumura
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/smile09/

Meitantei no Okite (名探偵の掟)
TV Asahi, Friday 11:15pm, premieres April 17

The original "Meitantei no Okite" is written by Naoki Prize-winning mystery writer Keigo Higashino, whose works have been turned into several hit dramas, including "Galileo" and "Ryusei no Kizuna." But in this series, Higashino applies his humor to the mystery genre, taking jabs at the shameful cliches and contradictions found in standard mysteries, such as locked-room murders, alibi tricks, and dying messages. Shota Matsuda stars as the so-called "famous detective" Daigoro Tenkaichi, while Yu Kashii takes on the lead female role as a rookie cop.

Other Cast: Yuichi Kimura, Chisun, Jingi Irie
Official Site: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/meitantei/

Yukemuri Sniper (湯けむりスナイパー)
TV Tokyo, Friday 12:12am, premieres April 3

Kenichi Endo stars as Gen (age and real name unknown), a retired assassin who now quietly works at the hot spring inn Tsubakiya in a remote area of Japan. Hoping to restart his life, he applied for the job after seeing an ad, claiming to be a middle-aged salaryman who just got laid off. He hides his past from the inn's beautiful proprietress (Yuko Ito) and veteran clerk (Denden), as well as the rest of the people around him. These include a once-famous stripper named Tomoyo (Nobue Iketani), a hostess bar owner (Miyuki Matsuda), and Q, the only man who knows Gen's past (Hiroyuki Nagato). Surrounded by this unusual cast, Gen is constantly tangled up in various troubles at Tsubakiya.

Other Cast: Momoko Tani, Miku Ono
Official Site: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/yukemuri/

Kagero no Tsuji 3 (陽炎の辻3－居眠り磐音江戸双紙)
NHK, Saturday 7:30pm, premieres April 18

The jidaigeki series "Kagero no Tsuji" is back for a third season. Koji Yamamoto reprises his role as Iwane Sakazaki, a warm-hearted and righteous man who has been living as a ronin in Edo since leaving his home five years ago. Sakazaki deals not only with the problems surrounding him in the city, but also with his own personal troubles, including his former fiancee Nao (Yuko Fueki) and his contested promise of marriage to Okon (Noriko Nakagoshi).

Other Cast: Takashi Ukaji, Ikkei Watanabe, Hiromi Kitagawa, Sei Hiraizumi, Yosuke Kawamura
Official Site: http://www.nhk.or.jp/jidaigeki/kagerou3/

God Hand Teru (ゴッドハンド輝)
TBS, Saturday 7:56pm, premieres April 11

This is an adaptation of Kazuki Yamamoto's manga series "God Hand Teru." Teru Mahigashi (Yuta Hiraoka) is a rookie surgeon who has just finished his training and is assigned to Yasuda Kinen Hospital, home of the best operating room in the world. The hospital is even nicknamed "Valhalla" because its top-notch surgeons are viewed as gods. Patients are constantly being brought in, and the hospital often feels like a battlefield. When Teru is assigned as an assistant to Valhalla's #2 surgeon Shuichi Kitami (Tetsuya Bessho), he is kicked out of the operating room for his inability to keep up with Kitami's incredible speed. On the other hand, Teru's rival is the rising star Kozue Shinomiya (Asami Mizukawa), who is highly skilled and views surgery as an art. One day, a young girl in critical condition arrives, and Teru is the only available surgeon. He freezes up, but he begins to feel an ache from a mark on his chest that was left by his father saving his life when he was young. Suddenly, his mind becomes clear and is focused only on saving the girl's life...

Other Cast: Eri Murakawa, Hirofumi Araki, Taiki Nakabayashi, Atsuro Watabe
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/god-teru/

Mr. Brain (MR.BRAIN)
TBS, Saturday 7:56pm, premieres May 23

SMAP's Takuya Kimura is taking on yet another new challenge. After playing characters such as a race car driver, a public prosecutor, and even Prime Minister, he will be now playing the part of a neuroscientist named Ryusuke Tsukumo, working for the National Research Institute of Police Science (part of the National Police Agency). He is generally incapable of reading the atmosphere of a situation, but when it comes to science, he is well respected. Whenever something catches his interest, he thoroughly sticks to it and never gives up, chasing down the criminals with certainty. This series combines the exciting elements from mystery, suspense, and comedy dramas.

Other Cast: Haruka Ayase, Hiro Mizushima, Mao Daichi, Teruyuki Kagawa, Yuji Tanaka, Tortoise Matsumoto, Sei Hiraizumi
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/mr-brain/

The Quiz Show (THE QUIZ SHOW)
NTV, Saturday 9:00pm, premieres April 18

At Ginga TV, a live-broadcast quiz show is about to begin... The contestants will challenge a series of seven questions, with each correct answer earning them more money, up to 10 million yen. Those who complete all seven correctly will get the chance to wager all of the money for a "Dream Chance," where those who can complete one final task will have one of their dreams come true. But what the contestants don't know yet is that the show's unrelenting host (Sho Sakurai) will lead them to reveal their darkest secrets, live on the air. Will the challengers be able to keep their cool? And how far will they go to achieve their dreams?

Other Cast: Yu Yokoyama, Miki Maya, Aya Matsuura, Shigeru Izumiya, Eisuke Sasai, Sho Aikawa, Toshihide Tonesaku, Narushi Ikeda, Erena Mizusawa, Nozomi Ohashi
Official Site: http://www.ntv.co.jp/quizshow/

Harukanaru Kizuna (遥かなる絆)
NHK, Saturday 9:00pm, premieres April 18

In 1970, before there was public awareness of the phenomenon of "Japanese war-displaced orphans in China," one young man (Gregory Wong) from China arrived at Haneda Airport. After 25 years, he was finally able to reunite with his true parents. But even though he returned to his native Japan, a difficult and challenging life awaited him. Many years later, his daughter (Anne Suzuki) decides to study abroad in China, where she begins to learn about the life her father led there. She traces his struggles and his footsteps between the two countries, and in the process learns an important message. This drama portrays the bonds of fate that transcended borders and generations, as seen through the daughter's eyes.

Other Cast: Kenichi Kato, Aiko Morishita, Megumi Sato, Hu Bing
Official Site: http://www.nhk.or.jp/dodra/harukanaru/

Majo Saiban (魔女裁判)
Fuji TV, Saturday 11:10pm, premieres April 25

Majo Saiban is the first television drama series focused on Japan's new jury system, which is being introduced in May. The story is about a young part-timer named Toru (Toma Ikuta) who has no interest in social issues. He gets called in as a juror in the trial of a woman labeled as a "witch" (Yuriko Ishida), charged with a murder over an enormous inheritance. Though it appears that she is definitely guilty, one by one the jurors begin casting their votes for "not guilty." From the shadows, there is a mysterious organization buying control of the jury. At the same time, strange events start happening around Toru. When another juror (Ai Kato) is threatened, Toru is determined to save her. However, Toru's girlfriend, a newspaper reporter (Manami Higa), seems suspicious of their relationship. And so, Toru begins his lonely fight for the truth.

Other Cast: Ryohei Suzuki, Shiori Kutsuna, Haruka Suenaga, Saori Takizawa
Official Site: http://www.fujitv.co.jp/majo/

Ikemen Sobaya Tantei (イケ麺そば屋探偵～いいんだぜ！～)
NTV, Saturday 12:50am, premieres April 4

Worried about her younger brother Juntaro's future, Itako (Keiko Horiuchi) visits the soba restaurant that Juntaro runs. The store is known as the "Ikemen Sobaya," due to the good looks of Juntaro (Naohito Fujiki) and the part-time delivery boys. Itako discovers that Juntaro does more than just work at the shop - he also happens to work as a detective who solves a lot of incidents around the neighborhood. Juntaro is also surrounded by a cast of strange characters, such as the gay president of a local talent agency (Arata Furuta) and a detective who is constantly at odds with Juntaro (Katsuhisa Namase). Each episode features an unusual mystery and a special guest, starting with Naoto Takenaka.

Other Cast: Kyo Nobuo, Kazuma Kawahara
Official Site: http://www.ntv.co.jp/ikesoba/

Boku no Imouto (ぼくの妹)
TBS, Sunday 9:00pm, premieres April 19

The older brother (Joe Odagiri) is a genius surgeon, but is somehow still lacking. On the other hand, the younger sister (Masami Nagasawa) is poor at studying, but she has a good nature and a strength for living. "Boku no Imouto" is a human drama about these two siblings whose parents died while they were still children. Because of their different values, they are always arguing, such as when the brother finds out that his sister is having an affair with a married man. However, the siblings have also developed a strong bond that keeps them together. But a huge and unexpected incident occurs, which threatens to shake their relationship.

Other Cast: Junior Chihara, Rie Tomosaka, Tetsushi Tanaka, Go Wakabayashi, Hideji Otaki
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/bokunoimouto/

Tsubasa (つばさ)
NHK, Monday-Saturday 8:15am, premieres March 30

Tsubasa Tamaki (Mikako Tabe) is 20-year-old junior college student in Kawagoe, Saitama. She lives with her grandmother (Kazuko Yoshiyuki), her father (Baijaku Nakamura), and younger brother (Satoshi Tomiura) at the long-standing confectionery that her family runs. Her mother (Atsuko Takahata), who left the house 10 years ago, still stops by once in a while, but the majority of the housework is done by Tsubasa, causing her to be known as "20-year-old mother." The series starts off with Tsubasa's mother coming back home and getting into a big argument with the grandmother. Meanwhile, Tsubasa becomes an assistant to the soccer team, where she reunites with a young man named Shota (Yu Koyanagi), leading to her first romance. However, with her mother stirring things up at the shop, Tsubasa has more than enough to deal with.

Other Cast: Mikako Tabe
Official Site: http://www9.nhk.or.jp/asadora/tsubasa/

Mama wa Newhalf (ママはニューハーフ)
TV Tokyo, Weekdays 1:00pm, premieres April 6

Iwataro (Noboru Kaneko) is a handsome, elite salaryman, but he also happens to be a "newhalf," or transsexual. Five years ago, he quit his company and started a new life as "Luna" among the newhalf community, quickly becoming the number-one hostess at a nightclub. Iwataro enjoys living his life freely, but his family back in Kagoshima has no clue about his new identity. One day, a 5-year-old boy named Kiyoto (Tatsuya Kose) suddenly becomes part of his life, as Iwataro takes on the responsibility of raising the young child. "Mama wa Newhalf" is about the two of these characters living together, experiencing both tears and laughter among the newhalf community.

Other Cast: Chiaki Hara, Nana Ogawa, Daisuke Shima, Atsushi Fukazawa, Noemi Takayama, Asami Abe
Official Site: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/mama/

Egoist (エゴイスト～egoist～)
Fuji TV, Weekdays 1:30pm, premieres April 6

Akari Fujimoto (Rei Yoshii) is an aspiring stylist who has landed a job in charge of costumes for top actress Reiko Saijo (Naomi Kawashima), and Akari is desperately trying to do her best. But when her mother Ayame (Midori Yamamoto), a former actress with a hatred for show business, hears Akari mention Reiko's name, her facial expression stiffens. Later on, while Akari is trying to choose an outfit for Reiko, the unsatisfied actress demands an immediate change of stylist, sending Akari into shock. Back at the Fujimoto household, Ayame collapses from illness, and Akari's younger sister Kaori (Mao Miyaji) calls for an ambulance. At that time, Kaori happens to see an old maternal handbook, but it contains a very unexpected name... and she sees it as an opportunity to boost her own career as an actress.

Other Cast: Shinji Todo, Tsuyoshi Hayashi, Katsutaka Furuhata
Official Site: http://tokai-tv.com/egoist/

Kutsuna to play heroine in "Beck"

2009-07-19T22:26:00.001-07:00

16-year-old actress Shiori Kutsuna, also known for being the current Pocky Princess, has landed the lead female role in the live-action adaptation of Harold Sakuishi's manga "Beck." The film was first revealed early last month, along with the news that Hiro Mizushima (25) has the starring role.

The manga tells the story of five young men who form a band. The protagonist in the original story is the band's vocalist and guitarist Yukio "Koyuki" Tanaka (played by Takeru Sato), but the movie focuses more on the band's leader Ryusuke Minami (Mizushima). Kutsuna plays the part of Maho Minami, the sister of Ryusuke who returns from New York and becomes involved with Koyuki.

Kutsuna made her big screen debut this past spring when she appeared in Yuichi Sato's "Shugotenshi." "BECK," which is being directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi, has already started filming and is scheduled for release in autumn 2010.

KimuTaku confirmed for live-action "Yamato" film

2009-07-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

Rumors of a live-action "Space Battleship Yamato" movie were confirmed on Saturday at an Otakon panel. Noboru Ishiguro, the director of the "Yamato" anime series, further confirmed that SMAP's Takuya Kimura will be the star of the film, playing the protagonist Susumu Kodai.

Ishiguro also stated that the movie seems to be focused more on the romantic aspects of the story. Rumors have recently surfaced that Erika Sawajiri will be making her acting comeback as the lead female character Yuki, but that has not yet been confirmed.

"Space Battleship Yamato" also has a new animated film scheduled for release this year.

Public Enemy Trilogy (Korean) 2002-’05-’08

2009-07-19T22:23:00.002-07:00

Aka: Gonggongui jeog
Year: 2002-2005-2008
Directed: Kang Woo-seok
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Runtime: 2:15-2:28-2:05
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean
Subtitles: English
Cast: Seol Kyeong-gu, Lee Seong-jae, Jeong Joon-ho, Jeong Jae-yeong, Kang Shin-il, Lee Moon-sik
IMDB: Gonggongui jeo | Gonggongui jeo 2 | Kang Chul-jung: Gonggongui jeog 1-1

Synopsis / Plot

Ruthless cop Chul-joong and a merciless killer in raincoat run into each other in a small alleyway and form a fatal bond. A free-for-all fight occurs by coincidence on a rainy street. A week later, the dead bodies of an old couple are discovered with multiple stab wounds. Chul-joong suddenly recalls the night he met the man in the raincoat. Chul-joong meets the old couple’s son CHO Gyoo-hwan. He has an intuition that CHO is the murder but has no clue. In the meantime, another murder takes place in the same fashion. The showdown between a dirty cop and a killer unfolds, as things get more personal.

Midnight Running (Chinese) 2006

2009-07-19T22:23:00.001-07:00

aka: Faan Dau Kwong Bun
Year: 2006
Directed: Chung Ning Wong
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Triad
Runtime: 01:32:30
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Cast: Timmy Hung, Derek Tsang, Maya Rumiko, Calvin Choi, Carl Ng, Samuel Pang, Wing Cheung, Roderick Lam, Winston Yeh
IMDb: Faan Dau Kwong Bun

Synopsis / Plot

On Christmas Eve, in the city packed with people, lady pickpocket Mari dressed up just like a tourist, searching for her prey, a small figure in the triad society Alloy was carrying a briefcase, walking out from the bank. Mari used her beauty and little trick and cheated him out of his brief case! But when she got home and found that it was only a list of names, she sighed and thought she was having the worst luck! However, the person in charged of the Hong Kong’s largest triad society, Tung Hing Group – OD was in big trouble! The name list belonged to Tung Hing!

Young and Dangerous Series (Chinese) 1996-2000

2009-07-19T22:22:00.001-07:00

aka: Gu huo zi: Zhi ren zai jiang hu
Year: 1996-2000
Directed: Andrew Lau Wai-Keung | Raymond Yip Wai-Man
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Triad
Runtime: varies
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Cast: Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan, Gigi Lai Chi, Francis Ng, Simon Yam, Anthony Wong, Michelle Reis, Karen Mok, Shu Qi, Nicholas Tse, Sam Lee, Daniel Wu, Sandra Ng, Gigi Leung, Kristy Yeung
IMDb: Gu huo zi: Zhi ren zai jiang hu

Synopsis / Plot

“…the entertaining film series that makes being a triad guy seem like a noble, worthy profession.”

Chinese manga translation about young triad guys on their way up is decent, solid work from the newly formed BOB (Best of the Best), run by Wong Jing, Manfred Wong, and Andrew Lau Wai-Keung. Plot: Young triad guys Chan Ho-Nam (Ekin Cheng), Chicken (Jordan Chan), and their buddies (Jerry Lamb, Michael Tse, and Jason Chu) work for the fatherly Brother B (Ng Chi-Hung) of the Hung Hing group. Eventually, they move up the ladder when they impress their benevolent boss Mr. Chiang (Simon Yam). Things go bad when the scummy Ugly Kwan (Francis Ng) runs Chiang out of the top seat. When our heroes get on Kwan’s bad side, he does his best to screw them big time, leading to all sorts of triad angst. Ultimately, the buddies’ friendship is tested by their individual hardships. Nam and Chicken have a falling out which threatens to destroy the solidarity of the kids. But when it counts, they band together and prevail in gang fights as only young triad guys do. Gigi Lai appears as Smartie, Nam’s stuttering triad girlfriend. The two main stars, Ekin Cheng and Jordan Chan, do well, but the film is owned by Francis Ng who hilariously overacts to the film’s benefit. This is decent flick that entertains, but takes itself just a bit too seriously. Ultimately, it glorifies the triad lifestyle, which begs the question: how many kids joined the triad thanks to this movie? (Kozo 1996)-LoveHkFilm

Goddess Of Mercy (Chinese) 2003

2009-07-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

aka: Jade Goddess of Mercy / Yu guanyin / Juk gun jam
Year: 2003
Directed: Ann Hui
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Romance
Runtime: 01:50
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese
Subtitles: English & Chinese
Cast: Vicky Zhao, Nicholas Tse, Liu Yunlong, Sun Haiying, Chen Jianbin
Imdb: Jade Goddess Of Mercy

Synopsis / Plot

This is a story about a policewoman’s intricate love lives: Her husband, Tie Jun, dies saving her life despite he knows he is not the father of their baby; Mao Jie, a drug trafficker, her baby’s father, the one she loved but becomes her enemy after an operation which led to the death of his parent; and Yang Rui, a city slicker toy boy, whose love and care for her finally moves her badly scarred heart, but is injured when Mao Jie comes to take revenge on An Xin. At the last scene, An Xin meets Mao Jie alone, when both of their closest kin are killed by each other, only till death they can resolve their hatred.

Ann Hui’s Goddess of Mercy is a difficult film to pin down. While the plot screams routine suspense thriller, the slow, opaque storytelling and generous focus on star Vicki Zhao would seem to indicate a female character study along the lines of Hui’s more personal films. On the other hand, having Nicholas Tse appear as a charismatic, ill-fated drug smuggler would appear to be large concession to the commercial powers that be—except his role will likely turn off most of his teenybopper fanbase. This juxtaposition of commercial and artistic elements is what makes Goddess of Mercy intriguing—and ultimately only partly successful. – - LoveHkFilm

The Rebel (Vietnamese) 2006

2009-07-19T22:19:00.002-07:00

Aka: Dragon Dynasty: The Rebel
Year: 2006
Directed: Truc ‘Charlie’ Nguyen
Genre: Action, Drama, Romance
Runtime: 01:43
Country: Vietnam
Language: Vietnamese/French
Subtitles: English/Spanish in seperate torrent
Cast: Johnny Nguyen, Thanh Van Ngo, Dustin Nguyen, Stephane Gauger
iMDB: The Rebel

Synopsis / Plot

1920s. Vietnam under colonial French ruling. Anti-French rebellions emerge all over the country to disrupt the foreign occupiers. In respond, the colonialist employed units of Vietnamese agents to track and destroy these rebels. The film follows the journey of LE VAN CUONG, a French cultured undercover elite. Although branded with a perfect track record, Cuong’s inner conscience is troubled by the sea of Vietnamese blood he had spilled to uphold a French washed ideal. Following an assassination of a high ranking French, Cuong is assigned to seek and kill the notorious leader of the resistance. Cuong encounters VO THANH THUY, a relentless revolutionary fighter and the daughter of the rebel leader. Cuong’s superior intends for him to use Thuy as a mean to get to her father but Cuong soon has feelings for her. Thuy’s patriotism ignites conflicts between Cuong’s consciousness and his cultured faith. Will Cuong discover his inner-self and find love or will he continue his mission?

Kekexili: Mountain Patrol (Chinese) 2004

2009-07-19T22:19:00.001-07:00

aka: Mountain Patrol
Year: 2004
Directed: Chuan Lu
Genre: Action, Drama
Runtime: 02:39
Country: China
Language: Mandarin/Tibetin
Subtitles: English
Cast: Duobuji, Zhang Lei, Liang Qi, Xueying Zhao
Imdb: Kekexili

Synopsis / Plot

A moving true story about volunteers protecting antelope against poachers in the severe mountains of Tibet.
When Beijing journalist Ga Yu arrives at themystical camp of the Kekexili Mountain Patrol, he witnesses a Tibetanfuneral and a village in mourning. Ga Yu is determined to uncover thereal story behind the mysterious disappearance of patrol volunteers,the killing of rare Tibetan antelopes and the rumor that the MountainPatrol collaborates with the poachers. Ga Yu joins a patrol headed outinto 40,000 square kilometers of wilderness. The illegal hunters arelike phantoms in the uninhabited land, hiding in caves, tracking thepatrol members like sinister shadows, waiting for the right moment tolaunch their deadly attack — the patrolmen have become the hunted.Despite the severe environment, the patrol led by Ri Tai risk theirlives in the fight against the callous poachers. At first an observer,distanced by the lens of his camera, Ga Yu slowly becomes personallyinvolved in the struggle. He gradually becomes aware that this is notjust a regular patrol but a journey about life. To the patrol members,Kekexili is their homeland as well as it is the habitat of theantelopes. In the transmigration of life, they will always be on guardfor the homeland. Through the eyes of Ri Tai and the other patrolmen,Ga Yu witnesses the real beauty of their lives: their faith.

A Man’s Story (Korean) 2009

2009-07-19T22:18:00.001-07:00

The Slingshot/Story of a man/A man’s story
Airing Date: Mar 14 ‘2009 (Mon-Tue drama)
Director: Yoon Seong-sik (Dae Jo Young)
Screenwriter: Song Ji-na
Number of Episodes: 20
English Subtitles Included.

Broadcasting Company: KBS
OFFICIAL SITE: http://www.kbs.co.kr/drama/slingshot/

Description::
Here is a man who cannot be discouraged by any despair. Now his great revenge begins!!

Kim Shin (Park Yong-ha), a son of rich family, was living as a playboy, but one day his father’s company becomes entangled in a conspiracy of TS Group in the process of merging and closed by bankruptcy. After the bankruptcy, Kim Shin’s father sinks into depression and ends up hanging himself.
Due to this incident, Kim Shin sets new goals in his life. He decides to make Chae (the president of TS Group) to commit suicide because of money, and jumps into the stock market. He becomes a cool-headed M&A expert, and makes plans to break TS Group with Do Jae-myeong (Lee Philip) who has pried into TS Group like him. While trying into TS Group for the revenge, he learns that the president Chae is just a bad guy. Behind all the evil acts, there was the president Chae’s son, Chae Do-woo (Kim Kang-woo).
With the battle of wits between Kim Shin and Chae Do-woo, the story of their complicated relationships with Kim Shin’s ex-girlfriend, Seo Kyeong-ah (Park Si-yeon) and Chae Do-woo’s younger sister, Chae Eun-su (Han Yeo-woon) unfolds.

Celeb to Binbo Taro (Japanese) 2008

2009-07-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

Plot

Wealthy daughter of a hotel chain mogul meets poor widowed father of three. Despite their vastly different values and beliefs, will their chanced encounter blossom into something more?

AKA - Celeb & Poor
Broadcasted - 2009-Jan-05 to 2009-Mar-31
Genre - Romance, Comedy
Country – Japan
Audio – Japanese
Subtitles – English
Episode Run Time – 45min
Total Episodes – 11
Status – Completed [11/11]
Links – wiki.d-addicts.com

Cast

Ueto Aya as Mitazono Alice
Kamiji Yusuke as Sato Taro
Kuninaka Ryoko as Yasuda Sachiko
Kashiwabara Takashi as Gotoda Tsukasa
Miura Rieko as Ono Midori

The First 7th Night (Chinese) 2009

2009-07-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

aka: Tau chut
Year: 2009
Directed: Herman Yau Lai-To
Genre: Horror, Crime, Drama
Runtime: 01:27:05
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Cast: Gordon Lam, Julian Cheung, Michelle Ye, Eddie Cheung, Tony Ho
IMDb: Tau chut

Synopsis / Plot

A helpless Taxi driver, A mysterious delivery boy, A 30 years abandoned motel, a touching past, all stitches up to form a strange tale. One day, a strange passenger “Xiao Ma” hires a taxi driver “Map King”, paying him a huge sum of money to take him to an abandoned old motel. This motel was mysteriously burnt 30 years ago, and was abandoned since. Nobody knows about its existence and nobody talks about it. To Xiao Ma’s surprise, the taxi driver Map King actually knows how to get to there. Ah Fang, is the owner of the Chun Lei motel. She started off her peaceful life with her only son until the day where “The 4 Thieves” visits her motel, on the seventh day after her husband’s death. Mysteriously the motel was on fire right after the meeting and everyone had gone missing after the fire incident, and the motel was abandoned for 30 years. What actually happened to the motel? What’s the reason behind the fire? What strange things happened on and after the seventh day of Ah Fang’s Husband’s death?

Four Roads To Hell (Japan) 2007

2009-07-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

Aka: Tales of Terror From Japan: Four Roads to Hell
Year: 2007
Directed: Keisuke Toyoshima, Hirohisa Sasaki, Shunichi Hirano, Wataru Furuta, Kenji Murakami, Hirono Yamada
Genre: Horror, Shorts
Runtime: 00:54:10
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English/Chinese
Cast: Various
IMDB: None

Synopsis / Plot

Like a good ghost story? Then turn out the lights and prepare to feel a chill as Japan’s masters of the macabre spin some of the creepiest spectral sagas to grace the screen. Four Roads To Hell is an anthology featuring short stories based on true accounts as collected from writers Hirokatsu Kihara and Ichiro Nakayama. This is part of the “Tales Of Terror From Japan” series.

1. Another One: (5 min)
Directed by Keisuke Toyoshima. A man checks into a hotel, only to discover, yes, he is not alone.

2. The Men in Black: (5 min)
Directed by Keisuke Toyoshima. Kid takes pictures of something bad, goes missing; kid’s friend, who has the roll of film, gets harassed by strange men.

3. Purification Doesn’t Work (The Bloodied Armor): (5 min)
Directed by Hirohisa Sasaki. A helmet once worn by an actor who died while wearing it is discovered by a young prop master, who soon sees a ghost.

4. Overtime 1 & 2: (10 min)
Directed by Shunichi Hirano. An urban legend about people who meet cruel ends if they work overtime on a certain day of the month is ignored by a young accountant suckered into staying late.

5. Second Round: (5 min)
Directed by Wataru Furata. A taxi driver is working the late evening shift. His first customer is a old lady, his second customer is a young woman and his third customer is middle-aged. The cycle repeats itself.

6. A Woman Next Door: (5 min)
Directed by Kenji Murakami.

7. Mai’s Voice: (5 min)
Directed by Hirono Yamada.

8. The Promise: (5 min)
Directed by Keisuke Toyoshima. Don’t play jokes or bet on your dead grandmother.

9. He’s Home: (5 min)
Directed by Kenji Murakami. A man doesn’t sleep in the same bedroom with his wife because of a picture of her deceased husband in the room.

10. Breath of Mononoke: (5 min)
Directed by ?. What happens when you walk alone in an underground parking garage? It’s not everyday you meet a monster.

Heaven’s Door (Japanese) 2009

2009-07-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

Aka: Hebunzu doa
Year: 2009
Directed: Michael Arias
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 01:46
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English/Japanese
Cast: Tomoya Nagase, Mayuko Fukuda, Tomokazu Miura, Toshihiro Wada, Masaya Kikawada, Anna Tsuchiya
IMDB: Heaven’s Door

Synopsis / Plot

A young man Tomoya Nagase and a girl Mayuko Fukuda both learn that they have an untreatable illness and are nearing death. When one reveals that they have never been to the ocean, they embark on a comical adventure to see the sea.

Osaka Wrestling Restaurant (Chinese) 2004

2009-07-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

aka: Daai baan taat yat chaan
Year: 2004
Directed: Wai-Tak Law
Genre: Action, Comedy
Runtime: 01:33
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese
Subtitles: English & Chinese
Cast: Timmy Hung, Yiu-Cheung Lai, Miku Ueno, Kar-Ying Law, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Gloria Yip
Imdb: Daai baan taat yat chaan

Synopsis / Plot

Ricky aspires to be a famous chef. But rival restauranteur Dragon wants him to fail. So when Ricky’s brother suggests that he combine Osaka wrestling with Hong Kong cuisine, his restaurant strikes gold and wins rave reviews, but Dragon swears revenge.

Ricky is a canteen handyman, his goal was to be a famous chef. His boss, One-Eye Dragon, was really mean to him and wanted to kill Ricky. Ricky went to Osaka and looked for his brother Mike. Mike suggested that he wanted to match up Osaka wrestling with the food from Hong Kong. And Mike taught in person the techniques of Osaka wrestling. Famous eating expert Chau visited the restaurant. Mike made the steamed dumpling for Chau to taste and was highly praised. The steamed dumpling attracted all the older customer and the business boomed again. But jeopardy rose! Dragon decided to “do it all”, and brought a time bomb into the restaurant…

Zen (Japanese) 2009

2009-07-19T21:50:00.000-07:00

Year: 2009
Directed: Banmei Takahashi
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 02:07:28
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Subtitles: English, Japanese
Cast: Kantarou Nakamura, Yuki Uchida, Jun Murakami, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Sho Aikawa, Masanobu Katsumura
IMDB: Zen

Synopsis / Plot

Based on the life Dogen Zenji (January 19, 1200 – September 22, 1253), a Japanese Zen Buddhist teacher, founder of the Soto school of Zen, and important philosopher.

To cast away everything, surrendering yourself to the flow of nature and just sitting in meditation. This is the essence of Dogen’s Zen Buddhism. In the 13th century, Dogen, a young Japanese monk traveled to China, determined to find his true master. There he found a monk who taught him that sitting in Zen meditation is the true and only path to enlightenment. Returning, enlightened, to Japan, Dogen risked his life to pioneer Zen Buddhism, inspiring the millions of Zen Buddhists who practice around the world today.