There is a glut of great films in UK cinemas (Young Adult, Carnage etc.). They look far more compelling for me than the top five in the Japanese box office:
01. Always: Sunset on Third Street 3
02. The Wings of the Kirin
03. Robo-G
04. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
05. Mission: Impossible 4
Thankfully a new set of great looking films are released today so here are the trailers.
Berserk: Golden Age I – The Egg of the Supreme King
Release Date: 4th February 2012 (Japan)
Running Time: N/A
Director: Toshiyuki Kubooka
Writer: Kentarō Miura (original manga)
Starring: Hiroaki Iwanaga (Guts), Takahiro Sakurai (Griffith), Toa Yukinaru (Casca), Aki Toyosaki (Charlotte), Kenta Miyake (Nosferatu Zodd)
The new Berserk feature is due out in Japanese theatres today and is the first of a trilogy of movies adapted from Kentarō Miura’s original manga. This trailer features some impressive animation and samples of the film’s music including the main theme, Aria, which was composed by electronic artist Hirasawa Susumu (Paprika, Paranoia Agent).
The film is animated by Studio 4°C and directed by Toshiyuki Kubooka who has worked as animation director on notable titles like Gankutsuou, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and the Working Through Pain Segment of Batman:Gotham Knight.
Arakawa Under the Bridge
Release Date: 4th February 2012
Running Time: 109 min.
Director: Ken Iizuka
Writer: Hikaru Nakamura (original manga)
Starring: Kento Hayashi, Mirei Kiritani, Shun Oguri, Nana Katase, Yuu Shirota, Takayuki Yamada, Natsumi Abe
Kou Ichinomiya is the son of a wealthy family and has been brought up to believe that he must never be in debt to anybody but after falling into the Arakawa River and almost drowning he finds he owes his life to a mysterious girl named Nino saves him. In order to repay his debt he must love her and live with her under the bridge which is also home to all manner of strange people.
Hikaru Nakamura’s ‘Arakawa Under the Bridge’ has already been turned into a hilarious anime and a whimsical live-action television drama which I’m part of the way through. Both the TV show and the movie share the same cast with Mirei Kiritani, who will next be seen in Takashi Miike’s forthcoming Phoenix Wright adaptation, portraying the cute but bizarre Nino, Kento Hayashi portraying Kou and Shun Oguri, star in Sukiyaki Western Django and the rather dull Death Tunnel/Ghost Train playing the Village Chief (the green Kappa chappy).
Tokyo Playboy Club
Release Date: 4th February 2012
Running Time: 92 min.
Director: Yosuke Okuda
Writer: Yosuke Okuda
Starring: Nao Omori, Ken Mitsuishi, Asami Usuda, Yasushi Fuchikami, Masaaki Akahiro, Takahiro Miura, Sakichi Sato
Screening at the Rotterdamn film festival is this interesting looking film.
The title refers to a nightclub of the same name which is owned by Sekichi (Ken Mitsuishi) and the place where Katsutoshi (Nao Omori) hides out at after getting into trouble with some underworld Yakuza types. Unfortunately his troubles are far from over as one of the club’s waiters, Takahiro (Yasushu Fuchikami), and his girlfriend Eriko (Asami Usuda) get involved.
It has just started snowing outside so more reviews and less chat is forthcoming.
Genkinahito 
Robo-G doesn’t look that bad and the Always: Sunset on Third Street movies aren’t usually too bad either…….Although I admit I’m looking forward to Tokyo Playboy Club a lot more than either of them.
They don’t look bad but they don’t appeal to me either. I guess I’m stuck on the kind of existential horror that Kiyoshi Kurosawa puts out. Tokyo Playboy Club does look very good and I’ve got a soft spot for anything Arakawa – charming TV show, hilarious anime – I have yet to read the manga. I’m waiting for Berserk reviews with interest as well.
Thanks for the reply!
I enjoyed the Arakawa anime too although I have to admit I only watched it after seeing the trailer for the tv show or maybe the movie, can’t remember which.
Also maybe you’ll be interested in this for a post? http://www.jpf-film.org.uk/
Lots of interesting titles coming up in a few weeks including All Around Us which got a lot of festival attention when it was first released and it was worth the attention.
Always great to meet another Arakawa fan!
Thanks for the link. I had an e-mail about the event yesterday and was planning to post about it. The only film I recognise is “I Just Didn’t Do It” primarily because Koji Yakusho is in it and I’ll watch most things with him in it! Right now I’m going to watch some Japanese films because it has been more than a month since I last reviewed one!
Although reading back I now realise you have little interest in it, Robo-G is playing at Sci-Fi London on May 5th.