Orpheus’ Lyre, The Rakugo Movie, The Last Scene You Were Loved, Sweet Sickness, Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi and Other Trailer and the Japanese Movie Charts

Ha! Potential anime overload? I have watched more anime this week than ever before. Even when anime was on the Sci-Fi channel and Toonami. The Studio Ghibli season continues unabated in the UK. I watched Arrietty, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo (all of which I have seen in the cinema like today’s film Spirited Away – the scene on the left occurred just a few moments ago). I also watched Castle of Cagliostro and Pom Poko. Work meant I missed Ocean Waves and Whisper of the Heart but I managed to watch an episode of Serial Experiments Lain, Level E and Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan. When I watch anime I tend to practice my Japanese as well so fun and learning is combined! I also continued with xxxHOLiC and I even rewatched Heat After Dark. This massive list convinces me that Japanese entertainment is the best! That written, I really enjoyed the latest episode of Doctor Who.

As far as my adventures in movie blogging continue I posted a review of Vulgaria, a very amusing comedy from Hong Kong filled with bawdy humour. I also posted my campaign pictures for the LAMMY awards and the head of the LAMB even took the time to reply! Writing about the LAMB, their latest Foreign Chops is up and it focusses on Anime. Five of my reviews are there and I am at the top with Berserk. The week then ended with the tragic news of the passing of Roger Ebert. I have read his writing for a while now and it saddens me to see a true cinephile go.

Here’s an obituary from the BFI.

Now excuse me, I’m going to watch Spirited Away and practice Japanese (plain forms!)

What do the Japanese film charts look like this week (March 30^th-31^st)?

1. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods
2. Wreck-It Ralph
3. Doraemon Nobita’s Dinosaur
4. Platina Data
5. Aibou Series X Day
6. Precure All Stars New Stage 2
7. Oz the Great and Powerful
8. Jack the Giant Slayer
9. Himawari and Her Puppies
10. My Diary of Our Exchange

Well Dragon Ball Z has torn up the Japanese film chart with an energy blast that could level an entire planet. It accrued over $7 million on its opening weekend and looks set to be one of the biggest releases of the year. Knowing how big the DBZ franchise is it comes as no surprise. Phew.

What’s released today?

Portrait of a Table                                

Japanese Title: 食卓の肖像

Romaji: Shokutaku no Shouzou

Release Date: April 06^th, 2013 (Japan)

Running Time: 103 mins.

Director: Satoshi Kaneko 

Satoshi Kaneko makes his debut in this documentary which takes an episode of food pollution named the “Yusho Incident” which happened in 1968. In Nagasaki and Fukuoka, people who used Kanemi rice oil suffered eye damage, hair loss and other problems with their health. People still suffer from these problems.

 

 

Orpheus’ Lyre (English Title) / Cherry Blossoms, Kanako’s Once More (Literal Title)            

Japanese Title: 桜、　ふたたび　の　加奈子         

Romaji: Sakura, Futatabi no Kanako

Release Date: April 06^th, 2013 (Japan)

Running Time: 105 mins.

Director: Minoru Kurimura

Writer: Kiyomi Niitsu (Original Novel), Minoru Kurimura (Screenplay),

Starring: Ryoko Hirosue, Goro Inagaki, Sho Takada, Kyoko Enami, Mayuko Fukuda, Mayuko Yoshioka, Rie Tanaka, Hideki Nagai,

This is the second film from Minoru Kurimura and it is an adaptation of  Kiyomi Niitsu’s novel of the same name, published way back in 2000. Kurimura’s first film, Food and Maiden, was awarded the prize for Best Asian International Film Festival in Moscow. The film is packed with stars like the incredibly beautiful and talented Ryoko Hirosue who has impressed me in comedies (Key of Life), crime mysteries (Zero Focus) and dramas (Departures). She gets to exercise her acting ability in a film which focusses on her but she is given able support by Goro Inagaki (Thirteen Assassins), Mayuko Fukuda (Mai Mai Miracle, Kamikaze Girls) and someone I am familiar with as an anime voice actress, Rie Tanaka who was Sammy in Time of Eve.

 

When Yoko (Hirosue) loses her daughter Kanako in an accident she is consumed by a wave of grief and guilt so powerful she commits suicide in her daughter’s bedroom. She is saved but has been acting strangely since the incident. Her husband Nobuki (Inagaki)wants to support her but finds life a strain. Things take a dark turn when Yoko meets a pregnant high school student named Masami (Fukuda) and comes to believe that Masami’s baby us Kanako reincarnated.