Happy weekend people!
I hope everyone is well!
With a story-check finished, I soon find myself braced for more movie action with a trip to the cinema due next week and a whole lot of films to go through. I also managed to hit a milestone in my kanji learning but now I have to make words with all of the characters I can write from memory. Work continues apace but with Christmas approaching, I am looking forward to having a few days off.
I posted reviews for Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2016 horror film Daguerrotype, (a real return to form) and the charming, amiable dramedy, Neko Atsume House (2017)
What is released this weekend?
Girls und Panzer das Finale Chapter 1 
ガールズ&パンツァー 最終章 第1話 「Ga-ruzu&Pansha- Saishuushou Dai 1 wa」
Running Time: 47 mins.
Release Date: December 09th
Director: Tsutomu Mizushima
Writer: Reiko Yoshida (Script),
Starring: Ai Kayano (Saori Takebe), Ikumi Nakagami (Yukari Akiyama), Mai Fuchigami (Miho Nishizumi), Mami Ozaki (Hana Isuzu), Yuka Iguchi (Mako Reizei), Chika Anzai (Oshida), Minami Tsuda (Ando), Yumi Hara (Mary),
Animation Production: Actas
Synopsis of the original series from ANN: In this world, Sensha-do (戦車道), the art of tank-combat, is a traditional Japanese martial art for girls. Miho, a girl who just transfered into the Ōrai Girls’ Academy in Ibaraki Prefecture, has been ordered by the academy’s student council chairperson to join the school team and compete in the national Sensha-do championships.
Vigilante 
ビジランテ 「Bijirante」
Running Time: 125 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Yu Irie
Writer: Yu Irie (Screenplay)
Starring: Nao Omori, Kosuke Suzuki, Kenta Kiritani, Izumi Okamura, Shun Sugata, Yuki Mamiya, Mariko Shinoda,
Yu Irie continues to make interesting films and this one is set in director’s home-town of Fukaya, Saitama Prefecture. It stars Nao Omori (Outrage: Coda), Izumi Okamura (Shady) and Yuki Mamiya (Wet Woman in the Wind), among others.
Synopsis: This is the tale of three brothers Ichiro (Nao Omori), the oldest, Jiro (Kosuke Suzuki) the second, and the youngest, Saburo (Kenta Kiritani). They are the sons of a local big shot who bullies them. Ichiro can’t stand it and disappears when he is in high school.
When he returns 30 years later after the father’s death, he discovers his brothers have moved on. Jiro is a city council member in desperate need of his father’s land and Saburo is a semi-thug who works as a manager of call girl service. Ichiro brings bad news – he’s going to take all of his father’s legacy and the others can’t stop him. They aren’t going to take that lying down and the fight is on between brother’s for the money…
Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura 
DESTINY 鎌倉ものがたり 「DESTINY Kamakura Monogatari」
Running Time: 129 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Writer: Takashi Yamazaki (Screenplay), Ryohei Saigan (Original Manga)
Starring: Masato Sakai, Mitsuki Takahata, Shinichi Tsutsumi, Sakura Ando, Min Tanaka, Tamao Nakamura, Mikako Ichikawa, Jun Kunimura, Tomokazu Miura,
Masato Sakai (Key of Life) and Mitsuki Takahata (Japanese Girls Never Die) take the lead in this charming-looking magical mystery film. She’s got a lot of great support from Min Tanaka (Haruneko, Maison de Himiko), Mikako Ichikawa (Rent-a-Cat), Sakura Ando (100 Yen Love) and Jun Kunimura and Shinichi Tsutsumi (both in Why Don’t You Play in Hell?)
Synopsis: Kamakura is the ancient capital of Japan and the place where ghosts, demons, and youkai appear on a daily basis. Akiko (Takahata) is the freshly-minted wife of the mystery writer Masakazu Ichimoku (Sakai) and she gets a surprise every day with her supernatural neighbours. She also sees her husband help the police investigate difficult cases involving monsters and ghosts and she soon gets caught up in a case of her own…
Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FINAL: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders 
仮面ライダー平成ジェネレーションズFINAL ビルド＆エグゼイドwithレジェンドライダー
「Kamen Raidā Heisei Jenerēshonzu Fainaru: Birudo ando Eguzeido wizu Rejendo Raidā」
Running Time: 74 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Kazuya Kamihoriuchi
Writer: Yuya Takahashi, Shogo Muto (Screenplay)
Starring: Atsuhiro Inukai, Eiji Akaso, Kaho Takada, Yukari Taki, Kensei Mikami, Yasyuki Maekawa, Hiroki Iijima, Sota Fukushi, Shu Watanabe, Reina Kurosaki,
Website Kamen Rider Wikia IMDB
Synopsis: The story begins following Ex-Aid and Para-DX’s battle against Build during Kamen Rider Ex-Aid: True Ending. Build appeared and took Ex-Aid’s powers away, but Sento has no recollection of such incident happening other than a dream. Misora has made two new Fullbottles.
When Sento arrived to a Smash distress call, he found a Nebula Bugster instead, the latest mutation of the Bugster Virus. While Sento battled the Nebula Buster, Ryuga was blown into an alternate reality where the Sky Wall never existed, where he meets Emu and the Gamer Riders. The Riders from the world of Build and the Riders from the world of Ex-Aid, alongside the Legend Riders Fourze, OOO, Gaim, and Ghost will stand up against this threat!
Info Men: Kemono no Hohoemi, Gesu no Namida 
インフォ・メン 獣の笑み、ゲスの涙 「Info Men: Kemono no Hohoemi, Gesu no Namida」
Running Time: 99 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Tomoaki Kaneko
Writer: Tomoaki Kaneko (Screenplay)
Starring: Gon Suzuki, Asuka Kishi, Akiko Kato, Michiru Aizawa
Synopsis: This is the latest in a series of dramas following “Judas” “Honey Flappers” “W: Futatsu no Kao wo Motsu Onnatachi” that depicts the people working those thankless customer-service roles. While the first three were about the dark side of working as a hostess, this one is an “Info Man” in Osaka. Satoshi, 22, is the amiable bumbler who has a pregnant girlfriend and a need for some serious cash. He borrows 3 million yen from some shady characters and, would you believe it, he drops that money in the water. Now he has to work for free at an information centre and attract people to cabaret clubs. The creators managed to bring it back to seeing women exploited. Asuka Kishi who was in two of the previous films makes a return here.
Discovery of images = Age of Toshio Matsumoto 
映像の発見＝松本俊夫の時代 「Nigeta sakana wa oyoi deru.」
Running Time: 700 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Takeshi Tsutsui
Writer: Yasutaka Mori (Screenplay)
Starring: Tomoko Fujiwara, Eiji Kisei, Mamoru Sasaki, Takashi Kudo,
Synopsis from The Concrete: Toshio Matsumoto, a master of Japanese avant-garde films, had been challenging the question “What is image?”, not only as a director but also as a writer through the works such as “Discovery of Image – Avant-Garde and Documentary”. This is the 700 minute-long documentary film to trace his history.
ALL YOU NEED is PUNK and LOVE 
おーるゆーにーどぅいずぱんくあんどらぶ 「O- ryu- Ni-dou Izu Panku Ando Rabu」
Running Time: 58 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Elizabeth Miyaji
Writer: N/A
Starring: Aina The End, Momoko Gumi Company, Cent Chihiro Chicchi, Hashiyatsume Atsuko, LingLing, Ayuni D,
Synopsis: The BiSH girls get a documentary that tracked them through training and performances in March of this year.
Koi to Wolwachia 
恋とボルバキア 「Koi to Borubakia」
Running Time: 94 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Sayaka Ono
Writer: N/A
Starring: Oji, Ayu, Mihiro, Harumi Hasumi, Kiri Anzu, Ichiko Aizawa,
Synopsis: Wolbachia is a symbiotic bacteria that sexually transforms the host. This documentary is about “sexual minorities”. That explains the title. We get eight stories including lesbians, cross-dressers, transgender people and those who are in between categories. Humans, in other words. We see them humanised as we get glimpses of their everyday lives and their dreams and fears. They look like a nice bunch so I hope they have found happiness and hold onto it.
Sekai wo kaenakatta futashikana tsumi 
世界を変えなかった不確かな罪 「Sekai wo kaenakatta futashikana tsumi」
Running Time: 101 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Yosuke Okuda (as Yusuke Okuda)
Writer: Yusuke Okuda (Screenplay)
Starring: Moeki Tsuruoka, Arisa Matsunaga, Tomoki Kimura, Eriko Tomioka, Ichirou Morikei, Arata Yamanaka, Hidekazu Fukuda, Naoko Amano,
Synopsis: Director Yusuke Okuda was inspired by the George Gershwin song “Summertime” to come up with a story about two girls, one named Pino who has escaped an unforgettable sin from her past, and one named Papiko who cannot escape from her past. They meet in a town overlooking a factory and their meeting sets in motion a melancholy story that will draw in others…
Nacchan ha mada Shinjuku 
なっちゃんはまだ新宿 「Nacchan ha mada Shinjuku」
Running Time: 93 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Rin Shuto
Writer: Rin Shuto (Screenplay),
Starring: Natsumi Ikeda, Yuuko Sugamoto, Yuusuke Kasai, Ai Onae, Suguru Fukuda
Synopsis: “MOOSIC LAB” sees filmmakers and musicians collaborate on projects and this latest one has the band Polta working on a story about two high school girls, Akino and Nanchan. Akino is in love with her classmate Okada. However, Okada has a girlfriend at another school,”Nacchan”, and Akino can only look on in jealousy until she meets a girl named Naoko and begins to wonder if she’s Okada’s girlfriend...
Hedoroba 
ヘドローバ 「Hedoro-ba」
Running Time: 79 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: Yuki Kobayashi
Writer: Yuki Kobayashi (Screenplay)
Starring: Noriko Tatsu, Yuni Hong, Itsuji Itao, Wataru Ichinose, Jingi Umemoto, Ryuju Sumikawa, Hiroshi Shinagawa, Minehiro Kinomoto,
Synopsis: Come take a look at a dangerous housing complex where only bad people live. The biggest terror in this place is an old woman who operates a cult but there are also gangsters and perverts and worse. This was made for Vice Media and produced by Yoshihiro Nishimura, director of “Helldriver”, “Tokyo Gore Police”, and “Vampire Girl vs. Frankenstein Girl”.
For Real kanarazu modoru to chikatta, ano butai e. 
FOR REAL 必ず戻ると誓った、あの舞台へ。 「For Real kanarazu modoru to chikatta, ano butai e.」
Running Time: 106 mins.
Release Date: December 09th, 2017
Director: N/A
Writer: N/A (Screenplay)
Starring: Yokohama DeNA Baystars
Synopsis: A documentary about the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars has been made after 400 hours of footage was edited down to 106 minutes. Shot from their spring training camp in February over the course of a season, we see the highs and lows of this baseball team.
AND THAT’S IT FOR THIS WEEKEND! SEE YOU NEXT TIME!
Genkinahito 