What does the Japanese box-office chart look like?

1. Resident Evil: Retribution
2. Bayside Shakedown 4: The Final New Hope
3. Rurouni Kenshin
4. Insight into the Universe
5. Dear
6. The Avengers
7. Key of Life
8. Mirror Mirror
9. Intouchables
10. Akko-chan: The Movie

Two of last week’s releases, Key of Life and Insight into the Universe, enter the chart at number seven and four. I am going to see Key of Life at the BFI London Film Festival (I am so hype for this) and it is great to see that there is at least one country on this planet where a film mostly about science and a historical figure can break into the top ten. Rurouni Kenshin hangs in the top three in third position and The Wolf Children Rain and Snow drops to fourteenth (another film I am hype for).

What Japanese films are getting released today? Two films full of teen talent and one genuinely interesting noir title!

Bingo                                              

Japanese Title: ビンゴ

Romaji: Bingo

Release Date:  22^nd September 2012 (Japan)

Running Time: 99 mins.

Director: Yohei Fukuda

Writer: Yusuke Yamada (Original Story), Yohei Fukuda (Screenplay)

Starring: Kazuki Shimizu, Sakiko Matsui

Yusuke Yamada is back with another of his fiendish short stories getting adapted for the big screen. Out of all the ones I have covered this year, this one is probably the most ridiculous. It stars Sakiko Matsui (a member of AKB48) in her first motion picture role abd is directed by Yohei Fukuda who directed Chanbara Beauty and X Game.

Set some time in the distant future, the death penalty in Japan has been altered. Now a death sentence is decided by game of bingo played by the victim’s family. Masaya (Shimizu) is a prisoner who will find out if he will be given the death sentence. Mayumi (Matsui) is part of the staff who monitor the game.

The King and I                                   

Japanese Title: 王様　と　ボク

Romaji: Osama to Boku

Release Date:  22^nd September 2012 (Japan)

Running Time: 84 mins.

Director: Tetsu Maeda

Writer: Yamada Naito (Original Manga), Tetsu Maeda (Screenplay)

Starring: Tori Matsuzaka, Masaki Suda, Hiroki Aiba, Fumi Nikado, Masataka Nakaguchi, Miyuki Matsuda

A manga adaptation which stars a bunch of pretty boys in the shape of Tori Matsuzaka and Masaki Suda (The Wings of the Kirin) and the brilliant actresses Miyuki Matsuda who I can remember from Audition and Fumi Nikaido who made me cry in Himizu.

It is Mikihiko’s (Matsuzaka) 18^th birthday and he thinks of his friend Morio (Suda) who has been in a vegetative state since being involved in an accident at the age of 6. Almost as if on cue, Morio wakes up but he still has his 6-year-old mentality. This reappearance causes Mikihiko to question the direction his life is about to take

End of the Night                                               

Japanese Title: 夜　が　終る　場所

Romaji: Yoru ga Owaru  Basho

Release Date:  22^nd September 2012 (Japan)

Running Time: 79 mins.

Director: Daisuke Miyazaki

Writer: Daisuke Miyazaki (Script/Original Story)

Starring: Kuniaki Nakamura, Masayuki Shionoya, Nami Komiyama

This is the debut feature of Daisuke Miyazaki who was an assistant director to Kiyoshi Kurosawa and has won many prizes for his short films. Of all the films released today, this is the one that interests me most and no, not because it is violent but because it is grounded in every day mundanity and feature black humour found in Kitano films. It stars Kuniaki Nakamura, Masayuki Shionoya who starred in Kiyoshi Kurosawa;’s horror film Charisma and Sogo Ishii’s Angel Dust and Nami Komiyama.

Akira’s (Nakamura) parents died shortly after his birth and so he has been raised by Tamegoro (Shionoya), the man who killed said parents. Tamegoro runs a futon store as a front but has been training Akira to be a hitman. After Akira’s first hit he finds himself troubled but a cosplay club/sex-worker named Yukine draws out his more human side. Still, the police are on Akira’s trail and this places Yukine in the firing line.

What is dominating the Japanese movie box-office charts?

1.  Dark Shadows
2.  Thermae Romae
3.  Sadako 3D
4.  Space Brothers
5.  Detective Conan: The Mystery of the Eleventh Striker

Tim Burton storms to the top of the charts of the charts as the newest entry at number one while familiar franchise entries make up the rest of the top ten. Thermae Romae is doing excellent business as it remains in the top three  for the fourth week in a row. Enough of that… what Japanese films get released today?

Girls for Keeps                                            

Japanese Title: ガールGaru

Release Date: 26^th May 2012 (Japan)

Running Time: 124 mins.

Director: Yoshihiro Fukagawa

Writer: Hideo Okuda (Novel)  

Starring: Kumiko Aso, Karina, Yuka Itaya, Rei Dan, Rosa Kato, Michiko Kichise, Osamu Mukai, Yusuke Kamiji, Jun Kaname, Kento Hayashi, Eriko Hatsune, Mei Kurokawa, Kenichi Yajima

Based on the 2006 anthology novel Girl, the movie adapts a number of short stories that follow women in their romantic lives and so on. Obviously I’m not the target audience but I recognise a lot of the names involved: Kumiko Aso (Pulse), Yuka Itaya (Suvive Style 5+, Apartment 1303). Eriko Hatsune (Norwegian Wood, Spiral) head the list of beautiful ladies while the handsome men include Kento Hayashi (Arakawa Under the Bridge), Jun Kaname (Casshern), and Kenichi Yajia (Sonatine, Kamikaze Taxi).

My House                                                        

Japanese Title: My House

Release Date: 26^th May 2012 (Japan)

Running Time: N/A

Director: Yukihiko Tsutsumi

Writer: Kyohei Sakaguchi (Novel)  

Starring: Takao, Eri Ishida, Itsuji Itao, Tae Kimura

The director, Yukihiko Tsutsumi, has a pretty awesome list of movies to his name including SPEC: The Movie, 2LDK and the 20^th Century Boys films. Names I recognise from the cast include Tae Kimura (Starfish Hotel, Infection, After Life) Itsuji Itao (Ghost Train, Tokyo Gore Police, Love Exposure and the mean teacher who hilariously betrays his students in One Missed Call: Final).

Based on Kyohei Sakaguchi’s novels Tokyo 0 Yen House 0 Yen Life and Sumidagawa no Edison (both 2008) the film is set in Nagoya and follows a homeless man named Suzuki (Takao).

Kotsutsubo                                           

Japanese Title: 骨壷                                                

Release Date: 26^th May 2012 (Japan)

Running Time: N/A

Director: Jiro Nagae

Writer:  Yoshimasa Akamatsu (screenplay), Yusuke Yamada (short story)

Starring: Natsumi Matsubara, Ai Shinozaki, Rurika Yokoyama, Aika Ohta, Ai Hashimoto, Kazuhiko Kanayama, Mamoru Tsubouchi

Horror novelist Yusuke Yamada is back haunting the charts with yet another one of his stories getting adapted for the big screen. This time it isn’t a ghost looking for a thumb (Oyayubi Sagashi) but a story involving the titular funeral urn and a number of J-pop talents from four different idols units including Natsumi Matsubara (AKB48), Rina Miyazaki (Super GiRlS), Rurika Yokoyama (Idoling!!!), and Ai Shinozaki (AeLL).

Eri (Matsubara) is a high school student who is anonymous unlike her friend Mitsuko (Yokoyama) who is the target of amorous advances from their teacher, Ichida (Tsubouchi). Eri comes across a novel way to protect Mitsuko: find a cursed funerary urn that contains ashes reputed to cause death and give said ashes to teacher.

Still Human Beings                                                      

Japanese Title: まだ　人間　Mada, Ningen

Release Date: 26^th May 2012 (Japan)

Running Time: 132 mins.

Director: Jumpei Matsumoto

Writer: Jumpei Matsumoto

Starring: Masako Tsujioka, Manabu Ueyama, Honoka,

Jumpei Matsumoto’s debut film is one that stars Masako Tsujioka (Bullet Ballet, Suicide Club, Vital) and pink-film star Honoka.

Takuya (Tsujioka) has embezzled a large amount of money from his company and loaned it out to Koji Yamamoto who has just died. Takuya is panicking over the loss of the money when he meets a struggling actor named Ryo (Ueyama) who was a friend of Koji’s and has a crush on Takuya. Just to make things more complicated is Koji’s super-sexy widow Luka (Honoka) who knows nothing about the cash but sparks a passion in Takuya. The three soon join forces in a search for Koji’s killer and the cash.

Kotsutsubo                                                        

Release Date: 26^th May 2012 (Japan)

Running Time: N/A

Director: Jiro Nagae

Writer:  Yoshimasa Akamatsu (screenplay), Yusuke Yamada (short story)

Starring: Natsumi Matsubara, Ai Shinozaki, Rurika Yokoyama, Aika Ohta, Ai Hashimoto, Kazuhiko Kanayama, Mamoru Tsubouchi

I had never heard of the author Yusuke Yamada until I watched Oyayubi Sagashi. I didn’t really like that one but I saw his stories were getting adapted rather frequently (X-Game 2 which was recently released in cinemas is based on one of his stories). Anyway Kotsutsubo is based on another of his works and it is directed by Jiro Nagae and stars a number of J-pop idols. Nagae is developing a habit of putting idols in horror settings after his last film, Kokkuri-san Gekijuoban, starred Mariya Suzuki from AKB48. This film stars four different idols from four different groups. Natsumi Matsubara (AKB48), Rina Miyazaki (Super GiRlS), Rurika Yokoyama (Idoling!!!), and Ai Shinozaki (AeLL) – be very careful when you type Ai Shinozaki into YouTube. It looks awful. Not even the prospect of seeing idols bumped off gets me interested in this. Norio Tsuruta tends to do these things better.

Eri (Matsubara) is a high school student who is anonymous unlike her friend Mitsuko (Yokoyama) who is the target of amorous advances from their teacher, Ichida (Tsubouchi). Eri comes across a novel way to protect Mitsuko: find a cursed funerary urn that contains ashes reputed to cause death and give said ashes to teacher.

Yusuke Yamada’s horror novel gets the film treatment but it is a bland retelling.

Takeshi (Miyake) is haunted by a troubling memory. When he was a child he and his friends played a “game” which, legend has it, can transport a person to a room with a ghost missing a thumb. If you find the thumb you can have a wish granted. If someone taps you on the shoulder you must not turn around or you will be trapped in that room forever. Takeshi’s friend Yumiko (Ono) who was unhappy at home and never returned from the game. At an elementary school reunion Takeshi is reunited with his friends Chie (Ito), Tomohiko (Matsuyama), Aya (Nagai), and Nobuhisa (Onoue). They too are troubled with guilt like Takeshi but for different reasons because Takeshi believes the game actually worked and he was transported to the room and heard Yumiko scream and did nothing to save her whereas his friends believe that Yumiko merely ran away from home. In order to soothe Takeshi’s troubled mind the friends replay the game. But nothing happens. Not that this convinces Takeshi and he continues to investigate the game just as his friends start to disappear.

Oyayubi Sagashi – a rough translation might be search for the thumb. Uninspiring, right? Well everything about this film struck me as bland and inoffensive due to lacklustre delivery.

Direction, special effects, and audio effects are solid and nothing more. The camera work is mostly static and the lack of energy gives you time to reflect on how overly familiar and complacent proceedings are. Jingling bells signalling supernatural presences, creepy shadows emerging from behind characters, and creepy arms coloured a sickly hue grabbing shoulders are par for the course. The fact that it is all presented with so little verve means it provides diminishing returns the more it happens. When there is action on the screen and there should have been some motion to convey life, physicality or dread the camera remains still.

The story had the potential to be interesting as it involves subject matter like a creepy urban legend and an exploration of guilt held by different characters. Unfortunately it is revealed through a convoluted plot that is turgidly delivered. Another problem is the subplot involving a police investigation into Takeshi’s behaviour which aims to cast doubt on Takeshi’s version of events but comes off muddled and ineffectively used before tapering off and leaving it for the main plot to explain what happened in flashbacks.

It is not all bad because everything on screen is easy to follow, the actors are allowed their time and there are some nice sequences including one involving multiple handprints minus thumbs appearing out of nowhere and a dissolving corpse but it is nothing spectacular. As far as the score goes I cannot remember a single note from it so it must have been bland.

The film did manage to draw big name actors.

Ken Miyake of the pop-group V6 is a capable actor if bland which might be a strength in a film which requires the viewer to question the protagonists behaviour. Is he obsessed over a childhood trauma or did something supernatural happen? Unfortunately complacent direction and lackadaisical plot progression smothers anything less than the most blatant overacting.

What emotion there is comes down to veteran actors Kenichi Matsuyama and Ayumi Ito who emerge as the most convincing and sympathetic. Matsuyama (Norwegian Wood, Bright Future) gives a decent performance as a man disillusioned with life and looking for greater meaning in events while Ito (All About Lily Chou-Chou) convinces as a woman who is reluctantly searching her memories for the truth of what happened.

I have not read the source novel so I cannot confirm whether this is an improvement or a travesty but one thing that I do know is that this film is bland and almost totally devoid of atmosphere and originality. Maybe I am too demanding a viewer and somebody who has not watched as many Japanese horror films as I have might be entertained… I doubt it.

2.5/5

Oyayubi Sagashi (Vanished)

Release Date: 3^rd February 2007 (Japan)

Running Time: 96 mins.

Director: Naoto Kumazawa

Writers: Naoto Kumazawa, Izumi Takahashi

Starring: Kenichi Matsuyama, Ken Miyake, Runa Nagai, Ayumi Ito, Asuka Ono, Hiroyuki Onoue

http://www.x-game.jp/

JAPAN 2010  Directed by: Yohei Fukuda  Written by: Mari Asato, Yoichi Minamikawa  Novel: Yusuke Yamada  Cast: Shochi Matsuda, Wataru Kaoru, Ishino Atsushi, Tsukamoto Sanae, Namikawa Hajime, Ashihara Kensuke, Hoshina Yohei, Motono Takuya, Shibuki Misa, Oomori Ryochi, Yoshida Masaki

A site broadcasting real people dying for real is a tempting, if expected premise for a 21^st century horror flick. It’s only a matter of time until popular culture absorbs reality 2.0, so after Facebook also YouTube gets its fair share of screen time. A young guy stumbles upon the Death Tube website and soon we find ourselves following eight people in eight rooms, each of them facing challenging games. If they accomplish the task, they live, if they fail, they die. The question will not only be who’s the last man standing, but also who is behind the bizarre events unfolding in front of the world’s online audience.

Yohei Fukuda (ONE CHANBARA) is no David Fincher, so I didn’t expect DEATH TUBE to be a fundamental discourse on society, modernism, technology and the value of life. Neither should you: DEATH TUBE is a good idea that never really develops, but instead remains the canvas for Mr. Fukuda to paint some deep red “art”. Sensationalism determines the dramaturgy of the film, and instead of being a serious critique of the loss of values we see every day, you could say DEATH TUBE is an accomplice of bringing society down even further as it turns out to be the organizer of the exact same kind of deathly spectacle it pretends to criticize.

We don’t have to discuss questions e.g., if life imitates art or art imitates life and so forth. I am not implying DEATH TUBE is relevant enough to consider starting a serious debate, because it isn’t. DEATH TUBE is a relatively solid film of a genre director, playing games we have seen before in SAW and elsewhere, presenting a few creative atrocities, but mainly unfolding its program without real surprises.

There is no subtext, hidden meaning or intellectual message, there’s just characters in shitty situations kicking the bucket one by one. Compared to someone like Sono Shion Mr. Fukuda seems to be a simple mind without the caliber to cross genre boundaries. DEATH TUBE caters to the same audience that would be watching Death Tube, so what does that say about the movie?

If you belong to those who think the internet is responsible for all the bad things in the world then the movie will not convince you otherwise, engage in a dialogue with you or explain to you that life’s a bit more complex than. If you think that the internet is heaven on earth the movie’s not going to convince you otherwise either, as it leverages on the endless possibilities on the net. Whatever you think, the movie will actually leave you alone, and that’s why DEATH TUBE is just a horror flick and not a great movie.

If you want to learn about this day and age, about technology and society, about the human being in a world of bits and bytes and the global communication breakdown through an invention that is supposed to do the opposite, and if you also want to get very, very afraid, then just watch Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s KAIRO. There is no scarier, and better, film about the internet than that.

J.

http://www.onigocco.net/

With a bigger budget and bigger ambitions THE CHASING WORLD 2 continues Issey Shibata’s hit movie from 2008 that was based on Yusuke Yamada’s novel. Once again the hero Tsubasa is finding himself stuck in a parallel world that this time is reigned by a shogun.

Just like in the first movie Tsubasa is trying to protect another version of his sister from dying in the “real” world and for this purpose joins her anti-shogun rebel group. Looks like another interesting horror-fantasy movie gearing for some Battle Royale. Starring are Takuya Ishida, Jun Yoshinaga, Shohei Miura, Tomoya Warabino, Naoko Watanabe and Toshiyuki Nagashima.

J.