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A Far Shore 遠いところ (2023) Director: Masaaki Kudo

A Far Shore    遠いところ　 「Tooi Tokoro」 Release Date: July 07th, 2023 Duration: 128 mins. Director: Masaaki Kudo Writer: Masaaki Kudo, Mami Suzuki (Screenplay),  Starring:��Kotone Hanase, Yumemi Ishida, Yoshiro Sakuma, Izumi Matsuoka, Ayano Ogura, NENE, Yuusuke Takahashi, Shinsuke Kato, Shohei Uno, Shogen,  Website IMDB A Far Shore is Masaaki Kudo’s third feature film. An Okinawa-set social drama, it…

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New Directions in Japanese Cinema 2024: Atedokoro ni tazune atarimasen, Awai no mamono-tachi, Ichiban hoshi wa touku kagayaku, Sleeping Swan, Taida no unmei, Japanese Film Trailers

Welcome to the second trailer post of the week. You can find the first post here. Well, in terms of film activity, I have watched is Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Uzak (2002) and the latest Heroic Purgatory has been released, the 2004 Yo Ah historical action, romance, coming-of-age high school drama Once Upon a Time in High School (2004). What are the rest of the Japanese films getting screened this…

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Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback, Me & Roboco, 104-sai, Tetsuyo-san no hitorigurashi, Happy End, Japanese Film Trailers

Welcome to the first trailer post of the week. Come back tomorrow for the second. What are the first set of films released this weekend? Continue reading Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback, Me & Roboco, 104-sai, Tetsuyo-san no hitorigurashi, Happy End, Japanese Film Trailers

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The Brothers Kitaura, Takayuki Meguro Double-bill: Toire no Kamisama, Age of Eternal, Yamato yo towa ni: Rebel 3199 Part 3: Ultramarine Asteroid, Japanese Film Trailers

Welcome to the second of two trailer posts. Part one is here. I’ve got a podcast recording to do for Heroic Purgatory that covers the 2004 Korean film Once Upon a Time in High School and it comes a week after the podcast covering Bruce Lee’s Fist of Fury. After that, back to Japanese and European films. What are the rest of this weeks new films? Continue reading The Brothers Kitaura, Takayuki…

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Ghost Killer, Aozora Concerto, Unleashed, Page30, Japanese Film Trailers

Welcome to the first of two trailer posts. Come back tomorrow for the next one. I’ve watched a grip of films this week and the best has been Human Lanterns (1982), a martial arts horror film wherein an ex-swordsman becomes a maker of grisly lanterns. Runner up was I Love it From Behind (1981), a Nikkatsu Roman Porno that is quite amusing in its depiction of three women going on odd adventures…

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Early Announcements for Nippon Connection 2025

Nippon Connection 2025 (NC2025) will take place from May 27 to June 1, 2025. This year sees the fest celebrate its 25th anniversary as it remains the world’s biggest platform for contemporary Japanese cinema. It is expected that there will be around 100 short and feature-length films along with over 70 cultural events. The early highlights have been released and so here are trailers and some…

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SAKKA Online Streaming Service Takes Us to "A Far Shore," an Okinawa-set drama by Masaaki Kudo, set for release on April 18

US-based distribution Japanese film streamer SAKKA will release Masaaki Kudo’s award-winning drama A Far Shore April 18th online worldwide (except for certain Asian territories). Originally released in Japan in 2023, the film is a raw drama about a teenage mother struggling to survive poverty, Okinawa’s nightlife industry, and a desperately bad marriage. This is the third film from Masaaki Kudo…

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Love Letter 4K Remaster, Hi ga ochiru, Game of Shark, Kaera saru kimi e, Japanese Film Trailers

  Welcome to the second trailer post of the week You can find the first post here. I published reviews of the Korean films Journey to Face Them and The Land of Morning Calm (both, 2025) and I have watched the 90s movies The Shadow Over Innsmouth and Red Rock West. What are the other Japanese films getting screened this weekend? Continue reading Love Letter 4K Remaster, Hi ga ochiru, Game of…

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V. MARIA, Jungle Emperor Leo aka Kimba the White Lion, Kataomoi sekai, Oishikute naku toki, Meet Me at Angie’s Bar, Japanese Film Trailers

Welcome to the first trailer post of the week. There will be one more to come. I caught up on two of this year’s bigger horror movies last week, Heart Eyes and The Monkey, and they were alright. The latter went for grotesquery and achieved it with visual aplomb but what got me the most was the visualisation of the monkey’s presence, particularly with regards to how it would be introduced with…

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The Land of Morning Calm 아침바다 갈매기는 (2024) Director: Park Ri-woong [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2025]

The Land of Morning Calm 아침바다 갈매기는 「Achim bada galmegi neun」 Release Date: November 27th, 2024 Duration: 113 mins. Director: Park Ri-woong Writer: Park Ri-woong (Screenplay) Starring: Yoon Joo-sang (Yeong-guk), Yang Hee-kyung (Pan-rye, Yong-su’s mother), Khazsak (Yeong-ran), Park Jong-hwan (Yong-su) IMDB Genre wise, insurance scams are usually the domain of thrillers. Indeed, Park Ri-woong used…

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Journey to Face Them 그를 마주하는 시간 (2024) Director: Hwang In-won [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2025]

Journey to Face Them   그를 마주하는 시간　「Geuleul majuhaneun sigan」 Release Date: N/A Duration: 61 mins Director: Hwang In-won Writer: Hwang In-won (Screenplay),  Starring: Seok-hee, Lee Seung-yeon, Kim See-eun, Kim Sol-hae, Bahk Woo-young, Having watched Hang In-won’s previous film, the gently funny short Flavor of Sisterhood (2023), I was not prepared for Journey to Face Them, her feature debut. It is…

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Yume ni ikiru, Shonen, Bold as You, Kodokuna yoru ga akeru made, Ushiro kara toruna haiyuu Orimoto Junkichi no jinsei, Japanese Film Trailers

Welcome to the second and last trailer post of the week. You can find part one here. Osaka Asian Film Festival (OAFF) came to a close on Sunday and it had I Am Kirishima (2025) as its closing film, so I published a review of that. I also published a review of Flat Girls (2025). Further OAFF reviews will be published from tomorrow. What are the rest of this week’s films? Continue reading Yume ni…

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My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999, Ravens, Kaijuu No. 8 Compilation Movie, The Man Who Never Came Home, Subarashii sekai wa doko ni, Japanese Film Trailers

Welcome to the first trailer post of the week. There are just two so come back tomorrow for the next one. This week and next week are a little calmer for releases, which is a relief because I’m back to doing full-time hours plus overtime at my workplace. I’ve managed to squeeze in more films thanks to waking up (too) early in the morning. What are the first batch of films? Continue reading My…

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I Am Kirishima  桐島です (2025) Director: Banmei Takahashi [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2025]

I Am Kirishima  桐島です 「Kirishima desu」 Release Date: July 04th, 2025 Duration: 105 mins. Director: Banmei Takahashi Writer: Aki Kajiwara, Banmei Takahashi (Screenplay), Starring: Katsuya Maiguma, Eita Okuno, Kana Kita, Masahiro Koumoto, Keiko Takahashi, Masahiro Komoto, Kazuko Shirakawa, Hisayasu Sato, Website Twitter: @kirishimadesu1 IMDB In January 2024, a man named Hiroshi Uchida who was…

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Flat Girls แฟลตเกิร์ล ชั้นห่างระหว่าง เ ร า (2025) Dir: Jirassaya Wongsutin [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2025]

Flat Girls    แฟลตเกิร์ล ชั้นห่างระหว่าง เ ร า 「Chan Hang Rawang Rao」 Release Date: February 06th, 2025 Duration: 129 mins. Director: Jirassaya Wongsutin Writer: Jirassaya Wongsutin (Screenplay) Starring: Kirana Pipityakorn (Jane), Fatima Dechawaleekul (Ann), Pakorn Chatborrirak (Tong), Wachirakon Raksasuwan, Namfon Pakdee, IMDB Police flats are government subsidised housing for police officers…

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Hikaru kawa / River Returns, Taiwan Democratie Numerique, Japon ils ont vu la fin de l'Empire, Hypnosis Mic Division Rap Battle Rule the Stage Grateful Cypher Cinema Edit, Japanese Film Trailers

 Welcome to the third and final trailer post for this week. You can find part one here and part two here. I’m continuing with my reviews of OAFF reviews although the rate may slow down as I go back to work. Thus far, I’ve reviewed… The Midnight Sun The Tales of Kurashiki The Outsiders’ Club Yen and Ai-Lee Rainy Blue V. Maria Good Luck Crumpled So Beautiful, Wonderful and Lovely 404 Still…

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404 Still Remain 너와 나의 5분 (2024) Director: Uhm Ha-neul [Osaka Asian Film Festival 2025]

404 Still Remain  너와 나의 5분 「Nowa nae o bun」 Release Date: 2024 Duration: 103 mins. Director: Uhm Ha-neul Writer: Uhm Ha-neul (Screenplay) Starring: Sim Hyun-seo, Hyun Woo-seok, Gong Min-jeong, Lee Dong-hwi, On Ju-wan, 404 Still Remain, the gorgeous feature film debut of Uhm Ha-neu, is an unabashed teen romance set in Korea, circa 2001. It starts in the spring and follows Lee Gyonghwan (Sim…