Japanese Drama MovieKeiko Kitagawa Hana no Ato 2010
Cast And Crew Cast : Akiko Aitsuki, Akira Emoto, Ayumi Ito, Jun Kunimura, Kamejiro Ichikawa, Keiko Kitagawa, Kiyomi Tanigawa, Masahiro Komoto, Megumi Sato, Shiho Fujimura, Shuntaro Miyao Director: Kenji Nakanishi Writers:Shûhei Fujisawa (short story) andYasuo Hasegawa Music : Satoshi Takebe Film Editing : Yoshiyuki Okuhara Release Date: March 13, 2010 Genre : Drama Language: Japanese Country: Japan Runtime:107 min Hana no Atoi Japanese Film Synopsis : Hana no Ato (花のあと) is a 2010 movie directed by Kenji Nakanishi and based on a short story by the late Shuhei Fujisawa (The Twilight Samurai, Love and Honor, et al.) It will be released by Toei in Japan on March 13, 2010. The film stars Keiko Kitagawa as Ito, a member of a small clan in the Tohoku region. One day she meets a young swordsman of a lower social caste named Magoshiro (Shuntaro Miyao) and challenges him to a friendly duel with bamboo swords. The exhilarating match sparks feelings between the two, but Ito is already betrothed to another man and decides to put Magoshiro out of her mind and wait for her fiance to return from his studies in Edo. However, when Magoshiro is forced to commit seppuku due to the plotting of a cowardly noble, Ito decides to take it upon herself to seek justice. Plot : Romantic movie movie story Japan movie online online movie trailer Comedy Movie movie review Japanese movie online Set in Edo period, Japan, a women risks her life to keep her love.Hana no Ato Japanese Japan Film.The film Directed by Kenji Nakanishi. Hana no Ato Film News : Keiko Kitagawa stars as Ito, a member of a small clan in the Tohoku region. One day, with cherry blossoms in full bloom, she meets a young man named Magoshiro (Shuntaro Miyao) who’s become known as the clan’s greatest swordsman even though he’s from a lower social class. Also skilled in swordsmanship, Ito gets permission from her father to spar with Magoshiro using bamboo swords. Their match sparks an undeniable attraction, but their love can never be realized; Ito is already betrothed to a man named Saisuke (Masahiro Komoto). Instead of fighting her destiny, she accepts the fact that she’ll be married when her fiance returns from his studies in Edo and chooses to put Magoshiro out of her mind for good. However, months later she receives the shocking news that Magoshiro was forced to commit suicide through a cowardly plot by their clan leader. Even though Ito only knew Magoshiro for a brief time, she decides to honor his memory by seeking vengeance. “Hana no Ato” will be released in Japan on March 13, 2010.
Japanese Thriller Movie KAIJI: (The Ultimate Gambler) 2010
Cast And Crew Cast: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Yuki Amami, Teruyuki Kagawa, Taro Yamamoto, Ken Mitsuishi, Suzuki Matsuo, Kei Sato, Kenichi Matsuyama (special appearance) Director: Toya Sato Genre: Thriller RunTime: 2 hrs 10 mins Released By: Encore Films & Cathay-Keris Films Rating: PG Opening Day: 11 March 2010 In Japanese with English & Chinese Subtitles
Synopsis: KAIJI is an exciting psychological thriller starring Tatsuya Fujiwara as Kaiji, man forced to enter a deadly gambling competition aboard a cruise ship, to erase a large financial debt. This movie is the first time that “Death Note” co-stars Tatsuya Fujiwara and Kenichi Matsuyama are reuniting to work together! Based on Nobuyuki Fukumoto’s hit manga series which has sold over 11 million copies, Kaiji is a 26 year-old job-hopping bum who suddenly finds himself riddled in debt after a shadowy loan company informs him that he is responsible for a loan taken by his friend (who has since gone missing) and whom he casually co-signed as a loan guarantor for! The company gives Kaiji the solution of a lifetime – to take a short journey on the “Espoir,” a ship where other debtors such as himself gamble to pay off their debt and try to strike it rich at the same time. The rules of the gambling games seem simple at first but there’s much more than meets the eye… Now stuck in a closed world of unsavory characters willing to do anything to defeat him, the game that will totally change Kaiji’s life has begun!
Movie Review: For every Japanese movie released in cinemas, chances are nine out of ten are likely based on a manga or anime despite the country having a rich literary world of their own. "Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler" is no exception as it is based on Noboyuki Fukumoto’s hit manga series and starred Tatsuya Fujiwara (Death Note) as the leading man, Kaiji Ito. With his half-heartening working attitude at a convenience store, Kaiji Ito is a young man who has no ambition of his own or plans for his future. Until one day, a mysterious woman, Rinko Endo appeared and demands Kaiji to return a debt of $2 million yen (with compounded interest), a loan he has casually signed as guarantor for a friend. There’s no way on earth Kaiji can returned the money and Endo offers him a solution - To get onboard a luxurious cruise ship, Espoir where he can clear his debt but also a chance to make a lot of money overnight. But what Endo never tell him is that it’s a deadly gambling competition he is entering onboard and there’s no going back if he loses. When you talked about 'gambling' in movies, you might think of Chow Yun-Fat’s God of Gambler or Stephen Chow’s All For The Winner where the protagonist normally is a gifted card player. But "Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler" is not opting for the easy road as it does not deal with just an ordinary deck of poker cards. What we have is stage one, a Scissors Paper Stone card battle, if you lose you are forced into hard labor for an underground real-estate project perhaps for the rest of your life or take up the challenge of the Steel Beam Crossing Death Race to redeem your freedom. Participants must cross successfully on a narrow steel beam stretching from one skyscraper to another that is if they managed to escape being electrocuted or fall to their death. And if you are still alive by the end of stage two, you still need to play an E-card strategy game to win a whole load of money against the despicable host and right-hand man of the shadowy Teiai group, Tonegawa. This might sound terrifying exciting as compared to Chow Yun-Fat eating chocolates or Stephen Chow clowning around with his 'mo-lei-tau' jokes inbetween their card-playing sessions. "Kaiji" in fact has far more serious issues on hand. Director Toya Sato (Gokusen the Movie) who started his career with Nippon Television seems to fall back on his goggle-box days and took his time to develop the sinister plot and characters. Not that there is a lot of information being conveyed to the audience at the end of the day. In fact, we are still left hanging in the air about the mysterious Teiai group which Endo works for, this is one glaring flaw perhaps done on purpose by the filmmakers. The gap between the first and second game stretches far beyond one expected and the lull period allows the introduction of a character or eye candy called Makoto Sahara played by Kenichi Matsuyama (also from the Death Note series) to make an extended cameo to satisfy the teenage fanbase. Fortunately the wait is worthwhile, the Steel Beam Crossing Death Race sequence that defies the success of the movie with its calculated amount of tension will grip you tightly to your seat. Tatsuya Fujiwara’s portrayal of Kaiji is whiny and you might blame him for being too much of a crybaby but he put in his best performance to be the underdog and a man caught between being a loser and his desire to escape his fate. Veteran actor Teruyuki Kagawa is the one who stole the show with his menacing performance as Yukio Tonegawa. At times the revelation of the games’ outcome come across as the ones in "Death Note" whereby the protagonists are often required to deliver chunks of dialogues in the capacity of revealing the various bits and pieces of the puzzle to the audience. Then again, employing a similar treatment in "Kaiji" with truckloads of dialogues somehow kills the pacing and excitement as the audience I’m sure are smart enough to follow through the mind-bending tactics, tricks and the rules of the games. This is one obvious downside of this movie that unnecessarily prolonged the running duration. The manga series was a hit with fans with its clever study of the psychological behaviour of the different characters and the unique gambling ideas dreamt up by Noboyuki Fukumoto. In this live-action version, part of the fun is spotting common human flaws such as greed, temptation and the ugly façade of human beings. The movie has certainly showcased the strength of the original manga material thus explaining the glowing box-office in Japan in addition to a sequel being greenlit. In conclusion, does the movie make a stand whether it’s morally right to treat gambling as a form of life-changing experience? "Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler" for sure carries zilch irresponsible messages or else the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) will come knocking in no time.
Japanese Animation Movie Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva 2010
Cast And Crew Cast: Yo Oizumi, Maki Horikita, Mamiko Noto, Shoro Saito, Nana Mizuki Director: Masakazu Hashimoto Genre: Animation RunTime: 1 hr 39 mins Released By: Encore Films & Golden Village Pictures Rating: PG Opening Day: 18 March 2010 In Japanese with English & Chinese Subtitles
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Synopsis: Based on the popular and award-winning Professor Layton Nintendo DS puzzle game series, this movie is set to take place directly after the events of “Professor Layton and the Specter's Flute”, in which Layton's apprentice, Luke, is investigating the concept of immortality. Professor Layton receives a letter from the famed opera singer, Jenice Kaitly, inviting them to see her newest performance. She also asks Layton, Luke, and Remi for assistance in a mystery, saying her friend Melina went missing one year ago but returned later as a seven year old girl saying she had found the secret of eternal life. Naturally, the case fascinates Layton and his apprentices, so they head to the Crown Petone opera house. When they arrive, something is very strange: the pianist, Ozro Vislar talks of a game, and the winner will win the "eternal life." It is up to Layton, Luke, and Remi to solve the mystery of the Eternal Diva before it is too late.
Movie Review: While most of the Japanese movies that were given the theatrical release in Singapore are derived from either Manga, TV series or Anime (or the combination of all three), Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva originated from a Nintendo DS* Puzzle video game series in which chronicles the mystery solving adventures of Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke. The first three games were The Curious Village, The Diabolical Box and The Last Time Travel. In which Professor Layton and his apprentice were called to solve the mysteries that troubling the various location. They were given a series of puzzles and mysteries by the various residents and after solving a minimum number of puzzles, the player would be able to proceed with the story. The fourth game (The Specter's Flute) was a prequel to the trilogy of games. It explored how the Professor and Luke met up for their first adventure together. This movie, Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva took place immediately after The Specter's Flute and the ending of The Specter's Flute served as an introduction to this movie. There's no linkage between the mysteries in the four games with this movie and The Eternal Diva is a fine place to start exploring the Professor Layton Franchise. The Professor is cool level headed puzzle solver and his apprentice Luke is a cheerful child who often acts as the comic relief while assisting the Professor. Together, the deliberating duo was invited by a famed opera singer, Jenis Quatlane to investigate a case of strange occurrence of immortality. At the performance, a masked man appeared and offered the audience a series of puzzle solving games. The one and only winner in the end would win Eternal Life while the losers will die. Needless to say, the audience became hysterical and broke out in a mass panic. But like every mystery 'whodunit' films, the gamemaster was able to helm and control the flow of the game, forcing our heroic duo and various competitors to solve the various puzzles for the grand prize of Eternal Life. The fun part of watching Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva would be that as viewers, we get to ponder and attempt to solve the various puzzles that lie before the protagonists. It requires a degree of lateral thinking (i.e. solving problems via indirect and creative angle) that gives the brain a good workout. The film gave a certain time to play the puzzle out, therefore allowing the viewers to think about the puzzle. It also shows the different answers by various individuals and the fate that awaits them. As this movie uses a fair amount of sensible detective works, issues arise when the main crux of this movie is based on impossible elements. These two elements especially do not merge well together. On one hand, the Professor and Luke uses smart reasoning to figure out the puzzles but when it reaches the climatic ending, the movie just throw us the ultimate improbable scenario that jarred the whole viewing pleasure. The rule that was set up through out the movie were conveniently forgotten to suit the unexpected fantasy ending and it just dimmed the whole viewing pleasure while The Professors solves mysteries that based on implausible events. It's a pity as the hand drawn 2D animation style is a refreshing change from the recent computer generated 3D animation that been flooding our cinemas. The music soundtracks of this movie stood out as well and probably it's due to their long history of notable soundtracks in their games. The movie started off with a promising and intriguing brain teasing first half but faltered away as a general kiddy fantasy film. Unlike movies like Christopher Nolan's The Prestige, there is very little replay value in going through the Professor Layton's puzzles or reliving the wittiness of how they were designed once the puzzles were solved. Like most other riddles, once they are solved the riddles lost its value.
