With Stardust Promotion looking to terminate its contract with actress Erika Sawajiri (23), it appears that rising star Meisa Kuroki (21) may be filling in for her in the live-action “Space Battleship Yamato” movie. [...] Along with Sawajiri, Kuroki is one of several actresses who were initially considered for the role of Yuki Mori. With … Continue reading »
Filed under Movies …
Shakespeare in Okinawa
Long a fan of HIFF (Hawaii International Film Festival), I’m happy to see a Spotlight on Okinawa for this year’s festival. Three films shot on location in Okinawa will be shown: “Gunjou (Cobalt Blue),” “Manatsu no Yo no Yume (A Midsummer’s Okinawan Dream)” and “Nada Sou Sou (Tears for You).” While the three films featured … Continue reading »
Meisa Kuroki as Gray in Mamoru Oshii’s “Assault Girls”
A film by Mamoru Oshii pretty much guarantees that I’ll want to see it but add Meisa Kuroki (and two other fantastic actresses) and I’ll want to see it on opening day. The movie is set to be released in Japan on December 19, 2009. I couldn’t find an official movie website but I found … Continue reading »
Meisa Kuroki to star in Oshii’s “Assault Girls”
Director Mamoru Oshii’s newest project is ‘Assault Girls,’ his first feature-length live-action film since ‘Avalon’ in 2001. The sci-fi action story will star Meisa Kuroki (21), Rinko Kikuchi (28), and Hinako Saeki (32). Oshii previously directed two short films with the ‘assault girl’ theme. The first, titled ‘Assault Girl: Kentucky no Hinako,’ was a segment … Continue reading »
alan sings for Kusanagi’s “Ballad” – Tokyograph
Singer alan (21) will be providing the theme song for Takashi Yamazaki’s upcoming movie, ‘Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta’ (opening September 5). Although she sang the theme songs for the two ‘Red Cliff’ movies, this is her first time doing one for a Japanese film. The movie, which started shooting last year, is an adaptation … Continue reading »
“Gokusen” movie earns half a billion in opening weekend – Tokyograph
The highly anticipated ‘Gokusen: The Movie’ opened on 409 screens in Japan this past weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, more than 402,000 fans saw the film in theaters, earning ‘Gokusen’ close to 490 million yen. According to a statement by distributor Toho on Monday, the movie is projected to gross more than 4 billion yen … Continue reading »
Ryukyu Cowboy Films
Billed as the first film (or in this case, collection of short films) with directors who are all from Okinawa, “Ryukyu Cowboy, Yoroshiku Gozaimasu.” looks interesting indeed. Although the film itself was released in 2007, it’s currently playing in select theaters around Okinawa and mainland Japan. The film is comprised of three parts, each with … Continue reading »
“Gokusen” goes to the big screen – Tokyograph
The popular drama series ‘Gokusen’ is getting a movie version this summer. After three highly-rated seasons, the film will be the last time that lead actress Yukie Nakama plays the role of the teacher Yankumi. The third season of ‘Gokusen’ aired last spring and ended with a successful 22.8% average rating. The movie takes place … Continue reading »
Aya Ueto set to star in an animation titled “Baton”
Sure to be on every film buffs need-to-watch-this-or-I’m-nobody list is the upcoming animation “Baton,” by directors (whose work I very much admire) Shunji Iwai and Ryuhei Kitamura. If that wasn’t enough, it was announced that Aya Ueto will be starring in the main role (of Michal) for the animated film. Aya starred in the film … Continue reading »
Rimi Natsukawa becomes an actress – Tokyograph
Newlywed singer Rimi Natsukawa is ready to make her acting debut. She has been cast in ‘Minami no Shima no Furimun,’ a movie starring and directed by comedian Gori of Garage Sale. The movie is Gori’s first full-length directorial effort. The story is a comedy set in Okinawa, where both he and Natsukawa are originally … Continue reading »
