As we have mentioned many times before, the manga/anime adaptation is one of the nucleus of Japanese cinema, with a plethora of titles finding their way to the big screen.”Insomniacs After School”, based on the slice-of-life homonymous manga series written and illustrated by Makoto Ojiro, also follows the same path.
Insomniacs After School is screening at Fantasia International Film Festival
The story takes place In the small city of Nanao in Ishikawa Prefecture, where Ganta Nakami, a highschool student, is suffering from chronic insomnia, that has led him to a number of issues in his life, particularly a constant crankiness and a series of dozing-offs that frequently lead to injuries, usually treated by the school nurse, Ms Kurashiki. One day, the class rep asks him to fetch a step-ladder from the supposedly abandoned observatory, where he stumbles upon Isaki Magari, a cheerful student suffering from the same nocturnal condition as himself.
Insomniacs After School is screening at Fantasia International Film Festival
The story takes place In the small city of Nanao in Ishikawa Prefecture, where Ganta Nakami, a highschool student, is suffering from chronic insomnia, that has led him to a number of issues in his life, particularly a constant crankiness and a series of dozing-offs that frequently lead to injuries, usually treated by the school nurse, Ms Kurashiki. One day, the class rep asks him to fetch a step-ladder from the supposedly abandoned observatory, where he stumbles upon Isaki Magari, a cheerful student suffering from the same nocturnal condition as himself.
- 7/27/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
J-horror has taken a different face recently in the country, with local filmmakers more interested in exploring the borders of the category and how much a realistic base (as in the case of actual events) can be implemented in such types of films. Yosuke Goto also implements this approach in “Bldg N.”, based on a true story that took place in an apartment complex in Gifu Prefecture in 2000.
“Bldg N.” is screening at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Although Maho does not know it, her boyfriend Keita is still seeing his ex, Maho, who is experiencing an intense thanatophobia, as they attend the same college. For one of his projects, a horror film, the three of them decide to visit an abandoned apartment complex on the outskirts of the city. However, as soon as they arrive there, they realize that it is not uninhabited at all. The inhabitants, however, function like a cult of sorts,...
“Bldg N.” is screening at Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival
Although Maho does not know it, her boyfriend Keita is still seeing his ex, Maho, who is experiencing an intense thanatophobia, as they attend the same college. For one of his projects, a horror film, the three of them decide to visit an abandoned apartment complex on the outskirts of the city. However, as soon as they arrive there, they realize that it is not uninhabited at all. The inhabitants, however, function like a cult of sorts,...
- 7/6/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
In true fashion, the inspiration for the Japanese horror film Bldg. N is an urban legend. In the early 2000s, there was a media storm about the “poltergeist apartments” in Tomika, Gifu. This new complex lured many tenants with its cheap rent, but they gradually cleared out once the paranormal activity began and the news coverage became unreasonable. The reports on the supposed haunting don’t come across as especially unique, so director and writer Yōsuke Gotō understandably had to fill in the gaps when writing his adaptation of the incident. What he came up with is indeed unusual, given that Japanese ghost films don’t typically include Midsommar-esque death cults.
Bldg. N (or N-Goto) opens with the literal definition of thanatophobia, an intense fear of death and the dying process. The story then introduces the character afflicted with said phobia and shows how much of a toll it has taken on her life.
Bldg. N (or N-Goto) opens with the literal definition of thanatophobia, an intense fear of death and the dying process. The story then introduces the character afflicted with said phobia and shows how much of a toll it has taken on her life.
- 7/4/2023
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
According to Google, Shimokitazawa, or Shimokita, is a hip cultural quarter with a lingering old-Tokyo vibe. Narrow, mural-painted lanes are lined with stylish stores for vintage clothes and vinyl. Craft cafes and brewpubs host art shows and live bands, while bakeries and bistros serve inventive pastries and veggie curries. Edgy new plays debut at Honda Gekijo Theater, and young directors screen short movies at Tollywood cinema. Rikiya Imaizumi directs a film that aims at transferring the overall atmosphere of the area through a number of youths that inhabit it, while playing with the term moteki , which refers to a period in people’s lives when they become increasingly popular with the opposite sex.
Over the Town is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
The film begins with the protagonist, Ao Arakawa, getting dumped particularly brutal by the love of his life, Yuki, who admits to having cheated on him repeatedly,...
Over the Town is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
The film begins with the protagonist, Ao Arakawa, getting dumped particularly brutal by the love of his life, Yuki, who admits to having cheated on him repeatedly,...
- 3/14/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
The fourth and most commercial film by Kenichi Ugana, “Rolling Marbles” was released as the 15th anniversary movie of the famous Nylon Japan, a magazine devoted to “pop, rock and alternative girls!”, and has already been selected to screen at Cinequest Film Festival.
The story takes place in Tokyo, where three girls in their 20s are sharing an apartment on the edge of Shibuya, which is, though, about to get demolished due to the continuous redevelopment of the area. Ai is working part-time at a hotel but strives to become a model; however, she is repeatedly pinned down by people of fashion, who tell her that she needs to lose even more weight and that she has to change her attitude during photo shoots. Her meeting with a famous model, nervtheless, gives her hope. Erika wants to become a folk singer and spends many of her afternoons singing with her guitar on the street,...
The story takes place in Tokyo, where three girls in their 20s are sharing an apartment on the edge of Shibuya, which is, though, about to get demolished due to the continuous redevelopment of the area. Ai is working part-time at a hotel but strives to become a model; however, she is repeatedly pinned down by people of fashion, who tell her that she needs to lose even more weight and that she has to change her attitude during photo shoots. Her meeting with a famous model, nervtheless, gives her hope. Erika wants to become a folk singer and spends many of her afternoons singing with her guitar on the street,...
- 3/2/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Japanese are known for their politeness. Don’t lose your face, don’t speak out, assimilate. Character straits and stereotypes that have been promoted ever since. Kamakura born filmmaker Ryutaro Ninomiya (“The Charm of Others” 2012) breaks with that tradition and presents a radical statement in his third feature “Minori, On The Brink”.
“Minori, On The Brink” is screening at Nippon Connection 2020
Can Minori avoid a nervous breakdown? All the people surrounding her, refuse to express their feelings and emotional boundaries. The resulting everyday life is characterized by ruthlessness: Even friends reduce each other to their appearance and shamelessly take advantage of each other. Minori runs against this by attacking ignorance whenever she encounters it, whatever the consequences might be.
Ryutaro Ninomiya is one of the most radical young voices in Japanese cinema. With “Minori, On The Brink”, he takes a resolute and inventive stand against the cinema of complacency and against social stagnation.
“Minori, On The Brink” is screening at Nippon Connection 2020
Can Minori avoid a nervous breakdown? All the people surrounding her, refuse to express their feelings and emotional boundaries. The resulting everyday life is characterized by ruthlessness: Even friends reduce each other to their appearance and shamelessly take advantage of each other. Minori runs against this by attacking ignorance whenever she encounters it, whatever the consequences might be.
Ryutaro Ninomiya is one of the most radical young voices in Japanese cinema. With “Minori, On The Brink”, he takes a resolute and inventive stand against the cinema of complacency and against social stagnation.
- 6/12/2020
- by Alexander Knoth
- AsianMoviePulse
Senile dementia and loneliness, particularly in teenagers, are two of the issues that have been tormenting the Japanese society for some time now. Kikuchi presents his thoughts on the subjects, through the familiar norms of the Japanese indie film.
Written by Ayako Kato, the script revolves around two radically different high school girls. Hazuki is one the “cool” ones, with her gang actually “ruling” the class, which means that they spent their time mocking the other students who are not part of their group. One of those mocked is the class’s president, Aoi, who, despite her status, ranks very low on the social system of the school, spending most of her time alone.
“Hello, Goodbye” screened at Japan Filmfest Hamburg
However, both girls harbor some secrets. Hazuki suspects she is pregnant by her ex-boyfriend, who is now dating another girl from the gang. Aoi, despite coming from a high bourgeoisie family,...
Written by Ayako Kato, the script revolves around two radically different high school girls. Hazuki is one the “cool” ones, with her gang actually “ruling” the class, which means that they spent their time mocking the other students who are not part of their group. One of those mocked is the class’s president, Aoi, who, despite her status, ranks very low on the social system of the school, spending most of her time alone.
“Hello, Goodbye” screened at Japan Filmfest Hamburg
However, both girls harbor some secrets. Hazuki suspects she is pregnant by her ex-boyfriend, who is now dating another girl from the gang. Aoi, despite coming from a high bourgeoisie family,...
- 5/9/2019
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
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