ryuganji: film news from japan

“Josee, the Tiger and the Fish” and “La Maison de Himiko” director Inudo Isshin’s latest film “Kiiroi Namida” is about to open in early April, but as it’s really just a vehicle for Johnny’s Jimusho boy band Arashi (of which “Letters from Iwo Jima”’s Ninomiya Kazunari is a member) it’s hard to get too excited about it. For a Johnny’s-loathing curmudgeon like myself it’s sad to see interesting indie filmmakers like Inudo and Sabu being co-opted to make idol movies, but if they can use them to leverage their own projects like Shiota Akihiko does then I suppose they’re a necessary evil.

But I digress. Hopefully Inudo will be taking a different route with his next film “Gugu datte Neko de aru”, an adaptation of a book by Oshima Yuko that will star Koizumi Kyoko. The title references Natsume Soseki’s classic “I Am a Cat“, but instead of telling the story from a cat’s perspective it describes the everyday life of the author through her own eyes and her interaction with her cats.

Production was announced by Asmik Ace at a press conference unveiling their forthcoming slate of films, which included another project for Inudo tentatively titled “Shinobu no Shiro”, a historical tale from a Kido Award-winning script by Wada Ryu about a siege on Saitama’s Oshi Castle in the year 1590.

Also in the works are:

“Nishi no Majo ga Shinda”, based on the book by Nashiki Kaho and to be directed by “Heart, Beating in the Dark“’s Nagasaki Shunichi. A troubled junior high student named Mai becomes disillusioned with school, and visits her beloved grandmother who lives in the countryside. There she learns that she is descended from a long line of witches, and that her grandmother is the “Witch of the West”. Mai makes up her mind to become a witch herself and begins to learn the craft, healing herself in the process.

“Ashita e no Yuigon”, from a script by Koizumi Takashi and Japan Times columnist Roger Pulvers based on the book “Nagai Tabi” by Ooka Shohei. Fujita Makoto stars in this biographical portrait of Lieutenant General Okada Tasuku, who was charged as a class B war criminal for the execution of 38 crew members of a B29 bomber that attacked Nagoya during World War II. However, in the subsequent military tribunal Okada asserted his belief that the responsibility for war fell not only on the losing side, giving evidence of the U.S.’s indiscriminate bombing attacks.

“Juryoku Piero”, from a script by Aizawa Tomoko based on the book by Isaka Kotaro, who also wrote the novel that became “A Cheerful Gang Turns the Earth“. Protagonist Izumi’s half-brother Haru, a graffiti removal specialist, is the product of a rape suffered by his mother. One day Izumi’s workplace, a company dealing in genetic technology, is the target of an arson attack. Near the scene of the crime, Haru discovers mysterious spray-can graffiti. Is it just a meaningless jumble of words, or does it carry some hidden meaning?

“Solanin”, based on the manga by Asano Inio about young NEET couple Meiko and Taneda.

“Knocking on Heaven’s Door” (tentative title, no details available yet) (sources: Sports Hochi, Asmik Ace)