Japanese films

Screening List:

Neko Ninja, Innocent Curse, Stray Nightingale, Traces of Sin, P and JK (Policeman and Me), Bangkok Nites 

P and JK (Policeman and Me)

Directed by: Ryuichi Hiroki

Written by: Maki Miyoshi/ Nami Yoshikawa

Starring: Kazuya Kamenashi/ Tao Tsuchiya/ Mahiro Takasugi/ Tina Tamashiro/ Rie Tomosaka

Genre: Comedy/ Romance

P is the abbreviation for Police. JK is the abbreviation for female high school students in Japanese (joshi koukousei). P and JK, is a sweet love story of "a proud policeman falling in love with me". As invited by a friend, the Senior 1 girl Kako (Tao Tsuchiya) pretends she's a 22-year-old lady and takes part in the group blind date. There, she meets the young police officer Kota (Kazuya Kamenashi). Kako and Kota get along well and become attracted to each other. However, when learning about Kako’s true identity, Kota decides to suppress his feelings......

Adapted from the manga of the same name, the film is full of girls’ pink fantasy. The two leading roles also have the appearance as eye-catching as the comic characters. The director Ryuichi Hiroki has been always refusing to compromise with the business trend and adhering to his own path for minority. But in recent years, his style suddenly changed and he started to shoot a lot of pure love films full of "girls’ feelings", which enjoyed great popularity as well.

Highlights：Ryuichi Hiroki’s another commercial romance film, featuring Kazuya Kamenashi’s appealing police costome.

Directed by: Takeshi Watanabe

Written by: Yuji Nagamori /Hisakatsu Kuroki/ Masao Ikegaya

Starring: Takuro Ohno/ Eriko Sato/ Izumi Fujimoto/ Kiyohiko Shibukawa/ Fuku Suzuki

Genre: Drama

Kagerota (Takuro Ohno) is a young ninja. His father left him when he was a child, so he knows little about feelings and emotions. One day, he meets a cat which has the smell just like his father, and starts a special ninja life with the cat. 

In 2013, the “classic animal healing drama” Samurai Cat starred by Kazuki Kitamura achieved unexpected success. After four years, the original team has created the tv drama Neko Ninja. In Samurai Cat, the audience can see how the cold middle-aged man is touched and melted by the pretty cat, emphasizing a kind of “contrasting cuteness”. While Neko Ninja emphasizes more on the comedic atmosphere. Watching the silly yet cute ninja played by Takuro Ohno serving the cat as his father seriously can always make everyone burst into laughter.

Highlights：The happy life of a handsome and lovely ninja with a cold and proud cat, cannot be more attractive and healing. The film will have its international premiere at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Innocent Curse

Directed by: Takashi Shimizu

Written by: Hideaki Takizawa/ Arioka Daiki/ Mugi Kadowaki

Starring: Hideaki Takizawa/ Arioka Daiki/ Mugi Kadowaki/ Atsuko Sudo/ Hiroyuki Onoue/ Aoba Kawai

Genre: Horror

Japanese horror master Takashi Shimizu is famous for his work Ju-on: The Grudge. He has been shooting horror movies with his unique personal style for many years. Innocent Curse is his latest production, and also the first horror movie for the popular actor Hideaki Takizawa. He plays the role of a mysterious man who can control children’s souls and make curses on adults. After three days, the cursed adults will die out of no reason. Local newspaper reporter Shunya Ezaki (Arioka Daiki) begins to investigate the mysterious deaths. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Nahomi Harada (Mugi Kadowaki) encounters the misfortune. To protect his lover, he has to find out the truth.

Highlights：Hideaki Takizawa leads a group of “naughty kids” to curse grown-ups in his horror film debut. In the movie, he wears a gallant coat like a European wizard, and plays the flute with pale face and ferocious eyes. Hideaki Takizawa has never tried this kind of character before, which will definitely attract a lot of fans to go to the cinema, regardless of the risk of being terribly terrified. The film will be released in Shanghai and Japan at the same time on June 17.

Traces of Sin

Directed by: Kei Ishikawa

Written by: Kosuke Mukai/ Tokuro Nukui

Starring: Satoshi Tsumabuki/ Hikari Mitsushima/ Yui Ichikawa/ Keisuke Koide/ Wakana Matsumoto

Genre: Drama

This is director Kei Ishikawa’s first feature film, adapted from the novel of the same name by Tokuro Nukui. An elite salary man, his wife and their child are murdered by an unknown assailant. One year later, Tanaka (Satoshi Tsumabuki) begins to cover the unsolved murder case. He is a reporter for a weekly magazine. Through an interview with someone who knew the murdered couple, the truth of the case begins to appear.

Although it is his feature film debut, Kei Ishikawa has not only invited an all-star cast including Satoshi Tsumabuki, Hikari Mitsushima and Keisuke Koide, but also chosen a group portrait detective story which is very challenging. The work depicts the complicated emotions combining envy, jealousy, pride, prejudice and corruption concealed in social relations, and puts every detail of human nature’s dark side under spotlight.

Highlights：Sunshine boy Satoshi Tsumabuki and energetic Hikari Mitsushima try for complex and dark roles for the first time, and the unexpected shocking ending is quite impressive.

Stray Nightingale

Directed by: Takuji Izumi

Written by: Yutaka Kuramochi

Starring: Arata Furuta/ Izumi Inamori/ Shunsuke Daitoh

Genre: Drama/ Action/ Romance

The latest film by the hit theater company GEKIDAN☆SHINKANSEN. An all new hybrid entertainment combined with live theater and film, breaking the time and space limits. The tension and excitement that comes with live performance will surely let the audience taste the authentic Japanese stage work from big screens. The story starts from Edo: the chivalrous robber Juzaburo (Arata Furuta) is one day betrayed by his henchman and his entire gang is slaughtered. The gravely wounded Juzuaburo escapes and is saved by Sadaemon and a couple, who runs a tavern. There, Juzuaburo retires and changes his name to Genzaburo. Seven years later, Kansuke dies from an illness and Genzaburo helps Okayo to run the prosperous tavern. One night in the tavern, local police leader inquiries about a bandit. Genzaburo realizes that Katsunosuke is the son of the man who saved his life years ago. Genzaburo comes up with a plan to repay his debt......

Highlights：A brand new watching experience integrating drama and movie, featuring shocking sound effect, magnificant stage scenes and super clear close-ups, refreshing your perception of stage plays.

Bangkok Nites

Directed by: Katsuya Tomita

Written by: Toranosuke Aizawa

Genre: Drama

In the Japanese inhabitation area in Thailand, the former member of Japan Self-Defense Forces and the prostitute born in North Thailand fall in love with each other. However, even in the modern society several decades after the War, the labels of status and territory are influencing everyone all the time......

Following Saudade and Onaji hoshi no shita, sorezore no yoru, the director Katsuya Tomita again targets at the special group of outsiders from the bottom of the society. The film is a work created by Katsuya Tomita’s team after ten years’ unremitting social research and investigation. As an unusual low-cost production, the crew has to raise funds through online crowdfunding, and the cast are assumed by ordinary people who have no acting experience.

Highlights：No matter how many roads and streets you have walked across, there are always some places and people in the world we cannot see. This film, just complements our imagination for the rest of the world.