Actress Utano Aoi will star in the film Boku no Naka ni Saku Hanabi (The Fireworks That Blossom Within Me).

The film is directed by Yuto Shimizu, who won the Best J. Horror Award at the Japan Film Festival Los Angeles 2022 at the young age of 20 for The Soloist. Set in his hometown of Gifu Prefecture, he penned the screenplay after being inspired by his own life experiences. This marks his first feature film as a director.

After a painful incident, protagonist Minoru slowly begins to open up to his family and friends and gradually starts to accept his fear of death, deciding to live entirely in the present. The film focuses on the finite amount of time we have on this earth and Minoru’s knowing that even that nature around him will someday disappear, which is all the more reason to show love while you can. The heroine, Jyuri Mizuishi, is played by Utano Aoi.

Crowdfunding for the film is currently underway.

<Comment from Utano Aoi (Jyuri Mizuishi)>

“Strength and weakness, harshness and gentleness…we must juggle these extremes in order to learn how to live in the midst of unfathomable loneliness and despair. I hope to show all sides of Akari with subtlety. I want to feel the sights, smells, people, and emotions of the city. At the moment, I can already feel the power that the cast and crew are bringing to the filmmaking process. I’m also looking forward to the emotional location. I’m so excited. Please look forward to the film!”

On August 10, the apparel brand tiit tokyo released a short film titled ESCAPE starring model and talent Nagomi.

The film comes prior to tiit tokyo’s first solo pop-up shop at Shibuya PARCO, scheduled to open on August 24. The final scene of the film was filmed at Shibuya PARCO and features the location’s classic symbol–a neon ‘P.’

The story follows a woman who lives a strictly controlled life who, after witnessing an incredible scene, begins planning her escape and a new beginning. Nagomi plays the main character, a female vampire.

ESCAPE was written and directed by fashion event director and filmmaker Hajime Tsuda, who previously worked on the film Daughters. The creative director for tiit tokyo, Sho Iwata, served as fashion director.

『

ESCAPE (Part One)

*Part Two will be released on August 22

Actress Sora Nomoto will star in the film Fanfare, set to premiere on November 17, 2023.

The film tells an emotionally-charged story as two women who have graduated from an idol group struggle to pursue new careers. Sora Nomoto will play the role of Rei Sudo, the former center of the idol group Fun☆Fare who left the group to pursue a career in fashion.

The film will be directed by Ryohei Yoshino, whose works include Spring Has Come (2015) and Eternally Younger Than Those Idiots(2021). The idol music, costumes, and choreography are all original to the film.

Crowdfunding is also underway to support the film’s nationwide release.

Actress Haruhi Ito will star in the upcoming film Matatakimade, which will be screened at Ikebukuro’s cinema rosa for one week only starting August 5.

The film is the fourth from the independent film production company Rune Cinema and follows Kazoku Awase, which received record attendance in 2019 despite its late-night run at cinema rosa. The company’s film Arano no Hate won three awards at the Kadoma International Film Festival in 2020, including Best Film, while Tooi Raimei appeared at numerous domestic and international film festivals and won Best Director at the 2022 Asian Film Festival. Matatakimade tells the story of a family through the events that take place in a single room in an apartment.

Ito will play the role of Chiho Matsui, a childhood friend of the main character Ami Tokita, a popular novelist.

<Comment from Haruhi Ito (Chiho Matsui)>

“What is family? I’ve been thinking about that question since I read Matatakimade. Is it something ambiguous? Something solid, or corrupt, or something that’s warm and occasionally cold? I’ve thought about it so much, yet I haven’t found a complete answer. When you glimpse a family through a single telescope or a single book, I hope you’ll search for the answer too.”

[Summary]

Ami Tokita (Hitomi Maki), a popular novelist, is in the middle of dealing with a divorce settlement over custody of her only child, an elementary school student. One day, a mysterious man (Ryo Ikeda) appears at the apartment where she works, asking to rent a room for the night. Despite pushback from her editor, Reiko Iijima (Karin Nishina), Ami agrees to the man’s request out of curiosity. Strangely, the mysterious man intends to look through a telescope at the apartment building across the street. The next morning, Reiko casually peeks through the telescope left in her room, only to see a small child being abused. Ami’s best-selling novel, titled Snow, Moon and Flowers, tells the story of a young girl who was abused by her mother. Is what happened in the apartment across the street a coincidence? Or was it inevitable?

On July 7, the film Sensei! Kuchisake-onna desu!, starring Gai Ueno, will open in theaters.

The coming-of-age battle and horror film focuses on the unlikely relationship between an urban legend and a group of high school punks. After three punks steal a motorcycle, they realize that the owner of the bike is none other than a Kuchisake-onna–in Japanese folklore, this is an evil woman with her mouth slit from ear to ear. Gai Ueno plays the role of F1, a member of the high school gang and a hotwiring genius.

<Comment from Gai Ueno (F1)>

“I’m Gai Ueno, and I play the role of F1. Sensei! Kuchisake-onna desu! is truly a film that I want everyone to see. The characters are somehow cute and you’ll immediately love them–I’m confident that this is the cutest-ever Japanese film focused on high school delinquents. Even now, I wonder if I can personally get fired up and serious about the smallest things. Working on this movie reminded me to have the power to believe in myself. Please enjoy the movie and take the time to think back to your high school days! I’ll be waiting for you at the theater.”

<Comment from Director Yuu Nakamoto>

“I guess it’s been about 10 years since I lived in Hiroshima, where I grew up. I’m really interested in motorcycles, and one day, I was just mindlessly driving along the country roads at night. Then, from the other side of the road, I heard a noise…and suddenly, there was a woman wearing a mask walking nearby. I had this intuition…I thought “she’s not from this world,” and in that moment, I lost consciousness. Before I knew it, I was here, directing this film. Hmm…strange, isn’t it?”

【STORY】

High school students Takeshi (Taisei Kido) and F1 (Gai Ueno) work part-time stealing motorcycles and selling them to a gang of delinquents for cash. One day, Ayaka (Reina Kurosaki) decides to join after transferring to the boy’s school, and business booms. While trying to steal a bike parked at a deserted apartment, the group is discovered by a masked woman who seems to be the motorcycle’s owner. In a panic, Takeshi and his friends rush to escape but are quickly overtaken by the woman, who seems to have unbelievable physical abilities far beyond any other human. This woman running 100 meters in 6 seconds is actually the Kuchisake-onna, her mouth slit from ear to ear! What will happen to the group of high schoolers?! And just who is this Kuchisaka-onna?!

The film Doraemon: Nobita’s Sky Utopia will be released on March 3, 2023. The 42nd Doraemon movie follows Doraemon, Nobita, and his friends as they venture off to find Utopia, a perfect land in the sky where everyone lines in joy and happiness. They do so using an airship with a time warp function on their adventure, and to commemorate the film’s release, the Flying Doraemon Project began on January 14. A real-life 17-meter-long Doraemon blimp will soon appear in the sky, and fans are being asked to decide on a name for the craft.

The blimp, inspired by the Doraemon movie, will feature popular characters including Nobita, Shizuka, Suneo, and Gian. The blimp is the largest unmanned airship in Japan.

The message of the Flying Doraemon Project is to convey the feeling that in this day and age, children and adults alike can once again look upward and move forward toward their hopes and dreams.

Fans are asked to contribute ideas for the blimps name during the application period. Check the website for more details!

Natsume Mito will star in the upcoming film Kono Chiisana Te (These Small Hands). The film will debut in theaters on April 8.

The movie is an adaptation of the manga series by Mamora Goda, also known for his works Kira Kira Hikaru and Mori no Asagao. The story follows a father who never cared for his daughter and a daughter who has forgotten her father.

This is the feature-length debut of director Hiroyuki Nakada, who previously worked as an assistant director on films such as Love is Light and Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna.

<Comment from Director Hiroyuki Nakada>

“What is a father?

This question came to me as I was watching my newborn son sleep.
Does supporting a family financially make a good father?
Can a man be a father in some other way? Can he do something else?
While I was pondering this, I came across Kono Chiisana Te.
I really wanted to find the answer to my question, so I decided to work on plans for this live-action film.

I hope that everyone who sees this film will take some time to think about their families in this fast-paced world.”

<Story>
Kazuma, an illustrator, lives with his wife Sayuri and their three-year-old daughter Hina.

One night, while Kazuma is drinking with his work buddies, Sayuri gets into an accident and is hospitalized while out shopping.

Kazuma falls asleep at the bar and Hina wakes up alone the next day. She is rescued by the police and placed in an orphanage.

Given his actions, Kazuma can’t take Hina home. Having done nothing to help raise her, he’s decidedly unfit to parent. Sayuri doesn’t wake up, and time continues to pass.

Desperate, Kazuma gradually realizes that there are people who care for him and want the best for his life. Determined, he sets out to repair his bond with his daughter.

When Kazuma visits, however, all Hina can do is cry. Has she forgotten her father’s face?

（Ｃ）映画「この小さな手」製作委員会

Based on the Tsuburaya Productions Gridman live-action tokusatsu series from 1993, the
SSSS.GRIDMAN anime series aired in October 2018. A sequel, SSSS.DYNAZENON, followed in April 2021.

Ahead of the release of GRIDMAN UNIVERSE, an all-new anime film coming in March, both SSSS.GRIDMAN and SSSS.DYNAZENON will be getting compilation films. Each will only be
in theaters for two weeks.

劇場総集編『SSSS.GRIDMAN』

The SSSS.GRIDMAN film will be in theaters starting January 20. Those buying tickets will
receive a special illustration card with a voice drama created by Akira Amemiya, the director of the SSSS series, while supplies last. The title of the drama is Hinekuremono Demo (Even if You’re Cynical) starring Soma Saito (Sho Utsumi) and Hass (Akari Kito).

The newly-revealed illustration card’s design features Yuta Hibiki, Sho Utsumi, Rikka
Takarada, and Akane Shinjo happily snapping photos.

SSSS.DYNAZENON will be released for two weeks starting March 10, and those buying
tickets will also get an illustration card and a special voice drama written by Akira Amemiya.

The SSSS.GRIDMAN compilation film is being directed by Yoshiyuki Kaneko, who served as assistant director on the anime series. The film will show a somewhat new interpretation of the story under his new direction. Both compilation films will include extra footage leading
up to the release of GRIDMAN UNIVERSE on March 24, 2023.

©円谷プロ ©2023 TRIGGER・雨宮哲／「劇場版グリッドマンユニバース」製作委員会

Japanese music streaming site RecoChoku has announced the top song and album rankings for August 2022!

Unsurprisingly, Ado tops both the single and album charts with her new tracks from the movie ONE PIECE FILM RED. The singer provided the singing voice of Uta, a main character in the film which was released nationwide on August 6, 2022.

New Genesis, the theme from ONE PIECE FILM RED, was released ahead of the movie’s release on June 8, 2022. It ranked 4th in the monthly rankings for June and July, and following the film’s release in August, it shot to the top of the charts for four consecutive weeks, continuing to hold the #1 spot.

Ado also took first place in August’s album ranking with her collection of songs from ONE PIECE FILM RED. Released on August 19, 2022, the album features a number of tracks made for the film, with seven different artists helping to produce these now legendary songs.

For the daily ranking on August 11, the top seven singles were all from this one album. Starting at the top spot, the songs included were: New Genesis, Where the Wind Blows, Tot Musica, The World’s Continuation, Binks’ Sake, I’m Invincible, and Fleeting Lullaby.

In the album ranking, it was number one in the weekly ranking for three consecutive weeks since its release on August 17 and continued its momentum to take the top position in the monthly ranking for the month of August.

Ado had her first top single ranking in February 2021 with Usseewa, and her first #1 album in January and February 2022 with Kyogen.

If you haven’t listened to the singer’s collection of songs from the most recent ONE PIECE film, you’re missing out!

RecoChoku Monthly Music Award – August 2022 (Announced September 1, 2022)

Single Ranking

1st Place: New Genesis (Uta from ONE PIECE FILM RED) – Ado (Released June 8, 2022)
2nd Place: Start Over – THE BEAT GARDEN
3rd Place: Ame Sansan – King Gnu
4th Place: Where the Wild Blows – Ado
5th Place: Mixed Nuts – Official HiGE DANdism

https://recochoku.jp/ranking/single/monthly/

Album Ranking

1st Place: Uta’s Songs from ONE PIECE FILM RED – Ado (Released August 10, 2022)
2nd Place: M – INI
3rd Place: BE:1 – BE:FIRST
4th Place: Falling into your eyes Record – Aimyon
5th Place: Suki Toiunowa Rock Daze! (Special Edition) – Nogizaka46

https://recochoku.jp/ranking/album/monthly/

©尾田栄一郎／2022「ワンピース」製作委員会

Popular singer Aimyon has released the music video for her song 3636 from her fourth original album, Falling Into Your Eyes Record. The album was released on August 17, 2022.

The video was directed by Classic 6, marking the first collaboration between the two. The lyrics of the song contain the phrase ‘delivery box,’ and this became a big theme in the direction of the video. Along with the video release, Aimyon and Classic 6 both released comments about the new creation, so be sure to read them below. 

3636 – Aimyon (Official Music Video)

Aimyon is currently on her largest-ever national tour, seeing the artist perform 28 shows in 14 cities throughout Japan. On November 5, Aimyon will perform her largest solo concert ever at Hanshin Koshien Stadium in Nishinomiya. 

Comment from Aimyon

“When the delivery box wouldn’t open anymore, I felt as though my heart had been closed. I was so incredibly sad. I wondered if it had simply grown tired of me, and I went on a journey of endless delusion. I remembered what happened in that small room as the seasons passed.”

Comment from Classic 6

“When I heard the song, I pictured Aimyon riding on a train in a private compartment, something that isn’t common in Japan. It’s also a metaphor for the time, space, and heart that the delivery box and Aimyon shared. That’s what I imagined when I planned the video. I wanted it to be obvious. There was a way for both of them to keep going, to not stop along the way. Even now, the box alone is being carried somewhere far away.”

On June 8, popular singer Aimyon released her 13th single My First Love is Crying. Now, the music video is here–and it was filmed in a yakiniku restaurant!

The music video was directed by Tomokazu Yamada, who previously directed the videos for Aimyon’s Marigold, Let the Night, Harunohi, The Smell of a Midsummer Night, On This Day We Say Goodbye, and Naked Heart. The video itself was filmed in one shot at a yakiniku restaurant in Tokyo, showing Aimyon eating alone and crying. A stirring and emotional song paired with this moving video will be enough to stir any fan’s heart. 

My First Love is Crying – Aimyon

The coupling song, Satsuki, is available to stream now. The track is a continuation of the song Mini-Skirt and Hi-Lite from Aimyon’s 11th single. The track features Moto Kawabe, the first time a male has participated in one of Aimyon’s tracks. 

Aimyon is currently holding her largest-ever national tour, performing 28 concerts in 14 cities around Japan. 

Comments

Aimyon

“When I got dumped by the person I was dating, I can remember crying uncontrollably. 

I was asking myself “why me?” People would respond with “there’s nothing you can do,” or “this was for the best,” or “there are other fish in the sea!” 

I ate, I drank, I reminisced, I cried, I got angry, and as time went on, I realized that I had forgotten why I loved him so much in the first place. 

But I still love him a little bit–and that pisses me off! That’s the emotion I wanted to bring to this shoot.”

Tomokazu Yamada (Director)

“In this age when people can easily impersonate (or quote) someone else, people like Aimyon, who is unapologetically herself, seem to shine more brightly. Even in the midst of her sadness, she wants to show that side of her to someone else in the hopes that it can help. She has the power to light up anyone’s day with her honesty and sense of self.” 

Popular singer Aimyon has released the music video for her new song Futaba, which premiered on streaming services on March 24, 2022.

The video was directed by Kodai Kobayashi, who previously directed videos for Only Under the Full Moon, Dream Chaser Bengal, Chika, and Till I Know What Love Is. Futaba was shot in locations all over Okinawa, and is a treat to watch. Check out comments from Aimyon and Kodai Kobayashi below!

Futaba – Aimyon (Official Music Video)

https://youtu.be/6lgT4zBr8eY

The track was used as the theme song during the March 23 broadcast of ‘Aimyon 18 Festival’ on NHK, which will be rebroadcast on April 3, 2022. Aimyon will perform the song live along with a special talk, so don’t miss it!

Aimyon Comment

This was such a fun trip, and the director really captured so many different sides of me. 

When I saw the finished video, I thought to myself “Wow, I’ve really grown up!” Yet some of the expressions I made were the same ones I made as a child.

There are things you can only do as an adult and things you can only do as a child,

but all I care about is valuing the things I’m doing right now.

With that in mind, I jumped into the ocean for the first time in my life.

I was terrified, but it was something I always wanted to do. 

(I won’t do it again!)

Kodai Kobayashi (Director) Comment

The team ran all over the place getting these shots. Please check out the final product made possible by these dedicated adults.