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The official website for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of an episode from Hirohiko Araki's Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe manga series, " At a Confessional ," today released a behind-the-scenes clip , titled "Venice Making Pv." In addition to comments from the main cast members including Issei Takahashi (Rohan Kishibe), Marie Iitoyo (Kyoka Izumi), Arata Iura (Tamiya), and Tina Tamashiro (Maria), the clip also introduces scenes from the shooting of the film, which was the first Japanese film to be shot entirely on location in Venice, including Ng takes. Additionally, famous Italian landmarks such as the iconic Piazza San Marco, which Napoleon once called “the most beautiful square in Europe,” and the Church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, which also appeared in the original manga, are featured in the clip. "Venice Making Pv" Related: Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional Live-Action Movie Releases New Trailer Introducing Main Characters Thus Spoke Kishibe...

With the latest Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe live-action film, At a Confessional , set to release in Japan on May 23, Japanese men’s magazine Men’S Non-no is featuring Rohan and his companion Kyoka Izumi on the cover, drawn by JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure creator Hirohiko Araki, of the June special edition. The magazine goes on sale on May 9 and comes with a poster of the cover illustration without the text. Men's Non-no June Cover Issey Takahashi (Rohan) and Marie Iitoyo (Izumi) The magazine also features an interview with Rohan and Izumi actors Issey Takahashi and Marie Iitoyo, who are both married after meeting on the set of the TV drama of the series, and will discuss the highlights the latest film and what it’s like working with each other under the interview title “The Strange Relationship Between a Manga Artist and an Editor.” Related: Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At...

Rohan Kishibe Live-Action Trailer ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe: At a Confessional is coming in a live-action adaptation soon, to the Japanese theatres. The live-action film is based on the manga and its anime adaptation of the same name. A trailer for its live-action film was released on Thursday, April 9, along with its cast introduction.

Watch the trailer of the live-action adaptation of Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe: At a Confessional here:

Who is cast in the live-action adaptation of Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe: At a Confessional?

Issei Takahashi, who played the titular character Kishibe Rohan in the TV adaptations and film, reprises his role for this live-action film as well. Marie Itoyo returns as Kyoka Izumi.

Trending 5 Highest Grossing Pixar Movies Of All Time As Inside Out 2 Surpasses Prequel’s $859M Global Haul Inside Out 2 Box Office (China): Surpasses The Prequel’s $15 Million Run In Just 8 Days!

The upcoming live-action film adaptation of an episode from Hirohiko Araki's Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe manga series, " At a Confessional ," released a new trailer to introduce its main characters. In addition to the protagonist Rohan Kishibe (Issei Takahashi), the clip also introduces Kyoka Izumi (Marie Iitoyo), the editor in charge of Rohan, Tamiya (Arata Iura), a mysterious man who makes a terrible confession to Rohan in the confessional, Maria (Tina Tamashiro), a mask maker who is at the mercy of destiny, Sotoba (Shigeyuki Totsugi), a vagabond who utters curses with an unusual expression, and Mizuo (Shunsuke Daito), a man who challenges a trial using popcorn because of a curse. Related: Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional Live-Action Movie Reveals Main Trailer, Visual Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional is set to release in Japan on May 23, 2025. As the first episode of the spin-off series to Araki's representative work,...

The official website for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of an episode from Hirohiko Araki's Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe manga series, " At a Confessional ," released a main trailer and visual today. For the first time in the history of Japanese cinema, the entire film was shot in Venice, Italy, and the clip includes a scene where the protagonist Rohan Kishibe, played by Issei Takahashi, uses his Stand ability "Heaven's Door" in Italian. Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional Main Trailer The main visual features Rohan standing in front of the Basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice, Italy. The tagline reads: "The greatest happiness brings the biggest despair." Main Visual Related: Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional Live-Action Movie Releases New Teaser Trailer Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional is set to release in Japan on May 23, 2025. As the first episode of the spin-off series to Araki's representative work,...

The official website for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of an episode from Hirohiko Araki's Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe manga series, " At a Confessional ," released a new teaser trailer today. The clip introduces four additional cast members of the film — Arata Iura as Tamiya, Tina Tamashiro as Maria, Shigeyuki Totsugi as Sotoba, and Shunsuke Daito as Mizuo. Related : Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional Live-Action Film Set for Release in May 2025 Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan: At a Confessional is set to release in Japan on May 23, 2025. As the first episode of the spin-off series to Araki's representative work, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure , " At a Confessional" was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1997, then was included in the manga's first tankobon volume released in 2013. The series centers on Rohan Kishibe, one of the main characters from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable . Rohan, a manga artist,...

Even with JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure being as old as it is, the franchise is still as strong as ever. 2023 saw the debut of the manga’s ninth part, The JOJOLands, and while there has yet to be official confirmation of anything, there’s reason to suspect that the anime will soon return with the long-awaited adaptation of part seven, Steel Ball Run.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is as strong as ever in both the anime and the manga, and surprisingly, live-action is part of that, as well. In the 2020s, the JoJo spinoff manga, Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan, received a series of live-action adaptations for TV, and over half a year since the last episode, it’s been announced that Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan will release its first-ever live-action film adaptation in spring 2025. Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan has always been a great addition to the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure franchise, and with the new movie,...

A live-action film adaptation of an episode from Hirohiko Araki's Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe manga series, " At a Confessional ," will open in Japanese theaters on May 23, 2025. The film's official website and X (formerly Twitter) opened, releasing a teaser trailer and two teaser visuals. Teaser visual 1 Teaser visual 2 As the first episode of the spin-off series to Araki's representative work, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure , " At a Confessional" was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1997, then was included in the manga's first tankobon volume released in 2013. The series centers on Rohan Kishibe, one of the main characters from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable . Rohan, a manga artist, encounters a series of strange happenings at his research sites. The live-action drama series featuring Issei Takahashi as Rohan was broadcast on Nhk in 2020, 2021, 202, and 2024. A feature film Rohan at the Louvre ( Rohan au Louvre ) released in Japan in May 2023, making...

Cozy romance is a subgenre that's growing in popularity. They focus on love stories with sweet emotional moments, and they tend to have low stakes. Even if the world they take place in is dangerous, there's a reassuring tone in the love story as it unfolds. The love interests are generally kind to each other, but there's still plenty of tension as their feelings develop.

Cozy romances can take place in cozy settings, too. They are often fantastical worlds full of magical gardens and whimsical side characters. With cozy romance anime, the audience may not know what to expect at every turn, but they can be reassured that everything leads to a happily ever after.

Related 10 Romance Anime with Incredibly High Stakes

Sometimes there's more at stake in a romance anime than just a broken heart.

Seiya Tries to Catch a Bookworm Girl's Attention in Whisper of the Heart Shizuku...

From the highly-anticipated third and final season of Netflix’s industry-defining Squid Game series, to the sequels for thought-provoking breakout shows like Taiwan’s The World Between Us and Indonesia’s Santri Pilihan Bunda, here are the shows out of Asia to look out for in 2025. Add your own thoughts and suggestions in the comments below.

‘Squid Game’ Season 3 (Netflix)

Korea

Even before the second season of Netflix’s most successful series premiered on December 26, the streamer announced that a third and final season of the Korean series is already in the works and will release in 2025. The second season of the drama sees Seong Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), who was Player 456 in the first season, searching for the people behind the brutal survival game, three years after winning the ₩45.6 billion prize bounty. Who knows what Season 3 might entail. Though reviews have been mixed, another run so close behind is an exciting prospect.

From Howls Moving Castle to the latest, The Boy and the Heron, Studio Ghibli films are beloved by many adults, including non-anime fans. These films bring adults back to their childhood, where they witness the bravery of young kids to explore and seek out adventure. Ghibli movies expand imaginations with fantastical beasts and anthropomorphic characters that linger on in hearts and minds long after the credits begin to roll.

Like Disney movies, adults may want to share their favorite Studio Ghibli movies with their children. However, not all of the studio's films, like The Wind Rises, for example, are appropriate for a younger audience due to the violence and mature topics like death and political strife. Luckily, several other Studio Ghibli films are appropriate for the whole family to enjoy together.

Updated on September 26th, 2024 by Fawzia Khan: Studio Ghibli has that unique quality where its cinema can appeal to...

One of the most influential production companies in history, Studio Ghibli is well known for its stories about the human experience, whether in slow-paced slice-of-life films or action-packed fantasy adventures. Renowned director Hayao Miyazaki, the mastermind behind many beloved Ghibli movies, also presents several thought-provoking narratives that are sure to remain with the viewer long after watching.

As many films take place in fantasy worlds, danger is often prevalent, depending on the themes the story has to offer. Princess Mononoke and Ponyo are both of the fantasy genre, but while Ponyo is a whimsical film about a goldfish who yearns to become human, Princess Mononke discusses the brutality of war and strife alongside nature. Regardless of the film's age rating, each Ghibli world has a chance to become dangerous.

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Related Studio Ghibli's Official 2025 Calendars Star Totoro, Nausicaa, Howl's Moving Castle & More

Studio Ghibli's most beloved films,...

The romances in Studio Ghibli films are healthy and wholesome, with couples who bring out the best in each other. Each film showcases different types of love stories, from forbidden romances to longstanding marriages. Characters like Shizuku & Seiji, Ponyo & Sosuke, and Ashitaka & San share understated yet profound love stories.

Studio Ghibli has some of the best romances in anime. The romances tend to be very healthy, where two people complete each other and bring out the best in one another. Hayao Miyazaki famously said that he doesn't feel the need to shoehorn a romance into a film, and he doesn't want to include a romance to justify the existence of a female protagonist.

There are many kinds of canon love stories in Studio Ghibli films. Some couples fall in love for the very first time, and others are already married for years. There are many examples of love, from the...

A trailer for Zero Day, a Taiwanese TV series portraying a Chinese attack on the island has stirred a tide of emotional response.

The nearly 18-minute teaser depicts China’s People’s Liberation Army (Pla) landing in Taiwan after a presidential election, where a “political power vacuum” has also left society vulnerable. China then creates a blockade in Taiwanese waters under the pretext of a search-and-rescue mission after one of the Pla’s “Y-8” planes reportedly goes missing.

The trailer has drawn more than 307,000 views on Youtube with nearly 3,500 comments.

The 10-episode series is partly funded by the Taiwanese government as part of the cultural ministry’s “1 plus 4-t-content plan.” The trailer’s release this week coinciding with annual air raid drills which aim to prepare Taiwan’s 23 million residents in the event of an invasion by the Chinese military.

Beijing has threatened to take over the self-ruled territory, using force if necessary.

Cbr Anime Week is brought to you by Hulu Animayhem

Studio Ghibli produces some of the most well-written and nuanced protagonists. Even Ghibli side characters are complicated and have something to offer the story and their world. There are different kinds of intelligence. Characters like Jiro from The Wind Rises and Nausicaa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind have amazing and scientific minds.

Characters like Ursula from Kiki's Delivery Service sage advice that helps the witch protagonist get to their next level. Some characters are wise and stay their hand to listen before leaping into action. The smartest characters know how to learn from other people's wisdom and mistakes, then act accordingly.

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Related 10 Best Non-Human Studio Ghibli Characters, Ranked

From Ponyo to the Parakeet King, Studio Ghibli reliably introduces exciting new otherworldly characters with each release.

Shizuku Has an Amazing...

Acchon burike! Pinoko — Black Jack's pint-sized sidekick — will come to life on television next month as the upcoming live-action adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's classic Black Jack premieres in Japan on June 30. Issey Takahashi (Rohan in the live-action Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan movies) will play the unconventional physician. Today, TV Asahi announced that child actress Yuno Nagao will appear as Pinoko. Nagao recently appeared Osoma in the live-action Golden Kamuy , and can now be seen in a new poster doing Pinoko's signature shocked expression: Related: 1st Black Jack TV Drama in 24 Years Premieres in 2024 Despite looking like a child, Pinoko is technically 18 years old. To be specific, she was once a teratoma living in her twin sister's body. After Black Jack solved the twins' unusual case, Pinoko became his assistant and sidekick. Nagao says Black Jack is a family favorite, and she put a lot of effort into preserving...

Coming-of-age is the most popular kind of character arc in Studio Ghibli films. Coming-of-age stories can be very varied, and even occur at different ages and surround different themes. Most commonly, they are stories where a child learns what it means to go from childhood into adulthood.

In some movies, it means learning lessons while establishing autonomy. Some characters learn what their true life passions and vocations could be. Other protagonists learn how to make peace with the past and determine what it means to them as they transition into adulthood. Coming-of-age doesn't always come all at once; sometimes it comes in pieces.

Related 10 Best Anime Coming-Of-Age Stories Anime like Kiki's Delivery Service, Flcl, and March Comes In Like A Lion tell distinctive stories about growing up. Shizuku Unlocks Her Creativity Whisper of the Heart Close

Anime Planet Rating

4 Stars

MyAnimeList Rating

8.22

IMDb Rating

7.8

Shizuku is an avid reader in Whisper of the Heart,...

The live-action series adaptation of Hirohiko Araki's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure spinoff Thus Spoke Rohan Kishibe is getting ready to continue with a new episode. This time around the installment will be based on the manga's "Mitsuryo Kaigan" story, and it's currently set to make its debut in Japan on May 5. The premiere date reflects a broadcast via Nhk's Bs Premium 4K, with an airing on Nhk General to follow closely behind on May 10. The episode finds Rohan and editor Kyoka Izumi visiting an Italian restaurant with a chef, Tonio Trussardi (played by Alfredo Chiarenza), who has the power to improve the health of his customers with his food. In order to cure his fiancée, Hatsune Morishima (played by Misako Renbutsu), who is suffering from a serious illness, Tonio tasks Rohan with tracking down a rare ingredient that could serve as a cure. A new visual for the overall...

There is an unexpected inspiration behind Hirohiko Araki's Kishibe Rohan from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

A recent report from Anime Dork claims that the popular stand user was inspired by detective-like characters. This claim originated from Araki, the creator of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, who discussed the character in a promotional pamphlet released for the 2023 live-action film Rohan at the Louvre. "Each character lives by their own set of principles," Araki said before adding, "Kishibe Rohan, the protagonist, is a manga artist who takes on the role of a detective in his work. He not only solves puzzles, but he is ultimately forced to confront himself."

Related: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Why Is Steel Ball Run Set in an Alternate Universe?

Araki also discussed the new live-action adaptation of his manga, based on the short story of the same name. He said he felt "blessed" to see talented actors who appear in dramas and films,...

Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Wife of a Spy is exclusively showing on Mubi in many countries.Late in Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Wife of a Spy, a gripping espionage thriller set in Kobe on the eve of World War II, the film’s titular heroine Satoko Fukuhara (Yu Aoi) and her well-to-do merchant husband Yusaku (Issey Takahashi)—whose clandestine activities have aroused the suspicion of the Kempeitai, Japan’s feared military police—go on an outing to a local cinema, as if to evade their surveillance and to keep up a veneer of normalcy. There, at the downtown movie house, the couple catches a screening of Sadao Yamanaka’s historical drama, Kochiyama Soshun (1936).This minor, seemingly inconsequential detail in Kurosawa’s latest conceals a hidden subtext that hints at the ominous shadow of a grinding military campaign Japan was engaged in at the time in China.

In “Wife of a Spy”, Kiyoshi Kurosawa once again proves that his bag of tricks can be matched by only a few other directors in the business. The choreographed camera movements, jarring editing, playful use of artificial and natural lighting all exhibit Kurosawa’s unique boldness and creativity. Luckily in this case, the director’s panache was followed by a well thought-out and haunting story, which has not necessarily been the case with his most recent works. The science fiction duology “Before we Vanish” and “Foreboding” were embarrassing ventures into the metaphysical themes that verged on the ridiculous. A return to a more down-to-earth story in “Wife of a Spy” thus proved to be a welcome change.

This article is part of the Asian Cinema Education Film Criticism Course 2021

Although with “Tokyo Sonata” he has successfully fought off the reductionist stereotype, for many years Kurosawa was strongly associated with the j-horror movement.

This review was largely shaped by a discussion with Goh Ming Siu and Earl Jackson regarding the film.

Winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, “Wife of a Spy” is actually a TV-movie produced by and for Nhk, which was screened in theaters, however, with a different aspect ratio and color grading. This review is based on the TV version.

“Wife of a Spy” is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival

The script is set in 1940, after Japan had invaded China and joined Germany and Italy as a member of the Axis. Up to this point, successful silk merchant Yusaku Fukuhara has been a man who seemed to have it all: a successful business, the respect of both employees, collaborators and friends, and a trophy wife in the face of beautiful and equally popular Satoko, who has just finished acting...

Bleecker Street’s I’m Your Man opens on 12 screens in seven markets, expanding to another 15 next week in a rare platform release banking on strong word of mouth for the well-reviewed, 94% Certified Fresh film that’s Germany’s entry for the 2022 International Feature Oscar race.

Helmed by Unorthodox director Maria Schrader, the sci-fi romantic comedy earned star Maren Eggert the Best Actress Silver Bear at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

Co-star Dan Stevens supported the film on social and in a Today show appearance Wednesday. He’ll be at a Q&a at the Landmark in LA on Saturday.

Initial openings include NY, LA, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, D.C., Phoenix and Dallas. Bleecker plans a small expansion in those markets as well next week. The film has a 17-day exclusive theatrical window. Deadline review here,

Eggert plays...

Central to any spy story worth its salt is the tension built around whom the audience should believe. But the memorable ones make just as powerful the theme of what the characters really do believe — as in, why they do what they do, whether they’re handler, agent, target or pawn. And to make matters even more fascinating, when some of those questions are left unanswered, that’s when some spy yarns achieve something profound about the battlefield on which they’re played.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa is one of Japan’s established masters when it comes to a knotty premise wracked with tension and secrets, whether working in horror or contemporary drama (“Tokyo Sonata”). It seems fitting, then, that for his first period film, he’d choose a World War II–era espionage tale, where identity and motive are always in play, and horror is real. The result is “Wife of a Spy,...

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s old-fashioned drama delivers big performances and intriguing plot twists

Kiyoshi Kurosawa has probably long since got used to seeing the words “no relation” after his name; and this Japanese film-maker has in any case established his own distinctive, valuable presence in Asian cinema. Just two years ago, he released his complex drama To the Ends of the Earth, and now, working with Ryû Hamaguchi as co-writer, he has created this excellent wartime mystery thriller, which won the Silver Lion at last year’s Venice film festival: an old-fashioned drama replete with big performances and plot twists, double-cross and triple-cross. It’s like a three-quarter scale version of a Lean epic, a mid-level Zhivago or English Patient, but all the more intriguing for being relatively modest in scope.

Yû Aoi is outstanding as Satoko, a movie actor in 1940 Kobe in Japan, married to Yûsaku (Issey Takahashi), a prosperous...

The conclusion of what came to be the pentalogy of Rurouni Kenshin live action movies, was another much anticipated film of the year, even though the 4th entry bordered on being disappointing, with the exceptions of a few action scenes. However, and although the ending of the story was essentially known due to the previous film (which I felt should be watched last actually) the final episode is actually quite good, on par with the previous trilogy, at least for the most part.

The story essentially focuses on the beginnings of Kenshin as Hitokiri Battosai, which is portrayed through a series of flashbacks. As the movie starts, Kenshin is already a notorious killer moving in the shadows of Kyoto, according to the orders of Katsura, who leads the Choshu clan, a group of anti-shogun members. Having killed a hundred people since his hiring from Katsura a year ago, Kenshin has...

This review was largely shaped by a discussion with Goh Ming Siu and Earl Jackson regarding the film.

Winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director at this year’s Venice International Film Festival, “Wife of a Spy” is actually a TV-movie produced by and for Nhk, which was screened in theaters, however, with a different aspect ratio and color grading. This review is based on the TV version.

The script is set in 1940, after Japan had invaded China and joined Germany and Italy as a member of the Axis. Up to this point, successful silk merchant Yusaku Fukuhara has been a man who seemed to have it all: a successful business, the respect of both employees, collaborators and friends, and a trophy wife in the face of beautiful and equally popular Satoko, who has just finished acting in a film Yusaku produced and directed, mainly for her and his friends’ amusement.

Since the pandemic did not disrupt the production of films in the Japanese movie industry, at least not as much as in other countries, 2020 was another year with a plethora of great productions, highlighting, once more, the strength of the local cinema. In that regard, this list could easily entail 25+ movies, and the decision to cut out some was as difficult as coming up with the top ones, since the six last could all easily be in number 1.

Without further ado, here are the best Japanese films of 2020, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2020, we decided to include them.

*By clicking on the title, you can read the full review of the film

20. Red Post on Escher Street (Sion Sono)

Sono repeatedly and almost venomously attacks the studio system of Japan through his particular sense of humour, more refined to suit...

“We’ve built up a track record by meeting challenges.”

Kino Lorber has picked up US rights to Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Venice Silver Lion winner Wife Of A Spy, the latest in a long line of festival gems and prestige titles that has helped the New York distributor further distinguish itself this year.

Richard Lorber and his team plan a spring 2021 release on the pre-Second World War Hitchcockian thriller about a Japanese actress and her wealthy merchant husband who try to smuggle evidence to the US of a human experimentation programme in Japan-controlled Manchuria.

Kurosawa reunites with Japanese actress Yu...

Venice best director winner has gone to Portugal (Midas Filmes), Norway (Fidalgo) and Korea (M&m International), among other territories.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Wife Of A Spy, which is screening as a Gala Presentation at this week’s Busan International Film Festival, has been sold to several further territories following its best director win at Venice.

Japanese studio Nikkatsu has sold the film to European territories including Portugal (Midas Filmes), Norway (Fidalgo Film Distribution) and Ex-Yugoslavia (Cinemania Group). It was pre-sold to Arthouse for French-speaking Europe and also to A Contracorriente for Spain ahead of its screening at San Sebastian International Film Festival.

In Edo times, around the 17th century, it was common for Samurais to move households to another location on the command of the Shogun. That caused whole villages to move and leave behind many of their belongings. So is the fate of the Matsudaira Clan, who is forced to relocate 400km. Since the procession is a logistical challenge associated with a lot of costs, the daimyo assigns bookworm Katagiri to undertake this ungrateful task.

“Samurai Shifters” is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival

Based on a script by Akihiro Dobashi, who wrote the recent Samurai dramas “Samurai Hustle” (2014) and “Samurai Marathon” (2019), the period piece is a mix of comedy and historical insight. Precedent by the shallow “Floating Castle” (2012) director Isshin Inudo takes another try on the genre and breaks away from his endless women-with-animal flicks. Indo started his career in 1999 with the very promising “Across a gold Prairie” and won...

Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa nabbed another career honor Sunday, winning the Venice Film Festival’s best director award for Wife of a Spy, the first period drama of his prolific filmography.

Set in 1940 Kobe, Japan, the film stars Issey Takahashi (Kill Bill, Shin Godzilla) as a debonair silk merchant whose cosmopolitan world view is on a collision course with Japan’s advancing militarism and stifling social conformity. Trapped between the duties of a wife and a citizen is his adoring wife Satoko (Yu Aoi, Birds Without Names), whose desire to truly know her husband sets up the film’s many twists and ambiguities.

The Hollywood Reporter‘s critic described the film as “an absorbing, exotic, well-paced thriller with moments of disconcerting realism and horror.”

Kurosawa, whose previous festival honors include best director wins at Cannes and Rome, connected with THR via Zoom prior to his Venice triumph for a brief...

Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa nabbed another career honor Sunday, winning the Venice Film Festival’s best director award for Wife of a Spy, the first period drama of his prolific filmography.

Set in 1940 Kobe, Japan, the film stars Issey Takahashi (Kill Bill, Shin Godzilla) as a debonair silk merchant whose cosmopolitan world view is on a collision course with Japan’s advancing militarism and stifling social conformity. Trapped between the duties of a wife and a citizen is his adoring wife Satoko (Yu Aoi, Birds Without Names), whose desire to truly know her husband sets up the film’s many ...

Japanese filmmaker Kiyoshi Kurosawa nabbed another career honor Sunday, winning the Venice Film Festival’s best director award for Wife of a Spy, the first period drama of his prolific filmography.

Set in 1940 Kobe, Japan, the film stars Issey Takahashi (Kill Bill, Shin Godzilla) as a debonair silk merchant whose cosmopolitan world view is on a collision course with Japan’s advancing militarism and stifling social conformity. Trapped between the duties of a wife and a citizen is his adoring wife Satoko (Yu Aoi, Birds Without Names), whose desire to truly know her husband sets up the film’s many ...

Kiyoshi Kurosawa has always been a director for hire. He came up in the film industry during Nikkatsu’s 17 year regression into “Roman Porno” and pinku eiga, a style of soft-core filmmaking, before they filed bankruptcy in the ‘90s. In its golden age, the Japanese movie studio promoted young assistant directors, like Seijun Suzuki and Shohei Imamura, to direct genre films on break-neck shooting schedules and stingy budgets. Working under contract, the directors possibly saw something of themselves in the chain-smoking contract killers they so often portrayed in their Yakuza films. To them, making movies was just a job. But many saw art, fetishized it, or noted patterns and symbols the directors proudly wrote off in interviews. Any creativity in style and form was merely a way of differentiating one film from the others Nikkatsu produced en masse. In the “Roman Porno” days, Kurosawa was directing softcore films for the...

Variety spoke with Kiyoshi Kurosawa the day after the world premiere of his World War II suspense drama “Wife of a Spy” in competition at the Venice Film Festival. A frequent invitee to Venice, Cannes and other major festivals, Kurosawa did the interview via Zoom from the Tokyo office of his Japanese distributor. “This is the first time I haven’t been able to go to a big festival like that,” says Kurosawa. “I would have liked the three main cast members see the film with the audience. It’s really regrettable that they couldn’t go.”

“Wife of a Spy” may be your first-ever period film, but certain scenes are as disturbing as anything in the horror films that first made your name internationally. Is that one reason why you were attracted to the material?

Yes, I wanted to make the scary parts scary, but this film was not my idea from the start.

“Wife of a Spy” is a debatable title on two fronts. The man in question may or may not be a spy, and while the female protagonist is certainly his wife, that passive, possessive phrasing undersells the degree to which she commands Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s thoroughly involving, old-school slice of wartime cloak and dagger. Powered by Yu Aoi’s bravura performance as a glamorous Kobe starlet thrown into uncertain moral and marital torment by her husband’s covert operations at the outset of the Second World War, the film is a relatively unfamiliar fit for its prolific helmer, given its sharply evoked period milieu and restrained, classical storytelling. He wears it well: After a slowish start, “Wife of a Spy” unmasks itself as one of his most purely enjoyable, internationally accessible entertainments.

Kurosawa’s latest may be his first period piece, but if its tone and outlook feel additionally fresh...

Indie director and scriptwriter Yuki Tanada, one the most talented women filmmakers working in Japan in the last two decades is back with “Romance Doll”, a movie that escapes easy definitions, and takes an original look at love, sex, and relationships.

“Romance Doll” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival 2020

Young and penniless artist graduate Tetsuo (Issey Takahashi) is tricked into a job interview that leaves him rather surprised. The interview is for a sculptor and he certainly fits the requirements but what Tetsuo doesn’t know is that the little factory where he’s being interviewed produces sex dolls or, as they are re-named to avoid law implications, love dolls. Tetsuo decides to accept the offer as he really needs to get a steady income and becomes, rather unenthusiastically, the assistant of the middle-age head of the department, Kinji (Kitaro) or Kin Kin as the colleagues call him.

Imagine a Japanese version of “Pygmalion” in which the sculptor continues to caress slabs of marble even after Galatea has come to life. That is the unusual premise of “Romance Doll,” a marital drama in which a sex doll maker’s rapt obssession with his new prototype, leads to rejection of his human muse. Directed by Yuki Tanada, from her own 2009 novel of the same title, the film initially holds promise to become a liberating erotic art film against the objectification of the female body. However,

Although it’s underlying attitudes about female sexuality might be problematic for female and feminist viewers, its suggestive subject matter (handled without offensive kinkiness) will set many an imaginative mind sprinting. “Romance Doll” was snapped up for theatrical release by several Asian territories. Following a premiere at Udine Far East Film Festival, it starts streaming on Netflix on July 24.

Films that make sex dolls their subject,...

With his latest drama To the Ends of the Earth finally securing U.S. distribution, Kiyoshi Kurosawa embarked on production on his follow-up, the suspense/romance Wife of a Spy. Coming from the director who named Robert Zemeckis’ romantic spy thriller Allied his favorite film of the past decade, our expectations are quite high and now the first teaser trailer and poster have landed.

Starring Yu Aoi and Issey Takahashi, the director’s first wartime drama is set in 1940 in Kobe as World War II approaches. It follows a merchant who witnesses a horrific act and attempts to reveal it to the world, only to have his wife try to stop him out of safety. Co-written by the director and Ryūsuke Hamaguchi, the film is set for an October 16 release in Japan, and it’s one of the titles being presented in Cannes virtual market, which kicks off next week.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa, the Japanese director of “Cure,” “Pulse” and “Bright Future,” is now in post-production on period suspense romance “Wife of a Spy.” The film is being pitched at the European Film Market by sales and production firm Nikkatsu.

The film reteams “Romance Doll” stars Yu Aoi and Issey Takahashi.

The 1940-set plot involves a Japanese merchant who leaves his wife behind in order to travel to Manchuria, where he witnesses an act of barbarism. His subsequent actions cause misunderstanding, jealousy and legal problems for his wife. The screenplay is by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Tadashi Nohara and Kurosawa, who previously penned the script for Kurosawa’s “Happy Hour.”

The film is set for theatrical release later this year, probably after getting some festival play. Rights have already been pre-sold to Arthouse Films for France.

“Wife of a Spy” follows Kurosawa’s coolly received “To the Ends of the Earth,” a drama...

Live-action version of Osamu Tezuka’s erotic manga will premiere in competition at Tokyo film festival.

Japan’s Nikkatsu Corp has picked up international rights to Tezuka’s Barbara, a live-action version of Osamu Tezuka’s erotic manga Barbara, which will receive its world premiere in competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival later this month.

Directed by Tezuka’s son, Macoto Tezka, the film has been produced to celebrate the 90th birth year of the late anime pioneer who created the Astro Boy character. Goro Inagaki (13 Assassins) and Fumi Nikaido (Himizu) star as a novelist and the muse who...

Live-action version of Osamu Tezuka’s erotic manga will premiere in competition at Tokyo film festival.

Japan’s Nikkatsu Corp has picked up international rights to Tezuka’s Barbara, a live-action version of Osamu Tezuka’s erotic manga Barbara, which will receive its world premiere in competition at the Tokyo International Film Festival later this month.

Directed by Tezuka’s son, Macoto Tezka, the film has been produced to celebrate the 90th birth year of the late anime pioneer who created the Astro Boy character. Goro Inagaki (13 Assassins) and Fumi Nikaido (Himizu) star as a novelist and the muse who...

Shinji Higuchi (44), known as the “Heisei special effects king” for his work on the Heisei era Gamera trilogy, is supervising the production of his first TV drama. The show is called MM9 (Monster Magnitude 9) and is set in an alternate version of modern-day Japan in which monster attacks are the norm and are treated as another form of natural disaster. The show is based on a story by sci-fi writer Hiroshi Yamamoto which was originally serialized in Tokyo Sogensha’s “Mysteries!” from 2005-2006 and published as a book in 2007.

The project was first hinted at through an April Fools joke which presented it as a “sci-fi epic” called XX9. Higuchi released a photo of the cast dressed up in traditional sci-fi outfits and wielding futuristic rifles.

The show centers around a special “living creatures” division of the Japan Meteorological Agency which predicts the appearance of monsters. When an attack does occur,...

Shinji Higuchi has had a long, varied career with no shortage of epics sprinkled throughout. From handling special effects for the Heisei era Gamera series to directing his own massive hits like Lorelei and Japan Sinks, it’s usually safe to assume anything he’s involved in will be done pretty big. That’s why, when a mysterious website went up late last week for his next film, tentatively titled “XX9”, people took notice.

Not very much at all is known about XX9 yet, but a promotional photo has been released as well as this very vague description:

“The tale of a group of saviors selflessly confronting an unprecedented emergency brought on by a mysterious living entity.”

Though the cast has yet to be announced officially, some can be identified from the photo. So far I think I spot Yutaka Matsushige at the top, Sarutoki Minagawa on the bottom right,...

irector: Junichi Yamamoto and Yudai Yamaguchi. Review: Adam Wing. Another day, another Japanese head-fuck. To be fair though, the plot for Meatball Machine reads like the latest best selling romance novel. A shy boy called Yoji (Issei Takahashi) works at a factory in a dead end job; he’s an outcast, a misfit, and a loner. Ignored and ridiculed by his workmates, he finds scant satisfaction each day watching a girl from across the way on his lunch break. The girls name is Sachiko (Aoba Kawai) and just like him, she’s shy too. More to the point, she’s liked Yoji from a distance for quite sometime. Even though he just kind of sits there and stares at her, not in the least bit creepy then. The only problem is, they're both really shy (have I mentioned that?) and it’s not until Sachiko is attacked by a rampaging sex maniac that romance blossoms.