News

The highly anticipated Japanese music drama Glass Heart just premiered on Netflix on July 31. The series is also accompanied by the release of an equally anticipated soundtrack by the fictional band Tenblank. Featuring ten original songs, the album is now available for streaming globally.

Based on the best-selling novel by Mio Wakagi, Glass Heart stars Takeru Satoh as lead vocalist Naoki Fujitani. The series follows a group of young musicians navigating the highs and lows of the competitive music industry. Known for his past music-related roles in Beck and The Liar and His Lover, Satoh not only stars but also co-produces the series and performs a song.

What elevates the soundtrack of Glass Heart is the addition of some of Japan’s best contemporary musicians. The feature song, Crystalline Echo, is performed by Satoh and written by Yojiro Noda of Radwimps. Fans might already recognize Radwimps for their work on...

A college coed possessed by a hit man battles psychotic killers to regain her psyche in Ghost Killer, a thriller that wildly exceeds its pulp origins. Directed by Kensuke Sonomura (also the action director), this delivers exactly what action fans want. Ghost Killer draws from the Baby Assassins franchise. Sonomura and screenwriter Yugo Sakamoto worked on that series along with star Akari Takaishi. They bring a darker aesthetic but a similarly droll humor to this project. Ghost Killer looks hard-edged and violent, but at its core, it's a sentimental story of acceptance and redemption. With a high body count. No one in film today stages action like Sonomura. The opening scene unfolds in an abandoned food market as three killers with knives battle the unarmed...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Bambi and Pete Davidson are featured in this week’s new horror movies, but unfortunately they’re not sharing the screen in the same movie. They’re joined by the at-home release of one of this year’s best horror movies so far, along with a new Gill Man movie from Shudder.

Here’s all the new horror that released from July 21 – July 27, 2025!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

There’s a monster in the basement in Bait, now available on VOD.

In the new indie monster movie from Uncork’d Entertainment, “On their way to a family get-together, the Herring family are in a bad car accident, waking in a terrifying, dark basement. Something is there with them. And it craves human flesh.”

Bait was directed by Andrea M. Catinella, written by Sam Gurney.

The cast includes Ingrid Evans, Connor Powles, Andrew Rolfe, and Natalie Hughes.

Netflix is set to debut its highly anticipated Japanese music drama Glass Heart on July 31, 2025. Premiering worldwide on the same day, this drama is a must-watch for fans of music dramas. Starring Takeru Satoh and Yu Miyazaki, Glass Heart brings a fresh spin to the world of musical storytelling.

Glass Heart, based on the bestselling novel by Mio Wakagi, sets the stage for Japan’s competitive music world. The show follows a young drummer’s unexpected rise in the popular band Tenblank. With original music by Radwimps’ Yojiro Noda and top-tier cast, the series promises a major cinematic experience (via Netflix). With its July debut, Glass Heart joins the ranks of high-profile Japanese titles.

Glass Heart Beats to the Rhythm of Second Chances Glass Heart | Credit: Netflix

The story follows Akane Saijo (played by Yu Miyazaki), a passionate college student and aspiring drummer. Her dreams come crashing down when she...

Akari Takaishi as Fumika, in the Japanese fantasy dramedy Ghost Killer. Courtesy of Well Go USA

The Japanese action dramedy Ghost Killer blends an element of the supernatural with its underworld format. Kudo (Masanori Mimoto) is an assassin who is betrayed and killed as the movie opens. Fumika (Akari Takaishi) is a timid college girl who happens to pick up the shell casing from the bullet what offed him when she trips on the street where he involuntarily shuffled off his mortal coil. That magically connects the two (don’t ask how), allowing Kudo to take over her body whenever she touches his hand to trigger the switcheroo in moments when his skills are needed for mutual survival. She is understandably freaked out, but reluctantly agrees on the belief that the only way for his ghost to move on and leave her alone is to avenge his death via her body.

The action genre is often perceived as a vehicle for pure entertainment rather than addressing serious and current themes. However, the category has shown it can strike a balance between both aspects, considering iconic directors such as John Woo have already demonstrated that high-octane stunts and shoot-outs may go hand in hand with topics such as marginalization and inequality. Given his experience in the genre, former martial arts choreographer Kensuke Sonomura’s new feature “Ghost Killer” tackles themes like female empowerment and domestic violence while also showcasing his trademark skills when it comes to fight scenes. At the same time, Sonomura aims to add comedic and horror elements to the story, thus creating a sometimes uneven, but undeniably stylish movie.

Fumika Matsuoka (Akari Takaishi) is a student dreaming of becoming a successful influencer one day. One day on her way home, she picks up a mysterious cartridge on the sidewalk,...

The supernatural possession trope is a storytelling wellspring found in folklore worldwide, from Hollywood’s demonic entities to the spirit-channeling tales in Indian cinema like Bhool Bhulaiyaa. Ghost Killer dives headfirst into this tradition with a distinctly Japanese action-comedy twist. Its high-concept premise is immediate and arresting: a timid college student’s life is violently upended when she becomes spiritually tethered to a deceased hitman.

We meet Fumika Matsuoka, a young woman characterized by a polite passivity that makes her utterly unsuited for the world of violence she is about to enter. Her life changes irrevocably when she stumbles upon a spent bullet casing on the street. This mundane object acts as a conduit, linking her to the ghost of Hideo Kudo, a professional killer recently murdered.

The film quickly establishes its central mechanic: Kudo’s spirit can possess Fumika’s body, transforming the meek student into an unstoppable fighting...

Nice Days. Deadlier Nights. The world’s deadliest besties are back. The third outing in one of the best action franchises you’ve never heard of is now getting a release in the United States thanks to Well Go USA. The studio behind the likes of such major hits as Triple Threat starring John Wick’s Scott Adkins, The Raid’s Iko Uwais, Ong Bak’s Tony Jaa, and The Dark Knight star Michael Jai White, the zombie classic Train to Busan, and Donnie Yen’s Ip Man series, Well Go USA is now all set to deliver another criminally unsung martial arts masterpiece to North America.

The martial arts action crime comedy in question is Baby Assassins 3 (formerly known as Baby Assassins: Nice Days), which picks up with two teenage contract killers, Mahiro Fukugawa (Saori Izawa) and Chisato Sugimoto (Akari Takaishi), as they continue to make their way...

Baby Assassins 3 is officially heading to U.S. home release on August 26, 2025, courtesy of distributor Well Go USA.

The Japanese action-comedy, which originally premiered in Japan on September 27, 2024, was previously known as Baby Assassins: Nice Days during its festival run, but will be released under the title Baby Assassins 3 for its Digital and Blu-ray debut.

The film had its U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest 2024 in Texas, where it received a warm reception. It currently holds a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though that score comes from just 11 reviews.

Despite being labeled the third film, Baby Assassins 3 is actually the fourth entry in the franchise. It follows the original 2021 film, its 2023 sequel, and a 12-episode TV series that aired in 2024. Fortunately, each installment functions as a standalone story, so newcomers can jump in at any point without confusion.

Returning to their roles as the clumsy yet lethal...

"Worst case scenario, you two can just be my decoys." "Can I kill her?" ⚔ Well Go USA has revealed an official trailer for Baby Assassins 3, the next sequel in the Japanese Baby Assassins action comedy series. The first one arrived back in 2022, the second one dropped last year, and this third one is out on VOD next month. Teenage assassins Chisato & Mahiro visit the coastal city of Miyazaki where they unexpectedly cross paths with a bloodthirsty assassin who's looking to add to his personal body count. Baby Assassins 3, also titled Baby Assassins: Nice Days, brings back Akari Takaishi and the rising star + Snake Eyes / Rurouni Kenshin franchise stuntwoman Saori Izawa as the two leads - who are always battling someone. This time they encounter another female assassin. The cast includes Sôsuke Ikematsu, Atsuko Maeda, Atomu Mizuishi, Tomo Nakai, Tsubasa Tobinaga, Mondo Otani, Kaibashira, Karuma, and Mr. Bunny. Early...

The impact “Confessions” had on the Japanese movie industry remains significant, with many high school dramas and thrillers still drawing from its distinctive formula. “Suicide Notes Laid on the Table”, based on the manga of the same name by Taro Youto, follows in similar footsteps, but does so with a style that can only be described as excessive.

Suicide Notes Laid on the Table is screening at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival

In spring, a mysterious message circulates via social media among Class 2-D at the elite Hairei Academy. It lists the exact rankings of every student and their teacher. Is it a prank? Who created it, and for what reason? Months pass without answers. Then, six months later, the top-ranked student, Tsubaki Himeyama, the most admired figure in the class, dies by apparent suicide on school grounds. The day after her funeral, each classmate receives a letter, supposedly written by Tsubaki,...

One of the best and truly unique action movies of last year has finally been given a streaming release date. Bringing together elements of horror, comedy, and martial arts action and holding them tightly in a closed fist that you won’t be able to dodge, the wild genre mash-up movie was met with rave reviews upon release and now boasts a perfect 100% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Flying under the radar last year and quickly becoming one of the most underrated action movies of 2024, the action outing in question carries the wonderful moniker Ghost Killer and follows a college student who finds herself possessed by an assassin out for revenge. She agrees to help him finish his quest for vengeance from beyond the grave. Yes, we can confirm that is one of the highest concepts for an action movie you’ve ever read.

Directed by Kensuke Sonomura and starring Akari Takaishi,...

"Why don't you die?!" Well Go USA has revealed the official US trailer for a Japanese action thriller called Ghost Killer, arriving on VOD to watch later in July. It's from the same screenwriter behind the genre hits Baby Assassins, One-Percent Warrior, and Bad City. After playing Fantastic Fest and Sitges Film Festival last year, it's ready to launch in the US for everyone to enjoy. After being possessed by the ghost of vengeful hit man Kudo, college student Fumika Matsuoka agrees to help him finish his quest to get vengeance from beyond the grave. As Fumika struggles to handle her own problems, she gets to know Hideo, the ghost of the assassin following her around. The young woman decides to take revenge on the gangsters who killed her spectral friend and deal out some justice of her own along the way. Starring Akari Takaishi as Fumika, and Masanori Mimoto as Hideo Kudo,...

Two souls — one dead, the other deadly — unite for a vengeance-fueled mission in Ghost Killer.

The Japanese supernatural revenge thriller will be released on Digital July 22 before hitting 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on September 23 via Well Go USA.

Stunt coordinator Kensuke Sonomura (Resident Evil: Degeneration) directs from a script by Yugo Sakamoto (Baby Assassins).

When college student Fumika stumbles upon the bullet that ended hitman Kudo’s life, his vengeful spirit takes hold of her body. Now possessed by a ruthless assassin’s rage and skills, she becomes an unstoppable force, hunting down those responsible for his death. As the body count rises, the line between Fumika and Kudo begins to blur.

Akari Takaishi (Baby Assassins), Mario Kuroba (Sadako Dx), and Masanori Mimoto (Death Note) star.

Sora Inoue, Akaka Higashino, Naohiro Kawamoto, Hidenobu Abera, Naoto Kuratomi, Satoshi Kibe, Ryu Ichinose, Yasukaze Motomiya, Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi, Yoshimi Tachi, Takashi Kitadai,...

Netflix’s “Glass Heart,” a Japanese musical drama starring Takeru Satoh, is set to premiere globally on July 31.

The series stars Satoh (“First Love”) as Naoki Fujitani, the enigmatic frontman of fictional band Tenblank. The musical drama chronicles Fujitani’s artistic journey as he clashes with rival vocalist Toya Shinzaki (Masaki Suda) of competing band Over Chrome, while navigating the machinations of a powerful music industry producer.

Based on Mio Wakagi’s novel, the series follows drummer Akane Saijo after being ousted from her previous band just before their debut. She’s unexpectedly recruited by the brilliant but reclusive Fujitani to join Tenblank, where their rise to fame is complicated by personal secrets and industry challenges.

Satoh leads an ensemble that includes Keita Machida (“Alice in Borderland”) as guitarist Sho Takaoka, Jun Shison (“Yu Yu Hakusho”) as keyboardist Kazushi Sakamoto, and Yu Miyazaki as drummer Akane Saijo. In a commitment to authenticity,...

We’ve gotten our hands on an exclusive clip from the critically acclaimed anime drama, The Colors Within, which teases the dedication and level of detail that went into bringing this vibrant and uplifting story to life. Directed by Naoko Yamada (A Silent Voice: The Movie), written by Reiko Yoshida (The Cat Returns), and produced by the Japanese animation studio Science Saru, you can own The Colors Within on Blu-ray from May 27, courtesy of Gkids Films and Shout Factory.

The Colors Within features a voice cast led by Sayu Suzukawa as Totsuko Higurashi, a high school student who can see the 'colors' within others. The rest of the cast includes Akari Takaishi, Taisei Kido, Yasuko, Yui Aragaki, Aoi Yûki, Minako Kotobuki, and Keiko Toda. You can check out the official synopsis for The Colors Within alongside our exclusive clip below.

“Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the 'colors' of others.

South Korea’s Lyd is to handle international sales of upcoming Japanese drama On Summer Sand as it continues to expand its slate of non-Korean films.

The company, known for handling hit K-drama series including Mr. Queen and My Love From The Star, has also invested in the production and will handle non-theatrical distribution in Japan.

Prolific actor Joe Odagiri stars in the adaptation of an award-winning play of the same name by Masataka Matsuda.

Set in Nagasaki, Odagiri plays an unemployed man named Koura who is dealing with the loss of his four-year-old son and separation from his wife.

South Korea’s Lyd is to handle international sales of upcoming Japanese drama On Summer Sand as it continues to expand its slate of non-Korean films.

The company, known for handling hit K-drama series including Mr. Queen and My Love From The Star, has also invested in the production and will handle non-theatrical distribution in Japan.

Prolific actor Joe Odagiri stars in the adaptation of an award-winning play of the same name by Masataka Matsuda.

Set in Nagasaki, Odagiri plays an unemployed man named Koura who is dealing with the loss of his four-year-old son and separation from his wife.

At its heart, the very medium of cinema is about the relationship between light and sound – together, the right combination of wavelengths and frequencies can produce pure emotion. The Colors Within is a film that understands that symbiosis perfectly; a cine-synaesthetic coming-of-age anime that plays constantly with what is seen, heard and felt. It’s another evolution of filmmaker Naoko Yamada, whose previous works – including A Silent Voice and Liz And The Blue Bird – have also been school-set tales of teen drama with an aural fixation.

It’s another win, too, for Science Saru – previously behind Night Is Short, Walk On Girl and the Scott Pilgrim animated series – an anime studio with no house style, but a reputation for raising the bar. In its best and most daring moments, The Colors Within is gasp-worthy to look at – its central character, introverted Catholic school-girl Totsuko (Sayu Suzukawa), has the ability to see people’s auras,...

In much of today’s filmmaking, from superhero movies to TikTok videos, time is compressed, speeding the action along much faster than it could ever go in reality. In the animated worlds meticulously crafted by Japanese director Naoko Yamada, however, life moves gloriously, realistically slow. Schoolchildren walk at a measured pace, pausing outside their classrooms to remove shoes. A grandmother pushes the bridge of her glasses up her nose. A tram stops to let a single passenger off before slinking away again. It’s all in the service of expressing,...

Of all of the phrases that could begin a light-hearted animated film, the Serenity Prayer popularized by Alcoholics Anonymous is surely among the least likely. But “The Colors Within,” which opens with that plea for God to grant “the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,” is no ordinary animated film. It is directed by Naoko Yamada, whose work in anime series (“K-On!”) and films has established her as one of the medium’s most distinctive current voices. Fitting snugly into her oeuvre’s focus on youthful hopes and desires, the film follows a trio of teenagers as they form an ad hoc rock band, delving into their personal lives with a refreshingly low-key and compassionate touch.

The prayer in question is made by Totsuko (Sayu Suzukawa), a student at an all-girls Catholic high school in Japan. Since her early childhood, she has possessed a unique form of synesthesia...

If there is one thing that director Naoko Yamada and writer Reiko Yoshida understand about teenagers, it’s that their inner lives are much more nuanced than outward appearances might suggest. Following their superb anime films A Silent Voice and Liz And The Blue Bird, The Colors Within is perhaps...

The Apollo's Song science fiction manga by Osamu Tezuka will now be adapted into a live-action TV drama beginning on February 18, 2025, premiering on Mainichi Broadcasting System and Tokyo Broadcasting System in Japan. Ken Ninomiya will write and direct the series, starring Shori Sato as Shogo Chikaishi and Akari Takaishi as Hiromi Watari . Apollo's Song Teaser Trailer Shonen Gahosha serialized the original Apollo's Song manga in their Weekly Shonen King manga magazine in 1970. Vertical, Inc. originally published an English language version of the series, and describes the story as follows: Apollo’s Song follows the tragic journey of Shogo, a young man whose abusive childhood has instilled in him a loathing for love so profound he finds himself compelled to acts of violence when he is witness to any act of intimacy or affection whether by human or beast. His hate is such that the gods intervene, cursing Shogo to experience...

For director Naoko Yamada, creating a project from scratch for The Colors Within presented a big challenge but also the realization of a lifelong dream. “I love music and I’ve always wanted to form a band,” says Yamada. “In this way, I was able to form a band and present it to the whole world and that makes me really happy. My dream came true.”

The Colors Within follows Totsuko (Sayu Suzukawa), a young girl with the ability to see the color of someone’s heart. After being enthralled by the colors she sees in her new friends Kimi (Akari Takaishi) and Rui (Taisei Kido), the three decide to start a band. Yamada’s choice of colors for the three main characters was based on the primary colors that make up light – Totsuko as red, Kimi as blue and Rui as green.

Deadline: Where did the idea come from...

While the new anime of every year get plenty of attention, the new anime movies of every year are just as deserving of such. Whether they’re spinoffs or adaptations of popular anime or manga or original stories from celebrated directors, there are always great new anime movies to watch, and in many cases, they end up among the best pieces of animation a person can watch in their respective year.

Anime movies are almost always fun, and 2024 was no different. Dozens of incredible anime films were released worldwide in 2024, and according to major anime site Anime!Anime!, Japanese fans have officially chosen the 10 anime films they consider to be the best films of 2024. In most cases, the top 10 films are all among the most critically and financially successful anime films of 2024, and they’re all films any anime fan should watch as soon as they become available.

The Colors...

Japanese rock band Macaroni Empitsu released their latest digital single song "Saraba" ("If So") on January 3, 2025, and also posted the song's music video on their official YouTube channel . The song is now featured as the opening theme for the TV anime Blue Box 's ongoing second cour. Macaroni Empitsu "Saraba" Music Video The music video is directed by Motherfucko , known for her Mv works for popular J-pop artists such as Daichi Miura, Generation from Exile Tribe, CreepHyp, and Scandal. She said on the band's official website about this music video: "I created a story with two time lines: the members in their student days and the members who have grown older. I hope you enjoy the sad love story of their student days and the cool performance scenes. Please take a look at the many wonderful photos of their memories." "Saraba" digital jacket featuring actor Akari Takaishi Macaroni Empitsu artist...

"I want to express Kimi's 'color'. Kimi's color is very beautiful. And exciting." GKids has revealed another official US trailer for the beloved Japanese anime film called The Colors Within, the latest creation from filmmaker Naoko Yamada. She is one of the few female Japanese anime filmmakers and her last two films were A Silent Voice and Liz and the Blue Bird. In this new film, a girl who can see colors in people's hearts joins a band with two other people. The synesthete Totsuko can see others as colors. Honor student Kimi has dropped out of school but still pretends to attend for her grandmother's sake. They reunite and form a small band with Rui, who dreams of composing on analog synthesizers but whose mother expects him to become a doctor. Together, they find freedom, joy, and love. This first premiered at the 2024 Annecy Film Festival to rave reviews...

"Try to write a song about how you feel." GKids has revealed the main official US trailer for an acclaimed Japanese anime film titled The Colors Within, the latest creation from filmmaker Naoko Yamada. She is one of the few female Japanese anime filmmakers and her last two films were A Silent Voice and Liz and the Blue Bird. In this new film, a girl who can see colors in people's hearts joins a band with two other people. The synesthete Totsuko can see others as colors. Honor student Kimi has dropped out of school but still pretends to attend for her grandmother's sake. They reunite and form a small band with Rui, who dreams of composing on analog synthesizers but whose mother expects him to become a doctor. Together, they find freedom, joy, and love. This first premiered at the 2024 Annecy Film Festival to rave reviews and it opens...

Yugo Sakamoto's Baby Assassins franchise has carved a unique legacy as a bubbly-cute take on rough-and-tumble mercenary stories. No, it's not about literal newborn assassins (sigh). Chisato Sugimoto (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro Fukagawa (Saori Izawa) are young adults living snack-hungry Japanese lifestyles who also happen to be budding contract killers, and their first two endeavors are a riot. Baby Assassins Nice Days marks entry number three, and while Kensuke Sonomura's action choreography still packs a punch, the trilogy finisher shows weakness regarding the affable slacker goofs in between kick-ass showdowns.

Demon Slayer's live-action stage adaptation, titled Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Stage, has now finally become available to streamers internationally following its release on Crunchyroll. The musical initially ran in Japan from January-February 2020.

Per a press release, the live-action stage performance has become available for streaming with English subtitles in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand as of June 21, 2024. The stage adaptation sits at just under 2 hours and 40 minutes, starring Ryota Kobayashi as Tanjiro Kamado, Akari Takaishi as Nezuko Kamado, Keisuke Ueda as Zenitsu Agatsuma and Yugo Sato as Inosuke Hashibira.

Related Demon Slayer Serves Up Incredible Eats at Official Swordsmith Village-Inspired Restaurant

A full-out Demon Slayer dining experience based on the franchise's Swordsmith Village arc has been revealed with first-look food and drink images.

Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Stage Covers the First Half of the Anime's...

The live-action stage adaptation of the Shonen Jump hit Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is coming to Crunchyroll! Starting June 21, fans in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa can watch Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- the stage, which showcases Tanjiro and Nezuko’s story in a whole new way. Read on for everything you need to know about the premiere! Watch Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- the stage right here ! Demon Slayer -Kimetsu No Yaiba- the stage Release Date: June 21 at 11:30 a.m. Pt Territories: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa Synopsis: One day in Japan during the Taisho era, Tanjiro, a kind young man who sells coal, finds his family slaughtered by a demon. Worse yet, the only survivor, his younger sister Nezuko, is turned into a demon. Tanjiro makes up...

Critically acclaimed anime director Naoko Yamada, whose filmography includes the Sound! Euphonium series, Clannad, and K-On!, has us excited for her next work, which is set to come out this year. Kimi no Iro (Your Color) was initially set to be released in 2023, but the title has been delayed to 2024. Now, with the release of the film’s first trailer, we have also confirmed the premiere date for the movie, which is going to be August 30, 2024.

Kimi no Iro‘s fall 2023-to-summer 2024 delay upset some fans, but the movie is now on track to release in several months’ time, so fans can rejoice. The movie will follow high school student Totsuko, who has the ability to perceive the emotions of other people as colors. Because of this ability, she has to tread very lightly and tell white lies to other people to avoid darkening their colors, which is important to her.

A new trailer and key visual was revealed on March 18, 2024 for A Silent Voice director Naoko Yamada’s latest anime film, Kimi No Iro, which tells the story of a high school girl who can see people’s emotions as colors.

The movie, animated by Science Saru, will release in theatres in Japan on Aug 30, 2024. It was originally set to release in 2023, but then got delayed.

Check out the trailer and the key visual below.

Director Yamada, emphasizing the importance of the audience’s cinematic experience, elaborated on Kimi no Iro‘s core concept of “seeing people’s hearts through colors,” explaining, “It’s a very sensory concept, and to bring it to life as a visual experience, I consciously avoided verbalizing it. I wanted to express the protagonist Totsuko’s perception of the world through colors.”

Yamada mentioned the focus on effectively communicating the film’s worldview and core themes to the staff,...

Following a delay from its original Fall 2023 window, upcoming anime film Kimi no Iro ( Your Colors ) today announced a new premiere date of August 30, 2024 in Japan with the release of a special trailer and visual. A cast list stacked with newcomers was also revealed, including Sayu Suzukawa as Totsuko Higurashi, Akari Takaishi as Kimi Sakunaga, Taisei Kido as Louis Kagehira and Yui Aragaki as Sister Hiyoko, who are all introduced in the trailer below. 'Color' Visual Naoko Yamada helms the film as director and original creator at studio Science Saru, with a script by Reiko Yoshida ( Liz and the Blue Bird ), soundtrack by Kensuke Ushio ( The Heike Story ) and daisukerichard's original character designs adapted for animation by Takashi Kojima ( Ride Your Wave ), who also serves as animation director. Story inc., which has worked with Makoto Shinkai since Weathering With You , is planning and producing the film with Toho distributing the film in Japan.

Yugo Sakamoto’s Baby Assassins, which screened at the Glasgow Film Festival in 2022, told the story of two highly skilled but nevertheless adorable young assassins whose lives fall apart when their agency forces them to share a flat. The moment that we see Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa) again in this film, which screened as part of the 2024 festival, it’s obvious that the bond they formed back then has really blossomed. They are living in a gloriously untidy, candy-coloured paradise whose tables are piled high with sweets and desserts in which they indulge at every opportunity – but they’re still in good shape, of course, because they still work as contract killers.

They need to. Outside of their work, their disorganisation extends beyond the domestic sphere. An unpaid gym membership results in massive penalties from accrued fines and interest, landing them in hot water, and...

"You can bet on me." Well Go USA has revealed an official trailer for an action comedy sequel from Japan titled Baby Assassins 2, once again written and directed by Japanese action filmmaker Yugo Sakamoto. This is a follow-up to the 2021 film Baby Assassins, about two high school girls who also just so happen to be highly trained assassins. Apparently it was enough of a success they had to come back and make a sequel - with everyone returning for more. After the agency suspends its top assassins, aspiring hitmen decide to eliminate them—leading to a lightning-fast showdown between trained killers. Baby Assassins 2 brings back Akari Takaishi and the rising star and Snake Eyes and Rurouni Kenshin franchise stuntwoman Saori Izawa as the two leads - who try to stay alive. With Atomu Mizuishi, Tomo Nakai, Tsubasa Tobinaga, Tetsu Watanabe, Joey Tee, Oto Abe, and Tatsuomi Hamada. This played at...

Stars: Saori Izawa, Akari Takaishi, Tatsuomi Hamada, Iwanaga Joey, Junpei Hashino, Atom Mizuishi, Tsubasa Tobinaga | Written and Directed by Yugo Sakamoto

Two years ago, Yugo Sakamoto’s quirky action comedy Baby Assassins came out of nowhere and blew me away with its story of Mahiro and Chisato two high school girls who live secret lives as assassins.

Now the girls are back in Baby Assassins 2 Babies, and they haven’t gotten any better at dealing with day-to-day things like paying their bills. A gym membership that’s been collecting late fees for five years and their insurance needs to be paid immediately. But when robbers strike the bank as they’re trying to, they intervene and get suspended from the Assassin’s Guild for using their skills off the clock.

But finding another job to pay the bills is the least of their problems. Makoto and Yuri are looking...

Before being widely known through his two “Baby Assassins” movies, Yugo Sakamoto has also shot a grittier, somewhat darker movie, “The Janitor”, who still implements, though, the chaotic narrative approach his later movies included.

on Hi-Yah!

The titular character is actually Akira Fukami, a man whose father was murdered and was taken in by his sworn blood brother, Majima, a yakuza leader who trained Fukami into becoming his most formidable assassin. As the movie begins, and as a side job, the young man poses as a janitor in a high school where Majima’s daughter, Yui is attending, secretly functioning as her bodyguard. Despite some issues here and there, his life proceeds smoothly, until Majima announces that he wants to take his business to Hong Kong. This enrages one of the underbosses, Nishimori, who immediately starts plotting to have him killed, using Fukami, to whom he reveals...

Hot off the Japanese action-comedy hijinks of 2021's "Baby Assassins" is writer and director Yugo Sakamoto's "Baby Assassins 2" (alternately titled "Baby Assassins: 2 Babies"). No, this isn't about toddlers with katanas accepting mercenary contracts. Sakamoto continues his story about an odd couple of trained assassins who'd rather be gorging on ice cream sundaes than pulverizing gangsters with a very slacker-humor vibe. Action can feel like an "afterthought" earlier on, but that's not a forever choice nor a detriment. "Baby Assassins 2" is as much a commentary about Japanese youths struggling to find work and nonsense bureaucracy as a flurry of furious fists, both of which find their place in this offbeat, uptempo, and quite funny sequel.

Returning as Sakamoto's "Babies" are Chisato (Akari Takaishi) and Mahiro (Saori Izawa), roommates with contradictory personalities shaped into expert killers. The excessively cutesy and squee Chisato discovers they haven't paid their gym membership in roughly four years,...

Highly skilled assassins lying in wait and trying to live a normal life have recently been portrayed to commercial success in cinema of late. When it comes to Japanese cinema, two such recent productions that immediately come spring to mind are “The Fable” and “Baby Assassins”. Since the former did get a sequel, which was also well received by the audience, it was only a matter of time that Yugo Sakamoto's action comedy about two young female assassins also got a sequel of its own. Two years since the release of the first and we are back in the world of our awkward but highly skilled pair of killing machines.

Tokyo Uber Blues is screening at Nippon Connection

Since we last saw them fighting and winning against the Yakuza, Mahiro and Chisato have become elite, high-ranking killers within the Guild but most importantly, they have learnt to live with...

Strip away the politics and the grander discourses resonating from their collective cerebral cortex, movies engross and enchant; molding and inspiring younger impressionable minds, the cinematic audiovisual experience is an exhilarating tour-de-force of mind-bending effects and inimitable panache. Sat in a movie theatre with eyes glued to the screen awash in pure wonderment is the future, a myriad of potential creatives who will never forget their first time of becoming speechless at the big screen. It is a fertile time when untamed and unfiltered bewilderment possesses those hearts and minds in lieu of the irrational realities that will one day take its place for so many. For Kazuya Konaka, nothing would ever be the same again once he would emerge from a movie theater in 1978 after witnessing a groundbreaking achievement in the arts, filled with hopes of one day fulfilling his own; with ‘Single8' Konaka relives a time of...

"May the syrup be tasty!" Well Go USA is releasing this Japanese action comedy on VOD & DVD starting tomorrow - this trailer dropped a few weeks ago but we're only catching up with it now. Baby Assassins is a hitwoman action comedy from Japan directed by filmmaker Yugo Sakamoto. Chisato and Mahilo are two high school girls who are about to graduate. They also happen to both be highly skilled assassins. When the organization they work for orders them to share a room, the relationship between them turns sour. This "badass new martial arts action-comedy" is directed by Hugo Sakamoto and it stars the inimitable Akari Takaishi, the rising star and Snake Eyes and Rurouni Kenshin franchise stuntwoman Saori Izawa, and the lightning-fast Masanori Mimoto—now available to watch early, exclusively on Hi-yah! - if you prefer streaming. This definitely looks like fun, but it really does have a direct-to-video vibe about it.

What do assassins do in their downtime when they are not taking contract hits? This is a question that has often perplexed viewers and now, director Yugo Sakamoto attempts to answer it in “Baby Assassins”, surprisingly one of his three directing credits from last year.

on Amazon

Mahiro and Chisato are two high school graduates who, like every other girl their age, are on the lookout of securing and surviving at a part-time job. Unlike most girls their age though, they’re both assassins for hire, working as a team for an organisation that insists that they share an apartment with each other till they turn twenty. The two work well as a duo on assignments but living together is a different game altogether, as Mahiro is a self-confessed sociopath whereas Chisato is a bubbly, cheery extrovert. While the two try to work their differences out and make their living situation work,...

(l-r) Akari Takaishi and Saori Izawa take down a target in Baby Assassins. Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

Due to a recent Supreme Court decision, one might be oriented towards assuming the Baby Assassins title denotes a right-to-life documentary. Not even close. This is a subtitled Japanese dramedy about two teenaged girls who moonlight as hit persons. Upon graduation from high school, their bosses make them share an apartment and find regular jobs to appear like normal members of society, deflecting suspicions about how they really make a living. That sets up a Felix-and-Oscar type of pairing for sharing quarters. Awkward, with a mild touch of humor.

Akari Takaishi plays an upbeat brunette with enough charm to work at a themed restaurant that requires its waitresses to exude all the giggly girlish energy one could generate for the patrons. It makes the pressure on Jennifer Aniston to display “flair...

The independent circuit is always a unique area of the entertainment industry to explore, as many amazing movies come from indie filmmaking. It is also appealing, considering many experimental projects are created and have satisfactory results. Yet, not all these features are hits; some are misses. There can be appreciation for a film with the effort attempted onscreen but being left cold with the flick as a whole. Sadly, this is the case with beautifully shot but heavily flawed “Distant Thunder,”

“Distant Thunder” is screening at Skip City International D-Cinema Festival

The fear of the end of the world looms over society, particularly because of the writings of astrologer Nostradamus. It seems the end is approaching with a meteorite expected to hit Japan soon. Following the death of their father, three sisters named Ayane, Kanon, and Oto, reunite to reconnect with one another. This turns out to be more awkward than expected,...

Working the cash register at a convenience store? Cooking food at a nondescript diner? Serving up sweets and smiles at a maid café? For cheerful Chisato and mopey Mahiro, two teenage girls with opposing personalities, the options for the part-time work they seek aren’t all that appealing. After all, they’re already making good money as a pair of ruthlessly efficient killers for hire. The policy of their shadowy employer, however, requires that upon graduation from high school, they each develop a cover story. That means sharing an apartment and finding menial jobs. At the same time, they’ve run afoul of a psychopathic yakuza boss and his bratty son and daughter. As the conflict escalates and the blood starts to flow, will Chisato and Mahiro get the job done?

As startling and ferocious as it is hilarious and endearing, the second feature film from writer/director Hugo Sakamoto...