TikTok creators are voicing their opposition to the U.S. government’s regulatory plans. As the Senate considers a proposal that would force ByteDance to divest its popular video app, 17 TikTokers have signed an open letter that urges President Biden to reconsider.
The open letter includes five talking points that underscore TikTok’s contributions to the creator economy. The signees pushed back on arguments made by TikTok’s opponents by celebrating their open expression on the app and the financial support they’ve received from it. They also warned the president not to antagonize TikTok’s Gen Z audience during an election year; while older consumers may see the app as a security risk, its younger users “do not feel endangered” and do not believe Congressional distrust is warranted.
The signees cited Project Texas as evidence that TikTok is taking security concerns seriously, and they stressed that they would continue to support the app.
The open letter includes five talking points that underscore TikTok’s contributions to the creator economy. The signees pushed back on arguments made by TikTok’s opponents by celebrating their open expression on the app and the financial support they’ve received from it. They also warned the president not to antagonize TikTok’s Gen Z audience during an election year; while older consumers may see the app as a security risk, its younger users “do not feel endangered” and do not believe Congressional distrust is warranted.
The signees cited Project Texas as evidence that TikTok is taking security concerns seriously, and they stressed that they would continue to support the app.
- 4/16/2024
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Fall 2024 is looking to be a busy season, and one of the many series vying for Autumnal Supremacy is Mecha-Ude . The anime revealed plans for an October 2024 premiere along with the launch of a new trailer at its AnimeJapan 2024 stage event. Check out some stylish action with a dash of comedy in the video below. Mecha-Ude Anime 2nd Trailer There are also three more cast members , including: Sinis & Dex voiced by Kaito Ishikawa (Tobio Kageyama in Haikyu!! ) Tohdoh voiced by Amatsuki (Kei Miyama in Paradox Live The Animation ) Aljis voiced by Hiroki Tochi (Bard in Black Butler ) Additional staff members were announced , too: Sound Director: Takeshi Takadera 3Dcg Director: Shota Kawamura Related: Mecha-Ude Anime Series Premieres in 2024 As previously reported, the staff and cast for the series include: Original Concept and Director: Okamoto Series Composition: Yasuhiro Nakanishi, TriF Character Design: Terumi Nishii, Yoko Uchida Mecha-Ude Design, Concept Art: Nurikabe Music: Kohta Yamamoto,...
- 3/24/2024
- by Joseph Luster
- Crunchyroll
More music videos are dropping on Crunchyroll today following the packed releases last month , featuring songs from Shangri-La Frontier, Undead Unluck and more! Read on for the full list of the March music video releases. Fzmz feat. icy (including the Shangri-La Frontier opening theme ) Krage (including the Heaven Official’s Blessing Season 2 Japanese dub ending theme ) Masaki Suda Nami Tamaki Okamoto'S (including the Undead Unluck ending theme ) Sangatsu No Phantasia Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku (including the Mashle: Magic And Muscles ending theme ) Sora Amamiya Regallily Rei Yasuda...
- 3/7/2024
- by Crunchyroll Official
- Crunchyroll
“Blue Christmas,” also known as “Blood Type: Blue,” is an underrated gem. Conceived when tokusatsu had phased out in popularity and American blockbusters like George Lucas's “Star Wars” were the craze, Toho aimed to make a picture light on special effects and more centered on allegory. The premise is based on the story “UFO Blue Christmas” by So Kuramoto, who was recruited as the screenwriter. Okamoto was chosen to direct, and despite his dislike of tokusatsu media, he was no stranger to social commentary throughout his filmography. Hence, he was a fitting choice. The creative liberties resulted in a sci-fi feature that explores societal prejudice with the juxtaposition of Christmas time as a backdrop. While the picture was initially a critical and financial failure upon release, it went on to gain a cult following. Nowadays, the film is more highly received in Japan, though it is still heavily underseen internationally.
- 12/22/2023
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
The film marks the first original feature produced by the Japanese media platform.
Chime, the upcoming film from Japanese auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa, has been set as the first original production of media platform Roadstead and will be released exclusively on the platform in 2024.
Kurosawa, who won best director at Venice in 2020 with Wife Of A Spy, shot the film in September in Tokyo. It stars Mutsuo Yoshioka as a schoolteacher whose life is disrupted by a chime that brings with it an increasing sense of dread.
It marks the first film produced by Roadstead, a media platform that was launched in December 2022 by Nekojarashi,...
Chime, the upcoming film from Japanese auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa, has been set as the first original production of media platform Roadstead and will be released exclusively on the platform in 2024.
Kurosawa, who won best director at Venice in 2020 with Wife Of A Spy, shot the film in September in Tokyo. It stars Mutsuo Yoshioka as a schoolteacher whose life is disrupted by a chime that brings with it an increasing sense of dread.
It marks the first film produced by Roadstead, a media platform that was launched in December 2022 by Nekojarashi,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
“Battle Cry” is a very interesting film for Kihachi Okamoto. Considering that his most famous works in the beginning of the 60s, “Samurai Assassin” and “The Sword of Doom”, even though were critical of Bushido, were also chanbara epics, the fact that later in his career, he decided to mock the exact concept, comes as a surprise, particularly because he seems to mock his filmic past. Atg was the place to do so at the time, and after “The Human Bullet” which satirized WW2, Okamoto came up with “Battle Cry”, which does the same thing with the military phase of the Meiji Restoration of 1868.
Follow our coverage of Art Theatre Guild by clicking on the image below
The movie begins with a narrator that talks about a thug with a penis like a horse, instigating that this will be his story. The person in question is Sentaro, and as the movie begins,...
Follow our coverage of Art Theatre Guild by clicking on the image below
The movie begins with a narrator that talks about a thug with a penis like a horse, instigating that this will be his story. The person in question is Sentaro, and as the movie begins,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
San Francisco, CA—Digital manga subscription service Azuki has exclusively licensed Yoshino Koyoka's manga adaptation of fan-favorite sci-fi action anime Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms for English release outside Asian territories. The first two chapters will launch on July 2, 2023 and will be available via the Azuki website and iOS and Android apps, and new chapters will launch every Wednesday thereafter. Mecha-Ude will be available to read worldwide except Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. The official synopsis is below:
Kitakagami City is a pretty normal town… except that some people have gotten their hands on Mecha-Ude: powerful, sentient mechanical beings attached to the limbs of their hosts. When middle school kid Hikaru accidentally activates Alma, a mysterious Mecha-Ude with no memory of his past, he forms an unlikely connection with the talking arm. But where did Alma come from? And why are shadowy secret organizations and corporate assassins with...
Kitakagami City is a pretty normal town… except that some people have gotten their hands on Mecha-Ude: powerful, sentient mechanical beings attached to the limbs of their hosts. When middle school kid Hikaru accidentally activates Alma, a mysterious Mecha-Ude with no memory of his past, he forms an unlikely connection with the talking arm. But where did Alma come from? And why are shadowy secret organizations and corporate assassins with...
- 6/22/2023
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life Of Pi on Jun 11th! Life Of Pi, which won Best Lighting Design of a Play, Best Scenic Design of a Play, and Best Sound Design of a Play, is the first Broadway play with a majority South Asian cast/creative team to win 3 Tony Awards.
Life Of Pi is an epic tale of adventure that is “giving new life to Broadway” (The Today Show). After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions— a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger. This remarkable story of hope, faith, and perseverance speaks to every generation. Told through incomparable puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, Life Of Pi creates a visually breathtaking journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy.
By Matthew Murphy...
Life Of Pi is an epic tale of adventure that is “giving new life to Broadway” (The Today Show). After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions— a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger. This remarkable story of hope, faith, and perseverance speaks to every generation. Told through incomparable puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, Life Of Pi creates a visually breathtaking journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy.
By Matthew Murphy...
- 6/14/2023
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Takeshi Kitano, arguably Japan’s most recognizable entertainer, has weighed in on the sexual abuse scandal that has shaken the country’s multibillion-dollar media landscape.
Since March, a long-delayed reckoning has been brewing in the country’s entertainment industry. For decades, rumors of rampant sexual abuse had swirled around Johnny Kitagawa, the founder of Johnny & Associates (locally known as just “Johnny’s”), Japan’s dominant talent agency for young male stars. But it wasn’t until the BBC aired an in-depth documentary examining the allegations — Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-pop — that Japanese media have begun to cautiously cover the scandal. In recent weeks, several other male idols have come forward with allegations that they were sexually assaulted by Kitagawa when they were boys, and the company’s current management has issued an unprecedented apology.
The Hollywood Reporter asked Kitano for his thoughts on the growing outcry during an...
Since March, a long-delayed reckoning has been brewing in the country’s entertainment industry. For decades, rumors of rampant sexual abuse had swirled around Johnny Kitagawa, the founder of Johnny & Associates (locally known as just “Johnny’s”), Japan’s dominant talent agency for young male stars. But it wasn’t until the BBC aired an in-depth documentary examining the allegations — Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-pop — that Japanese media have begun to cautiously cover the scandal. In recent weeks, several other male idols have come forward with allegations that they were sexually assaulted by Kitagawa when they were boys, and the company’s current management has issued an unprecedented apology.
The Hollywood Reporter asked Kitano for his thoughts on the growing outcry during an...
- 5/25/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski and Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By the time the samurai film genre, along with Japanese cinema itself, announced its presence on the global stage at the dawn of the 1950s with Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, thousands of tales featuring the legendary warriors had already been filmed. Their popularity has experienced peaks and troughs in the 70 years since, but samurai have never come close to disappearing from the screen.
Now a new crop of productions explore themes both novel and traditional and are taking fresh perspectives and interpretations on the genre. Meanwhile, 21st-century technology, retellings of classic stories and protagonists with modern sensibilities promise to find new audiences for the world of topknot-wearing, sword-wielding warriors.
Part of the appeal of the samurai film is the thematic diversity and vast historical era that the genre spans. Rashomon was unusual not just for its seminal narrative structure but also for its setting in the 11th century, the early days of the samurai.
Now a new crop of productions explore themes both novel and traditional and are taking fresh perspectives and interpretations on the genre. Meanwhile, 21st-century technology, retellings of classic stories and protagonists with modern sensibilities promise to find new audiences for the world of topknot-wearing, sword-wielding warriors.
Part of the appeal of the samurai film is the thematic diversity and vast historical era that the genre spans. Rashomon was unusual not just for its seminal narrative structure but also for its setting in the 11th century, the early days of the samurai.
- 5/16/2023
- by Gavin Blair
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The current president of Johnny & Associates, possibly Japan’s most fearsome talent agency, has formally apologized for sexual abuses allegedly committed by her uncle and agency founder, Johnny Kitagawa, against young male talents.
Kitagawa died in 2019, age 87. But an expose aired by the BBC in March this year and personal testimony by former Johnny’s talent Okamoto Kauan at a Tokyo press conference last month, brought matters into the public eye. Okamoto alleged that Kitagawa had repeatedly abused him and others.
Japanese media, which had maintained a general, if not universal, silence about Kitagawa’s alleged abuses for decades, has recently been stirred up by the accusations.
Johnny’s president, ‘Julie’ Fujishima Keiko, said published video statement on Sunday and posted it to the agency website. “We sincerely apologize for the disappointment and anxiety this has caused,” she said.
She added the agency has been conducting its own investigation,...
Kitagawa died in 2019, age 87. But an expose aired by the BBC in March this year and personal testimony by former Johnny’s talent Okamoto Kauan at a Tokyo press conference last month, brought matters into the public eye. Okamoto alleged that Kitagawa had repeatedly abused him and others.
Japanese media, which had maintained a general, if not universal, silence about Kitagawa’s alleged abuses for decades, has recently been stirred up by the accusations.
Johnny’s president, ‘Julie’ Fujishima Keiko, said published video statement on Sunday and posted it to the agency website. “We sincerely apologize for the disappointment and anxiety this has caused,” she said.
She added the agency has been conducting its own investigation,...
- 5/15/2023
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
Former pop musician Kauan Okamoto has alleged that he was sexually abused by famed Japanese music producer Johnny Kitagawa.
Kitagawa, who died in 2019, was previously accused of abuse by a number of others, the details of which formed the basis of a BBC documentary in March.
According to Okamoto, he had been abused by Kitagawa up to 20 times between 2012 and 2016, from the age of 15, when he was the member of a boy band (per BBC News).
The Japanese-Brazillian musician also alleged that as many as 100 boys could have been abused by Kitagawa.
During his life, Kitagawa denied all allegations and never faced criminal charges.
Okamoto, now 26, released a statement detailing his claims after watching Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop on the BBC. In the documentary, it is claimed that multiple alleged victims told the broadcaster that they feared career reprisals if they didn’t go along with Kitagawa’s advances.
Kitagawa, who died in 2019, was previously accused of abuse by a number of others, the details of which formed the basis of a BBC documentary in March.
According to Okamoto, he had been abused by Kitagawa up to 20 times between 2012 and 2016, from the age of 15, when he was the member of a boy band (per BBC News).
The Japanese-Brazillian musician also alleged that as many as 100 boys could have been abused by Kitagawa.
During his life, Kitagawa denied all allegations and never faced criminal charges.
Okamoto, now 26, released a statement detailing his claims after watching Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop on the BBC. In the documentary, it is claimed that multiple alleged victims told the broadcaster that they feared career reprisals if they didn’t go along with Kitagawa’s advances.
- 4/13/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Music
Japanese singer and songwriter Okamoto Kauan — a former client of the Johnny & Associates agency — has alleged that agency founder and long-time head Johnny Kitagawa committed numerous acts of sexual abuse against him and others.
Kitagawa, who died at 87 in July 2019, trained, launched and promoted many of Japan’s biggest male idol groups, beginning in the 1960s. Some of his main stars include Smap, Arashi and Kinki Kids. His agency remains one of the country’s most powerful, with the ability to boost ratings and box office takings through its national and international talent roster.
Okamoto levelled the allegations during a Tokyo press conference on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, he said that Kitagawa abused him “15 to 20 times” during his four-year stint at the agency, beginning in 2012 when Okamoto was 15. At the time, he was a member of Johnny’s Jr., a group of...
Kitagawa, who died at 87 in July 2019, trained, launched and promoted many of Japan’s biggest male idol groups, beginning in the 1960s. Some of his main stars include Smap, Arashi and Kinki Kids. His agency remains one of the country’s most powerful, with the ability to boost ratings and box office takings through its national and international talent roster.
Okamoto levelled the allegations during a Tokyo press conference on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, he said that Kitagawa abused him “15 to 20 times” during his four-year stint at the agency, beginning in 2012 when Okamoto was 15. At the time, he was a member of Johnny’s Jr., a group of...
- 4/12/2023
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
When a character promises a life story so inspirational it’ll make a believer of an atheist, the tale better come through on some big-time convincing. Life of Pi, Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaption of Yann Martel’s heart-tugging 2001 novel opening tonight at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, won’t likely be churning out any religious converts, but renewed faith in the art of puppetry is all but guaranteed.
Starring the winning young actor Hiran Abeysekera, reprising his Olivier Award-winning London turn as the title character, Life of Pi, directed by Max Webster, sticks closer to the novel than to Ang Lee’s 2012 film adaptation, building the plot around a maritime investigation rather than the writing of a book – and, of course, replacing CGI beasties with enough fully articulated life-size puppets to populate a zoo, or at least a lifeboat. All aboard, at one time or another, are a hyena,...
Starring the winning young actor Hiran Abeysekera, reprising his Olivier Award-winning London turn as the title character, Life of Pi, directed by Max Webster, sticks closer to the novel than to Ang Lee’s 2012 film adaptation, building the plot around a maritime investigation rather than the writing of a book – and, of course, replacing CGI beasties with enough fully articulated life-size puppets to populate a zoo, or at least a lifeboat. All aboard, at one time or another, are a hyena,...
- 3/31/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling stage adaption of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life Of Pi will premiere at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street) in March! The five-time Olivier Award-winning, Life Of Pi, begins performances Thursday, March 9, 2023, and opens Thursday, March 30, 2023.
Based on one of the best-loved works of fiction – winner of the Man Booker Prize, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide – Life Of Pi is a breath-taking new theatrical adaptation of an epic journey of endurance and hope.
After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them; nature is harsh. Who will survive?
The cast for the Broadway production has been announced and it includes some of the cast from the original London West End production.
Based on one of the best-loved works of fiction – winner of the Man Booker Prize, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide – Life Of Pi is a breath-taking new theatrical adaptation of an epic journey of endurance and hope.
After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them; nature is harsh. Who will survive?
The cast for the Broadway production has been announced and it includes some of the cast from the original London West End production.
- 2/11/2023
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
Alongside Bloober Team, the rest of the Silent Hill 2 remake team at Konami is making the rounds, spreading the good news about the game. IGN sat down with Silent Hill series producer Motoi Okamoto, as well as Silent Hill 2 concept artist Masahiro Ito and composer Akira Yamaoka to discuss the project, including the decision to go with Bloober Team as developer.
According to Okamoto, Konami settled on remaking Silent Hill 2 over the original due to SH2 being “the true psychological horror” identity of the series. “We decided that if the brand’s identity is true psychological horror, we needed to start by remaking Silent Hill 2. There were of course some people inside the company who thought it would be better to start with 1, but I wanted to start this project with something that symbolizes this identity.”‘
Okamoto elaborated, saying that during the time that Konami was discussing the revival of the series,...
According to Okamoto, Konami settled on remaking Silent Hill 2 over the original due to SH2 being “the true psychological horror” identity of the series. “We decided that if the brand’s identity is true psychological horror, we needed to start by remaking Silent Hill 2. There were of course some people inside the company who thought it would be better to start with 1, but I wanted to start this project with something that symbolizes this identity.”‘
Okamoto elaborated, saying that during the time that Konami was discussing the revival of the series,...
- 1/16/2023
- by Mike Wilson
- bloody-disgusting.com
Just last week, it was announced that Synnøve Macody Lund (Ragnarok), Steven Brand (The Sandman), and Michael Beach (Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story) had joined Saw franchise star Tobin Bell in the cast of the tenth installment in the series (we’re calling it Saw X), which has been filming in Mexico City for several weeks. Now we have more casting news to share, as it has been revealed that Renata Vaca (Pedal to Medal), Paulette Hernandez (Crown of Tears), Joshua Okamoto (Control-z), and Octavio Hinojosa (How to Survive Being Single) are also in the film.
Details on the characters Vaca, Hernandez, Okamoto, and Hinojosa will be playing are, of course, being kept under wraps. It has been said that Shawnee Smith might be reprising the role of Amanda Young in Saw X, but her involvement still hasn’t been confirmed.
Saw VI and Saw: The Final Chapter...
Details on the characters Vaca, Hernandez, Okamoto, and Hinojosa will be playing are, of course, being kept under wraps. It has been said that Shawnee Smith might be reprising the role of Amanda Young in Saw X, but her involvement still hasn’t been confirmed.
Saw VI and Saw: The Final Chapter...
- 12/14/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Renata Vaca (Midnight Family), Paulette Hernandez (Crown of Tears), Joshua Okamoto (Vgly) and Octavio Hinojosa (How to Survive Being Single) are the newest additions to the cast of the 10th Saw film from Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures.
The local leads for the film shooting in Mexico City are joined in the ensemble by the previously announced Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand and Michael Beach, as well as the billion-dollar horror franchise’s Jigsaw Killer, Tobin Bell. Veteran Saw cast member Shawnee Smith is also circling the project, as we told you last week.
Plot details for the film, currently in production, are under wraps. But franchise veteran Kevin Greuter has returned as director, after helming Saw VI and Saw: The Final Chapter, and editing Saw I through V and Jigsaw. The film slated for release on October 27, 2023 is being overseen at Lionsgate by Jason Constantine, Eda Kowan and Jonah Leach.
The local leads for the film shooting in Mexico City are joined in the ensemble by the previously announced Synnøve Macody Lund, Steven Brand and Michael Beach, as well as the billion-dollar horror franchise’s Jigsaw Killer, Tobin Bell. Veteran Saw cast member Shawnee Smith is also circling the project, as we told you last week.
Plot details for the film, currently in production, are under wraps. But franchise veteran Kevin Greuter has returned as director, after helming Saw VI and Saw: The Final Chapter, and editing Saw I through V and Jigsaw. The film slated for release on October 27, 2023 is being overseen at Lionsgate by Jason Constantine, Eda Kowan and Jonah Leach.
- 12/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Even if you don’t know Nadya Okamoto‘s name, there’s a good chance if you’re on TikTok, you’ve seen her work, or more specifically, intimate details about her life, career, and menstrual cycle. Okamoto wants to change how the world thinks about periods — but it’s a bloody fight.
Okamoto, 24, has been a CEO, a Harvard graduate, a published author, a L’Oreal Women of Worth honoree, a TEDxPortland speaker, a Teen Vogue 21 under 21, and founder of one of the biggest global youth-run non profits. But...
Okamoto, 24, has been a CEO, a Harvard graduate, a published author, a L’Oreal Women of Worth honoree, a TEDxPortland speaker, a Teen Vogue 21 under 21, and founder of one of the biggest global youth-run non profits. But...
- 11/22/2022
- by CT Jones
- Rollingstone.com
Akiko Ooku is a Japanese film director, born in 1968 in Yokohama. She studied political sciences at Meiji University, but soon decided to switch to studying film at Eigabi School. Her movies often depict neurotic women in their 30s and the realities of huge corporations. She achieved her breakthrough in 2017 with “Tremble All You Want”, shown at many international festivals.
On the occasion of “Sweet Grappa Remedies” screening at Five Flavours, we speak with her about grappa, women dating in their 40s, her latest movie, “Wedding High” and many other topics.
My Sweet Grappa Remedies screening at Five Flavours
Do you like sweet grappa? That is why you gave this title to the film?
Of course! The Japanese title is actually more like “Sweet Alcohol” and I was not sure what the specific alcohol could be. However, when I went to Udine during the spring, I tasted grappa, and I felt...
On the occasion of “Sweet Grappa Remedies” screening at Five Flavours, we speak with her about grappa, women dating in their 40s, her latest movie, “Wedding High” and many other topics.
My Sweet Grappa Remedies screening at Five Flavours
Do you like sweet grappa? That is why you gave this title to the film?
Of course! The Japanese title is actually more like “Sweet Alcohol” and I was not sure what the specific alcohol could be. However, when I went to Udine during the spring, I tasted grappa, and I felt...
- 11/22/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Akiko Ooku continues her portrayal of Japanese women in her newest feature “My Sweet Grappa Remedies”. Looking at her filmography, the director seems to be going for a franchise about the different stages of female adulthood. In 2017 she started with “Tremble All You Want” about a 20-year-old girl, which was followed by “Marriage Hunting Beauty” (2019) about the dating jungle of a 30 something woman. This movie focuses on a woman in her 40s.
“My Sweet Grappa Remedies“ is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
Yasuko Matsuyuki (“Fullmetal Alchemist” 2017), prominently known for being the face of many TV ads in the 90s, plays single part-time employee Yoshiko. Although single, Yoshiko is happy with her life, documenting everything in her diary and going out with her co-worker Wakabayashi, who is embodied by Haru Kuroki (“The Antique” 2018). The love interest comes into play with Shimizu Hiroya (“Liverleaf” 2018) as junior colleague Okamoto, who is 24 years younger than Yoshiko.
“My Sweet Grappa Remedies“ is screening at Five Flavours Asian Film Festival
Yasuko Matsuyuki (“Fullmetal Alchemist” 2017), prominently known for being the face of many TV ads in the 90s, plays single part-time employee Yoshiko. Although single, Yoshiko is happy with her life, documenting everything in her diary and going out with her co-worker Wakabayashi, who is embodied by Haru Kuroki (“The Antique” 2018). The love interest comes into play with Shimizu Hiroya (“Liverleaf” 2018) as junior colleague Okamoto, who is 24 years younger than Yoshiko.
- 11/22/2022
- by Alexander Knoth
- AsianMoviePulse
While the chambara genre is generally associated with the likes of Akira Kurosawa and many others, the name of director Kihachi Okamoto is mentioned only occasionally, even though he probably made some of the most important entries into the genre. With titles such as “Seven Samurai” and “Rashomon” being associated with the samurai film, Okamoto would add a unique spin to the genre with often acidic and laconic humor or a world view which reflects the dark times his home country had to go through at the time his features were made. Some of his most influential works include “The Sword of Doom”, “The Human Bullet” and “Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo”, his entry into the popular “Zatoichi”-franchise, whereas his 1968 feature “Kill!” perhaps best sums up what constitutes Okamoto’s cinema.
Kill! is screening at Japan Society
In 1833 two men, Genta (Tatsuya Nakadai) and Hanjiro (Etsushi Takahashi) arrive in the town of Joshu.
Kill! is screening at Japan Society
In 1833 two men, Genta (Tatsuya Nakadai) and Hanjiro (Etsushi Takahashi) arrive in the town of Joshu.
- 8/26/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Japan Society is pleased to announce its fall lineup for Monthly Classics and Monthly Anime, kicking off on September 2, 2022 with a 35mm screening of Kihachi Okamoto’s satirical chambara, “Kill!”. 2006 anime classic “Tekkonkinkreet” will screen on September 16, featuring a Q&a with screenwriter Anthony Weintraub (“The Animatrix”). For October, Hideo Nakata’s 90s J-horror classic “Ringu” screens on October 7th followed by Mamoru Oshii’s rarely-screened 1985 ethereal masterpiece “Angel’s Egg” on October 14th. Monthly Anime continues on November 4th with a 35mm screening of Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved “My Neighbor Totoro”.
Tickets: 15/12 students and seniors /5 Japan Society members.
Lineup and other details are subject to change.For complete information visit japansociety.org.
Kill!
Friday, September 2, 2022 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Kihachi Okamoto, 1968, 114 min, 35mm, b&w. With Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Yuriko Hoshi.
Kihachi Okamoto’s darkly satirical chambara opens in the midst of a pummeling windstorm on the outskirts...
Tickets: 15/12 students and seniors /5 Japan Society members.
Lineup and other details are subject to change.For complete information visit japansociety.org.
Kill!
Friday, September 2, 2022 at 7:00 Pm
Dir. Kihachi Okamoto, 1968, 114 min, 35mm, b&w. With Tatsuya Nakadai, Etsushi Takahashi, Yuriko Hoshi.
Kihachi Okamoto’s darkly satirical chambara opens in the midst of a pummeling windstorm on the outskirts...
- 8/20/2022
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
“Shin Ultraman” wouldn’t be the first time filmmakers Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi reimagined a popular tokusatsu character. A few years prior, they gave audiences “Shin Godzilla,” an alternate title for the feature being “Godzilla Resurgence.” It is a film that is not only an entertaining monster flick but a suspenseful political thriller with clever commentary. Also reinstated are the themes of the original “Godzilla” directed by Ishiro Honda on the horrors of nuclear warfare. In conjunction with that is satire inspired by the Japanese government’s poor handling of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.
Japan is thrust into panic and chaos when a giant creature appears and starts causing destruction. The beast is referred to as Godzilla, and it is constantly evolving. The government works to prevent further catastrophe while overcoming bureaucratic red tape. The story is simple but engaging, balancing humor...
Japan is thrust into panic and chaos when a giant creature appears and starts causing destruction. The beast is referred to as Godzilla, and it is constantly evolving. The government works to prevent further catastrophe while overcoming bureaucratic red tape. The story is simple but engaging, balancing humor...
- 8/13/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
Filmmaker Kihachi Okamoto, throughout his career, made it abundantly clear he hated war. He experienced the horrors on the battlefield firsthand during World War II and forever was disgusted by the atrocities committed by the Empire of Japan. Okamoto’s war movies boast an anti-war mindset while blending tragedy with dark comedy. His early projects, such as “Desperado Outpost,” primarily showed the director’s sense of humor, with western inspired elements thrown into the mix. Over time, these projects became more grounded and progressively darker. “Fort Graveyard” tells the tragic story of musician youths forced into combat, and “Japan’s Longest Day” recounts the terrifying final hours before the country’s surrender during the Second World War. With his ambitious and brutal epic “Battle of Okinawa,” audiences are reminded war spares no one.
Even with the budgetary issues the Japanese film industry was plagued with at the time, Okamoto would not be stopped.
Even with the budgetary issues the Japanese film industry was plagued with at the time, Okamoto would not be stopped.
- 8/5/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
The psychological effect war has on the human mind is unimaginable. Following the end of World War II, many anti-war projects would come out of the Japanese entertainment industry from visionaries like Kon Ichikawa, Kaneto Shindo, and Masaki Kobayashi. Jingoistic propaganda was no longer as common and wasn’t being forced upon artists anymore by militarists. Many post-war Japanese war films stand by a humanist nature while reminding audiences how horrific errors should not be repeated. A notable reminder of evolving from past mistakes in history is the superb political thriller “Japan’s Longest Day.”
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Kazutoshi Hando and Soichi Oya, this haunting recollection of disturbing events would kickstart the “Toho 8.15 series,” a collection of war movies that recreate Japan’s war history. Fittingly, nihilistic filmmaker and anti-war advocate Kihachi Okamoto would be appointed as the movie’s director and frequent...
Based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Kazutoshi Hando and Soichi Oya, this haunting recollection of disturbing events would kickstart the “Toho 8.15 series,” a collection of war movies that recreate Japan’s war history. Fittingly, nihilistic filmmaker and anti-war advocate Kihachi Okamoto would be appointed as the movie’s director and frequent...
- 8/3/2022
- by Sean Barry
- AsianMoviePulse
Best known for his successful five-part “Battle Without Honor and Humanity” or “The Yakuza Papers” film series from 1973 to 1974 directed by Kinji Fukasaku in which he played the real-life gangster Shozo Hirono, Bunta Sugawara is certainly no stranger when it comes to yakuza films. Nevertheless, inspired by Raoul Walsh’s gangster film “White Heat” (1949) starring James Cagney, Sugawara and Toei Company came up with their very own machine-gun blazing Japanese version in 1976.
During one rainy night, three gangsters wearing monster masks steal a bag of drugs worth one and a half million yen from some members of the Mutsumi Clan after gunning them down. While making their getaway, gang leader Ryuta Yabuki (Bunta Sugarwara) kills one of his masked partners because of his injury. Interestingly, the remaining member, a female driver, turns out to be his own mother, Masa (Aiko Mimasu). After hiding their loot in a sewer, the pair...
During one rainy night, three gangsters wearing monster masks steal a bag of drugs worth one and a half million yen from some members of the Mutsumi Clan after gunning them down. While making their getaway, gang leader Ryuta Yabuki (Bunta Sugarwara) kills one of his masked partners because of his injury. Interestingly, the remaining member, a female driver, turns out to be his own mother, Masa (Aiko Mimasu). After hiding their loot in a sewer, the pair...
- 8/3/2022
- by David Chew
- AsianMoviePulse
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