SciFi Japan

    The live-action manga adaptation SUICIDE NOTES LAID ON THE TABLE is now playing in Japan. Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. ©2025 SUICIDE NOTES LAID ON THE TABLE Film Partners ©️ Toutarou Minami / SQUARE ENIX

    Asian Cinema

    The live-action manga adaptation SUICIDE NOTES LAID ON THE TABLE is now playing in Japan. Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. ©2025 SUICIDE NOTES LAID ON THE TABLE Film Partners ©️ Toutarou Minami / SQUARE ENIX Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: https://movies.shochiku.co.jp/ishokoukai-movie/ (Japan)   Shochiku has provided information and photos for their new film, SUICIDE NOTES LAID ON THE TABLE (遺書、公開。, Isho, Kōkai.), based on the manga of the same name by Toutarou Minami. The movie opened this weekend in Japan.   Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. ©2025 SUICIDE NOTES LAID ON THE TABLE Film Partners ©️ Toutarou Minami / SQUARE ENIX Introduction Rank...1. To arrange things in order. To line up in order. 2. An order arranged according to a set standard. A set order. This hierarchy, as described in the Japanese dictionary, is established in schools,

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.  Source: Well Go USA, LBHpr  Special Thanks to Leif Helland Photo courtesy of Well Go USA. Martial arts superstar Xie Miao (IP MAN: THE AWAKENING)​ returns as “Cheng Xiazi” and re-teams with writer/director Bingjia Liu for the action-packed sequel to the international box office hit EYE FOR AN EYE: THE BLIND SWORDSMAN, with this entry named EYE FOR AN EYE 2: BLIND VENGEANCE (目中無人2, Mùzhōngwúrén 2, 2024). This second installment kicks off with Cheng running into a young orphan (Yang Enyou) while both are running from the authorities. He reluctantly agrees to shelter her, leading to a series of violent battles featuring some of China’s finest martial arts in years.  EYE FOR AN EYE 2: BLIND VENGEANCE debuts on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital March 4 from Well Go USA Entertainment.  Bonus materials include an all-new English dub.  

    Photo courtesy of Third Window Films.

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Third Window Films. Source: Third Window Films, Terracotta Special Thanks to Adam Torel   Directors Company is a Japanese film production company created in 1982 to provide a an environment outside the major studio system to nurture young proven filmmakers. The alumni of this collective of artistic film directors includes Kiyoshi Kurosawa (CURE, THE GUARD FROM UNDERGROUND) Sogo Ishii (CRAZY THUNDER ROAD) and Shinji Shomai (TYPHOON CLUB).   Third Window Films present the third set of a series of films from the legendary production company, all presented with brand new digital restorations. These films will be available worldwide on February 17, 2025 and can be pre-ordered at https://shop.terracottadistribution.com/collections/directors-company/.   Photo courtesy of Third Window Films. BUMPKIN SOUP (ドレミファ娘の血は騒ぐ, Doremifa Musume no Chi wa Sawagu, 1985) Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa A wild & crazy pink film

    Photo courtesy of Toei. ©2025 UNDER THE BIG ONION Film Partners

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Toei. ©2025 UNDER THE BIG ONION Film Partners Source: Toei Co., Ltd.Official Site: https://tamanegi-movie.jp/ (Japan)   Theatrical poster. Photo courtesy of Toei. ©2025 UNDER THE BIG ONION Film Partners A classic love story that spins a tale of "that love" that will stay in your heart forever! Toei has provided information and pics for their new love story, UNDER THE BIG ONION (大きな玉ねぎの下で, Ōkina Tamanegi no Shita de). The film opens in Japanese cinemas on February 7, 2025. The movie was inspired by a 1985 song of the same name by the Japanese rock band Bakufu Slump. A popular band in Japan during the 1980s and 90s, Bakufu Slump may be best known to tokusatsu fans in the west for their song "Myth" (神話, Shinwa), the theme song for GAMERA: THE GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (ガメラ 大怪獣空中決戦, Gamera: Daikaijū

    Photo courtesy of Lionsgate. ©2008 J & J Project LLC. TM & © 2025 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Lionsgate. ©2008 J & J Project LLC. TM & © 2025 Lions Gate Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Source: Lionsgate, ddPR press release Special Thanks to Danny Duran Jackie Chan and Jet Li star in the martial arts action adventure THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM (2008), arriving on SteelBook February 25 from Lionsgate. A discovery made by a kung fu-obsessed American teen sends him on an adventure to ancient China, where he joins up with a band of martial arts warriors in order to free the imprisoned Monkey King. THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM will be available on 4K + Blu-ray SteelBook + Digital for the suggested retail price of $34.99.   SYNOPSIS    A MARTIAL ARTS EXPLOSION! Individually, they’ve starred in the most adrenaline-pumping martial arts adventures ever. Together for the first time, Jet Li and Jackie Chan join forces to create the greatest

    Low-level ninja Kuro Kumogakure (Kento Yamazaki) must save the day in UNDER NINJA. Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©Kengo Hanazawa/Kodansha ©2025 UNDER NINJA Film Partners

    Asian Cinema

    Low-level ninja Kuro Kumogakure (Kento Yamazaki) must save the day in UNDER NINJA. Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©Kengo Hanazawa/Kodansha ©2025 UNDER NINJA Film Partners Source: Toho Co., Ltd.Official Site: https://underninja-mv.com/ (Japan)   A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE Theatrical poster. Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©Kengo Hanazawa/Kodansha ©2025 UNDER NINJA Film Partners SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details for an upcoming film. Toho Co., Ltd. has provided information and photos from their new movie UNDER NINJA (アンダーニンジャ, Andā Ninja), which opens in Japanese cinemas on January 24th.   INTRODUCTION UNDER NINJA is based on the manga series of the same name by Kengo Hanazawa, which debuted July 23, 2018 in Weekly Young Magazine. It was previously adapted as a 12 episode anime which premiered in Japan in October 2023 and is available internationally on Crunchyroll. Directed

    Photo courtesy of Radiance Films. ©Shochiku

    Asian Cinema

    Source: Radiance Films, MVD Entertainment Special Thanks to Derek Stubinski Shochiku's acclaimed film THE EEL (うなぎ, Unagi, 1997) will be released March 25 in a limited edition Blu-ray from Radiance Films. From the star of PERFECT DAYS and the director of BLACK RAIN, THE EEL won the Palme d'Or, Independent Spirit Award, and over a dozen other international accolades. It is available for the first time on Blu-ray, 4K restored, and loaded with extras. Photo courtesy of Radiance Films. ©Shochiku After serving time in prison for murdering his unfaithful wife, Yamashita (Koji Yakusho, PERFECT DAYS, CURE) is released on parole, accompanied only by his pet eel. Hoping to stay out of trouble, he takes over a rural barber shop that quickly becomes a gathering point for the eccentric locals. However, the discovery of a woman's failed suicide starts a chain reaction that brings back past demons -

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.  Source: Well Go USA, LBHpr  Special Thanks to Leif Helland Photo courtesy of Well Go USA. The legend himself, Jackie Chan (RUSH HOUR franchise, A LEGEND), stars in PANDA PLAN (熊猫計劃, Xióngmāo jìhuà, 2024), the comedy-adventure-thriller loaded with martial arts action, debuting on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD February 18 from Well Go USA Entertainment. After Chan adopts a panda from the zoo, an international crime ring plots to kidnap his furry friend, leaving Chan to team up with his agent and the panda’s caretaker to outsmart—and outkick—the bad guys at every turn.  Directed by Zhang Luan (GIVE ME FIVE) with action choreography by Lü Shijia (POLICE STORY, THE FOREIGNER), PANDA PLAN also stars Wei Xiang (TOO COOL TO KILL), Shi Ce (ASH, A COOL FISH), and Han Yambo (GIVE ME FIVE).   Synopsis:       Soon

    Photo courtesy of the Criterion Collection. © KADOKAWA 1953

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of the Criterion Collection. © KADOKAWA 1953 Source: The Criterion Collection press release Special Thanks to Courtney Ott Cover by Michael Boland. Photo courtesy of the Criterion Collection. © KADOKAWA 1953 The Criterion Collection has announced the Kenji Mizoguchi's classic ghost film UGETSU (雨月物語, Ugetsu Monogatari, 1953) will be released April 1st in a 2-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray set, as well as Blu-ray and DVD editions. By the time he made UGETSU, Kenji Mizoguchi was already an elder statesman of Japanese cinema, fiercely revered by Akira Kurosawa and other directors of a younger generation. And with this exquisite ghost story, a fatalistic wartime tragedy derived from stories by Akinari Ueda and Guy de Maupassant, he created a touchstone of his art, his long takes and sweeping camera guiding the viewer through a delirious narrative about two villagers whose pursuit of fame and

    Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1970

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1970 Source: Arrow Films, MVD Entertainment Special Thanks to Derek Stubinski Daiei's crime drama PLAY IT COOL (でんきくらげ, Denki Kurage, 1970) from the director of BLIND BEAST, RED ANGEL, and AFRAID TO DIE will be released in March in a limited edition Blu-ray from Arrow Films. Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1970 PLAY IT COOL is a chic and erotically charged drama starring popular Japanese singer of the day Mari Atsumi as a college girl negotiating her way through the male-dominated hierarchies of Tokyo's seductive but treacherous nightclub culture. Yumi (Mari Atsumi) is a pretty fashion student who shares a cramped home with her mother Tomi (Akemi Negishi, THE SAGA OF ANATAHAN) and good-for-nothing stepfather Ryoichi. Tomi works at a local hostess bar and hopes for a better fate for Yumi. When Ryoichi violently

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.  Source: Well Go USA, LBHpr  Special Thanks to Leif Helland Photo courtesy of Well Go USA. In volatile 1920s Tianjin, a clandestine martial arts circle arose to maintain peace between rival martial arts schools in the ultra-stylish old-school kung fu martial arts epic 100 YARDS (门前宝地, Mén qián bǎodì, 2024), debuting on Blu-ray and DVD February 18 from Well Go USA Entertainment. But when a renowned master dies, it ignites a power struggle that will bring the entire city to the brink of chaos. Co-directed by Xu Haofeng (THE HIDDEN SWORD, screenwriter of THE GRANDMASTER) and first-time director Xu Junfeng, 100 YARDS stars Jacky Heung (THE WARLORDS, FEARLESS), Andy On (NEW POLICE STORY, RIDE ON), Bea Hayden Kuo (KUNG FU MONSTER), Tang Shiyi, and Li Yuan (REMAIN SILENT) with “some of the year’s most satisfying fight choreography” (RogerEbert.com)

    Photo courtesy of Film Movement. © Toei

    Asian Cinema

    Source: Film Movement press releaseSpecial Thanks to Michael Krause In the 1960s Toei Studio was Yakuza Central and filmmaker Tai Kato was the chief exponent and innovator of this popular genre. American audiences equate the yakuza with the contemporary gangster, but the classic yakuza setting is more akin to the western, with swordplay more than gunplay, silk not seersucker, and honor not anarchy in the teeming gambling underworld. This allowed Kato to indulge his passion for historical drama, as well as for startling realism and audacious camerawork. In the low-budget quickies that were in demand during the second Golden Age of Japanese cinema, constraint was the mother of invention and personal style for Kato. Not only did he favor "the natural beauty of the face" over makeup, and gesture over genre codes, he created what some call a cinema of excess: one-shot sequences of extraordinary lyricism and power,

    Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. ©2025 SNOWFLOWERS Film Partners

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. ©2025 SNOWFLOWERS Film Partners Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Official Site: https://movies.shochiku.co.jp/yukinohana (Japan)   Shochiku has provided information and photos for their new historical drama, SNOWFLOWERS: SEEDS OF HOPE (雪の花　―ともに在りて―, Yuki no Hana ―Tomoni Arite―), opening in Japanese cinemas on January 24th. This impactful film is a "new period drama masterpiece" that transcends generations with its star-studded cast featuring Tori Matsuzaka, Koji Yakusho and Kyoko Yoshine.   Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd. ©2025 SNOWFLOWERS Film Partners Introduction "A true story of love and inspiration" unfolds as an unknown small-town doctor, fought to develop a cure for an epidemic in the late Edo period. With the support of his wife and a Western medicine doctor in Kyoto, this untold story comes to life. SNOWFLOWERS: SEEDS OF HOPE is directed by Takashi Koizumi, former

    Photo courtesy of Radiance Films. ©Toei

    Asian Cinema

    Source: Radiance Films, MVD Entertainment Special Thanks to Derek Stubinski Photo courtesy of Radiance Films. ©Toei Toei's yakuza thriller HOKURIKU PROXY WAR (北陸代理戦争, Hokuriku Dairi Sensō, 1977) will be released February 25 in a limited edition Blu-ray from Radiance Films. For fans of THE YAKUZA PAPERS, THE FRENCH CONNECTION, and MEAN STREETS, this film unites Kinji Fukasaku, the director of BATTLE ROYALE, with Sonny Chiba, the star of STREET FIGHTER. HOKURIKU PROXY WAR is available for the first time on Blu-ray, 4K restored, and loaded with extras. Loose-cannon gangster Kawada rebels when his two-timing boss forms an alliance with a major crime syndicate. The syndicate's main rivals see Kawada as their perfect proxy, but his furious temper quickly rubs them the wrong way, leaving Kawada to face overwhelming forces. Fukasaku's final yakuza film features some of the strongest women's roles in his career, plus a

    Photo courtesy of Radiance Films. ©NIKKATSU CORPORATION

    Asian Cinema

    Source: Radiance Films, MVD Entertainment Special Thanks to Derek Stubinski Nikkatsu's UNDERWORLD BEAUTY (暗黒街の美女, Ankokugai no Bijo, 1958) will be released January 28 in a limited edition Blu-ray from Radiance Films. This wildly inventive early noir sees Seijun Suzuki (BRANDED TO KILL, TATTOOED LIFE) infectiously playing with genre rules and gender stereotypes. Photo courtesy of Radiance Films. ©NIKKATSU CORPORATION Retrieving the diamonds he stashed before his arrest, thief Miyamoto (Michitaro Mizushima) hopes to help his old partner Mihara (Toru Abe), crippled during the heist. Their former boss, crime lord Oyane (Yusuke Ashida), offers to mediate with a foreign buyer, but secretly wants the stones for himself. The deal goes awry when gunmen appear on the scene. Mihara swallows the diamonds but dies in the chase, leaving a valuable corpse in the police morgue. Miyamoto forms an uneasy alliance with Mihara's wildcat sister Akiko (Mari Shiraki) to

    Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©1967 KADOKAWA CORPORATION

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©1967 KADOKAWA CORPORATION Source: Arrow Films, MVD Entertainment Special Thanks to Derek Stubinski The Daiei crime thrillers A CERTAIN KILLER / A KILLER'S KEY will be released in February as a double feature limited edition Blu-ray from Arrow Films. Photo courtesy of Arrow Films. ©1967 KADOKAWA CORPORATION Anticipating the cool aesthetic of Seijun Suzuki's BRANDED TO KILL and based on a crime novel by Shinji Fujiwara, the author of the original material for the same year's A COLT IS MY PASSPORT, A CERTAIN KILLER and A KILLER'S KEY are similarly stylish contemporary hitman thrillers directed by Daiei's top director of jidai-geki, Kazuo Mori (THE TALE OF ZATOICHI CONTINUES) and starring the studio's top actor Raizō Ichikawa (SHINOBI: BAND OF ASSASSINS, SLEEPY EYES OF DEATH). In A CERTAIN KILLER (ある殺し屋, Aru Koroshiya, 1967), Shiozaki's low-profile existence as a chef

    Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2025 THE SOLITARY GOURMET Film Partners

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2025 THE SOLITARY GOURMET Film Partners Source: Toho Co., Ltd.Official Site: https://gekieiga-kodokunogurume.jp/ (Japan)   A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2025 THE SOLITARY GOURMET Film Partners SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details for an upcoming film. Toho Co., Ltd. has provided information and photos from their new movie THE SOLITARY GOURMET (劇映画 孤独のグルメ, Gekieiga Kodoku no Gurume), which opens in Japanese cinemas on January 10th.   INTRODUCTION The hit manga The Solitary Gourmet by writer Masayuki Kusumi and artist Jiro Taniguchi debuted in 1994 and ran through 2015.  It told the story of Goro Inogashira, an independent trader importing household and fashion goods from France, who travels all over Japan and abroad for his true passion -- food. In each of the manga's 32 chapters, Inogashira would dine at

    Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2024 DOCTOR-X THE MOVIE Film Partners

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2024 DOCTOR-X THE MOVIE Film Partners Source: Toho Co., Ltd.Official Site: https://doctor-x-movie.jp/ (Japan)   Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2024 DOCTOR-X THE MOVIE Film Partners SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details for a new film. Toho Co., Ltd. has provided information and photos from their movie DOCTOR-X THE MOVIE (劇場版ドクターX FINAL, Gekijō-ban Dokutā X FINAL), which opened in Japanese cinemas in early December.   INTRODUCTION The television series DOCTOR-X (ドクターX　～外科医・大門未知子～ , Dokutā X ~Gekai Daimon Michiko~) debuted on TV Asahi in 2012 and ran for seven seasons through 2021. It followed the exploits of the lone-wolf genius surgeon, Michiko Daimon, who stuck true to her words: "I never fail." DOCTOR-X recorded the highest average viewership ratings over a ten-year period, and has now been adapted into its first movie. Daimon, who has

    Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2025 1ST KISS Film Partners

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2025 1ST KISS Film Partners Source: Toho Co., Ltd.Official Site: https://1stkiss-movie.toho.co.jp/ (Japan)   A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE Photo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. ©2025 1ST KISS Film Partners SPOILER WARNING: This article contains plot details for an upcoming film. Toho Co., Ltd. has provided information and photos from their new fantasy romance movie FIRST KISS (ファーストキス　1ST KISS, Fāsuto Kisu 1ST KISS), which opens in Japanese cinemas on February 7, 2025.   INTRODUCTION A masterpiece spun by a master of love stories. Yuji Sakamoto wrote an original screenplay for the film WE MADE A BEAUTIFUL BOUQUET (花束みたいな恋をした, Hanataba Mitaina Koi o Shita, 2021) which became a huge hit, grossing 3.8 billion yen. The universal love story of young people resonated with people of all ages and became a social phenomenon. Next, hois screenplay for MONSTER

    Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Japan. ©Shuhei Nire/KODANSHA ©2024 Sunset Sunrise Film Partners

    Asian Cinema

    Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Japan. ©Shuhei Nire/KODANSHA ©2024 Sunset Sunrise Film Partners Source: Warner Bros. Pictures Japan Official Site: http://sunsetsunrise-movie.jp (Japan)   Warner Bros. Pictures Japan has provided information and photos for SUNSET SUNRISE (サンセット・サンライズ , Sansetto Sanraizu), a new comedy film that will open in Japanese cinemas on January 17th. A salaryman in Tokyo tries a “trial migration” to a coastal town, and finds an unexpected life awaiting him! The film adaptation of the novel Sunset Sunrise written by Shuhei Nire stars Masaki Suda (GINTAMA, THE GREAT WAR OF ARCHIMEDES), with a screenplay by Kankuro Kudo (BAKUMAN, ICHIKEI'S CROW) and direction by Yoshiyuki Kishi (DOUBLE LIFE, (AB)NORMAL DESIRE). This humanistic comedy humorously depicts the interaction between a businessman who has emigrated from the city and the residents of Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture, and turns it into rich entertainment while confronting social issues such as

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