Kumiko Aso

Yuji Takanashi is a university philosophy professor who can't swim. Making awkward justifications to himself about the relationship between water and people, still he decides on the spur of the moment to enroll in a swimming class. There he encounters the teacher Shizuka Usuhara, who ignores his last-minute hesitation and enrolls him.

In commemoration of WOWOW's 30th anniversary, Suzuki Matsuo, the artistic director of Bunkamura Theatre Cocoon in Tokyo and the leader of Otona Keikaku, will write, direct, and perform in an original omnibus comedy drama. Each episode is 30 minutes long and is performed with a single actress. The four actresses who will be invited into the world of "laughter" created by Matsuo, who has created numerous works as a master of comedy, are Yo Yoshida, Mikako Tabe, Kumiko Aso, and Haru Kuroki.

Aoba Ippei, a police officer in the Police Dog Section of the Forensics Division, and his police dog buddy, Oliver, take on a series of inexplicable cases. As they try to solve the cases, they find themselves in the midst of various conflicting incidents...

Momochi Nozomu works as a supermarket employee and lives without any dream and courage. He accidentally met his favorite manga writer, Yuizuki Tomoe and they became a couple. One day, a middle-aged man approaches Nozomu and calls himself Tomoe.

The Mobile Investigative Unit (known as "MIU") of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department attempts to solve cases within 24 hours. Detective Shima Kazumi is selected as a new member of MIU. He is intelligent, with excellent observation and communication skills. Yet, he does not trust other people. He is unable to find a partner in MIU and is ordered to partner with Police Officer Ibuki Ai, who works at a police substation. Ibuki applied for MIU, but he failed. He is in excellent physical condition, but he lacks knowledge and experience as a detective. Shima learns about Ibuki's background and he becomes more nervous. Finally, Shima has his first meeting with Ibuki.

7.6/10

A man who investigates a case that became aging with a “hobby”, Shuichiro Kiriyama (Odagiri Joe) -One day after the legendary man was dispatched to the FBI, he suddenly entered the aging management section of the Sobu police station Came back. Moreover, Kiriyama became interested in the “Urashima Gas Station Fire Case” that occurred 24 years ago. In this incident, a gas station in a lonely port town, Urashima Town, burned down, and then a big explosion occurred, and a severely burned dead body was found in the burnt mark. The police decided at the time that the corpse was holding the buttons and physique of the uniform, and the victim decided with former high school student Koji Sawamura and investigated the possibility of accident, murder, suicide, but the truth was dark It remains covered. At least nine years ago, the murder was aged just a day before it was abolished.

The story follows Akane, a girl with no self-confidence. On the day before her birthday, she meets a mysterious alchemist Hippocrates and their student Pipo, who both tell her they're on a mission to save the world. Together, they set out from the basement for "Wonderland," and Akane finds herself labelled Wonderland's savior.

6.1/10
10%

There is “another Japan,” which is divided into three countries and has been in ethnic conflict for 100 years. In the middle of the conflict, a young girl (Ikuta Erika) was kidnapped and confined by a group calling itself “National Liberation Army.” However, the girl has escaped from them to the outside world for the first time in 10 years. She befriends a girl whose father runs a business recycling artificial soldiers made from soybeans. They meet the group of boys including Harikona (Ryunosuke Kamiki) who has the ability to make flowers bloom. Keeping watch over Kegare is her adult self, Misa. This empathetic play transcends time and space. As past, present, and future get jumbled up, Kegare finally confronts an unpleasant memory that she should have forgotten. (Source: @floren646730)

People from Saitama Prefecture are persecuted and, because of this, they hide the fact that they are from there. In Tokyo, Momomi Hakuhodo (Fumi Nikaido) is a male high school student and the son of the Tokyo governor. Physically, Momomi Hakuhodo looks like a girl. One day, he meets mysterious male transfer student Rei Asami (Gackt). They are attracted to each other, but Rei Asami is from Saitama Prefecture. --asianwiki

6.4/10

Freelance programmer Sakagami is paralyzed in the lower half of his body and confined to a wheelchair. He sets up a company called dele.LIFE in partnership with a law firm established by his late father. At the request of clients, Sakagami works together with a freelance jack-of-all-trades Mashiba to delete all unfavorable digital records of their clients left in their computers and smartphones after they die. They are not supposed to see inside the files but when they feel something strange in the client’s death, they cannot help getting involved.

7.3/10

Shing (Sadao Abe) is a rock star. He has an amazingly loud voice with a range of four octaves. His secret is that he has created his voice through a method of vocal cord doping. His voice is now teetering on the edge, due to side effects from the vocal cord doping. Around this time, Shing meets Fuuka (Riho Yoshioka) who is a street musician. When Fuuka sings, her vice is so small. Due to Fuuka, Shing looks back upon his past.

5.1/10

The movie follows a 4-year old boy who is struggling to cope with the arrival of a little sister in the family until things turn magical. A mysterious garden in the backyard of the boy's home becomes a gateway allowing the child to travel back in time and encounter his mother as a little girl and his great-grandfather as a young man. These fantasy-filled adventures allow the child to change his perspective and help him become the big brother he was meant to be.

7/10
9.1%

During the Edo period, a gifted swordsman was exiled from his clan when he questioned the misconduct of his leader. Years after, his dying wife wish was for him to go back to his clan.

6.5/10

Kiyotaka Sato (Shuhei Nomura) is a university student. He is sociable, but he looks like he doesn't have interest in those around him. During his summer vacation, Kiyotaka Sato plans to get his driver's license to impress schoolmate Matsuda (Yukino Kishii). At this time, a yakuza boss (Ken Mitsuishi) orders Todoroki (Kento Kaku) to get his driver’s license. Todoroki doesn't show his feelings outwardly. Later, Todoroki drives a car without a driver’s license and he hits Kiyotaka Sato. To cover up the accident, Kiyotaka Sato is placed in a car and taken to away. He arrives at an unofficial driving school. The driving school is run by the Uehara family. There, Kiyotaka Sato and Todoroki learn that they graduated from the same high school. They spend their summer at the driving school.

6.4/10

Takuji Kameoka is a 37-year-old bachelor whose occupation is a “miscellaneous actor”. His only interest is drinking. One day he falls in love and his boring life begins to change. The film is based on the book “Actor, Takuji Kameoka” by Akito Inui, a five-time nominee for Japan’s most prestigious literary prize, the Akutagawa Prize. Satoko Yokohama, a much-admired up-and-coming newcomer, directs the film and we can immediately tell that she is a special talent, with a unique understanding that flows through to her actors and crew.

6.6/10

Movie contains the stories of three people: Suzuki (Toma Ikuta), Kujira (Tadanobu Asano) and Semi (Ryosuke Yamada). Suzuki is a former middle school teacher. His girlfriend was killed, which led him to quit his job and attempt to take revenge on her murderer. To do so, Suzuki has to infiltrate the underground world of criminals. Kujira is a contract killer for hire. He makes his targets fall into confusion and eventually commit suicide. Semi is a contract killer who uses the knife to take out his targets.

5.4/10

Kyuta, a boy living in Shibuya, and Kumatetsu, a lonesome beast from Jutengai, an imaginary world. One day, Kyuta forays into the imaginary world and, as he's looking for his way back, meets Kumatetsu who becomes his spirit guide. That encounter leads them to many adventures.

7.7/10
9%

Koizumi is a mysterious and attractive high school student. But what most people don't know about her is that she's a ramen master who is always on the lookout for great ramen restaurants. Everyday, she goes hunting for real-life places serving the best ramen dishes and delightfully eats the delicious noodles. The way Koizumi downs a giant bowl of ramen–more adeptly than any large man—will amaze and delight you!

7.2/10

The time: 1814. The place: Edo, now known as Tokyo. A much accomplished artist of his time and now in his mid-fifties, Tetsuzo can boast clients from all over Japan, and tirelessly works in the garbage-loaded chaos of his house-atelier. He spends his days creating astounding pieces of art, from a giant-size Bodhidharma portrayed on a 180 square meter-wide sheet of paper, to a pair of sparrows painted on a tiny rice grain. Third of Tetsuzo's four daughters and born out of his second marriage, outspoken 23-year-old O-Ei has inherited her father's talent and stubbornness, and very often she would paint instead of him, though uncredited. Her art is so powerful that sometimes leads to trouble. "We're father and daughter; with two brushes and four chopsticks, I guess we can always manage, in a way or another."

6.7/10
9.3%

A man, who once dreamed of becoming a punk rocker, is working as a low salaryman at a musical instrument parts company. He’s secretly in love with his colleague. One day, he finds a little turtle on the rooftop, naming it Pikadon.

6.8/10
10%

Also Known As: Can Win Even If Weak

6.1/10

Since their parents died at an early age, Susumu (Osamu Mukai) and Yoriko (Hairi Katagiri) have lived together. Susumu is now 33-years-old and Yoriko is 40-years-old. Both of them have yet to marry. They are like most siblings and they rely on each other. One day, Susumu and Yoriko receive a letter that is sent to the wrong address.

6.4/10

Yukihiko Nishino is very popular with women, but, in the end, he is always dumped by a woman. Yukihiko seeks out his true love.

6.1/10

34-year-old Michiyo Mabuchi (Kumiko Aso) and 26-year-old Yoshimi Tendo (Shota Yasuda) meet at a screenwriting class. Michiyo Mabuchi, who is called "Basyauma", works hard to become a writer, but can't see a future for herself as a screenwriter. Meanwhile, Yoshimi Tendo is a bigmouth who never tries hard at anything. These two people fall in love.

6.6/10

Majime, an eccentric man in publishing company, who has unique ability of words, joins the team that will compile a new dictionary, ‘The Great Passage.’ In the eclectic team, he becomes immersed in the world of dictionaries. But the team is overwhelmed with problems. Will ‘The Great Passage’ ever be completed?

7.2/10

"Good Morning Everyone!" revolves around a family involved in the punk music scene. Aki (Kumiko Aso) is a former guitarist for a punk band. She became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter named Hatsuki (Ayaka Miyoshi). The mother and daughter live together happily, but they do have different personalities. A man named Yagu (Yo Oizumi]) then enters their life. He is an ex-member of the punk band that Aki played with. Yagu has feelings for Aki.

6.2/10

After her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident, a woman must find a way to raise the son and daughter that she had with him. However, their inheritance of their father's traits prove to be a challenge for her.

8.1/10
9.4%

"Girls" follows four beautiful women and depicts the troubles found in their love lives and work place. Yukiko Takigawa (Karina) works at a big advertising firm and has a good looking boyfriend. Seiko Takeda is married and has no children. She works at a large real estate company. Yoko Kosaka is a single woman working at a historic stationary company. Takako Hirai is a single mother who works for a car manufacturer.

6.4/10

Ryosaku, a struggling actor, endures daily abuse from his wicked wife. One day, the janitor of his apartment gives him a 'The Pod of Good Fortune'. And his life begins to go awry. The sudden death of his abusive wife...suspicion of murder...an impulsive cover-up...same old routine on set...an unexpected visitor...and the body count rises. This fi lm closely follows the daily life of the protagonist as the bizarre and horrifi c drama unfolds. When people are pushed to an extreme situation, it's also the most comical. Full of such aspects, the stor y reveals the secret side of the people surrounding the protagonist. Where will the 'The Pod of Good Fortune' lead this man's unfortunate life? Only the Pot can tell.

5/10

When Mutta was 12-years-old and Hibito was 9-years-old the two brothers saw what they thought was an UFO flying towards the moon. They made a pact then to become astronauts and one day fly into space together. Fast forward to the year 2025. Older brother Mutta (Shun Oguri) works as for an automotive company and his younger brother Hibito works as an astronaut. Although Mutta failed to follow through on his childhood promise, after losing his job, he receives a phone call from Hibito which reignites his childhood dream of flying into outer space ...

6.7/10

A boy, Shin, and his family are forced to evacuate the island of Miyakejima, when it erupts in 2000. Shin's dog, Rock, is mistakenly left behind.

5.3/10

Set one year after the drama series "Moteki." 31-year-old Yukiyo Fujimoto (Mirai Moriyama) doesn't have money, dreams or a girlfriend. He has left his job at a staffing firm and is attempting to start a new life by working as a writer for a news site. Suddenly, Yukiyo experiences "moteki" - a period when a man becomes suddenly popular with woman. Cute magazine editor Miyuki (Masami Nagasawa), pure and naive office worker Rumiko (Kumiko Aso), beautiful shop assistant Ai (Riisa Naka) and beautiful, but tough co-worker named Motoko (Yoko Maki) all become interested in Yukiyo. He tries to calm down, but is shaken by the interests of these women.

6.8/10

Upon reaching the train station to death, a dejected soul is informed that he is lucky and will have another chance at life. He is placed in the body of a 14-year-old boy named Kobayashi Makoto, who has just committed suicide. Watched over by a neutral spirit named Purapura, the soul must figure out what his greatest sin and mistake in his former life was, before his time limit in Makoto's body runs out. He also has a number of other lesser duties he must complete, such as understanding what led Makoto to commit suicide in the first place and learning how to enjoy his second chance at life.

7.4/10

The Seaside Motel is trapped in the mountains, without even enough water to serve their guests 24 hours a day, much less having a view of a body of water of any kind.

6.5/10

Nojima Satoshi (Okada Junichi) is a photographer whose job depends on his friend Shingo, a model, who in turn is in a middle of a career crisis. Nojima wants to photograph scenery, but is held back because he feels obligated to stay back with his friend. His neighbor, Nanao (Aso Kumiko), works at a flower shop, has dedicated her life to her job and isn't involved in any romance. They have never met, however, they're aware of each other's presence through the sound each makes in their daily lives through the thin wall. Each character is the story is going through some sort of struggle - either with their identity, their career, or their love life. In a fast-paced society, it feels like there is never enough time to stop and recognize things that are most important in one's life. Through twists and turns, they gradually realize their true desires, and on the road to reach their goals, their paths somehow intersects, in this believable modern-day fairy-tale.

7.1/10

Youjin is a quirky young man living in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Yojin has a difficult time sitting still and can't focus on extended conversations. His life revolves around farming his grandmother's vegetable garden. Yojin experiences a new kind of feeling when he meets a pretty young lady named Machiko. The feelings are strong enough that he feels the need to be with her and gain her affection.

6.1/10

Riko Narumi plays an unpopular idol who in an attempt to boost her faltering career becomes police chief for a day. During the day a robbery occurs at a convenience store and instead of letting a real police chief deal with the robbery she decides to take the matter into her own hands.

6.5/10

After being forced to resign from her publishing company job when her magazine goes out of circulation, office worker Haname Jinchoge (Kumiko Aso) is given the name of her real father-Noburo Jinchoge when her mother (Keiko Matsuzaka) falls into a coma after nearly drowning in a pond while searching for kappa. Unsure if Noburo (Morio Kazama) is her father, Haname decides to visit him but tells him that she is a distant relative, he happens to be the shopkeeper at an odd antiquities shop called Light Bulb Co., working for her father is a punk rocker named Gas (Ryo Kase).

7/10

Machisu is a painter. He never had the success he thinks he is entitled to. Regardless of this, he always remains trying to be successful. His wife Sachiko keeps supporting him, despite all setbacks. Machisu, the only son of a rich collector, has a childs love for painting. Praise from a famous artist friend of his father inspires the young boy to dream of becoming a painter himself. s a young man, poor loner Machisu manages to attend art school with money earned from working. He is introduced to an unconventional world of bold creativity but he also gets his first bitter taste of harsh criticism from a dealer. Encouragement comes in the form of attractive clerk Sachiko who is convinced that she alone understands him. Marriage is soon followed by a daughter, as love and hope drive Machisu to commit even more deeply to his art ...

7.3/10

Set on the backdrop of 1979 a group of troublemaking teenagers led by Mamachari (Hayato Ichihara) decide to prank Chuzai-san (Kuranosuke Sasaki) the local police officer who caught Mamachari’s friend Saijo (Takuya Ishida) for speeding on his scooter, Chuzai-san gets them suspended from school which only causes the teenagers to retaliate, They discover that Chuzai-san is married to an attractive woman named Kanako (Kumiko Aso) only making their pranks worse.

7.1/10

A humorous wedding story fueled by a rather no-good father and son, disguised as the old and new “good guys.” The father Nobuo, and his son Tamio, are unable to mature, unable to break the parent-child roles, have no sense of responsibility, and keep holding on to the past. The pair is overwhelmed by all the colorful characters around them telling them what to do. They go to strenuous and humorous efforts to make Tamio’s wedding an event to remember.

6.2/10

Sakiko is a typical teenager in many ways. She hates her divorced father, who chases after every skirt he sees. She does not know, if she will ever be loved by the other sex. When her dad suddenly inherits a lot of money and becomes really lazy, she hates him even more. He finally decides to start his own cafe, where Sakiko, of course has to help. From this moment, strange customers and good-looking waitresses form the center of tension between father and daughter.

6.8/10

Japan, 250 years ago. Soetsu is a moneylender who is killed by the cruel samurai Shinzaemon. His body is dumped in the Kasenega-Fuchi river. According to legend, all who drown in the river will never surface again. 20 Years later, Shinkichi, the handsome son of Shinzaemon, coincidentally meets Toyoshiga, the daughter of Soetsu. They fall in love. It is a doomed love, as the spirit of Soetsu is far from dead

6.2/10

A young man named Shamsadin (Mehdi Moradi) receives the title of Hafez, bestowed only on those who memorize the Koran, and is sent to teach it to Nabat (Aso), the overseas-raised daughter of a religious leader. Although they never see each other's faces, feelings of love grow between them as they read the holy book. Unable to contain his feelings for Nabat, Hafez breaks his vows as a holy man by composing a poem to her, and is thrown out of her father's house and forced to relinquish his title. Then Nabat is forced to marry another man. Will the two ever be able to meet again?

7.4/10

Leading a lazy life, Fumiya has been a university student for 8 years and owes money to loan sharks. One day, a man named Fukuhara comes to collect the loan, which Fumiya cannot pay. So Fukuhara makes a proposition: He will cancel the debt as long as Fumiya agrees to walk with him across Tokyo to the police station of Kasumigaseki, where he intends to turn himself in for a crime he deeply regrets. Not having much choice, Fumiya accepts the deal. Thus begins their journey which will lead them to various unusual encounters, most of all with themselves.

7.4/10

Thirteen years afterward, I wonder if those who bombed Hiroshima are looking at me and saying: 'We did it! We were able to kill another person!' They should be," murmurs Minami (played by Kumiko Aso), one of the two leading female characters in Yunagi no Machi, Sakura no Kuni, as she lies dying in 1958, her life brought to a premature end by sickness resulting from her exposure to atomic bomb radiation. This is a story about those who at least initially survived the first U.S. atomic bombing of 1945 and their descendants in contemporary times. The film, based on a comic by Fumiyo Kono, jumps between the two time frames and quietly depicts the sorrow and mortification experienced through the everyday lives of laid-back and soft-spoken Hiroshima people. Only a few scenes of the bombing and the ensuing devastation are featured.

7.1/10

The hero, Hyakkimaru is a wandering "demon hunter" whose extra body parts -- 48 to be exact -- were grafted onto his head and trunk by a herb doctor who discovered him as an infant, in a process that echoes "Frankenstein" and "The Island of Dr. Moreau." His warlord father gave the originals to 48 demons in exchange for power. When Hyakkimaru kills a demon, he wins back a body part. He is spotted in one of these battles, with a giant spider demon, by Dororo, a scrappy female thief who is fascinated by not only Hyakkimaru's prowess with the sword blade poking out of his arm but the new leg he grows after dicing his opponent. Is he a man -- or a monster? After hearing his story from an old minstrel, she decides to join him on his travels and find out for herself.

6.4/10

Tears for You is a love story about two step-siblings, Yota (Satoshi Tsumabuki) and Kaoru (Masami Nagasawa). Long ago, Yota's mother (Kyoko Koizumi) married Kaoru's jazz-playing father (Tatsuya Nakamura), effectively merging the two families. Unfortunately, Kaoru's father skipped town, and Yota's mother passed away, but not before imparting a dying wish to her young son to take care of Kaoru. In the meantime, the two young children were raised by Yota's grandmother on a small island off the coast of Okinawa. When Yota came of age, he took on a role not just as a brother but as a surrogate father of sorts for Kaoru, al

6.7/10

Set in a five star Tokyo hotel on New Year's Eve, the film follows the misadventures of various hotel staff and guests in the run-up to midnight. The plot involves numerous characters, the different problems or situations they face in the run-up to midnight, and the ways that these different storylines interact and are resolved. The film is reminiscent of the Hollywood screwball comedies of 1930s and 1940s, and explicitly references the 1932 film Grand Hotel, whose plot also followed the interlinked lives of various characters in a fictional hotel over a short period.

7.1/10

Kiriyama Suichiro works at the Limitation Task Force, the place where the cases which have reached the statute of limitations are destroyed. Getting bored of his job, he decides to find a hobby, because it seems important to him to have a hobby. So he decides to puzzle out the unsolved cases on his free time, helped by his coworker Mikazuki, who seems to have a crush on him.

7.9/10

The Man Behind the Scissors centers around two serial killers: mastermind Yasunaga and helper Chinatsu. The two risk being found out when the police question them as witnesses to a gruesome murder they themselves may have committed. A quirky and perplexing police thriller centered around two murderers who thrive on slicing up schoolgirls. Calculated serial psycho Yasunaga (Tokokawa) and Chinatsu (Aso), his sweet female sidekick, find themselves being questioned as witnesses to a murder when their next potential victim turns up dead...with their M.O.

6.6/10

A re-imagining of the classic Japanese comedy "Yaji and Kita's Travel Journey", this is the story of two samurai in Edo period Japan who are in love. One is married, the other is a drug addict. They decide to go on a trip to Ise Sanctuary, where it is presumed everything will be made right. What happens once they get on the road is as wild and wacky as anything your likely to see.

6.4/10

Tange Sazen: Hyakuman Ryo no Tsubo is a remake of a classic 1935 film of the same name by Yamanaka Sadao. Tange Sazen, the one-armd, one-eyed ex-samurai swordsman is the creation of Hayashi Fubo and was one of the most popular characters of the era. This remake is helmed by freshman director Tsuda Toshio, starring Toyokawa Etsushi as Sazen and Wakui Emi as Ofuji, his quick-witted wife. This marks the 34th film in the series of Tange Sazen, and involves an Urn that is worth a million Ryo!.

6.5/10

Jam Films 2 features 4 short films by different Japanese directors.

6.2/10

Fifty years of war between the Great Eastern Federation and Europa - now merged as Eurasia - have taken their toll on planet Earth. As a result of the use of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, much of Earth has become uninhabitable and people have become prey to new diseases. Professor Azuma's "neo-cell" project, which is supposed to be the answer to mankind's hardships, becomes a nightmare come true when mutants spawned from the experiment escape and declare war on the human race. Azuma's son Tetsuya, who was killed during the previous war, is reborn into the cyborg Casshern as mankind's last hope against the new mutant threat. This live-action sci-fi movie based on a 1973 Japanese animé of the same name.

6.1/10
7%

Aoi Kuruma (A Blue Automobile) focuses on such a character - a part-time DJ and record-store employee named Richio (Arata). With his spiky yellow hair, wrap-around shades and pale mask of a face, Richio would seem to be an icy moon circling the distant planet of his own regard. But as Okuhara shows us from the first scene, Richio has been traumatized by a boyhood horror - and still bears the physical scars on one eye, the emotional scars in dreams and visions he can neither escape nor explain away. The sunglasses and mask are there for a reason, the pain and rage are real. At the same time, he has a straightforwardness that verges on the cruel - but this is also one of his most appealing qualities.

6/10

Omnibus of six short films: Return; Ken-do star; Hana to oji-san; Adagietto Sehr, langsam; Nakayoki koto wa yoki koto ka na; Slow is Beautiful. Third installment of "SF" series produced by Hiroyuki Nakano.

If you loved movies such as Shonen Merikensack and GS Wonderland, then this one, which predates the former, will impress you as well. The story is set in the 80s rock scene and revolves around Nakajima (Kazunobu Mineta), the lead singer of a band called 'Speed Way'. Because he refuses to write trite, pop-friendly songs he is constantly at odds with his own record company. However, he refuses to bend on his rock principles simply for better record sales. The most interesting parts of this movie is how they pay homage to music icon, Bob Dylan who gave the filmmaker his blessing, which is no small feat itself, especially for a Japanese indie debut.

6.6/10

Shiro Amasuka, dead leader of the Shimbara Revolt is resurrected from hell with the desire of overthrowing the shogunate for killing his companions. To do this , he resurrects an army of living dead swordsmen. Between him and his goal, only Yagyu Jubei stands...

5.2/10

11 directors show their view on the terrorist attacks on the world trade center in New York.

6.9/10
7.6%

The secret warriors of feudal Japan were the Ninja. Sent on impossible missions, the Ninja were trained to work in shadows, gather information and defeat the enemy to build a world of peace. Red Shadow, Blue Shadow and Aska are neophyte ninjas under the tutelage of White Shadow. Their life is a series of perilous missions that entail intrigue, deception and intimidation.

5.6/10

Young film star Ken Mihara is about to fall from stardom. His rise as a celebrity is solely credited to his onscreen counterpart, Keiko, who recently announced her retirement from acting in order to get married. Feeling frustrated and helpless, Ken turns to alcohol as he begins to provoke fights, attempts to lure a girl into bed, and argues with his wife, who came to visit him at the studio. All she says is thank you and leaves Ken puzzled. Ken Mihara, once a budding young star, takes a job as an extra. Although he's past his prime, he still manages to infuse a young filmmaker with the motivation to pursue her dreams as a director.

6.6/10

A Japanese indie film, Ocm4 is the philosophical story of a color-blind man called Maeda (Masatoshi Nagase) who decides to have an operation to cure his vision. The problem is that he is not quite sure if he wants to do it, as he thinks that everybody else in the world sees things differently. He’s afraid that after the operation, his world is not going to be the same.

6.2/10

A wacky tale of two guys, one Korean and one Japanese who, mistaken for a couple of murderers, take to their heels, thus starting off a adrenalin pumping (and often zany) adventure with a distorted sense of time

6.8/10

This small scale character drama follows two young women (Kumiko Aso & Tsugumi) and a sex date (Masatoshi Nagase) who turns out to be an alright guy. What follows is a classic love triangle, however so skillfully played that most of it comes out rather fresh.

5.9/10

In the immense city of Tokyo, the darkness of the afterlife lurks some of its inhabitants who are desperately trying to escape the sadness and isolation of the modern world.

6.5/10
7.4%

Keisuke, an aspiring samurai-movie actor lands a major role in a new film, but must contend with a director who has nothing but scorn for him, but who continually fawns over the film's obnoxious ham of a star. Meanwhile, Keisuke has been dumped by his girlfriend, Eri, after she becomes heartbroken when he considers working full-time as a bar manager rather than pursuing his dream. Through her job as a translator, she meets an Italian professor who claims to talk to trees, and who immediately starts trying to woo her.

6.8/10

In Somai's final film, an alcoholic civil servant wakes up under a cherry tree in Tokyo next to a bar hostess with whom he's impulsively made a suicide pact. Though he's now changed his mind, he agrees to travel with her to Hokkaido, her preferred site for ending it all. An elegiac road movie of restrained emotion.

6.9/10

Reunited by the death of a friend, a group of former schoolmates reassess themselves and their earlier times together.

5.7/10

Taking place thirty years before the events of Ringu, Ringu 0 provides the shocking background story of how the girl on the video became a deadly, vengeful spirit.

6/10

Yutaka was fourteen years old when he was run over by a car and fell into a coma. Now, ten years later, he wakes up and realizes that his family is not intact anymore: father, mother and sister live at different places. Yutaka decides to re-open the pony farm that his family once ran.

6.9/10

The story of a young man and woman who set out to revenge the death of her mother. The lovers enter a mysterious world where space and time are twisted, where love is more dangerous than death.

At the end of WWII, Japanese doctor Akagi searches for the cure for hepatitis in the prisoner-of-war camp.

7.3/10
9.4%

A private detective called "Kiss Shiro", One day, he is shocked to see a rape video brought by his younger brother.