Following the premiere of the original TV anime Bang Brave Bang Bravern on Thursday night in Japan, the official site and social channels were updated with a new cast addition, creditless opening, second trailer, a new key visual and celebratory art. Beginning with the cast addition, following the airing of the first episode, Kenichi Suzumura has been announced as the voice of the giant robot Bravern. Additionally, Suzumura was also announced as the performer of the opening theme "Bang to Suisan! Burn Bravern", featured below. In addition to the opening theme, a second trailer was released for the show. The official site also confirmed that lead cast members Ryota Suzuki and Yohei Azakami will be performing the ending theme "Soen no Shozo". An updated key visual has also been released. Finally, to celebrate the premiere of the first episode, ex Smap member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi provided a celebratory illustration of the robot Bravern.
- 1/11/2024
- by Humberto Saabedra
- Crunchyroll
It feels appropriate that Tomoki Kanazawa’s “Sabakan” is set in the summer of 1986: the year Rob Reiner’s “Stand By Me” was released. And while the two films end up very different, the Nagasaki-set family film starts with a very similar character dynamic.
Sabakan is screening at Camera Japan
Takaaki (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) is a struggling writer and divorcee. Suffering from writer’s block, he reminisces about the summer of 1986, when a shared experience with a classmate had a lasting impact. Kenji (Konosuke Harada) is from a poorer background than most at school; the eldest of five siblings of a struggling widow. While others tease Kenji, Takaaki (the younger played by Ichiro Banke) remains straight-faced. A fact that Kenji notices.
Unexpectedly that summer, Kenji drops in on Takaaki to take him to nearby Boomerang Island, where there have been recent sightings of dolphins. Along the way, they encounter delinquents,...
Sabakan is screening at Camera Japan
Takaaki (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) is a struggling writer and divorcee. Suffering from writer’s block, he reminisces about the summer of 1986, when a shared experience with a classmate had a lasting impact. Kenji (Konosuke Harada) is from a poorer background than most at school; the eldest of five siblings of a struggling widow. While others tease Kenji, Takaaki (the younger played by Ichiro Banke) remains straight-faced. A fact that Kenji notices.
Unexpectedly that summer, Kenji drops in on Takaaki to take him to nearby Boomerang Island, where there have been recent sightings of dolphins. Along the way, they encounter delinquents,...
- 9/25/2023
- by Andrew Thayne
- AsianMoviePulse
Following the unexpected and quite significant success of “Midnight Swan”, which took home the Best Film and Best Actor Awards for Tsuyoshi Kusanagi by the Japanese Academy, it was expected that Eiji Uchida would find access to the highest echelons of the local movie industry, as the presence of Hiroshi Abe and the overall production quality of “Offbeat Cops” highlights.
Offbeat Cops is screening on New York Asian Film Festival
Tsukasa Naruse is a workaholic detective working on homicide cases, who, as the movie begins, is researching a group of conmen who rob old people after giving them a call posing as the police to discover if they hide money in their houses. His methods, however, are not exactly by the book, as his new partner, young Shota Sakamoto soon discovers. At the same time, his obsession with his job has led him to a divorce and a daughter, Noriko,...
Offbeat Cops is screening on New York Asian Film Festival
Tsukasa Naruse is a workaholic detective working on homicide cases, who, as the movie begins, is researching a group of conmen who rob old people after giving them a call posing as the police to discover if they hide money in their houses. His methods, however, are not exactly by the book, as his new partner, young Shota Sakamoto soon discovers. At the same time, his obsession with his job has led him to a divorce and a daughter, Noriko,...
- 7/23/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Translation by Lukasz Mankowski
Eiji Uchida was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1971, and returned to Japan at the age of 10. Uchida worked as a journalist for Playboy magazine, assistant director in TV under Takeshi Kitano, and scriptwriter and director for TV series, before he moved on and became a director for Japanese indie films. His most renowned works include “Greatful Dead”, “Lowlife Love”, “Love and Other Cults”, while he was also involved in the direction of the recent Netflix hit, “The Naked Director”. “Midnight Swan” which screened in 2020, won Japanese Academy Awards for Best Film and Best Actor.
On the occasion of “Midnight Swan” screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival, we speak with him about the Japanese Academy awards, the story behind the movie, ballet and transgender people, parenting, and other topics.
“Midnight Swan” won Japanese Academy awards for Best Film and Best Actor. How do you think...
Eiji Uchida was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1971, and returned to Japan at the age of 10. Uchida worked as a journalist for Playboy magazine, assistant director in TV under Takeshi Kitano, and scriptwriter and director for TV series, before he moved on and became a director for Japanese indie films. His most renowned works include “Greatful Dead”, “Lowlife Love”, “Love and Other Cults”, while he was also involved in the direction of the recent Netflix hit, “The Naked Director”. “Midnight Swan” which screened in 2020, won Japanese Academy Awards for Best Film and Best Actor.
On the occasion of “Midnight Swan” screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival, we speak with him about the Japanese Academy awards, the story behind the movie, ballet and transgender people, parenting, and other topics.
“Midnight Swan” won Japanese Academy awards for Best Film and Best Actor. How do you think...
- 6/17/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Winner for Best Film and Best Actor awards from the Japanese Academy, as much as the Audience Award from Udine in 2021, “Midnight Swan” is a film that essentially establishes Eiji Uchida on the top level of local cinema, and an excellent drama that works on a number of levels.
“Midnight Swan” is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival
Nagisa is a transgender on the process of a sex change operation, who grew up in Hiroshima as a man but now lives in Shinjuku as a woman, working in a night club as a dancer. Due to an accident, she begins to live with middle school student Ichika, a distant relative, who has been suffering from neglect from her alcoholic mother Saori for years, to the point that she barely utters two words to anyone. The cohabitation is as difficult as possible, with Nagisa making no effort to hide that she...
“Midnight Swan” is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival
Nagisa is a transgender on the process of a sex change operation, who grew up in Hiroshima as a man but now lives in Shinjuku as a woman, working in a night club as a dancer. Due to an accident, she begins to live with middle school student Ichika, a distant relative, who has been suffering from neglect from her alcoholic mother Saori for years, to the point that she barely utters two words to anyone. The cohabitation is as difficult as possible, with Nagisa making no effort to hide that she...
- 6/13/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Winner for Best Film and Best Actor awards from the Japanese Academy, as much as the Audience Award from Udine in 2021, “Midnight Swan” is a film that essentially establishes Eiji Uchida on the top level of local cinema, and an excellent drama that works on a number of levels.
Nagisa is a transgender on the process of a sex change operation, who grew up in Hiroshima as a man but now lives in Shinjuku as a woman, working in a night club as a dancer. Due to an accident, she begins to live with middle school student Ichika, a distant relative, who has been suffering from neglect from her alcoholic mother Saori for years, to the point that she barely utters two words to anyone. The cohabitation is as difficult as possible, with Nagisa making no effort to hide that she does not really want the girl there, who also...
Nagisa is a transgender on the process of a sex change operation, who grew up in Hiroshima as a man but now lives in Shinjuku as a woman, working in a night club as a dancer. Due to an accident, she begins to live with middle school student Ichika, a distant relative, who has been suffering from neglect from her alcoholic mother Saori for years, to the point that she barely utters two words to anyone. The cohabitation is as difficult as possible, with Nagisa making no effort to hide that she does not really want the girl there, who also...
- 5/16/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Since he was young, Oh Dong-gu (Ryu Deok-hwan) wished to become a woman, trying on his mother’s clothes and lipstick, aspiring to resemble his idol, Madonna. Now a high schooler, he lives with his alcoholic father (Kim Yoon-seok) and does odd jobs such as carrying sacks of salt at the Incheon port to collect money for a gender reassignment surgery, so he can confess to his Japanese language teacher (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi). Inspired by his best friend, he joins the school’s sirreum team for an upcoming tournament. Realizing his talent for traditional wrestling, he hopes to win the top prize and realize his dream.
“Like a Virgin” is screening at Hong Kong Arts Centre
Lee Hae-jun and Lee Hae-young tackle very serious topics such as parental abuse and homophobia in very funny and visually inventive ways. That is not to say that they make light of any of them.
“Like a Virgin” is screening at Hong Kong Arts Centre
Lee Hae-jun and Lee Hae-young tackle very serious topics such as parental abuse and homophobia in very funny and visually inventive ways. That is not to say that they make light of any of them.
- 11/24/2021
- by Martin Lukanov
- AsianMoviePulse
Japan scored a one-two finish at Italy’s Far East Film Festival, with Uchida Eiji’s transgender drama Midnight Swan winning the coveted Golden Mulberry and Maeda Koji’s comedy You’re Not Normal, Either! taking the Silver Mulberry.
Midnight Swan, also written by Eiji, stars Tsuyoshi Kusanagi as Nagisa, a transgender woman living in Tokyo who unexpectedly takes in her niece Ichika (Misaki Hattori), the two then go on to form a mother-daughter bond.
Koji’s comedy stars Ryo Narita as an unlucky-in-love math teacher who engages his student (Kaya Kiyohara) to teach him how to be normal.
The third prize, the Crystal ...
Midnight Swan, also written by Eiji, stars Tsuyoshi Kusanagi as Nagisa, a transgender woman living in Tokyo who unexpectedly takes in her niece Ichika (Misaki Hattori), the two then go on to form a mother-daughter bond.
Koji’s comedy stars Ryo Narita as an unlucky-in-love math teacher who engages his student (Kaya Kiyohara) to teach him how to be normal.
The third prize, the Crystal ...
With Mashide Ichii’s “The Stormy Family” Nippon Connection chose a turbulent comedy for their actual program. Since his debut “Dog Days Dream” in 2005 Ichii looks back to a series of awarded feature films. Among them are “Blindly in Love” (2013) and “Our Meal For Tomorrow” (2017). His actual work is a mixture of family drama and crime story.
The Stormy Family is screening at Nippon Connection
Ten years ago, an elderly couple made a bank robbery. Naively they, used their own car and unfortunately it really wasn’t discreet. Everybody recognized the richly decorated car of the undertakers. But still, they disappeared and caouldn’t be found by the police. Now years after the incident, one of the children calls the family together for a memorial service. The three brothers and one sister arrive at the parental house.
The oldest brother with his own wife and daughter claims the inheritance for...
The Stormy Family is screening at Nippon Connection
Ten years ago, an elderly couple made a bank robbery. Naively they, used their own car and unfortunately it really wasn’t discreet. Everybody recognized the richly decorated car of the undertakers. But still, they disappeared and caouldn’t be found by the police. Now years after the incident, one of the children calls the family together for a memorial service. The three brothers and one sister arrive at the parental house.
The oldest brother with his own wife and daughter claims the inheritance for...
- 6/5/2021
- by Teresa Vena
- AsianMoviePulse
The official website for Yasuo Furuhata’s upcoming road movie Dear has been updated with a new 90-second trailer.
In his first movie role in 6 years, Dear stars screen legend Ken Takakura as a prison guidance officer named Eiji Kurashima who drives an Rv from Toyama to Nagasaki to spread his late wife Yoko’s (Yuko Tanaka) ashes in the harbor of her hometown—both to honor her last request and to discover more about her life. Along the way, he meets various characters and reminisces about his time with Yoko.
The movie will be filled with well-known celebrities in small supporting roles, such as Koichi Sato as an ikameshi vendor and Tsuyoshi Kusanagi as a pub patron he has a heart-to-heart with. Other supporting roles are filled by Takeshi Kitano, Kyozo Nagatsuka, Mieko Harada, Kimiko Yo, Haruka Ayase, Takahiro Miura, Hideji Otaki, Tadanobu Asano, and Takashi Okamura.
“Dear” will...
In his first movie role in 6 years, Dear stars screen legend Ken Takakura as a prison guidance officer named Eiji Kurashima who drives an Rv from Toyama to Nagasaki to spread his late wife Yoko’s (Yuko Tanaka) ashes in the harbor of her hometown—both to honor her last request and to discover more about her life. Along the way, he meets various characters and reminisces about his time with Yoko.
The movie will be filled with well-known celebrities in small supporting roles, such as Koichi Sato as an ikameshi vendor and Tsuyoshi Kusanagi as a pub patron he has a heart-to-heart with. Other supporting roles are filled by Takeshi Kitano, Kyozo Nagatsuka, Mieko Harada, Kimiko Yo, Haruka Ayase, Takahiro Miura, Hideji Otaki, Tadanobu Asano, and Takashi Okamura.
“Dear” will...
- 6/8/2012
- Nippon Cinema
Koki Mitani’s already-big upcoming comedy Once in a Blue Moon (Suteki na Kanashibari) just got a little bigger.
It was previously announced that the film would star Eri Fukatsu as a third-rate lawyer who’s forced to depend on a 421-year-old ghost (Toshiyuki Nishida) as the sole witness to her client’s innocence.
Earlier today, a bunch of new names were added to the cast list, including Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (Smap), Masachika Ichimura, Takayuki Kinoshita (Tko). Fumiyo Kohinata, Takashi Kobayashi, Kan, Sen Yamamoto, Keiko Toda, Kazuyuki Asano, Katsuhisa Namase, Zen Kajihara, Kenji Anan, and Yoshimasa Kondo.
In addition to the casting update, Toho also revealed the theatrical release date: October 29, 2011.
Sources: Tokyograph, Cinema Today...
It was previously announced that the film would star Eri Fukatsu as a third-rate lawyer who’s forced to depend on a 421-year-old ghost (Toshiyuki Nishida) as the sole witness to her client’s innocence.
Earlier today, a bunch of new names were added to the cast list, including Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (Smap), Masachika Ichimura, Takayuki Kinoshita (Tko). Fumiyo Kohinata, Takashi Kobayashi, Kan, Sen Yamamoto, Keiko Toda, Kazuyuki Asano, Katsuhisa Namase, Zen Kajihara, Kenji Anan, and Yoshimasa Kondo.
In addition to the casting update, Toho also revealed the theatrical release date: October 29, 2011.
Sources: Tokyograph, Cinema Today...
- 4/15/2011
- Nippon Cinema
It’s been a long time coming, but a trailer for Mamoru Hoshi’s Boku to Tsuma no 1778 no Monogatari has finally been released, nearly a full year after the project was first announced.
The film is based on the true story of science fiction writer Taku Mayumura whose wife died of colon cancer in 2002. After a doctor told him laughter can help the immune system, Mayumura began writing one story of at least 3 pages every day for his cancer-stricken wife. Although the initial prognosis was that she would only survive one year, she went on to live 5 good years with the help of the 1,778 total stories written by her husband for her over that time.
Tsuyoshi Kusanagi of Smap plays Sakutaro, a character modeled after Mayumura, and Yuko Takeuchi plays his wife Setsuko. The two last co-starred together 8 years ago in Akihiko Shiota’s “Yomigaeri”.
Source: Official website...
The film is based on the true story of science fiction writer Taku Mayumura whose wife died of colon cancer in 2002. After a doctor told him laughter can help the immune system, Mayumura began writing one story of at least 3 pages every day for his cancer-stricken wife. Although the initial prognosis was that she would only survive one year, she went on to live 5 good years with the help of the 1,778 total stories written by her husband for her over that time.
Tsuyoshi Kusanagi of Smap plays Sakutaro, a character modeled after Mayumura, and Yuko Takeuchi plays his wife Setsuko. The two last co-starred together 8 years ago in Akihiko Shiota’s “Yomigaeri”.
Source: Official website...
- 11/1/2010
- Nippon Cinema
Oh boy, Japanese film makers sometimes really choose weird source material for their live-action adaptations. Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta is based on an animated (and awarded) Crayon Shin-chan movie from 2002 that has been put in a more serious shell for this adaptation.
The film tells the story of a young princess (Yui Aragaki) who constantly rejects the arranged marriage with a ruler of a neighboring state and thus brings the states to the brink of war. Smap member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (yes, the one who got arrested for some drunk Eden of the East cosplaying back in April) plays a soldier who wants to win the princess’ heart. To make things even more complicated the couple to-be gets visited by Shinichi (Akashi Takei), a young boy from the future…
[See post to watch Flash video] Director Takashi Yamazaki’s Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta will open in Japan on September 5th 2009.
[via Nippon Cinema]...
The film tells the story of a young princess (Yui Aragaki) who constantly rejects the arranged marriage with a ruler of a neighboring state and thus brings the states to the brink of war. Smap member Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (yes, the one who got arrested for some drunk Eden of the East cosplaying back in April) plays a soldier who wants to win the princess’ heart. To make things even more complicated the couple to-be gets visited by Shinichi (Akashi Takei), a young boy from the future…
[See post to watch Flash video] Director Takashi Yamazaki’s Ballad: Namonaki Koi no Uta will open in Japan on September 5th 2009.
[via Nippon Cinema]...
- 8/11/2009
- by Ulrik
- Affenheimtheater
Tsuyoshi Kusanagi has apologised to fans after he was allegedly found naked and drunk in a Tokyo park. The 34-year-old Japanese singer was arrested on suspicion of public indecency following the April 23 incident. The former member of boyband Smap was released by police today and immediately apologised for his "shameful" antics. "I drank a lot and did not know what I was doing," Kusanagi said. "I deeply (more)...
- 4/25/2009
- by By Sarah Rollo
- Digital Spy
Japansese singer Tsuyoshi Kusanagi has been arrested in Tokyo on suspicion of public indecency. The 31-year old, who is a member of the boyband Smap, was detained by police after allegedly being caught naked and drunk in a city park on April 23. The star is said to have stripped and sat cross-legged on the grass before being taken to a nearby police station, according to (more)...
- 4/24/2009
- by By David Balls
- Digital Spy
Haven’t heard much from Leonardo DiCaprio’s live-action version of “Ninja Scroll” in a while, so here’s (kinda) something: according to a Japanese newspaper, DiCaprio is considering casting the film’s leads with the five members of a popular Japanese band called Smap. This, we’re told, is in keeping with DiCaprio’s intention to fill out the cast with Japanese actors, thus keeping the film true to its roots. I suppose it would be kind of difficult to cast, say, Keanu Reeves when your story is supposed to take place in Feudal Japan. Writes the Nikkan Sports (via Anime News Network): In addition to performing a string of hit singles, the five members of Smap — Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori — have acted in many films based on manga and anime. However, they have not acted together in the same film since 1994’s Shoot.
- 4/7/2009
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Oh boy, I really hope that this is just some kind of late April Fool’s joke. Ann reports in reference to Nikkan Sports (must be a great source for movie related news) that the members of the five-headed J-Pop boygroup Smap (Sports Music Assemble People) are considered to be casted as the main leads in the live-action adaptation of Yoshiaki Kawajiri’s anime classic Ninja Scroll. Leonardo DiCaprio, whose production company Appian Way has acquainted the rights last autumn has outed himself as a big fans of Japanese animation promised “not to make the movie until the script is in the right shape”. What noble words…
Smap is one of the biggest Japanese boygroups and was founded in 1991. All members, Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori have already acted in several tv series and (mostly manga and anime related) films, but I don’t...
Smap is one of the biggest Japanese boygroups and was founded in 1991. All members, Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori have already acted in several tv series and (mostly manga and anime related) films, but I don’t...
- 4/6/2009
- by Ulrik
- Affenheimtheater
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.