This Japanese-language movie, which to my knowledge hasn't yet been released with subtitles or dubbing, is best regarded as a gentle parody of the 1957 Henry Fonda classic "12 Angry Men". (The title, which translates to "12 Gentle Japanese", makes this obvious.)
Of course Japan doesn't have a jury system, so this is even more of a fantasy than it would have been. The performances are generally over-the-top, and it's rather hard to take any of it too seriously. But there are some nice humorous touches. Like the 1957 original, it is set almost entirely in a single room, and for the most part it parallels the original, with a few interesting twists. (In this one, all the jurors save one begin with an "innocent" vote)
Not a great movie by any stretch, but pleasant enough. Very little that's original here, though--if you want an original Japanese movie, check out recent titles directed by Shohei Imamura, Hirokazu Kore-eda, or Takeshi Kitano.
Of course Japan doesn't have a jury system, so this is even more of a fantasy than it would have been. The performances are generally over-the-top, and it's rather hard to take any of it too seriously. But there are some nice humorous touches. Like the 1957 original, it is set almost entirely in a single room, and for the most part it parallels the original, with a few interesting twists. (In this one, all the jurors save one begin with an "innocent" vote)
Not a great movie by any stretch, but pleasant enough. Very little that's original here, though--if you want an original Japanese movie, check out recent titles directed by Shohei Imamura, Hirokazu Kore-eda, or Takeshi Kitano.