Surprised to see me back again? Well, yes, I went to an anime/manga camp 2 weeks ago, and have been there for 7 days, without any phone signal or stable Internet connection. I was able to do things for the first time, and it was so much fun that I barely slept for that period. I would be lying if I said that I have recovered my sleep by now, but I guess I’m well enough to be able to concentrate on posting again. So I was asking myself – what should I talk about? While browsing the trailer community I used a while back, I found some interesting movies I wish to share.

The first movie I stumbled upon is Synesthesia, the story of a girl suffering from a disease with the same name. A rare condition with effects similar to clairvoyance, it causes Mari, played by Aoi Miyazaki, to become alienated from society for her entire life. When she decides to step out in the world though, her path crosses that of a potential serial killer, causing her to be saved by a man who suffers from the same condition as her. It is a thriller, possibly similar to some of the Japanese detective dramas that have recently been aired, only much more intense. I’m really looking forward to seeing this movie, because Aoi Miyazaki is an actress that has (very) recently caught my eye.

The second is a live-action of the well-known manga series, Nana. It tells the story of two girls, Nana Osaki (Mika Nakashima), a punk rocker aiming to make it in the music industry, and Nana Komatsu (Aoi Miyazaki), who came to Tokyo in order to spend more time with her boyfriend, Shuji. Through a coincidence, they become roommates, and they live their life in Tokyo supporting each other through the hardships of their relationships. Although I have seen trailers for the anime, and even watched the first episode, it didn’t make me feel like seeing more, so it is a surprise that the movie interests me. Besides, Kanata Hongo has a role in this, so I cannot miss it :) )

Another movie I look forward to is Rinco’s Restaurant, based on a novel by Ito Ogawa. It depicts the relationship of a mother with her daughter (Shibasaki Kou – Ooku), who returns home after being so heartbroken that she loses her voice. She decides to open a small restaurant, only taking one reservation per day and focusing on it with all her might and cooking skills. It seems a heart-warming story, released on February 6 this year, so I really hope I will be able to find it somewhere. I can’t wait to see it!

The last movie I want to see, barely released yesterday in Japan, is Okan no Yomeiri, starring Shinobu Otake (Arigatou, Okan) as Yoko, a single mother, and Aoi Miyazaki as Tsukiko, her adult daughter. They have a great relationship, supporting and relying on each other; however, one night Yoko comes home drunk and with a man with blond hair (Kenta Kiritani), announcing that she is going to marry him. At first, Tsukiko cannot understand the reason for her mother’s rash decision, but uncovering a secret about her illness might just explain it. This one is caught my attention because of Otake Shinobu’s role in it, as I really enjoyed her acting in another “Kansai-flavoured” movie, Arigatou, Okan (the presence of my favourite accent in the movie definitely has something to do with it, as well!). I hope someone subs it as quick as possible!

See you another time!

Advertisement