Asian Culture, Lifestyle and Entertainment
20th Century Boys is a Japanese scifi film trilogy based on a hugely popular manga series by Naoki Urasawa. The trilogy was directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi and starred Toshiaki Karasawa, Etsushi Toyokawa, Takako Tokiwa, Teruyuki Kagawa and Airi Taira etc. Trailer below is for the first instalment.
[Read more…] about 20th Century Boys (2008-2009) movie review
Trailer for Japanese movie UDON (a popular Japanese noodle), starring Yusuke Santamaria, Manami Konishi and Tortoise Matsumoto etc.
The film tells the story of Kosuke (Yusuke), son of an udon shop owner, who left his family but returned home to face his dismay father after spending six years in New York trying (and failed) to become a stand-up comedian.
He and a magazine reporter Kyoko (Manami) created an “udon boom” across the country by chance, but as the fad cooled-down he begun to learn the real meaning of udon (a soul food in Japan, as the movie puts it) from his family perspective.
The 30-minute food hunt is quite fun, other than that it’s average. They also tried a bit too much to create an emotional ending, which doesn’t sync that well.
Japanese actress Keiko Kitagawa is playing a swordswoman in her new movie After the Flowers which is scheduled to show in March 2010. Don’t have much clue what the film is about, love the promotional pictures though.
[Read more…] about Keiko Kitagawa plays swordswoman in movie
Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has found himself a new job… as a voice actor for an upcoming live-action Ultraman movie.
The full title of the film is Giant Monster Battle: Ultra Galactic Legend The Movie, to be precise lol.
Koizumi will lend his voice as the Ultraman King, an ancient Legendary Hero in the Ultra family. The film will open in Japan on December 12.
Koizumi is one of the most of popular postwar Prime Ministers in Japan. He retired in 2006, and the political arena has been in chaos ever since. The current PM Yukio Hatoyama, amazingly, is Koizumi’s 4th successor in just over three years.
[via Animenewsnetwork and Japanprobe]
Departures (おくりびと, Okuribito) is a multiple award winning Japanese movie and winner of the best foreign language film at the Academy Awards in 2009.
Directed by Yojiro Takita and starring Masahiro Motoki, the movie follows the story of a nokanshi whose job is to prepare the death for encoffinment. Other cast include Ryoko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki and Kimiko Yo etc.
Winners of the 3rd Asian Film Awards presented in Hong Kong on Monday (Mar 23)…
Best film – “Tokyo Sonata” (Hong Kong, Japan, Netherlands)
Best director – Hirokazu Kore-Eda, “Still Walking” (Japan)
Best actor – Masahiro Motoki, “Departures” (Japan)
Best actress – Zhou Xun, “The Equation of Love and Death” (China)
Best newcomer – Yu Shaoqun, “Forever Enthralled” (China)
Best supporting actor – Jung Woo-sung, “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” (Korea)
Best supporting actress – Gina Pareño, “Service” (Philippines)
Best screenwriter – Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Max Mannix, Sachiko Tanaka, “Tokyo Sonata”
Best cinematographer – Jola Dylewska, “Tulpan” (Kazakhstan and co.)
Best composer – Joe Hisaishi, “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea” (Japan)
Best editor – Kim Sun-min, “The Chaser” (Korea)
Best special effect – Craig Hayes, “Red Cliff” (China)
Singapore has imposed the circuit breaker measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 since early April. They announced an extension (until June 1) and some new rules a … [Read More...] about Singapore queued for last bubble tea before tightened lockdown
A cute photo series amidst the Covid-19 lockdown in Malaysia. Armed forces are present to assist the police to enforce the Movement Control Order (MCO) across the … [Read More...] about An Officer and a Gentle Cat
