Movies based on manga/anime series Slam Dunk and Detective Conan lead a nostalgic trip down memory lane at the Japanese Film Festival 2024 that is set to have its opening run on February 1-11, 2024 at the Red Carpet Cinema, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
Adding to the sense of nostalgia are two Voltes V theatrical releases in the JFF lineup namely Voltes V: Legacy, screened in cinemas last year prior to the television broadcast of the live action series and Voltes V: Liberation, a theatrical cut of the last four episodes that were unaired during the animated series' original run in the Philippines back in the late 1970s.
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| Voltes V: Legacy Director Mark Reyes & JFF Festival Director Tanaka Yojiro |
Another highlight of the JFF to watch out for is director Iizuka Kasho and actor Horike Kazuki gracing the screening of their film Angry Son on February 3, 2024 with a Q&A session happening afterwards.
Limited edition Beep cards, a huge hit last year, will also make their return via a rewards system similar to those offered by coffee chains during the holiday season.
Here is a detailed look on the films of the Japanese Film Festival 2024.
And Yet You are So Sweet | なのに、千輝くんが甘すぎる (2023)
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| ©2023 "AND YET, YOU ARE SO SWEET" Film Partners ©AK/K |
Director: Shinjyo Takehiko
Cast: Takahashi Kyohei, Hata Mei
One-sided love has never felt so good!
KISARAGI Maaya is in her second year of high school, and has just been completely rejected by her crush. Heartbroken and mortified, she vows out loud to “never confess to someone ever again”… only to realise later that her high school’s heartthrob CHIGIRA Sui is within earshot! Upon hearing Maaya’s weeping, CHIGIRA proposes a strange solution to heal her heartbreak – that she pretends to have a crush on him instead. When CHIGIRA starts treating Maaya sweetly, it isn’t hard for her to keep up pretences in this strictly one-sided love game… but as the pair grow closer, Maaya’s feelings for CHIGIRA become undeniable. What will become of their “pretend crush”now?
Angry Son | 世界は僕らに気づかない (2022)
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| ©LesPros entertaiment |
Director: Iizuka Kasho
Cast: Horike Kazuki, Gow, Shinohara Masafumi, Murayama Tomoka, Iwaya Kenji
Jungo (18), a high school student living in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, has a Filipino mother who works at a Filipina hostess bar. His mother has never told him about his father, and the only connection he has to his father is the monthly child support payments. Jungo is homosexual and has a boyfriend, Yusuke (18). Even though Yusuke wanted to form a partnership with him, he was reluctant to do so because of his background. One day, her mother, Reina (41), brings her boyfriend home, saying she wants to remarry with him. Jungo doesn‘t want to live with a stranger, so he decides to find his real father.
Detective Conan The Movie: The Private Eyes' Requiem | 名探偵コナン 探偵たちの鎮魂歌 (2006)
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| Based on the original graphic novel " Meitantei Conan" by Gosho Aoyama, published by Shogakukan Inc. ©2006 GOSHO AOYAMA/SHOGAKUKAN YTV • NTV • ShoPro • TOHO • TMS All Rights Reserved |
Director: Yamamoto Yasuichiro
Cast: Takayama Minami, Kamiya Akira, Horikawa Ryo
Detective Conan faces his worst crisis yet in this 10th anniversary feature film! Someone has figured out Conan’s real identity as Shinichi Kudo. Worse, he’s taken Conan’s friends hostage; in 12 hours, a bomb will kill them all. Can Conan solve the case, save his friends and keep his secret identity?
Detective Conan The Movie: The Time-Bombed Skyscraper | 名探偵コナン 時計じかけの摩天楼 (1997)
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| Based on the original graphic novel "Meitantei Conan" by Gosho Aoyama, published by Shogakukan Inc. ©1997 GOSHO AOYAMA/SHOGAKUKAN YTV • UNIVERSAL MUSIC • ShoPro TMS All Rights Reserved |
Director: Kodama Kenji
Cast: Takayama Minami, Yamaguchi Kappei, Yamazaki Wakana
Shinichi used to be a high school detective until a dark organization turned him into a little boy. Now called Conan, he can’t reveal himself… not even when a bomber kidnaps his girlfriend! Time is ticking, there’s a wall between them, and Conan only has his phone. The heart-stopping first movie!
The Father of the Milky Railroad | 銀河鉄道の父 (2022)
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| ©2022 "Father of the Milky Way Railroad" FILM PARTNERS |
Director: Narushima Izuru
Cast: Yakusho Koji, Suda Masaki, Mori Nana, Toyoda Yudai, Sakai Maki, Tanaka Min
The story of one of Japan’s most beloved authors and the father who always believed in him Directed by NARUSHIMA Izuru, this powerful biopic details the life of legendary poet and novelist MIYAZAWA Kenji, one of Japan’s most beloved children’s authors. As the eldest son of Masajiro, a wealthy pawnbroker, Kenji was raised with the expectation that he would one day inherit the family business. However, the free-spirited Kenji is determined to walk his own path in life, and takes it upon himself to pursue agricultural studies, synthetic gemstones and other eccentric ventures, despite his father’s bewilderment. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, this incredible story depicts the power of family and unconditional love that endures through times of hardship.
The First Slam Dunk (2022)
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| ©I.T. PLANNING, INC. ©The FIRST SLAM DUNK Film Partners |
Director: Inoue Takehiko
Cast: Nakamura Shugo, Kasama Jun, Kamio Shinichiro, Kimura Subaru, Miyake Kenta
Shohoku’s “speedster” and point guard, Ryota Miyagi, always plays with brains and lightning speed, running circles around his opponents while feigning composure.
Born and raised in Okinawa, Ryota had a brother who was three years older. Following in the footsteps of his older brother, who was a famous local player from a young age, Ryota also became addicted to basketball.
In his second year of high school, Ryota plays with the Shohoku High School basketball team along with Sakuragi, Rukawa, Akagi, and Mitsui as they take the stage at the Inter-High School National Championship.
And now, they are on the brink of challenging the reigning champions, Sannoh Kogyo High School.
Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom | 金の国 水の国 (2023)
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| ©Nao Iwamoto/Shogakukan ©2023 "Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom" Film Partners |
Director: Watanabe Kotono
Cast: Kaku Kento, Hamabe Minami, Kamiya Hiroshi, Ginga Banjyo
Cats and dogs, deserts and trees: will these kingdoms ever get along?
Glistening with gold and water beneath the same sun, Alhamit and Baikari are two warring kingdoms that have come to a diplomatic agreement: Alhamit will gift their most beautiful woman and Baikari their cleverest man, to wed the nations into peace. But apparently they are too stubborn to even honour such a simple deal, and trouble sparks when a dog and cat arrive in place of the promised bride and groom! In a strange twist of fate however, Princess Sarah of Alhamit and Naranbayar of Baikari meet in the forest by chance, without realising who the other is…
A Man | ある男 (2022)
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| ©2022 "A Man" Film Partners |
Director: Ishikawa Kei
Cast: Tsumabuki Satoshi, Ando Sakura, Kubota Masataka
Does the truth really set you free?
Over four blissful years, Rie and her son shared a loving new life with her second husband, Daisuke. His sudden accidental death brings not only grief, but an unnerving discovery for the widow: the man she thought she knew was posing under someone else’s identity. In a startling dual narrative, the mystery around Mr. X unfolds beneath the hands of KIDO, the attorney handling the case. Prefaced by René Magritte’s surrealist painting Not to be Reproduced, this thought-provoking film is a vital addition to a growing genre of Japanese cinema that interrogates fragile morals permeating contemporary society.
Mondays: See You "This" Week! | このタイムループ、上司に気づかせないと終わらない (2022)
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| ©CHOCOLATE Inc. |
Director: Takebayashi Ryo
Cast: Marui Wan, Makita Sports, Osamura Koki, Mikawa Yugo, Takano Haruki
Manic Monday takes on a whole new meaning!
Working over night with colleagues, a head injury from a traffic accident, constant sleepiness on the job and a bird slamming itself into the office window… on top of a pressing deadline at her advertising job, YOSHIKAWA is having the worst week ever. As if her headache wasn’t bad enough, her coworkers ENDO and MURATA are going mad and claim the entire office is stuck in a time loop… but after a few rounds of reliving the same mundane Monday, YOSHIKAWA soon realises they’re telling the truth. Now the teammates must work together, enlighten their oblivious colleagues and find a way to end this endless Monday!
Not Quite Dead Yet | 一度死んでみた (2020)
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| ©2020 Shochiku Co., Ltd. Fuji Television Network, inc. |
Director: Hamasako Shinji
Cast: Hirose Suzu, Yoshizawa Ryo, Tsutsumi Shinichi
Angst-ridden college student, Nanase Nobata, lives with her father, Hakaru, president of the Nobata Pharmaceutical Company, resentful of his constant nagging about her life, and for being so absorbed in his work that he failed to be at her mother’s deathbed. Exhorting him daily to “Drop dead (once)!”, Hakaru finally does drop dead one day while developing a revolutionary “reverse aging” drug. Hakaru’s team had accidentally discovered a drug that causes temporary death, followed by full recovery in 2 days. Hakaru had been persuaded to take the drug in an attempt to expose a corporate spy planted in his company by a rival firm looking to merge with Nobata and capitalize on the anti-aging formula. When Hakaru drops dead, it sets the company in an uproar as his will names Nanase as the new president. A bewildered and distraught Nanase had no inkling of her father’s death, but can see his ghost hanging around watching. She soon learns the truth about her father’s condition and the spy from Matsuoka, a young employee so unremarkably invisible to others that he’s nicknamed “Ghost.” Together with “Ghost Matsuoka” and the actual ghost of Hakaru, Nanase endeavors to prevent her father’s enemies from prematurely cremating his body before the drug can wear off and allow him to revive.
Tokyo Story | 東京物語 (1953)
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| ©1953/2017 Shochiku Co., Ltd. |
Director: Ozu Yasujiro
Cast: Ryu Chishu, Higashiyama Chieko, Yamamura So
Shukichi and Tomi set off on a trip to Tokyo, where two of their grown-up children live. The elderly couple have spent most of their lives in the small coastal town of Onomichi in Hiroshima, and hope their visit will be a memorable experience to cherish for the rest of their lives. However, once they arrive in the bustling metropolis, their eldest son and daughter prioritize maintaining their own lifestyles over spending quality time with their parents. Despite an initially amiable reception, Shukichi and Tomi sense an absence of sincere warmth, which makes them feel unwelcome and disappointed. They cut their stay short and return home. Before long, the son and daughter in Tokyo receive a telegram from their young sister Kyoko (Kyoko Kagawa) in Onomichi, informing them that their mother is critically ill.
Voltes V: Legacy - The Cinematic Experience (2023)
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| ©TOEI Co. Ltd, Telesuccess All Rights Reserved |
Director: Marciano Reyes V
Cast: Miguel Tanfelix, Ysabel Ortega, Radson Flores, Raphael Landicho, Matt Lozano, Martin Del Rosario
Based on the popular 70’s Japanese anime, Voltes V: Legacy follows the story of three brothers, Steve, Big Bert, and Little Jon Armstrong. Together with their friends, Jamie Robinson and Mark Gordon, they pilot five vehicles that form the Ultra Electromagnetic Voltes V Super Robot and defend the Earth from the invading forces of the Boazanian Empire and their Beast Fighters.
Voltes V: The Liberation (1977-1978)
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| ©TOEI Co.Ltd, Telesuccess All Rights Reserved |
Director: Nagahama Tadao
In the climactic conclusion of “Voltes V,” the Voltes Team faces Prince Zardoz and his devastating weapon in a desperate gambit to overcome the overwhelming threat, putting their skills and the Volt Machines to the ultimate test. The showdown unfolds as they embark on a perilous mission. Emotions running high, the team combines the Volt Machines to form the Ultra Magnetic Voltes V robot to deliver a decisive blow against the Boazanian forces and Emperor Zambojil’s ambition of inter-galactic conquest.
We Made a Beautiful Bouquet | 花束みたいな恋をした (2021)
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| ©2021 "We Made a Beautiful Bouquet" Film Partners |
Director: Doi Nobuhiro
Cast: Suda Masaki, Arimura Kasumi
Petals of young love on an upstream current
The last train at midnight leaves a group of stragglers stranded at the station, who opt for a bar rather than paying for a taxi home. Among them are twenty-two-year-olds Mugi and Kinu, whose curiosity for one another is fated to have a lasting and more intricate outcome than initially expected. Caught in the period of youth when many enter the gruelling Japanese workforce, the pair live under the pressure of maintaining an income without compromising their creative passions. Patient and bittersweet, this romance chronicles the fleeting lifespan of love, as Mugi and Kinu reckon with the hard realities of societal life imposing on their relationship and senses of self.
Here is the schedule of the public screenings at the Shang's Red Carpet Cinema.*
February 2, 2024
1:00 PM Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom
4:00 PM We Made a Beautiful Bouquet
7:00 PM Tokyo Story
February 3, 2024
12:00 PM Detective Conan The Movie: The Time-Bombed Skyscraper
2:10 PM And Yet You are So Sweet
4:20 PM Not Quite Dead Yet
6:00 PM Angry Son
February 4, 2024
12:30 PM Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom
3:00 PM The First Slam Dunk
5:35 PM Detective Conan The Movie: The Private Eyes' Requiem
8:00 PM Not Quite Dead Yet
February 5, 2024
4:00 PM And Yet You are so Sweet
7:00 PM Mondays: See You "This" Week!
February 6, 2024
4:00 PM We Made a Beautiful Bouquet
7:00 PM The Father of the Milky Way Railroad
February 7, 2024
1:00 PM Not Quite Dead Yet
4:00 PM Mondays: See You "This" Week!
7:00 PM Angry Son
February 8, 2024
1:00 PM And Yet You are so Sweet
4:00 PM We Made a Beautiful Bouquet
7:00 PM Tokyo Story
February 9, 2024
1:00 PM The Father of the Milky Way Railroad
4:00 PM Angry Son
7:00 PM A Man
February 10, 2024
12:30 PM Detective Conan The Movie: The Time-Bombed Skyscraper
2:40 PM Gold Kingdom and Water Kingdom
5:10 PM The First Slam Dunk
7:45 PM Voltes V: Legacy
February 11, 2024
12:30 PM Detective Conan The Movie: The Private Eyes' Requiem
2:55 PM The First Slam Dunk
5:30 PM A Man
8:10 PM Voltes V: The Liberation
*Film lineup and schedule are subject to change
After the Shang's Red Carpet Cinema run, the festival will screen at the following venues.
SM Seaside City Cebu February 16-25, 2024
SM City Baguio February 23-March 3, 2024
SM City Iloilo February 23-March 3, 2024
SM City Davao February 23-March 3, 2024
UPFI Film Center February 22-March 2, 2024
The Japanese Film Festival 2024 is presented by the Japan Foundation, Manila and is also supported by the Film Development Council of the Philippines, JT International (Philippines) Inc., and the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines.
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