Saturday, August 06, 2005
>> Yukie Nakama in SHINOBI
Yukie Nakama will be starring in a ninja adventure flick (it’s also a love story) called “SHINOBI - Heart Under Bladeâ€? which will start its Road Show tour on September 17th in Japan. Yukie plays the role of ninja Oboro with Joe Odagiri starring in the role of ninja Gennosuke Kouga. There’s even a blog (SHINOBLOG) for the film too. :) I’m a fan of swordplay flicks and with Yukie in this film, I’m sure it’ll become one of my faves.
[posted with ecto]
>> Yukie Nakama in SHINOBI
Yukie Nakama will be starring in a ninja adventure flick (it’s also a love story) called “SHINOBI - Heart Under Bladeâ€? which will start its Road Show tour on September 17th in Japan. Yukie plays the role of ninja Oboro with Joe Odagiri starring in the role of ninja Gennosuke Kouga. There’s even a blog (SHINOBLOG) for the film too. :) I’m a fan of swordplay flicks and with Yukie in this film, I’m sure it’ll become one of my faves.
[posted with ecto]
Sunday, December 12, 2004
>> Kono Machi and Ichigo Chips
It’s been a bit too quiet at the Chitose Hajime Fan Blog as we wait patiently for Chitose’s return and of course, our prayers go out to her for a complete recovery. Chitose’s birthday is coming up soon (January 5) and what better early present than having her song “Kono Machi” in the film “Ichigo no Kakera (Ichigo Chips)”. “Ichigo” is based on a manga (see image above) by Tsutomu Takahashi who also penned the popular manga Sky High (which was turned into a film starring gravure idol Yumiko Shaku).
“Kono Machi” also happened to be used for the NHK drama serial “Manten” (much of the series was shot on location in Kagoshima Prefecture) and is one of my favorite songs of hers. “Ichigo Chips”, directed by Shun Nakahara (who also happens to be from Kagoshima Prefecture), will make its theatrical run in Japanese theaters come February 2005.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
>> ‘Fuon’ selected by the WFF in Montreal
Fuuon∼The Crying Wind∼ (2004 Siglo production), a film set in Okinawa, has been selected for this year’s World Film Festival in Montreal (August 26 to September 6). The story and original script is by Akutagawa Award winning novelist Shun Medoruma (Suiteki [Droplets]) and directed by Youichi Higashi. Music is by Takashi Hirayasu and Gypsy Band. (I’ll be crossing my fingers with the hope that this film makes the selection for this year’s HIFF.)Friday, May 28, 2004
>> Shinkyokyuu no Hitsuyou
But how many people, masochists included, would voluntarily fly to a tiny island off Okinawa and chop sugar cane for one month? In Tetsuo Shinohara’s “Shinkokyu no Hitsuyo (The Necessity of Deep Breathing)”, the answer is Japanese twentysomethings who want to refreshen their hearts and minds under the blue Okinawa sky … or something like that.Besides the young Tokyoites, the film also stars actor Saburo Kitajima (“Untamagiruu”) and actress Taeko Yoshida (“Untamagiruu”, “Pineapple Tours”), both from Okinawa.
Sunday, November 30, 2003
>> Hotel Hibiscus to be released in January 2004
Missed “Hotel Hibiscus” at this year’s HIFF? Well, don’t fret any longer because the film will be released in Japan on January 23, 2004! The DVD will be coded for Region 2 but it will have English/Japanese subtitles and the price is relatively inexpensive at ¥3,800. The DVD can be pre-ordered through one of my favorite online merchants, CDJapan. In a future post to the pop pages, I’ll have a list of available Okinawa-related DVDs (it’ll just be films and music videos for now) including information like region-coding, subtitle availability, and the most important part, where to buy ‘em. Stay tuned!
Sunday, October 19, 2003
>> Hotel Hibiscus
![[hotel hibiscus image]](http://pop.internet-okinawa.com/blog/images/hotel_hibiscus.png)
Fan of Okinawan films? Loved 1999’s “Nabbie’s Love” so much that you even bought the soundtrack? Well, if you live in Hawaii, you’re in luck. Yuji Nakae, the director/writer who brought the world one of the most popular films to come out of Okinawa called “Nabbie’s Love” (Nabii no Koi), has released the film “Hotel Hibiscus”. The 2002 film brings back some of “Nabbie’s Love” favorites like Seijin Noborikawa, Tomi Taira, and Misako Oshiro (who had a lesser role as a musician on that film). In addition to those fan favorites, you’ll also delight in watching Kimiko Yo, who is becoming a mainstay in many films and TV shows shot in Okinawa.“Hotel Hibiscus” will be shown during this year’s Fall Hawaii International Film Festival on Sunday, November 2nd, and Saturday, November 8th. Ticket information can be found over here. The film will be shown in its original Japanese dialogue with English subtitles. Fans of the director will also delight in knowing that his first film, 1992’s “Pineapple Tours”, is now available in a DVD format.
The “Pineapple Tours” DVD can be purchased online at Panorama LD-DVD.com. (His film is the one that’s called “Haruko to Hideyoshi”.)
