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Your Favorite Japanese Movies

I fly around quite a bit so I get my share of Japanese movies on various flights. Obviously my incentive to watch on the plane is that I get the subtitles as well. I generally like light-hearted movies in any language. I don't know the names of the movies in Japanese but the few l liked include one where the lead actor runs a professional agency helping people apologise, a movie where some old yakuzas regroup (although the ending was an unmitigated disaster). I also liked a movie about a journalist who reports court cases and gets involved in trying to get an accused released from jail and in the end he finds out that the accused is indeed guilty. A bit intense but I saw it through...

I have seen Thermae Romae as well and have had my own Thermae Romae moment when I pulled out a bunch of JPY5 coins thinking it's JPY50 with the big smile only to be told I am falling quite a bit short... Took me a few more trips to release that the brass coin is JPY5

Must say the hero in that movie was quite good looking... Is he very famous in Japan?
 
Mwktm said:
I fly around quite a bit so I get my share of Japanese movies on various flights. Obviously my incentive to watch on the plane is that I get the subtitles as well. I generally like light-hearted movies in any language. I don't know the names of the movies in Japanese but the few l liked include one where the lead actor runs a professional agency helping people apologise, a movie where some old yakuzas regroup (although the ending was an unmitigated disaster). I also liked a movie about a journalist who reports court cases and gets involved in trying to get an accused released from jail and in the end he finds out that the accused is indeed guilty. A bit intense but I saw it through...

I have seen Thermae Romae as well and have had my own Thermae Romae moment when I pulled out a bunch of JPY5 coins thinking it's JPY50 with the big smile only to be told I am falling quite a bit short... Took me a few more trips to release that the brass coin is JPY5

Must say the hero in that movie was quite good looking... Is he very famous in Japan?
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The first movie is called The Apology King (謝罪の王様). The second one is called Ryuzo and the Seven henchmen (龍三と七人の子分たち).
The actor from Thermae Romae is Hiroshi Abe. My Japanese acquaintances all seem to know him. Every time there is a commercial on TV with him and I note that this is the guy from Thermae Romae, they come up with the name asap. So he must be somewhat famous at least.
 
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Tonight, at 9 PM on NHK BS Premium, they are featuring Tora-san, the Good Samaritan (男はつらいよ 奮闘篇 Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Funtō hen, the seventh in the series.

Tora-san returns to his hometown and is reconciled with his mother Kiku, who has left him behind since he was born. He then starts his life as a wanderer again, and meets Hanako, an innocent but unintelligent girl who works in a textile mill. Tora-san intends to help her back to her hometown, but Hanako ends up working in the dumpling shop of Tors-san's uncle. One day, Hanako offers to marry Toran-san, who has already lost his heart to her. But Hanako's guarantor suddenly shows up and takes her home when Tora-san is away. After his repeated setbacks in finding a life long partner, Tora-san is on the road once more...

 
@roots reggae Have you ever been to Shibamata? Since it was shot there there is a statue of the guy in front of the station, and you can go to the dango shop where the movies were shot.
And even without that it's a really nice place, the Taishakuten temple is amazing (i went to Shibamata just for that temple).
 
vck_js said:
@roots reggae Have you ever been to Shibamata? Since it was shot there there is a statue of the guy in front of the station, and you can go to the dango shop where the movies were shot.
And even without that it's a really nice place, the Taishakuten temple is amazing (i went to Shibamata just for that temple).
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No, I haven't:(

I am so jealous.

I have heard of it, of course and read both newspaper and Internet articles.

One day...
 
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I usually tend to avoid those comedy only movies, but I like those tragedy, sappy movies................( yaya call me girly :) ive heard it all)
 
patty diaz said:
I lovedd おくりびと (departures)and highly recommend it! Also love a lot of Takeshi mike films and anything by Kurosawa
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I like your list and add Beat Takeshi and Juzo Itami films. Have begun checking pink films the last few years ago. These are subtitled, pinkeiga.tv
 
BIPSY said:
I also still really like Audition by Takashi Miike. Its such a slow build - the first hour and some change are basically every horrible late-90's Japanese romance movie - but the payoff is so worth it. Shiina Eihi is unbelievably good in her role.
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I recently saw that, it was one of those creepy slow build up japanese thriller. Some people might like it, but for me, it one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Not much story, just pure brutality and darkness, also, people eating pukes and stuff :nailbiting:

I like 頭の消しゴム movie about alzhaimers disease, but that one is a real tearjerker chickflick kind of movie.
 
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RandomTokyoGuy said:
The first movie is called The Apology King (謝罪の王様). The second one is called Ryuzo and the Seven henchmen (龍三と七人の子分たち).
The actor from Thermae Romae is Hiroshi Abe. My Japanese acquaintances all seem to know him. Every time there is a commercial on TV with him and I note that this is the guy from Thermae Romae, they come up with the name asap. So he must be somewhat famous at least.
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he is. even I know him for 15 years or so.
 
I've enjoyed my fair share of Japanese films but these are the ones that stood out for me:

おくりびと - I have a somewhat morbid obsession with mortality so this show was simply superb for me

Love Letter - 1995 romance movie by Shunji Iwai

Samurai Hustle - absolutely hilarious period comedy released last year

Sumo Do, Sumo Don't - wonderful comedy about Sumo
 
I'm a fan of two types of shows. Crime or romance. (If they're put together even better!)
Ushijima kun is great. It's based on a manga about a loan shark and I really like the closeness to reality of old kabukicho. I also like how they talk. Very 2001-2006 Yankee in Tokyo.
My favorite romance is Koizora which will make you cry your eyes out. It's about two innocent teenagers who fall in love and their story and in the end one dies.
 
I missed this thread.... personally, I'm a huge fan of Takashi Miike. Audition, Koroshiya Ichi, City of Lost Souls, he has a huge body of work. Some serious, some gonzo, all dark and disturbing.
 
I'd recommend any movie by Imamura Shohei. Interesting that many people like Grave of Fireflies as he directed a movie by the same author called "the pornographers". His movies often deal with just normal people's lives but are magical in how they combine extremes of emotion being funny, sad, violent and erotic. Highly recommended. "Warm water under a red bridge" is an interesting example of squirting being a key element in a mainstream film!
 
I like Japanese romantic comedies. I saw "evergreen love" on the plane recently, and I actually watched it multiple times...Maybe its the OL type girl I became infatuated with.... Year back there was a love story with a blind girl and a really nerdy guy... that was a good movie
 
My personal favorite Japanese movie is "こくはく(2010)/Confessions 2010" I like how it attacks a serious topic in Japanese Law (adolescent crime). It's very deep, but not very action packed. I like movies with really intense dialogue.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1590089/
 
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