News

Celebrated Japanese animation director Masaaki Yuasa has unveiled the debut project from his newly established animation studio, ame pippin. Titled “Daisy’s Life,” the feature is a Japanese-French co-production based on Banana Yoshimoto’s novel Hinagiku no Jinsei, with original illustrations by renowned artist Yoshitomo Nara. The film is set for delivery in 2026.

Yuasa is best known for his surreal storytelling and bold visual style in films such as “Mind Game,” “Lu Over the Wall,” and the Golden Globe-nominated “Inu-Oh.” He launched ame pippin in February 2025 with the goal of pushing artistic boundaries in the animation world. Backed by heavyweights Asmik Ace, Inc., Aniplex Inc. and CoMix Wave Films, the Tokyo-based studio aims to be a major force in the ever-evolving global animation landscape.

“Daisy’s Life” follows the emotional journey of a six-year-old girl named Daisy, who loses her mother in a tragic accident and struggles to adapt to life with her aunt.

The International Cinephile Society is known for going its own way with its annual awards, and its latest edition is no exception. Leading the field for its 17th awards was Pedro Almodóvar’s semi-autobiographical “Pain and Glory,” which won best picture, and best actor for Antonio Banderas.

The Ics is made up of more than 100 accredited journalists, film scholars, historians and other industry professionals. Led by Ics president Cédric Succivalli, each year the Ics honors the finest in American and international cinema.

Best director went to Céline Sciamma for her 18th-century story of obsession “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” while the film’s Adèle Haenel earned the supporting actress prize.

Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” – which is up for six Oscars this weekend – was another hot Ics favorite, winning original screenplay, ensemble and production design awards.

Vitalina Varela won the lead actress prize for her role as a Cape...

I have unfortunately not seen any of Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s earlier work, and am therefore lacking a basis for comparison. Still, after the lavish praise that was heaped upon Hamaguchi’s last feature, Happy Hour, I was left disappointed by Asako I & II, whose portrait of a relationship spanning almost a decade struck me as slight and emotionally inert, all the more so given that it takes amour fou as its focus.

The film, co-written by Hamaguchi and Sachiko Tanaka, is an adaptation of Tomoka Shibasaki’s novel Netemo Sametemo. It starts very promisingly, depicting the first sparks of young love between Asako (Erika Karata) and Baku (Masahiro Higashide) in a tender opening chapter that is over much too soon. Dreamily handsome and with a perpetually stoned demeanor, Baku is an unconventional type whose impulsiveness has Asako instantly smitten. Upon their first encounter, after they catch each other’s eye in the streets of Osaka,...

Tokyo! - 80

Tokyo Sonata - 85

Tokyo!

Release Date: March 6

Directors/Writers: Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, Bong Joon-Ho

Cinematographers: Masami Inomoto, Caroline Champetier, Jun Fukomoto

Starring: Ayako Fujitani, Ryo Kase, Denis Lavant, Teruyuki Kagawa

Studio/Run Time: Liberation Entertainment, 112 mins.

Tokyo Sonata

Release Date: March 13

Director: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Writers: Max Mannix, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Sachiko Tanaka

Cinematographer: Akiko Ashiza

Starring: Teruyuki Kagawa, Kyoko Koizumi, Yu Koyanagi

Studio/Run Time: Regent Releasing, 119 mins.

Tokyo! and Tokyo Sonata, two films by four directors containing six narratives, propose the Japanese megalopolis as a site for major weirdness. A girl turns into a chair. A man drives a car from the beach into the ocean. A zombie in a green suit climbs from the sewers and wreaks havoc.