News

One of the most celebrated films of 2016, Ryota Nakano‘s second and last (until now) film won a number of awards, including ones for its female protagonists from the Japanese Academy, and was the official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards.

Her Love Boils Bathwater is streaming on Jff Theater

Futaba is a single mother struggling to make ends meet after her husband suddenly left her and the family’s bathhouse business went under. While coming to terms with her situation, she is dealt another blow when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Instead of succumbing to despair, though, Futaba decides to tie all loose ends in her life in the few months she has left. This includes changing her daughter’s Azumi, composition, making her brave and not afraid to face her own fears and also finding a suitable man for her; tracking down her estranged husband,...

Takashi Miike is a prolific Japanese filmmaker with over 100 films and television production credits. Now in his 60s, he is still making movies just as vibrant and outlandish as ever, often filled with grotesque violence. In 2017, he made the feature-length adaptation of Hiroaki Samura’s popular manga series, “Blade of the Immortal” (Original title: Mugen no jûninc). Miike’s samurai action film follows the immortal samurai Manji, who decides to help orphaned Rin Asano seek revenge against those who brutally killed her parents. Takuya Kimura stars in the central role of Manji whereas Hana Sugisaki plays vengeful Rin Asano. The film is available to stream on Netflix in select countries.

Spoilers Ahead

Blade of the Immortal (2017) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

Takashi Miike’s “Blade of the Immortal” follows immortal fighter Manji helping Rin Asano seek vengeance for the sudden, unfortunate death of her parents. It’s a Samurai action thriller...

Izuru Narashima came up with one of the best films of the previous decade in “Rebirth”, and although he did not reach the same level in the next years, his works were always decent, to say the least. His latest work is adapted by the homonymous novel by Sonoko Machida, and the title refers to a species of whales which makes sound at 52 hertz, which is too high to be heard by other whales.

52-Hertz Whales is screening at Toronto Japanese Film Festival

The story unfolds through many back and forths, with the present finding the protagonist, Kiko Mishima in the small seaside town in Oita, living in her grandmother's house, who was a geisha, and inciting much gossip among the locals. While there, she comes across a boy that is the victim of abuse by his mother, Kotomi, a local waitress who seems to really despise him. His story reminds her of her own.

Akihiro Toda is a Japanese playwright and director. In 2014 he founded his production company Chese Film, followed 2017 by the foundation of Cheese Theater, a theater group. His features as director, such as “Tangerines on Cat”, “The Name” and “We Have the Same Morning”, have been screened in many international festivals, Nippon Connection being one of them. At the same time, he also worked tirelessly for the stage, writing plays and directing them too. His new feature “Ichiko” is an adaptation of his own play of the same title and blends psychological drama and mystery.

In our interview with Akihiro Toda, he talks about the genesis of the story and its characters, its unique narrative structure and the collaboration with actors Hana Sugisaki and Yuki Morinaga.

“Ichiko” deals with the question whether you can truly know a person. Generally speaking, do you think we can truly know a person?

No. I think that is impossible.

A good mystery thriller contains suspense and an interesting premise, but above all the investigation into the riddle at its core must be both enjoyable and gripping to follow. However, it seems obvious many stories of the genre neglect this integral part, resulting in a somewhat flat and often disappointing narrative. When done right, though, the feature or novel may provide an inventive and quite fascinating portrayal of humanity, its good and also its dark aspects. Director Akihiro Toda has had some experiences in the mystery genre with his feature “The Name” and in “Ichiko” he goes even further, experimenting with different time layers to create the portrayal of the central character, her troubled past and her problems in keeping relationships.

Ichiko is screening at Nippon Connection

Based on Toda's play, the story begins in 2015 with Ichiko (Hana Sugisaki) being proposed to by her boyfriend Yoshinori (Ryuya Wakaba). The two could not be happier,...

The Japan Academy Film Prize Association held the 47th edition of its awards ceremony on March 8, 2024. The nominees are selected by the Nippon Academy-Sho Association of industry professionals from the pool of film releases between January 1 and December 31, 2023 which must have screened in Tokyo cinemas.

Following its success at the recent Blue Ribbon Awards and leading with 12 nominations, Toho Studios' and Takashi Yamazaki's kaiju cinema masterpiece “Godzilla Minus One” takes top honours winning Picture of the Year and a slew of technical awards. Sakura Ando cements her place as one of Japan's top actresses securing both awards for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (for “Monster”) as well as Supporting Role (for “Godzilla Minus One”).

The full list of winners is described below.

Picture of the Year

Monster

Godzilla Minus One

Mom, Is That You?!

September 1923

Perfect Days

Animation of the Year

Kitaro Tanjo – GeGeGe no...

As part of the Aca Cinema Project––”an ongoing initiative fostered by the Government of Japan to increase awareness and appreciation of Japanese films and filmmakers in the United States”––Japan Society will run “Family Portrait: Japanese Family in Flux” from February 15-24. A mix of American premieres and repertory showings, this series puts “bonds of the Japanese family” front and center to “both celebrate these traditions as well as call into question their reality and relevance in our quickly changing modern world.”

U.S. premieres include Kazuyoshi Kumakiri’s Yoko, starring Rinko Kikuchi, and Keiko Tsuruoka’s Tsugaru Lacquer Girl. A special spotlight is given to Ryota Nakano, whose A Long Goodbye and exquisitely titled Her Love Boils Bathwater will be making New York debuts; his 2020 feature The Asadas also plays.

Repertory screenings will be held for Kohei Oguri’s Muddy River, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Tokyo Sonata, Kore-eda’s Still Walking,...

Kiyoyoshi Kuga (Ren Nagase) attends law school, aiming to work in the legal field as a lawyer. His childhood friend Mirei Orimoto (Hana Sugisaki) also attends the same school. One day, a leaflet making accusations about the past of Kiyoyoshi and Mirei is distributed by an anonymous person. Soon, unpleasant cases take place around them. Kiyoyoshi talks to Kaoru Yuki (Takumi Kitamura), who is an extremely smart classmate and is in charge of the mock trials. These three people chase after the truth, but they face an unexpected situation.

The New Currents and Jiseok selections include features from Japan, China, South Korea and Bangladesh among others.

The 28th Busan International Film Festival has revealed the titles selected for its New Currents and Jiseok strands, the festival’s competitive sections for Asian films.

Scroll down for full list

New Currents is for films by directors making their first or second works of fiction and comprises 10 titles from Japan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, India and Bangladesh.

They include September 1923, which marks the fiction feature debut of Japanese director Tatsuya Mori and centres on the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923. Mori is known as a documentary filmmaker,...

From a futuristic existential animation about androids to a culturally rich documentary delving into the art of ramen-making, the Japanese Film Festival: Online returns from 14-27 February 2022 with a free streamed Festival featuring the best in Japanese cinema.

The 2022 Festival presented by The Japan Foundation, Sydney will screen 17 films nation-wide for free, including feature films and documentaries. Jff Online 2022 marks the second time The Japan Foundation, Sydney will screen the festival across Australia to enjoy online.

Japanese Film Festival Director, Yurika Sugie said:

“Jff Online invites Australian audiences to celebrate the richness of Japanese cinema from the comfort of their own homes, with an eclectic virtual program traversing the hottest new international film festival award-winners, past Jff favourites and cult hits.”

Japanese Film Festival Programmer, Susan Bui said:

“Enjoy cutting-edge titles from Japan’s finest auteurs in tandem with Japanophiles from 25 countries world-wide as part of this exciting global initiative.

A cavalcade of creatures from Japanese folklore come alive in “The Great Yokai War: Guardian,” a hugely enjoyable fantasy-adventure directed by the famously prolific and supremely versatile Takashi Miike. Starring amazingly talented child actors Kokoro Terada and Rei Inomata as brothers summonsed by peace-loving spirits to stop an angry demon from engaging in the time-honored Japanese monster movie tradition of destroying Tokyo, this smashing piece of young-adult entertainment should be a big hit in Japan, where it’s sure to get plenty of love from older adults as well. With its standout visuals and uplifting messages about trust, friendship and acceptance, “Guardians” should attract the interest of specialized overseas distributors following its international premiere as the closing-night attraction of Fantasia 2021.

Miike is most closely associated with extremely violent crime stories such as “Audition” and blood-soaked costume action-thrillers like “Blade of the Immortal.” Less well known outside Japan are his family-friendly hits such as “Ninja Kids!

Immigrating into another country or simply moving from one place to the other is mostly connected with the idea of starting new, of finding a new home and eventually even becoming the person you always wanted to be. While some of these ideals may sound far-fetched and a bit corny, the concept of another country representing the “promised land”, which is a phrase usually associated with the USA, becomes more universal, especially perhaps in a globalized world where every move may be considered an opportunity. The fact these promises can be fatal is one of the themes Japanese director and writer Takahisa Zeze has explored in many of his features, such as “Moon Child”, “Raigyo” and “Heaven’s Story”. In his feature “The Promised Land”, which was already finished in 2019, Zeze, who write the script based on a novel by Shuichi Yoshida, deals with the concept of the “promised land” and its darker undertones,...

Another Decade with Takashi Miike is a series of essays on the 2010 films of the Japanese maverick, following Notebook's earlier survey of Miike's first decade of the 21st century.Takashi Miike could have become the idea of himself held by many Americans and gotten rich doing it, but his career was always his own. After he indulged one last time in the uncomplicated thrill of homicide-as-spectacle in 13 Assassins (2010), he’d never spill blood the same way. In Miike’s films of the last decade, violence became the director’s way of working through feelings about a world ruled by a rotting morality. Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (2011), Lesson of the Evil (2012), As the Gods Will (2014), and Terra Formars (2016) all reckon with the problems of believing in some greater power or logic, and their findings are bleak. If teachers, gods, governments, and alien life aren’t looking out for us,...

Twins Japan and Warner Bros. Japan are teaming up to produce “Ghost Hunt”, the live action, based on the popular novel and manga series.

Ghost Hunt, originally titled Akuryo, is a light novel series, targeting young adult demographic, written by Fuyumi Ono, whose last episode was published in 1994. The novels were later adapted into a radio drama, in 1997, then a manga adaptation written and illustrated by Shiho Inada began serialization in monthly shōjo manga magazine Nakayoshi in 1998 and ended in 2010, also published in twelve volumes by Kodansha. In October 2006, the anime television series adaptation of the manga premiered in Japan under the same name “Ghost Hunt”.

Japanese actor Miura Haruma (“A Banana? At This Time of Night?“) has officially signed on to star in the adaptation, due to be released in September 2021 in Japan. Haruma would play “Kazuya Shibuya”, the owner of Spr (Shibuya Psychic Research). Hana Sugisaki (“Blade of the Immortal...

Ken Watanabe and Koichi Sato star in the film.

Japanese studio Kadokawa Corp is arriving in Cannes with a busy slate headed by action drama Fukushima 50, starring Ken Watanabe and Koichi Sato, and also including new titles from Takahisa Zeze, Koji Fukada and Michihito Fujii.

Directed by Setsuro Wakamatsu (The Unbroken), Fukushima 50 tells the story of the courageous group of workers who remained on site to stabilise the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant during its meltdown following the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami.

Based on Ryusho Kadota’s book On The Brink: The Inside Story of Fukushima Daiichi, the...

With the Hong Kong omnibus narrative “Ten Years” becoming a surprise hit in 2015, it might not come as a surprise that the concept – envisioning the near future of one’s country – inspired various versions in Asia. For the Japanese version, five young directors Chie Hayakawa, Yusuke Kinoshita, Megumi Tsuno, Akiyo Fujimura and Kei Ishikawa were gathered and supervised by Hirokazu Koreeda to present their vision of Japan’s future.

“Ten Years Japan” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival

Chie Hayakama’s “Plan 75” concerns a young bureaucrat (Satoru Kawaguchi) charged with explaining Plan 75, a governmental euthanasia program, to poor and disabled seniors aged 75 and above – especially those reliant on governmental welfare and thus burdening society from an economical perspective. One day, his pregnant wife (Kinuo Yamada) tells him that her mother signed to papers to join the program.

The second narrative, Yusuke Kinoshita’s “Mischievous Alliance”, frames the story...

For his transition from documentaries to fiction, writer-director Daishi Matsunaga chooses a challenging topic; one of those subjects that sit on the narrow edge between tearjerker territory and the land of unrequested philosophy. But, guess what? He manages not to plunge into one nor the other side and, on the contrary, to stay afloat and gift us with a sombre yet tender movie.

Loosely based on the prolific artist and godfather of manga Osamu Tetzuka’s last journals and reflections before dying, aged 60, of an announced death, “Pieta in the Toilet” centres on the young introverted painter Hiroshi (Yojiro Noda), who – for a lack of confidence and “joie de vivre” in general – has given up his art in exchange of a relatively easy and unchallenging job as window cleaner.

Very early in the film, Hiroshi passes out while at work and is taken to hospital, where further...

One of the most celebrated films of 2016, Ryota Nakano’s second and last (until now) film won a number of awards, including ones for its female protagonists from the Japanese Academy, and was the official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards.

Her Love Boils Bathwater is part of the 2019 Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme

Futaba is a single mother struggling to make ends meet after her husband suddenly left her and the family’s bathhouse business went under. While coming to terms with her situation, she is dealt another blow when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Instead of succumbing to despair, though, Futaba decides to tie all loose ends in her life in the few months she has left. This includes changing her daughter’s Azumi, composition, making her brave and not afraid to face her own fears and also finding a suitable...

With the Hong Kong omnibus narrative “Ten Years” becoming a surprise hit in 2015, it might not come as a surprise that the concept – envisioning the near future of one’s country – inspired various versions in Asia. For the Japanese version, five young directors Chie Hayakawa, Yusuke Kinoshita, Megumi Tsuno, Akiyo Fujimura and Kei Ishikawa were gathered and supervised by Hirokazu Koreeda to present their vision of Japan’s future.

“Ten Years Japan” is screening at San Diego Asian Film Festival (Sdaff)

Chie Hayakama’s “Plan 75” concerns a young bureaucrat (Satoru Kawaguchi) charged with explaining Plan 75, a governmental euthanasia program, to poor and disabled seniors aged 75 and above – especially those reliant on governmental welfare and thus burdening society from an economical perspective. One day, his pregnant wife (Kinuo Yamada) tells him that her mother signed to papers to join the program.

The second narrative, Yusuke Kinoshita’s “Mischievous Alliance”, frames the...

Ichigo Kurosaki is a 16-year old high school student with a special ability – he can see ghosts! After his family is attacked by a malevolent spirit known as a Hollow, Ichigo, with the help of Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki, must become a Soul Reaper himself in order to save the ones he loves most.

Based on the incredibly popular and successful Manga and Anime of the same name, Bleach is Netflix’s latest live action film to attempt to capture the essence of one of Japan’s greatest exports and after lackluster efforts such as Fullmetal Alchemist, I am pleased to report that this may just be the best endeavor to date.

Directed by Shinsuke Sato, the film follows the anime’s first arc in which Ichigo initially receives his powers and must help Rukia overcome the Soul Reapers Byakuya and Renji after she breaks the Shinigami code whilst also...

In the plethora of anime/manga adaptations that have flooded Japanese cinema (to say the least) during the latest years, “Bleach” was definitely one of the most eagerly expected. At the same time though, Tite Kubo’s work is one of the most difficult titles to be adapted as a live-action movie, not only for the grandiose battles and the extreme general setting, but also due to the plethora of characters and the number of episodes that form a rather complicate story. On the other hand, the presence of Shinsuke Sato on the helm, whose adaptations of “Gantz”, “I Am a Hero” and “Inuyashiki” were quite good, was definitely a good sign. Let us see what prevailed in the end, though.

Expectantly, the story is a bit altered, in order to fit the medium, although the basic premises remain. Ichigo Kurosaki is a teenager from Karakura Town, whose mother’s...

“Consider yourself lucky, At least you can die.”

Japanese director Takashi Miike downplays his pride about having made his 100th film with “Blade of the Immortal”, and indeed, whether they are 100 or 50 or 20, what counts is the quality of the body of work one has made over the years. And while there may have been weaker entries, the overall impression Miike’s films leave behind is one of versatility, creativity and provocation, since, even with an average of six to seven films per year none of his works feel as if they have been churned out. Instead, we witness the film of a true auteur, one who works fast and is unafraid of the changing tones and genres he has worked with.

During the 2017 Sitges Film Festival, Miike described how it does not matter to him which film he is working on since he approaches every one...

wide

I Feel Pretty

An insecure woman (Amy Schumer) suffers a head injury that induces the delusion that she is extremely physically attractive. Cowritten and codirected by Abby Kohn.

find cinemas

Tully

Charlize Theron stars as a new mother overwhelmed by baby care who bonds with her night nanny (Mackenzie Davis). Written by Diablo Cody. (male director)

my review | find cinemas

The Strangers: Prey at Night

Christina Hendricks and Bailee Madison costar as members of a family terrorized by psychopaths. (male writers and director)

find cinemas

limited

Mary and the Witch’s Flower [pictured]

Riko Sakaguchi cowrites (with Lynda Freedman cowriting the English version) the story of a little girl (Japanese voice: Hana Sugisaki; English voice: Ruby Barnhill) who stumbles upon a magical world hidden in the countryside. (male director)

find cinemas

Modern Life Is Rubbish

Freya Mavor costars in this romantic comedy about a couple whose breakup is complicated by their love of music.

A little girl takes a magical broomstick ride to a school for witches in this appealing animation from the director of When Marnie Was There

‘Innocence has a catalytic effect on the absorption of magic.” These words, from the worryingly named Doctor Dee, are a very good description of the film’s ethos. This Japanese animation is from director Hiromasa “Maro” Yonebayashi, who made When Marnie Was There for Studio Ghibli. It is another example of that remarkable way in which Japanese animation is reviving the memory of classic English children’s literature from the 1960s and 70s – otherwise forgotten in its native land.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower is adapted from the 1971 novel The Little Broomstick, by the prolific popular author Mary Stewart. A little English girl called Mary is a lonely child living with her great-aunt in the countryside while her parents are away. She encounters a...

For those of you who have been eagerly awaiting a full trailer for the live-action adaptation of the hit manga and anime Bleach, it has arrived, and it looks like it could be a lot of fun! The trailer was released by Warner Bros. Japan and it's completely in Japanese, but if you're familiar with the source material, then you still might enjoy it.

The trailer offers us our best look yet at the film, which is said to cover the first 8 volumes of Title Kubo’s original Bleach manga. We get to see Ichigo Kurosaki (Sota Fukushi) in action and training with Rukia Kuchiki (Hana Sugisaki ). We also see Ichigo fighting Hollows alongside Uryu Ishida (Ryo Yoshizaw). They also go up against the Gotei 13’s Sixth Division Captain, Byakuya Kuchiki (Takamasa Ishihara).

The story focuses on Ichigo Kurosaki, who has the ability to see spirits. He soon obtains the power of a Soul Reaper,...

On February 13th, an immortal samurai's vengeance can be yours to own. Takashi Miike's centennial film Blade of the Immortal is coming to Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of Magnolia Home Entertainment, and it comes with five special features. Continue reading for specs and a look at the red band trailer in case you missed it.

Blu-ray.com reports that Blade of the Immortal, Takashi Miike's 100th film, will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on February 13th from Magnolia Home Entertainment. The Blu-ray release will include the following special features:

Manji vs. 300 - Featurette Takuya Kimura Interview Cast Interviews Poster Gallery Original Trailers

Synopsis: "Cursed with immortality, a highly skilled samurai in feudal Japan promises to help a young woman avenge the death of her parents. Their mission leads them into a bloody battle with a ruthless warrior and his band of master swordsmen."

Directed by Takashi Miike and...

wide

I, Tonya [my review] pictured

Black comedy about disgraced champion figure skater Tonya Harding, starring Margot Robbie. (male writer and director)

Phantom Thread [my review]

Romantic drama costarring Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville as, respectively, the lover and sister of a (male) fashion designer. (male writer/director)

Forever My Girl [IMDb]

Jessica Rothe costars in a romance about a (male) country musician, written and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf.

limited

Kangaroo: A Love-Hate Story [my review]

Documentarian Kate McIntyre Clere cowrites and codirects; interviewees include lots of female experts.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower [IMDb]

Riko Sakaguchi cowrites (with Lynda Freedman cowriting the English version) the story of a little girl (Japanese voice: Hana Sugisaki; English voice: Ruby Barnhill) who stumbles upon a magical world hidden in the countryside. (male director)

Ridge Runners [IMDb]

Jennica Schwartzman stars as a cop searching for a missing girl. (male writer and director)

Please let me know if I’ve missed any movies directed by,...

Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are back to work on a new feature film, but in the interim when it was thought that The Wind Rises may be their final outing, a handful of veterans from the studio went on to form their own company, Studio Ponoc. Their first feature is Mary and the Witch’s Flower, the latest from director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There), an adaptation of Mary Stewart’s The Little Broomstick, as scripted by the director and Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya). Ahead of a U.S. release in January thanks to Gkids, a new trailer has now arrived.

The story follows a young girl named Mary (Hana Sugisaki) who discovers a forbidden plant that grants her the power to become a witch for one night. Dan Schindel said in our review, “While there are plenty...

Takashi Miike’s surreally violent action movie based in Hiroaki Samura’s long-running manga may not be his best work but is brutally dramatic

At the age of 57, the staggeringly prolific Japanese film-maker and master of mayhem Takashi Miike now passes the 100 feature film mark with this expansive and surreally violent supernatural action movie; you could almost call it an undead samurai picaresque. It is based on Hiroaki Samura’s 30-volume manga, which ran for 20 years until 2012. Takuya Kimura plays Manji, a samurai cursed with immortality – “bloodworms” that magically heal any wound – who is asked by a young woman, Rin, to avenge the death of her father at the hands of the renegade ronin group, the Itto-ryu. Rin eerily resembles Machi, the disturbed figure whom Manji had witnessed being brutally butchered 50 years before: they are both played by Hana Sugisaki. Now, burdened by gallantry, honour and a sense of destiny,...

If you are into fantasy martial arts films, you can’t miss out on director Takashi Miike's 100th film Blade of the Immortal! I️ was so excited to see this movie, especially because the trailers made it look like it was going to be one hell of a badass flick, and guess what? It totally was! The movie was amazing!

The moment I️ saw that the movie playing at a little indie theater near me over the weekend I️ dropped everything I was doing and didn't hesitate to rush out to catch the final screening of the day. This is one of those films that I was really hoping to catch on the big screen and luckily I had the opportunity.

Takashi Miike delivered a film that was filled with complete and utter awesomeness from beginning to end! It told a fantastic story of redemption and revenge and it...

Over this past weekend, legendary filmmaker Takashi Miike (Ichi the Killer, Audition, Visitor Q, One Missed Call) celebrated the release of his 100th directorial effort, his big screen adaptation of Hiroaki Samura’s manga Blade of the Immortal. The story follows a young girl named Rin (Hana Sugisaki), who is seeking vengeance on the man who killed her father, the devious Anotsu Kagehisa (Sôta Fukushi). Rin hires the immortal warrior Manji (Takuya Kimura) to help her on her quest, and the two forge a deep bond on their travels, fighting off dangerous assassins, thugs, and mercenaries together.

While Miike was in Los Angeles this past Friday, Daily Dead had the opportunity to briefly speak with him, and we discussed his initial interest in adapting the Blade of the Immortal manga, the timelessness of his latest cinematic story, and whether or not he’s made plans for future projects after recently hitting 100 movies,...

Over the better part of three decades, filmmaker Takashi Miike has dazzled viewers with bold cinematic visions like 13 Assassins, Audition, and Ichi the Killer. Now, for his 100th film, Miike shows us the high body count that comes from a warrior who can't die in Blade of the Immortal, and we've been provided with an exclusive look at the alternative poster for the film.

You can check out the stylish slashes on the exclusive alternative poster below, and keep an eye out for Blade of the Immortal in theaters this November from Magnet Releasing.

Synopsis: "Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu.

Based on the manga series of the same name by Hiroaki Samura, Takashi Miike’s Blade Of The Immortal follows “an immortal swordsman who will not be able to lift his curse of everlasting life until 1000 evildoers feel the cut of his steel.”

Samurai Manji has taken a lot of lives, both innocent and guilty, and now lives life in feudal Japan as a criminal. After being cursed with immortality until he kills enough evil men, Manji meets a young girl who enlists him to be her body-guard. Swearing loyalty, protection and vengeance against the group of sword fighters who slaughtered her family, the unlikely duo set on a remarkable quest to make right against those who did them wrong.

Starring Hana Sugisaki, Ebizô Ichikawa, Sôta Fukushi, Hayato Ichihara, Erika Toda, Kazuki Kitamura, Min Tanaka, Takuya Kimura and Tsutomu Yamazaki, Blade Of The Immortal hits Us cinemas on 3rd November...

Based on the manga series of the same name by Hiroaki Samura, Takashi Miike’s Blade Of The Immortal follows “an immortal swordsman who will not be able to lift his curse of everlasting life until 1000 evildoers feel the cut of his steel.”

Samurai Manji has taken a lot of lives, both innocent and guilty, and now lives life in feudal Japan as a criminal. After being cursed with immortality until he kills enough evil men, Manji meets a young girl who enlists him to be her body-guard. Swearing loyalty, protection and vengeance against the group of sword fighters who slaughtered her family, the unlikely duo set on a remarkable quest to make right against those who did them wrong.

Starring Hana Sugisaki, Ebizô Ichikawa, Sôta Fukushi, Hayato Ichihara, Erika Toda, Kazuki Kitamura, Min Tanaka, Takuya Kimura and Tsutomu Yamazaki, Blade Of The Immortal hits Us cinemas on 3rd November...

Tony Sokol Sep 1, 2017

Here's the trailer for Takashi Miike's Blade Of The Immortal...

“Sorry, got blood on it,” Samurai Manji apologises in the new Blood Of The Immortal trailer, undercutting a subtle action hero wit just under the skin of Takashi Miike's 100th film.

The trailer then shows the tireless warrior face off against armies, risking lives and losing limbs in a breakneck assault on the senses. The 13 Assassins director is still as fresh as the wounds his swordsmen inflict on armies of assassins. The film premiered in May at Cannes. Magnet Releasing announced Blade Of The Immortal will open in America in November, although no UK date has thus far been confirmed.

Written and directed by Miike, the epic fantasy film is is based on Hiroaki Samura’s Japanese manga series Blade Of The Immortal.

“Samurai Manji has taken a lot of lives, both innocent and guilty,...

Premiering at Cannes this year, Takashi Miike brought his (100th!) new film Blade of the Immortal, a jidaigeki (period drama) action film based on the manga series by Hiroaki Samura. The story follows Manji, a samurai who cannot be killed by any wound, but who is vulnerable to a rare poison. Manji is enlisted by a young girl to avenge her parents, who were killed by a master swordsman.

Now set for a North American premiere at Fantastic Fest followed by a release in November, the first U.S. red band trailer has landed courtesy of Magnet Releasing. Featuring a wild ensemble of characters and slick-looking action, it’s looking like the ideal alternative from prestige fare this fall. Starring Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sôta Fukushi, Ebizô Ichikawa, Min Tanaka, and Tsutomu Yamazaki, see the trailer below.

Samurai Manji has taken a lot of lives, both innocent and guilty, and...

Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, has just posted the Red Band trailer for the upcoming film "Blade Of The Immortal", based on the manga by Hiroaki Samura. The film is directed by Takashi Miike and written by Tetsuya Oishi. Takuya Kimura, one of Japan's biggest stars ("Space Battleship"), plays the lead alongside newcomer Hana Sugisaki. Sôta Fukushi and Ebizô Ichikawa ("13 Assassins") round out the cast with veterans Min Tanaka and Tsutomu Yamazaki. "Blade Of The Immortal" marks Japanese director Takashi Miike's 100th film ! The Blade of the Immortal manga was first published in “Afternoon” from June 25, 1993 to December 25, 2012. An anime adaptation was produced in 2008 as well as a Japanese novel. The American version of the novel was released in...

From RedBand.Ca, Sneak Peek the restricted 'red band' trailer supporting director Takashi Miike's live-action "Blade Of The Immortal" Japanese 'jidaigeki' action feature, starring Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sōta Fukushi, Hayato Ichihara,Erika Toda,Kazuki Kitamura, Chiaki Kuriyama, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Ichikawa Ebizō XI, Min Tanaka and Tsutomu Yamazaki, adapting the 'manga' comics series by Hiroaki Samura:

"....'Manji' is a samurai who apparently cannot be killed by any injury.

"He crosses paths with 'Rin Asano', whose parents were killed by a group of master swordsmen...

"...and promises to avenge their deaths..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Blade Of The Immortal"....

Over the better part of three decades, filmmaker Takashi Miike has dazzled viewers with bold cinematic visions like 13 Assassins, Audition, and Ichi the Killer. Now, for his 100th film, Miike shows us the high body count that comes from a warrior who can't die in Blade of the Immortal, featured in a new red band trailer brimming with gorgeously orchestrated action piles of dismembered limbs.

"Samurai Manji has taken a lot of lives, both innocent and guilty, and now lives life in feudal Japan as a criminal. After being cursed with immortality until he kills enough evil men, Manji meets a young girl who enlists him to be her body-guard. Swearing loyalty, protection and vengeance against the group of sword fighters who slaughtered her family, the unlikely duo set on a remarkable quest to make right against those who did them wrong."

Written and directed by Takashi Miike, Blade of the Immortal stars Takuya Kimura,...

"There is a man somewhere in edo who will never die." Magnet Releasing has debuted a badass, bloody new red band trailer for Takashi Miike's Blade of the Immortal, being billed as the "100th film" from the Japanese filmmaker. Adapted from a manga of the same name, it's about an immortal samurai who has to kill 1000 evil men in order to regain his mortality after being hired to protect a young girl. Starring Hana Sugisaki, Ebizô Ichikawa, Sôta Fukushi, Hayato Ichihara, Erika Toda, Kazuki Kitamura, Min Tanaka, Takuya Kimura and Tsutomu Yamazaki. The film first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is also playing at Fantastic Fest this fall. I interviewed Takashi Miike at Cannes, talking about violence and more. This has some seriously awesome action, and a totally weird, wild story. As expected from Miike. Here's the newest red band trailer for Takashi Miike's Blade of the Immortal,...

Takashi Miike is known for pushing the boundaries when it comes to graphic violence and extreme situations, and fans shouldn’t worry that he’s lost his touch after 100 films. The Japanese director hits the centennial mark with “Blade of the Immortal,” an action fantasy epic based on the Japanese manga series by Hiroaki Samura.

The official synopsis reads: “Samurai Manji has taken a lot of lives, both innocent and guilty, and now lives life in feudal Japan as a criminal. After being cursed with immortality until he kills enough evil men, Manji meets a young girl who enlists him to be her body-guard. Swearing loyalty, protection and vengeance against the group of sword fighters who slaughtered her family, the unlikely duo set on a remarkable quest to make right against those who did them wrong.”

Read More:Takashi Miike is the Most Prolific Filmmaker in the World and He...

The red band trailer for Blade of the Immortal is not for the squeamish. It's as violent as it is stylish, giving another look at director Takashi Miike's adaptation of the manga.

The film centers on samurai Manji (Takuya Kimura), who has restorative powers that keep him unchanged for decades, and make him deadly for scores of men. When he's asked by a young girl, Rin (Hana Sugisaki), to help avenge her parents, the two are off on a path together.

This is the 100th feature film for Miike, and it premiered in May at Cannes, where The Hollywood Reporter's review praised...

Mary and the Witch’s Flower Trailer 3 Hiromasa Yonebayashi‘s Mary and the Witch’s Flower / Meari to majo no hana (2017) movie trailer 3 stars Hana Sugisaki, Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Yûki Amami, Fumiyo Kohinata, and Hikari Mitsushima. Mary and the Witch’s Flower‘s plot synopsis: based on the book by Mary Stewart, “It is [...]

Continue reading: Mary And The Witch’S Flower (2017) Movie Trailer 3: Mary Becomes a Witch For One Night...

Exclusive: HanWay inks deal with Arrow Films, which plots “major” release.

Arrow Films has acquired all UK rights for Blade Of The Immortal from HanWay at Cannes Film Festival.

Takashi Miike’s samurai epic, based on Hiroaki Samura’s long-running manga of the same name, follows an immortal warrior who is enlisted by a young girl to avenge her parents’ slaughter at the hand of a group of master swordsmen.

Takuya Kimura (Hero), plays the lead alongside newcomer Hana Sugisaki. Sôta Fukushi and Ebizô Ichikawa (13 Assassins) round out the cast with veterans Min Tanaka and Tsutomu Yamazaki.

Arrow plans to release the film later this year.

The film was written by Tetsuya Oishi and produced by Jeremy Thomas, Misako Saka, and Shigeji Maeda, with Warner Bros Japan.

The deal was negotiated by Mark Lane at HanWay Films on behalf of the filmmakers with Tom Stewart, acquisitions director of Arrow Films, who said of...

Blade of the Immortal Trailer and Poster Takashi Miike‘s Blade of the Immortal (2017) movie trailer and movie poster star Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sôta Fukushi, Hayato Ichihara, and Erika Toda. Blade of the Immortal‘s plot synopsis: “Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of [...]

Continue reading: Blade Of The Immortal (2017) Movie Trailer: Takashi Miike’s Samurai Film is His 100th Film...

Takashi Miike’s latest samurai film, “Blade of the Immortal” (“Mugen no jûnin”), is one of the five films screening Out of Competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The movie — the 100th for the Japanese director — was produced by Academy Award winner Jeremy Thomas (“The Last Emperor”). The film stars Takuya Kimura in the lead role.

Read More: Blade of the Immortal’ Review: Takashi Miike’s Landmark Feature Is One of His Most Lethal Genre Offerings Ever – Cannes

Based on Hiroaki Samura’s eponymous manga series, the film follows a masterful samurai named Manji (Kimura) who is cursed with immortality as a result of an epic battle. He’s haunted by the murder of his sister, and resorts to fighting evil in order to regain his soul. He helps a young girl (Hana Sugisaki) avenge her parents’ killing by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior...

"We are here to remove you." Feast your eyes on this! HanWay Films has debuted a new official trailer for Takashi Miike's Blade of the Immortal, which is premiering at the Cannes Film Festival this week. This is technically Miike's 100th film (!!) and it's another samurai, sword fighting epic. Adapted from a manga of the same name, it's about an immortal samurai who has to kill 1000 evil men in order to regain his mortality after being hired to protect a girl. Starring Hana Sugisaki, Ebizô Ichikawa, Sôta Fukushi, Hayato Ichihara, Erika Toda, Kazuki Kitamura, Min Tanaka, Takuya Kimura and Tsutomu Yamazaki. I actually just saw this film a few hours ago and it's badass, with some truly epic fights involving hundreds of samurais. It's violent, and bloody, and funny at times, with gorgeous sets and costumes. Take a look below. Here's the new official trailer for Takashi Miike's Blade of the Immortal,...

With a body count in the thousands and a breakneck pitch that starts at feverishly intense and only builds upwards, “Blade of the Immortal” is certainly one of Takashi Miike’s most lethal works. But then, how else should a director with Miike’s talents celebrate such a milestone? You see, not only is his adaptation of a popular manga overloaded, overlong and gleefully over-the-top – it’s also the director’s hundredth feature film.

Based on Hiroaki Samura’s eponymous series, “Blade of the Immortal” follows Manji (local mega-star Takuya Kimura), a cursed samurai and unkillable killing machine who broods and maims his way across Edo era Japan. Thanks to the “sacred bloodworms” coursing through his veins, Manji can heal any wound and ages in slow motion, and that’s not the only similarity to a certain Marvel hero, as this film also hinges on the relationship between the older...

Even a film festival as Important and Prestigious as Cannes needs a couple movies to serve as a breather between the usually heavy, serious fare that marks the majority of the programming. This year, that duty falls on Takashi Miike‘s “Blade Of The Immortal,” with the prolific Japanese filmmaker serving up a samurai saga.

Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sôta Fukushi, Ebizô Ichikawa, Min Tanaka, and Tsutomu Yamazaki star in the movie about an immortal samurai who attempts to reclaim his soul by helping a young woman avenge her parents.

Continue reading Meet An Immortal Warrior In First Trailer For Takashi Miike’s Samurai Cannes Film ‘Blade Of The Immortal’ at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Watch the first full-length English-language trailer for samurai epic.

Screen can reveal the first full-length English-language trailer for Takashi Miike’s samurai epic Blade Of The Immortal, which is playing out of competition in Cannes.

Watch the trailer, whose kick-ass theme song comes from Japanese musician Miyavi, below or on mobile Here.

Magnet releasing recently acquired Us rights to the movie which is sold by HanWay.

The film is based on Hiroaki Samura’s long-running manga of the same name about a warrior enlisted by a young girl to avenge her parents’ slaughter by master swordsmen.

Takuya Kimura stars alongside newcomer Hana Sugisaki, Sôta Fukushi, Ebizô Ichikawa, and veterans of the screen Min Tanaka, and Tsutomu Yamazaki.

Tetsuya Oishi wrote the screenplay and producers are Jeremy Thomas, Misako Saka, and Shigeji Maeda, in association with Warner Bros Japan.

Read more:

Takashi Miike talks ‘Blade Of The Immortal’ and Cannes

The latest Cannes news, reviews and features...