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The official website for the upcoming Trillion Game live-action feature film released a main trailer today featuring the theme song "Sby" performed by the nine-member male idol group Snow Man . The group previously provided "Dangerholic," the theme song for the prequel TV drama in 2023. Ren Meguro , one of the group members, also plays one of the two protagonists of the series, Haru Tennouji. Trillion Game Live-Action Movie Main Trailer Snow Man artist photo The movie's official accounts also shared a main poster visual introducing the main cast members. Main poster visual The original Trillion Game manga series written by Riichiro Inagaki and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami is serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior magazine since December 2020, releasing nine tankobon volumes in Japan to date. Viz Media will releases the manga's English edition . As a sequel to the TV drama that aired for ten episodes from July to September 2023, the Trillion Game...

The official website for the upcoming Trillion Game live-action feature film released a new teaser trailer today announcing the movie will release in Japan on February 14, 2025 . A teaser visual featuring the two protagonists — Haru Tennouji played by Ren Meguro and Manabu "Gaku" Taira played by Hayato Sano — was also released. The two reprise their roles from the 2023 TV drama series. The tagline reads: "Fight Until You Win." Teaser Visual In addition to Meguro and Sano, three more cast members returning from the TV drama were also announced: Mio Imada as Kirika Kokuryu Riko Fukumoto as Rinrin Takahashi (a super serious and reassuring supporter of Haru and Gaku) Koji Kikkawa as Kazuki Kedouin (a shrewd investor who sees through Haru and Gaku's abilities and invests in them) (from left) Koji Kikkawa, Mio Imada, Riko Fukumoto Related: High-Rolling Live-Action Film Trillion Game Releases New Photo and Super Teaser The Trillion Game feature film,...

Earlier this year, it was announced that seinen manga Trillion Game would be getting a live-action film adaptation in 2025. Today, we get a closer look at the world of the film, including a new photo of the main cast and a "super teaser" showing scenes in progress. As previously reported, the film will see Ren Meguro (of idol group Snow Man) and Hayato Sano returning from the Trillion Game TV drama reprising their roles as Haru and Gaku, respectively. The new photo above advertises their upcoming film outing. Check out the "super teaser" for a look into the film in progress: Related: Trillion Game TV Anime Premieres in October 2024 The original Trillion Game manga is written by Riichiro Inagaki, illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, and serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior seinen manga magazine. An anime adaptation is also in the works, set to premiere later this year. An English...

Trillion Game , a popular seinen manga, is being adapted into a live-action film that will be released in 2025. The film features cast and staff from the 2023 Trillion Game live-action TV drama: Yoshiaki Murao directs the film while Daisuke Habara write the script. Additionally, actors Ren Meguro (of idol group Snow Man) and Hayato Sano will reprise their roles as Haru and Gaku, respectively. Related: Trillion Game TV Anime Reveals Key Visual and More The original Trillion Game manga is written by Riichiro Inagaki, illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami, and serialized in Shogakukan's Big Comic Superior seinen manga magazine. An English language version is currently in-development from Viz Media, who describe the series: Haru and Gaku become the first Japanese people in the 21st century to enter the billionaire’s club! Gaku reflects on when he first met Haru, and their unorthodox path to success. Source: Comic Natalie...

The 66th edition of the Blue Ribbon Awards, presented by the Association of Tokyo Film Journalists, has announced its winners on January 24, 2024. The nominees are selected from movies released in 2023. The trifecta wins for “Godzilla Minus One” come as no surprise, sweeping the Best Film, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories. Yuya Ishii picks up the Best Director award for both his movies “The Moon” and “Masked Hearts”.

Best Film

Masked Hearts

Ichiko

Egoist

Monster

The Dry Spell

Godzilla Minus One

Mom, Is That You?!

(Ab)normal Desire

The Moon

One Last Bloom

Perfect Days

Bad Lands

September 1923

Do Unto Others

As Long as We Both Shall Live

Best Director

Yuya Ishii – The Moon, Masked Hearts

Hirokazu Koreeda – Monster

Daishi Matsunaga – Egoist

Takashi Yamazaki – Godzilla Minus One

Yoji Yamada – Mom, Is That You?!

Best Actor

Goro Inagaki – (Ab)normal Desire

Ryunosuke Kamiki – Godzilla Minus One, We're Broke, My Lord!

Along with the expansion of streaming, among the unintended consequences of Covid and the SAG-AFTRA actors strike has been global consumers’ growing consumption of non-English-language films and TV shows. That in turn has elevated familiarity with and acceptance of Asian local shows and Asian performers – not just those riding the Korean wave.

Japan’s Meguro Ren this week returned to screens across the world in Netflix acquisition of “Trillion Game,” a fantasy drama set in the business world, or the get-rich-quick end of it at least.

Meguro has trodden a familiar path – years of training within the Johnny & Associates talent agency (soon to change its name due to a sexual abuse scandal), insertion into a junior music and, since 2019, as a singer and dancer with the Johnny’s backed idol group Snowman.

As a likable and ambitious – perhaps intense – performer, Meguro is increasingly adding film and TV roles as part of a parallel,...

Raging Grace (2023) by Paris Zarcilla

There's quite a lot to like with “Raging Grace.” Among its brighter aspects is a solid central setup by writer/director Zarcilla that makes for a wholly engaging scenario. The first half explores quite heavily and naturally the desperation Joy feels at keeping her life in order, despite it all crumbling down around her. This ranges from the struggles of finding housing for her and Grace, facing racism and misogynistic abuse for the work she does, and the natural indignation of being a single mother. This gives the new job opportunity with Katharine such a sense of importance for Joy which she can use as a means of escaping this lifestyle only to end up stumbling upon a far more dangerous threat inside Katharine's house which gets uncovered slowly during her employment. This is handled incredibly well for a great start to things. (Don Anelli...

“As Long As We Both Shall Live” is part of a “wholesome” franchise, since it started as an online novel titled “My Happy Marriage”, then was published as a light novel series, then a manga, then it became the aforementioned movie and lastly, an anime series, which is still ongoing actually. Featuring a combination of romance, action and family drama, its premises are quite intriguing. Let us see how Ayuko Tsukahara fared in the movie adaptation.

As Long As We Both Shall Live is screening at Fantasia International Film Festival

The story takes place in a fantastical version of 19th century Japan, where we meet Miyo Saimoro, the unfortunate child of a loveless, arranged marriage between her mother, a woman with intense supernatural powers which she used to protect humankind from demonic entities called “Aberrations” and the head of a rich merchant family. Not having any powers herself, a burden...

Reincarnation is the central topic o Ryuchi Hiroki's drama “Phases of The Moon” that has just had its European premiere at far East Film Festival in Udine. Based on the bestselling novel by Shogo Sato, the script follows the aftermath of a big family tragedy, and one man's attempt to come to terms with it.

“Phases of the Moon” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival

What happens when someone dies has been one of the most explored questions since the birth of religions. Some believe in heavens and hells, others in reincarnation, and an increasingly large number of people, in plain unison of decomposing bodies in nature. Which one of many presumption's is true is left to each one of us to fathom once we meet our end. If Hiroki was asked, he would chose both reincarnation and John Lenon's music to prove his point.

Kei (Yo Oizumi...

The Japan Academy Film Prize Association held the 46th edition of its awards ceremony on March 10, 2023. The nominees are selected by industry professionals from the pool of film releases between January 1 and December 31, 2022 which must have screened in Tokyo cinemas. Award categories are modelled after Hollywood's Academy Awards®.

Following its success at the recent Blue Ribbon Awards, and leading with 13 nominations in 12 categories, Kei Ishikawa's “A Man” walks away with 8 Japan Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress. The full list of winners is described below.

Picture of the Year

A Man

Shin Ultraman

Phases of the Moon

Anime Supremacy!

Wandering

Team from A Man Animation of the Year

Inu-Oh

Lonely Castle in the Mirror

Suzume

One Piece Film Red

The First Slam Dunk

Director of the Year

Kei Ishikawa – A Man

Takashi Koizumi – The Pass: Last...

Miyo Saimori (Mio Imada) is the first daughter of a prestigious family in the capital city. After her real mother died, her father remarried and since then, Miyo has experienced abuse from her stepmother and younger stepsister. Miyo just endures her days but things get worse when she is informed that she will marry Kiyoka Kudo (Ren Meguro). Kiyoka is a soldier renowned for being cruel and ruthless. At their first meeting, Kiyoka tells Miyo that she must follow his orders, leaving her bewildered. After their marriage though, she realizes that Kiyoka is not as cruel or ruthless as she heard and their feelings for each other begin to grow. Around this time, mysterious attack cases also begin to take place…...

Kei Osanai (Yo Oizumi) enjoys a peaceful and happy life with his wife Kozue Osanai (Kou Shibasaki) and daughter Ruri Osanai, but his wife and daughter die in an accident. Kei Osanai’s life suddenly changes. One day, a man named Akihiko Misumi (Ren Meguro) visits Kei Osanai. Akihiko Misumi tells him that on the day Kozue Osanai and Ruri Osanai died, Ruri Osanai, who was a complete stranger to him, was coming to see him. Akihiko Misumi tells him about a woman named Ruri Masaki (Kasumi Arimura), who he once loved. These people, who don’t seem related, connect under the name of love.