Japanese Film Musical Essentials (2001-2012)
Also known as:
Year: 2001 - 2012
Country: Japanese
Directed by: Takashi Miike (For Love's Sake, The Happiness of the Katakuris), Seijun Suzuki (Princess Raccoon) and Shinji Imaoka (Underwater Love - A Pinku Musical)
Duration: 83 - 133 mins
Language: Japanese (ALL Original Language)
Subtitles: English (embedded VOBSUB and .ass) [ Thanks to Shi_Sura_Nai for subtitles ]
Cast:
For Love's Sake
Satoshi Tsumabaki
Emi Takei
Takumi Saito
Ito Ono
Sakura Ando
Tsuyoshi Ihara
Kimiko Yo
Yo Hitoto
Masachika Ichimura
Ken Maeda
Seishiro Kato
Princess Raccoon
Zhang Ziyi
Joe Odagiri
Hiroko Yakushimaru
Mikijiro Hira
Taro Yamamoto
Miwako Ichikawa
Hibari Misora
The Happiness of the Katakuris
Kenji Sawada
Keiko Matsuzaka
Shinji Takeda
Naomi Nishida
Kiyoshiro Imawano
Tetsuro Tamba
Naoto Takenaka
Underwater Love - A Pinku Musical
Sawa Misaki
Yoshiro Umezawa
Ai Narita
Mutsuo Yoshioka
Fumio Moriya
Hiroshi Sato
Plot:
Here are four wonderfully whimsical musicals from Japan that are toe-tappingly fun, incredibly catchy or just plain random.
For Love's Sake
Troubled high school student Makoto arrives in Tokyo to exact revenge from a past incident. He then falls in love at first sight with Ai (Emi Takei), a daughter raised in a wholesome family. Around Makoto and Ai are Iwashimizu (Takumi Saito), who has feelings for Ai and Gamuko (Sakura Ando), a gang member who eyes Makoto.
Princess Raccoon
This fascinating tale begins with a startling prediction. Azuchi Momoyama (Mikijiro Hira), a Lord of Castle Grace, asks a 100-year old Christian prophetess (Saori Yuki) who is the most handsome of all living things. "It's you, your Highness," she answers, as she always does. But this time, the prophetess reveals that his son Prince Amechiyo (Joe Odagiri) will soon become more handsome than he! Unable to bear the idea, Azuchi Momoyama decides to abandon his son deep in the wilderness of Sacred Mountain. As Amechiyo sleeps, a beautiful girl approaches. She is Princess Tanuki (Zhang Ziyi), invited to the Raccoon Palace on mysteriouis grounds. Soon, Amechiyo and the Princess are madly in love... but one obstacle after another keeps them apart. Will it be possible for Amechiyo and the Princess to overcome these obstacles? More importantly, can a man and raccoon fall in love with each other for the very first time?
The Happiness of the Katakuris
A pioneer of a man convinces his family to take advantage of news of a road soon to be built through an area of the country that can be had for next to nothing. He, his aging, but wise father, his loving and loyal wife, along with a slow-to-persuade son and a divorced daughter with toddler in hand who also happens to be the narrator, bravely move out to this new space and open a bed and breakfast. They make the place everything anyone could want, as they have so much time to work on it, since no one is making reservations to stay there. Eventually, the customers come...but each one dies while in their room and the family is trying to get rid of the evidence ASAP so as not to ruin their reputation before they even get up and running. One thing leads to another and the bodies have to be moved.
Underwater Love - A Pinku Musical
Asuka, a woman in her thirties, works in a lakeside fish factory. She’s about to be married to her boss, Taki. But one day, she encounters a kappa – a water sprite found in Japanese folklore – and learns that the creature is in fact the reborn form of Aoki, an old crush who’d drowned to death when they were 17.
For Love's Sake is a fun, energetic romantic musical, with a great in-tune cast, (Emi Takei is the epitome of cute, Takumi Saito surprisingly impresses as the third wheel) the Manga-esque look and the funny musical numbers that hark back to the story's setting (one number is reminiscent of Female Prisoner #701 - Scorpion and one number is the theme of Wolf Boy Ken). Unfortunately, the movie is too long and the fight scenes, while well-choreographed, are too repetitive. [8/10]
Princess Raccoon is a fairy tale musical told with ferocity and fearlessness from Seijun Suzuki, that mixes many musical genres like hip-hop, rock and roll with authentic Kabuki theatre. The mix of genres is refreshing, the visuals are spectacular (the use of props can be hilarious, like the bird taxidermy) and Zhang Ziyi is perfectly cast as the title role. The movie can be a bit too long (one subplot should've been removed entirely), but the imagination really comes through. I want a tanuki mask! [8.5/10]
The Happiness of the Katakuris is Miike at his most unhinged. Surprisingly, it's a remake, but like the best of remakes, it takes the root of the original story and make its own unique spin. Mixing horror, black comedy, romance, crime thriller and musical genres and throw in some Claymation and you got yourself a true cult classic. Karaoke lyrics included. [9/10]
Underwater Love - A Pinku Musical is a unique, funny and surprisingly humanistic romantic pinku musical that accurately portrays the mid-life crisis of its main heroine in an compelling fashion. Considering the time schedule of filming (one-take only, 5 ½ days of shooting) the musical numbers are contagious, filled with hilariously bad dance choreography and Christopher Doyle's cinematography is top-notch. Surprisingly, the sex scenes are the worst parts of the film. [7.5/10]
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