Densha Otoko is becoming a strange phenomenon here. It began on an internet message board as one geek told his story of meeting a cute girl on a train and dating her while slowly abandonning his geeky habits.
The message board became a book which became a manga and now it’s a movie. Yes, finally, geek has become the new cool. I can finally go outside in my godzilla costume and not only feel good about myself, but also get chicks. This must be another sign of the end of days so let’s enjoy it while it last.
Now, another important side of this story is that, supposedly, the book was edited out of the most saucy bits that were originaly on the message board. One can only wonder if any bed scenes are going to be in the movie. Insert dirty joke with some kind of train metaphor here.
Probably not, this is just some romantic comedy. Go see it with you’re girlfriend and maybe she’ll understand your passion with Gundam figurines.
I don’t know leave me alone or give me some Miike’s violent porno goodness instead.
The official website is here, the trailer is here, go and do your magic.

Robots are finally getting some in Hinokio, a “galactic love story” about a handicaped kid, his robot and various girls. It’s a kid movie so don’t get your hopes too high though. There’s also some stuff about hikikomori(sm?), as the kid doesn’t want to go school and send a remote controlled robot in his place. What a great future. Tomorow, i’ll send my robot to work as i don’t want to show up cause my feelings are hurt by something. My robot will say the things i never dared say to my boss while grabbing the ass of the cutie who sits in the cubicle next to mine. Then my robot will come back home and do my poorly written column for 3yen and no one will ever notice the difference. Bright future indeed.
It’s going to be released sometimes this year. The robot is kinda cool, creepy and cute at the same time. My robot will be different, like a big half naked man with fiery eyes and a tatoo in gothic letters over his hairless chest saying “I, Robot, in your face” or something like that.
Anyway, get more info on the official site and see the wonders of modern robotic in movement here.

Canary is probably the next japanese festival diva so you should keep an eye open for it. It’s about kids of the Aum Shinrikyo cult. The Aum Shinrikyo cult in cas you don’t remember was responsible for a sarin gas attack on the metro subway network of Tokyo in 1995.
The movie deals with what happens to 2 kids from the cult 10 years after the events of the tokyo subway. Don’t expect comedy chunks in that one. A part from that, cult japanese band Zazen Boys seems to be related to the movie, probably on the soundtrack side of it.
More info, in japanese of course, on the official site, funny little moving images here.

Behold the power of popularity. Yes, you haven’t entered the fifth dimension or bizzaro world. Tony Takitani’s official website really does have an ENGLISH VERSION !
Who ? WHy ? Where ?
It’s actually quite simple. Tony Takitani is a movie based on a book by Murakami Haruki who happens to be the most popular japanese writer outside japan. Plus the guy teaches at an american university so getting things translated is not very complicated.
I mean come on, it’s a place full of students and some of them probably know how to speak japanese. So you’re Murakami Haruki you’re a bit famous with the japanese enthusiasts crowd and there you go. Free translations.
See, being famous is not only about money or scoring chicks even if it’s a big part of it. It’s the little things, free beer, free food, being invited to the movies and free translations of the official website of the next movie based on one of your novel.
Oh and Ryuchi Sakamoto will find the time to compose the soundtrack between shootings for New Balance commercials.

Let’s do this quick. I have a headache from last night, drinking with the daughter of one of Japan’s most succesful weapons dealer. You can’t be too careful with those types but still i soaked myself in an ethylic bath. I looked at evil, into the eyes of what may well be the japanese Paris Hilton. And i came back to tell you about it. Anyway it was fun and ended on girl on girl breast lifting.
What the hell, i guess i might as well tell you about Animus Anima instead. Animus Anima is a new movie about a guy dying to get his sister in his bed. Yep, another healthy relationship type of movie. Anyway It’s starring the disturbingly beautiful Eihi Shina, from Miike’s Audition so why not ?
If the movie is as boring as the trailer though i’m gonna shoot myself in the foot. Using a japanese gun provided by my new friend of course. And yeah, the music is even more annoying the the one used on the Lorelei site.
In the additional links kind of stuff, i’d like to put this article about the way Animus Anima was shot using the new HD technology. It’s still a big commercial for panasonic but video geeks should get a kick out of it. Enjoy.

Chi to hone (Blood and Bones) is not directed by Takeshi Kitano but he’s acting in it. Word on the streets is that the movie is pretty good. It spans over decades to tell the story of a korean immigrant in japan violently making his way into success. Kitano is playing the main character.
Boom trailer ! Bang official site!
There’s an informative review on the Time Asia site but it requires you to be a subscriber. Anyway only the plot summary is hidden by their banner so you can read what the guy thinks about it.
Or you can read this review from the Japan Times