The Whispering Star

A bravado period action film set at the end of Japan's feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a war-torn future.

When fish shop owner Shamoto's teenage daughter Mitsuko is caught stealing, a generous middle-aged man named Murata helps resolve the situation. The man and his wife offer to have Mitsuko work at their opposing fish store. Shamoto soon discovers that something far more sinister lives behind Murata's friendly demeanor.

Shy high schooler Yoshirō and his friends mysteriously develop psychic powers, leading to chaotic and often erotic comedic situations as the virginal ESP teens try to understand their new gifts.

In Japan, gonzo filmmakers hatch a three-pronged plan to save an actress's career, end a yakuza war and make a hit movie.

Two 14-year-olds from troubled, abusive homes come together sharing misery and pain. In the aftermath of an earthquake, the classmates learn how to survive while relying on one another for emotional and physical support.

Set within a city where parasites rage, the parasites settled into their human hosts and increases their power and sexual desires. Dr. Suzune is a parasite expert who works daily to kill the parasites. A sinister demon organization exists behind the parasites. Dr. Suzune also realizes that her father, who went missing when she was a young child, is somehow connected with the group. Violence and madness awaits for her ...

A man, who once dreamed of becoming a punk rocker, is working as a low salaryman at a musical instrument parts company. He's secretly in love with his colleague. One day, he finds a little turtle on the rooftop, naming it Pikadon.

A vast wheat field, a straight road that has no end, a sky without a single building in sight – this is a town in the country where time comfortably passes by. But this former paradise is now being stirred up by a fight amongst its people over constructing an airport. This is a tale of three young people exploring youth and friendship as they reach out into the sky.

A father, a mother, an elder son, a daughter and a younger son. A family of five. For all appearances, a perfectly normal, happy family. But none them related

Hoping to land a role, two Japanese actresses begin a fight within their apartment that keeps escalating.

Katsuya Maruyama is a middle school student boy full of obscene thoughts. He then meets Tatsuo Shimoi, a single father who moves into the same apartment complex. Tatsuo Shimoi is a bit of an enigma: he doesn't get along with the housewives in the apartment complex and doesn't appear to work. Through his encounter with the mysterious single father, Katsuya grows as a person.

On September 9th, the day of the Katakai Fireworks Festival, high school student Hana comes home from the hospital after six months of treatment for leukemia. She then discovers that her older brother Taro has become a social recluse. Taro used to be tender, smart and proud of his younger sister, but now he even turns his back on her and stays in his room. With Hana's help Taro slowly opens up to the world again. Then, with winter approaching, Hana has a relapse with her leukemia. Taro comes to the hospital everyday to visit Hana and soon learns that the Katakai Fireworks Festival is a symbol of happiness for Hana. Taro then takes the initiative to make Hana happy and approaches the town's youth group once more for admittance.

If you loved movies such as Shonen Merikensack and GS Wonderland, then this one, which predates the former, will impress you as well. The story is set in the 80s rock scene and revolves around Nakajima (Kazunobu Mineta), the lead singer of a band called 'Speed Way'. Because he refuses to write trite, pop-friendly songs he is constantly at odds with his own record company. However, he refuses to bend on his rock principles simply for better record sales. The most interesting parts of this movie is how they pay homage to music icon, Bob Dylan who gave the filmmaker his blessing, which is no small feat itself, especially for a Japanese indie debut.

A group of delinquent high school girls form a band when they accidentally poison their school's brass band and have to replace them.

While police investigate a woman found dead in a derelict love hotel, a romance novelist's wife lives a life that seems simply a daily repetition without romance. To escape the loveless monotony, she follows her desires and becomes a nude model. Soon, she meets a mentor and begins selling her body to strangers, while at home, she hides behind the façade of the doting wife.

Manami is captured by blood thirsty trigger happy vampires, and taken to their hotel, where they keep prisoners as future meals. They are all instructed to find a partner to survive, when a vampire clan from Transylvania interferes.

30 years of the band, 30 years of Japanese rock. The story of passion toward the band and music.

An aging silent film actress hires a private eye and his wacky but helpful assistant to track down her missing daughter, Bellflower. The two follow a succession of bizarre, obscure clues, until they track down the location of the kidnappers and the daughter.

A white family has had the same Black maid for many years. When she tells them she wants to go back to school and will be leaving soon, the 20ish year old son decides what she needs is a change and begins searching for a man to wine and dine her, but who won't marry her, thinking that this will distract her from her plans. The man he finds doesn't entirely cooperate.

Todo Shunnosuke is a movie director who passed away thirty years ago. Just before his death, he told his wife about three short films which contained a secret. Years later, Todo's wife, who is on the verge of death, asked Madame Marmalade to solve the mystery. (2nd part of the 2-part Quiz movie : the audience gets to find out the answers to some questions asked in the "Question Version" film, and the people who got the answers right get their names placed in the film).

A 15-year-old boy, Hiroshi, wanders about in atmospheric early-1970s Japan. It is a drama that depicts human encounters in exploration of the meaning of life.

Midori is in her late 30's and is a cutout picture artist. She has anxiety about her future. Takano is a 25-year-old bureaucrat at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. He is under a heavy workload and he becomes lethargic at his workplace. One day, he sees a list of people who committed suicide due to temporary employment. On that list, he becomes interested in a 25-year-old young man who killed himself. Takano begins to investigate the background of that young man. --asianwiki

The protagonist is a woman (Hiroko Yakushimaru) who is a sales manager at the Japanese branch of a famous French shoe brand. The protagonist is obsessed with a Hong Kong singer called Eakin Cheng and frequently goes to Hong Kong. However, she herself has an ambition to change the company's marketing policy (and if she can't change it, she will launch a new brand herself), so she goes to Hong Kong to plan this and that. However, this comes to light, and as it goes against the wishes of the head office, a feud is brewing between the two.

Kuramochi Bon works at a fast food burger joint, taking out the garbage. All his life he has been told he is ugly, and has never even held hands with a girl. A chance encounter with a mysterious doctor leaves him with 3 bottles of a potion which will make him look like someone else for 24 hours. When Bon gets transfered to another shop temporarily, he decides to use his potion to transform into the most handsome employee. With his new-found looks and confidence he reworks the shop, and asks the girl of his dreams out on a date.

Todo Shunnosuke is a movie director who passed away thirty years ago. Just before his death, he told his wife about three short films which contained a secret. Years later, Todo's wife, who is on the verge of death, asked Madame Marmalade to solve the mystery. (1st part of the 2-part Quiz movie : questions were asked to the audience at the end of the screening and the answers were given in the follow-up film, "Answer Version").

In the far-off future of 2001, a young boy from outer space lands on earth inside a flying peach. The boy (named Apple) is adopted by a Catholic priest, but soon disappears. Three schoolgirls decide to search for him, and soon find evidence that he is being held captive in a trendy dance club. What is the club owner doing with him, and will his adopted father ever see him again?