Ryoko Hirosue Movies

Japanese anime guru Kazuaki Kiriya ascended to prominence with his sprawling fantasy Casshern (2004), a tale that coupled post-apocalyptic visions with early 21st century design, and shared the success of the manga and anime from which Kiriya and his colleagues adapted it. Kiriya waited five years before emerging with this follow-up, produced by J-horror godfather Takashige Ichise (The Grudge). Described by more than one source in the press as a Japanese equivalent of Robin Hood, it unfurls in the late 16th century. The year is 1582, and the most miserly warlord in Japan, Oda Nobunaga, promptly falls prey to an assassin's blade and is succeeded by his own right-hand-man, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (voiced by Eiji Okuda). Unfortunately, all is far from well on the sociological front: a huge chasm exists between rich and poor, and evening things out is super-thief Goemon (voice of Yosuke Eguchi), who spends his day redistributing wealth to the lower economic classes. Fate takes an intriguing turn when Goemon acquires a small, ornate, handcrafted box of foreign design that he swipes from a merchant and hands to a homeless kid (voice of Arashi Fukasawa). Also after the box is the bugyo (or administrator) of Hideyoshi, who sends a vicious ninja (Kirigakure Saizo) out to take care of Goemon and retrieve the item; Goemon recovers it first, however, while saving the young homeless boy from a bellicose swordsman (voice of Tetsuji Tamayama). In no time at all, Goemon finds himself being pursued by everyone under the sun including Mitsunari, re-encounters a lost love from his past, Cha Cha (voice of Ryoko Hirosue) and realizes that the box will play an integral role in the nation's future. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Director Yasuo Baba and screenwriter Ryoichi Kimizuka team to tell the satirical tale of a young bar hostess sent back in time to the year 1990 on a mission to save her mother and reverse a disastrous financial policy that threatens to plunge the Japanese economy into debt. Adapted from the popular manga of the same name, Bubble Fiction: Boom or Bust opens as bar hostess Mayumi Showa (Ryoko Hirosue) is abandoned by her boyfriend shortly after the death of her mother and plunged into bottomless debt. Later followed to her apartment by Finance Ministry salary-man Shimokawaji (Hiroshi Abe), Mayumi is informed by Shimokawaji that her mother is not dead, but trapped in a different decade on a government-sponsored mission. It seems that the powers that be have created a working time machine out of a common washing machine, and that Mayumi's mother Mariko was sent to ensure that 1990-era Finance Minister Serizawa (Kazue Fukiishi) never establishes the policy that will ultimately cripple the Japanese economy. Should Mayumi succeed in her mission, all of her personal debts will be forgiven. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A cop from the city of lights finds adventure and romance in the Land of the Rising sun in this thriller. Hubert (Jean Reno) is a detective with the French police force who's the kind of cop who doesn't let little details get in the way of catching crooks -- and isn't afraid to speak with his fists if talking doesn't do the job. When Hubert gets in a dust-up with an innocent bystander while trying to apprehend a group of bank robbers, he learns the passerby was the son of the Chief of Police -- and Hubert is put on suspension for two months. Just as Hubert wonders what to do for the next 60 days, he learns that an old flame has died; 19 years ago, he was sent to Tokyo on assignment, and fell in love with a woman named Miko. Even though Hubert hadn't seen Miko in years, he was the sole beneficiary named in her will, and Hubert goes to Tokyo to sort out her effects. Once in Japan, Hubert meets Miko's daughter Yumi (Ryoko Hirosue), who doesn't think much of Hubert and appears to be unaware that he is her biological father. As Hubert tries to bond with Yumi, he examines the facts behind Miko's death and begins to suspect her death was no accident, and with the help of his buddy Momo (Michel Muller), he tries to find out the truth about her death. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Japanese '60s icon Ken Takakura stars in this beautifully photographed film about an aging railroad conductor. Sato Otomatsu (Takakura) devoted his life to making the trains run promptly in the formerly prosperous mining town of Horomai. When his colleague informs him that the unprofitable line is being closed, he reminiscences on how his workaholic ways robbed him of his personal life. Because of work, he missed the deaths of his wife and only daughter. When an enigmatic high school girl with a passion for railroads pays him a visit, his life changes in unanticipated ways. Takakura received a Best Actor award at the 1999 Montreal Film Festival for this film. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi