Shosuke Tanihara Movies
This sci-fi tinged, full-length anime feature opens on a peaceful future, where Earth has left the violent conflicts of war in the past. Human nature still craves the clash of battle, however, so private companies now stage "war as entertainment," creating fictional wars for ordinary people to read about in the paper. These companies call exclusively on the services of young people known as Kildren. One such Kildren - a young man named Yuichi - has been newly assigned to a base in the fictional war, but with no memory of his past and a mysterious woman named Suito watching his every move, Yuichi is about to find that this made-up war isn't as harmless as it seems. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rinko Kikuchi, Ryo Kase, (more)
Ten years after Japan withdrew from the U.N., cut their ties with all the nations of the Earth, and built an impenetrable electromagnetic field to prevent any outsiders from entering their borders, a high-tech American commando unit is dispatched on an unofficial mission to penetrate the shield surrounding the country and gather information about their highly advanced robotics program. The year is 2077, and Japan has been accused of conducting illegal robotics research. As a result, the leaders of Japan have decided to construct a massive electromagnetic field known as RACE to prevent any further meddling in their domestic affairs. Meanwhile, back in the United States, an elite commando unit dubbed SWORD launches a surprise attack on a powerful Nipponese conglomerate known as Daiwa Heavy Industries and nearly captures primary android Saito (voice of Akio Otsuka). The leader of SWORD is fearless commando Vexille (voice of Meisa Kuroki), and though she may have failed to capture Saito Vexille is determined to succeed at her team's next mission. American intelligence has gathered that Daiwa has recently made substantial advancements in the realm of robotics, and despite the difficulty of breaching Japan's borders they are determined to learn these valuable trade secrets. In order to make this happen, Vexille and her boyfriend Leon (voice of Shosuke Tanihara) will have seventy-two hours to lead their team into Japan, gather the information on Daiwa's robotics program, and get out. It's a secret mission that hasn't been officially sanctioned by the U.S. government, but could benefit that current leaders and politicians greatly. But once in Japan Vexille is separated from the group, and quickly discovers that Saito has been awaiting their arrival. Upon awakening in a barrio-like district that was once the capital of Japan, Vexille quickly teams with resistance fighter Maria (voice of Yasuko Matsuyuki) - a former girlfriend of Leon's who also harbors a growing grudge against Daiwa. Later, after Vexille gathers the necessary resources and locates the rest of her team, she, Leon, and Maria lead a daring attack on Daiwa's artificial, offshore fortress. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meisa Kuroki, Shosuke Tanihara, (more)
Based on the manga by Aya Nakahara, Love.Com is a Japanese teenage romantic comedy with an over the top twist. Every lively and bright scene, expression, and gag is styled to look like it was pulled right out of the pages of a colorful shojo comic book. The story centers around Risa Koizumi, who is the tallest girl in her high school class - by a lot. This is not only embarrassing because it makes her stick out of every crowd like a sore thumb, but it makes finding a boyfriend pretty difficult, as it places her quite a distance in the air above just about every boy in school -- especially Atushi Otani. He's the shortest boy at her high school and, of course, the two of them constantly pick on each other. Their rivalry, however, seems to change in tone as time goes on, and they become a great and entertaining team, so great that all their classmates treat them like a regular comedy duo. Soon though, Risa starts to notice that her feelings for Atushi have turned from friendship to love, and she doesn't know what to do. They've been friends for so long, but would they make a good couple? Not to mention the fact that they would look pretty silly together: a beanpole girl and a pint sized boy. Could the most unlikely couple in school really be meant for each other? ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Teppei Koike, Ema Fujisawa, (more)
From Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamara (Versus, Azumi) comes this supernatural tale of grief and vengeance based on the popular manga by author Tsutomu Takahashi. When Detective Kanzaki Kohei's (Shosuke Tanihara) wife, Mina, is brutally murdered, his mourning soon gives way to rage and his search for the killer turns into an all-consuming obsession. Faced with the choice of ascending, languishing, or descending when she arrives at the Gate of Hatred in the afterlife, Mina is given 12 days to choose her ultimate fate. As Mina struggles to come to terms with her death, she follows both her husband and the serial killer, who is attempting to resurrect the Lord of Darkness by committing a series of horrific ritual murders. Will Mina accept death and move on toward reincarnation, become a ghost that will forever haunt the living, or sacrifice her soul for eternity by seeking vengeance on her killer? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Casey Chan's horror film Face to Face begins when a man dies due to a terrible skiing accident. The man's roommate decides to capitalize on this situation and begins romancing the deceased man's wife, eventually getting her to marry him. A mysterious elderly man begins making appearances in the roommate's life, and this man may hold the power to bring down the unethical roommate. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Fung
New monsters and new weapons meet their match in an old adversary, Godzilla, in the Japanese science fiction spectacular. As the Japanese government tries to perfect new sources of energy, they discover that their longtime nemesis Godzilla is once again on the rampage, and new technology is needed to keep him at bay. Scientists respond with a gadget called the Dimension Tide, a device which can create a black hole whenever and wherever needed. However, while this device was intended to help ward off Godzilla, it ends up having an unfortunate side effect: A test of the Dimension Tide introduced to the Earth's ecosystem a strain of gigantic insects, who live in the sewers and emerge to wreck havoc. Can Godzilla help defeat the bizarre creatures brought to this planet through an attempt to finally destroy him? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Seijun Suzuki meets the Grand Guignol in this wild hallucinatory yakuza drama, directed by Japan's gonzo cinema auteur Takashi Miike, about one of the ugliest family squabbles this side of Oedipus. The film opens with lifelong gangster Iwao Fudoh (Toru Minegishi) killing his grown son after an important mob deal goes south, as his younger son, Riki, looks on. Fast forward ten years, Riki Fudoh (Shosuke Tanihara) is the coolest kid in high school, who also runs a band of school-aged assassins. Flanked by two lethal bombshells in schoolgirl outfits -- Toko (Tamaki Kenmochi), who sports an Uzi, and Mika (played by porn star Miho Nomoto), who sports a blow gun and freakish muscle control in her nether regions -- along with a bevy of commando elementary school kids, Riki slowly seeks revenge on his father and his associates, just as Iwao's gang is planning to merge with an even more nefarious outfit hailing from Kyushu. Explosions, decapitations, and hermaphroditic coupling ensue. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
