Yasuko Matsuyuki Movies
- 2008
This postmodern mystery-thriller from director Hiroshi Nishitani embodies a big-screen cinematization of the popular Japanese television series Galileo. Shinichi Tsutsumi stars as Ishigami Tetsuya, a brilliant but eccentric mathematician-cum-high school science teacher who develops a crush on the fetching Hanaoka Yasuko (Yasuko Matsuyuki), a saleswoman of bentos (or small, wooden lunchboxes unique to Japan). Hanaoka, as it turns out, is something of a criminal. Having successfully murdered a man in tandem with her daughter, she needs a foolproof alibi, and Ishigami draws on his scientific genius to help them construct one. The police are just as determined and resourceful, however, and enlist the support of their own scientist in the murder investigation, the equally brilliant and eccentric physicist Yukawa Manabu - who just happens to be an old classmate of Ishigami's. Thus marks the beginning of an aggressive, unchecked battle of wills between the two scientists to completely outwit one another. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Masaharu Fukuyama, Kazuki Kitamura, (more)
- 2008
Reflecting the Japanese fascination with western culture, this musically-charged comedy concerns Souichi, a sweet natured, slightly backward pop fan who aspires to recording stardom. He naively moves to the city of Tokyo expecting to hit the charts overnight as a pioneer of soft, sentimental romantic ballads. Naturally, that doesn't happen, but Souichi encounters even greater success with an oddball gig that involves donning demon makeup and a black cape as a front man for the band Detroit Metal City. By day, Souichi remains the ineffectual and timid young man well-liked by everyone; by night, he's a crass, loud, frightening monster named Johannes Klauser II who earns his paycheck screaming rants onstage about rape and murder, to the delight of thousands of shrieking goth metal fans, some of whom actually believe he is a demon incarnate. His life grows problematic when he reencounters and falls hard for a university crush, Ms. Aikawa (Rosa Kato) - an equally timid, beautiful young pop critic who will almost certainly disapprove of his lifestyle after dark - if she ever finds out. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenichi Matsuyama, Rosa Kato, (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)
As the Korean War draws to a close and the pressing demand for copious amounts of coal takes a sudden plunge, the remote Japanese mining town of Joban attempts to compensate for the devastating economic blow by transforming itself into a lavish Hawaiian retreat in an affectionate comedy inspired by real events and directed by Lee Sang-il. The year s 1965 and the changes that have swept through the outside world are finally reaching Joban. As the mineworkers are laid off and the women of the town take it upon themselves to gently nudge their once-prosperous community from the brink of economic collapse, the ancient Hawaiian art of the hula dance seems to offer the ideal means of doing so. Though highly fashionable Tokyo urbanite Madoka Hirayama (Yasuko Matsuyuki) at first seems terribly out of place when she arrives in Joban to teach local ladies how to saw their hips with authentic grace, her noble efforts soon instill her students with a newfound sense of confidence in both themselves, and their struggling community. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yasuko Matsuyuki, Etsushi Toyokawa, (more)
American fans of maverick Japanese director Takashi Miike may lament the fact that they have never had the privilege of seeing one of his stage productions firsthand, though with this release of Miike's popular, Kabuki-inspired play Demon Pond they can experience the next best thing to being there. A minimalist adaptation of the traditional fairy tale by Kyoka Izumi, Demon Pond played to sold out audiences across Japan. The story interweaves the tale of a man who sets out in search his missing friend with a surreal journey into a world inhabited by bizarre creatures and a lovelorn princess. A pact has been made that cannot be broken, and as the man's search intensifies he ventures ever deeper into a place where the real and the surreal meet. Shinji Takaeda, Ryuhei Matsuda, Yasuko Matsuyaki, and Kenichi Endo star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shinji Takeda, Tomoko Tabata, (more)
