Like last month, here now all the plots and trailers/teaser for the Japanese movies (with at least 1 actress in one of the main roles) that get releases in Japanese cinemas in May.

May 01st
Goemon

Over 35,000 people already attended the preview screenings all across the nation. 3 years of production, tons of high-class actors and actresses, over 100 sets, over 300 staff members, over 1000 extras and over 2000 CG-Cuts. Japan starts the summer blockbuster season with what could be a real masterpiece and sets the bar high for what there is to come. Actor Eguchi Yosuke and "Oscar-Actress" Hirosue Ryoko in the two main starring roles, but list of the cast is much longer than that (eg. Sato Eriko, Toda Erika, Tsuruta Mayu and so on).

Plot: In 1582 Oda Nobunaga was on the verge of conquering all of Japan, but was forced to commit suicide at Honno-ji Temple by one of his generals, Akechi Mitsuhide. Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Nobunaga’s top general, overthrew Akechi a few days later and completed Nobunaga’s dream of unifying Japan under one ruler. The world was at peace for a time, but soon a ninja bandit named Ishikawa Goemon (Eguchi Yosuke) appeared, using his super-human abilities to steal from the rich and give to the poor—a habit which cemented his reputation as a hero to commoners everywhere. One night while looting treasure from Nanban (Southern Barbarians), Goemon finds a mysterious box hidden inside a secret grave. A forgotten relic from the past containing untold powers, it isn’t long before Ishida Mitsunari, Kirigakure Saizo, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Hattori Hanzo are all in persuit of the box for their own purposes.



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May 09th
The Code

For 60 years, the group of detectives known as "Detective Office 5" has raised the bar for detective work. The agents of Detective Office 5 are a group of stellar detectives lead by the genius code breaker Detective 507 (Onoe Kikunosuke). When an unknown client enlists 507 to crack his most difficult programming code yet, the detective embarks for Shanghai where he crosses paths with a sniper, an informant, the head of the Blue-Dragon Mafia, and beautiful singer on the run, Meilan (Inamori Izumi). As 507 stumbles deeper into a twisted quagmire of intrigue he discovers the sad truth behind the mystery. (..also with Kanjiya Shihori and others)



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May 09th
Yomei Ikkagetsu no Hanayome

On April 5, 2007, a couple married in a church (Eikura Nana and Eita). At first glance, it was a typical wedding. The bride, however, was suffering from late-stage breast cancer and had been given only a month to live. Based on the true story of Nagashima Chie, a women afflicted with breast cancer and her husband Akasu Taro. Nagashima's story was also told in a 2007 TBS documentary.



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May 16th
Donju (Dumb Animal)

An especially dull-witted young novelist named Dekoyan (Asano Tadanobu) goes missing and a subsequent investigation uncovers various plots by his friends to murder him—presumably for revealing a childhood secret through the increasingly-popular stories. Regardless of the absurd methods they used in their murder attempts, however, they just couldn't seem to finish him off. The screenplay is based on a Kudo Kankuro play and was adapted by Kudo himself. Stars actresses like Maki Yoko, Minamino Yoko and Satsukawa Ami.



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May 29th
Blood: The Last Vampire

In the fall of 1966, tensions run high on the U.S. Air Force base in Japan on the eve of the Vietnam War. After a series of suspicious suicides in a nearby town, an additional threat has infiltrated the military compound - vampires. A covert team of government agents committed to the elimination of vampires dispatch a mysterious young woman named Saya (Jun Ji Hyun), who in the guise of a schoolgirl, must uncover the origin of the demonic plague, eliminate the ghastly beasts and stop their reign of terror before time runs out. She is the last remaining original. Japanese actress Koyuki plays Onigen, Saya's nemesis.



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Sometime in May..
Hijoshi zukan

Takashi Shimizu has put together a 6-part (7 if you count his own introduction) omnibus film by six different directors called Hijoshi Zukan. Each segment features a unique female protagonist in an unexpected situation. The film will begin screening at Theater Tsutaya in Shibuya in May.

Interesting for us are Adachi Rika (16) in part 1, Yamasaki Mami (23) in part 2 and Naka Riisa (19) in part 6, but of course all of them actresses are great nonetheless. ^^

Yahoo! Movies Japan is hosting the full Japanese trailer for Chris Nahon's live action adaptation of Blood: The Last Vampire and it features more footages we haven't seen before. Those who already seen the original OVA may recognized some familiar scenes whereas the climatic standoff between Saya (Jun Ji Hyun or "Gianna Jun") and Onigen (Koyuki) is completely fresh material. It seems there is some added plot elements to expand the back story behind the main character with the introduction of Onigen. I welcome this expansion because I always thought the original was too short and it ended abruptly while leaving some questions unanswered. In addition to the trailer, a batch of new high-res promotional photo stills is available at the French official site.

On the surface, is a stunning 16-year old, but that youthful exterior hides the tormented soul of a 400 year-old halfling. Born to a human father and a vampire mother, she has for centuries been a loner obsessed with using her samurai skills to rid the world of vampires, all the while knowing that she herself can survive only on blood like those she hunts.

When she is sent onto an American military base in Tokyo by the clandestine organization she works for, Saya immediately senses that this may be her opportunity to finally destroy Onigen, the evil patriarch of all vampires. Using her superhuman strength and her sword, she begins to rid the base of its evil infestation in a series of spectacular and elaborate showdowns. However, it is not until she forms her first human friendship in centuries with the young daughter of the bases general that Saya learns her greatest power over Onigen may well be her ability for human connection.

Finally the full English trailer for one of the most eagerly anticipated live-action adaptations of any anime ever produced, BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE. The Japanese teaser a few weeks ago already caused a lot of stir in the Internet and now we have the full English UK trailer thanks to Pathé.

The cast features South Korean actress and model Jun Ji Hyun (MY SASSY GIRL) as Saya, Japanese actress Koyuki (the ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET movie series) as Onigen, Liam Cunningham (THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR) as Michael, Masiela Lusha (THE GEORGE LOPEZ SHOW) as Sharon, JJ Feild (K19: THE WIDOWMAKER) as Luke, Colin Salmon (DR WHO) as Powell, and Andrew Pleavin (300) as Frank Nielsen.

And to quote Sci-Fi Japan where I found the trailer, "Forget Blade, forget Buffy, and check out the trailer to witness, in action, the hottest and gutsiest vampire slayer ever to grace the screen."



Source: Sci-Fi Japan & Pathé

Some of you might think that news regarding "Blood: The Last Vampire" don't fit on this blog, since it's Jun Ji Hyun (My Sassy Girl), a Korean girl in the leading role, but I think it still deserves a place here. Why? Because the villain, or how you want to call her, is played by no other than the beautiful Koyuki, plus it's based on a Japanese anime made by Mamoru Oshii.

The teaser is hot off the Internet, so you better watch it before everyone knows!

The film is based on Hiroyuki Kitakubo’s anime and revolves around a 16-year-old demon-hunting human/vampire hybrid named Saya (Gianna Jun) who is part of a top-secret government agency. For her latest mission, she must infiltrate a military base in order to expose and destroy her powerful nemesis, Onigen (Koyuki).