Anime Archives | Otaku No Culture

Summer Days with Coo Cannot Come Any Sooner

Perhaps the reason for the late home video release of Summer Days with Coo is to gauge international interest if a sequel can be made.

Summer Days with Coo Blu-ray Case Available now on Shout! Factory or Amazon

Winter’s grasp may well still be upon us in certain parts of the world, but thankfully, spending (or rather, watching) Summer Days with Coo (河童のクゥと夏休み) is an option.

This anime not only gives us a heartwarming comedy drama between Kōichi Uehara, a young boy having an awkward time in school, but also looks at the life of a kappa, nicknamed Coo, who is a stranger in a strange land. Unlike those prankster frog-like spirits of lore, these creatures are very friendly towards humans. They don’t hate them unless threatened. The cute character designs in this anime suggest they are simple country folk.

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2019 Vancouver International Film Festival Genre Picks!

Vancouver International Film Festival 2019 — **Runs Sept 26 to Oct 11 at various venues throughout Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia**

Hot off the heels of the 2019 Toronto Film Festival is the Vancouver International Film Festival for locals and Hollywood North to savour. It’s safe to say a good part of my previous article’s wish list (namely Jojo Rabbit and No 7. Cherry Lane) will screen at this show.

This year’s event has my attention because of the following and these movies are listed in no particular order:

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Tough TIFF Picks for Future Festivals to Consider…

Image result for bombay rose Movie poster By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Plenty of eyes and ears were on the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, and with it now over, I’m hoping for a certain selection of films will screen at upcoming events, namely the Vancouver International Film Festival coming up (I’m not looking online to cheat) or next year in my hometown’s own, the Victoria Film Festival.

It’s a safe bet that The Lighthouse will be coming. This title is already confirmed for the mainland show. As for other titles, that will be up to event programmers and whether the distributors involved have submitted for my local shows. Failing that, a lot of movies will be picked up for Art house screenings or eminent release in the next ten or so months.

My picks include:

Bombay Rose

Inspired by true events, Gitanjali Rao’s debut feature weaves together the experiences of several denizens of India’s largest city: A sweetly singing flower seller constructs garlands while dreaming of a fairy tale romance. A little girl befriends an orphaned deaf boy who has lost his job. Police conduct raids on businesses they suspect of hiring children. An English teacher prepares food and sets a place at the table for her long-dead husband. A troupe of dance-bar workers consider unionizing. A young Muslim man from Kashmir explores the metropolis he believes holds the key to his destiny — and finds himself falling for a Hindu woman, believing that true love trumps the confines of faith. These and other stories are connected by a single red rose.

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The Case of Hana and Alice Finally Arrives Sept 17th!

This movie examines how people perceive friendships. The ties that bind The Strange Case of Hana and Alice show when BFFs are truly that.

Shout Factory! & GKIDS

Release Date: Sept 17, 2019

Just how “Hana and Alice” met from the 2004 live action film of the same name was revealed in 2015 in the anime The Strange Case of Hana and Alice (花とアリス殺人事件). Although fans of Shunji Iwai‘s original work did not expect him to produce a prequel, I’m sure this deeper look into the trials and tribulations of what these young women faced during their developing friendship is welcomed. No knowledge of the prior movie is needed in a mostly Shōjo product. I was curious because of the suggestion of the paranormal becoming involved, and a murder mystery is always great to get the attention of viewers not into this subgenre.

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To Wax Philosophy or Sociology in A Silent Voice, Where Forth Art Thou?

The motley crew in Ōima’s A Silent Voice manga gets greater study in the seven-volume series and the 130-minute film is just as impressive.

Spoiler Alert

A Silent Voice is coming to home video in North America on April 2nd courtesy of Shout! Factory. This movie based on Yoshitoki Ōima’s manga of the same name arrived at Japanese theatres back in late 2016, toured film festivals the subsequent year and took a rest period before getting a localized release. The extras in the region one issue are the same as the Japanese, meaning music videos and trailers (no directors commentary was made). I would love to hear about the challenges of adapting the longer printed material to film, and that can still be offered if a special edition release is being considered for later.

Life was tough for young Shōya Ishida. As he looks ready to commit suicide, other forces are at work to show life is not completely hopeless. He made mistakes. He realizes how they have affected the lives of others and himself. He seeks amends. Back in elementary school, he had a cadre of pals–Naoka Ueno, Miki Kawai, and Kazuki Shimada–but he never fully understood what friendship entailed. When his class gets a new student, Shōko Nishimiya, her disability made her a target for jokes, and he was amongst those who bullied her. They made her life difficult because she is deaf.

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Getting Funky with Lu Over the Wall, A DVD Review

Many comparisons have already been made of Lu Over the Wall to Ponyo and director was not averse to paying tribute to this particular Studio Ghibli work.

Lu Over the Wall Blu-ray + DVD Case — Blu-ray available to pre-order

Shout! Factory & GKIDS
Release Date: Feb 5, 2019

The home video release of Lu Over the Wall is right around the corner and one of the two bonus features includes an interview with director Masaaki Yuasa and producer Eunyoung Choi. Fans can hear about how he felt when this anime won the top prize at the 2017 Annecy International Film Festival. The audio commentary is even better as it discusses the creative process behind this movie. At first, they thought of introducing a vampire and thankfully changed their minds. They also discussed how integral the music had to be. In between wanting to craft a supernatural tale, the emphasis on Kai (Kanon Tani) had to be important.

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