WOWOW Actors Short Films Season 3
Graduate student Aiko has always had low self-esteem because of the birthmark on her face. When her story is cinematized, she falls for the director who accepts her as she is.
Kenji and Hitomi Kiyosawa decide to have a smart home built for their family, one which is able to regulate the temperature of the entire house with a single air conditioner unit located in the basement. But shortly after, gruesome incidents start happening in and around the house…
Momo, 24, was recently dumped by Kentaro. Spotting his new girlfriend Riko on Instagram, Momo tracks her down and confronts her, proposing a secret alliance.
Before he hit it big, Takeshi Kitano got his start apprenticing with comedy legend Fukami of Asakusa. But as his star rises, his mentor's declines.
This long-awaited biopic provides a vivid account of the remarkable life of Anita Mui in and behind the limelight, chronicling her journey from a child performer to becoming one of world's most recognized music icons.
In 2010, while covering the issue of the "secret agreement" at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the author came across diplomatic documents relating to the reversion of Okinawa and was particularly impressed by the handwritten documents of Kazuo Chiba, then Director of the North American First Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, unlike ordinary bureaucrats, "stood out from the crowd and seemed unique". The name of Chiba subsequently appeared in a number of documents left by former Prime Minister Eisaku Sato's secretary, and the author became interested in finding out what kind of person he was.
Dramatization of The Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) and its announcers activities to support the Japanese military's fight during the war. Based on the facts, depicts the hidden relationship between broadcasting and the war.
17-year-old high school students struggle and grow up while facing the life and death of animals.
Vegetation thrives in painter Morikazu's garden, which is home to creatures that serve as models for his paintings, including numerous bugs and cats. A sweet and heartwarming day begins for Morikazu, who gazed at these garden creatures on a daily basis for over three decades, and those who love him.
What will happen to the seesaw affair between five troublesome men and women? The latest masterpiece by director Kimura Satoshi, a new master of romantic ensemble dramas.
The story tells of the granddaughter of the political family Uta, who is kidnapped. The kidnappers' demand is not money, but for the politician to hold a press conference and confess to the crime. Kentaro Nakashima plays the protagonist, Koji Uta, the second son of the Vice Minister of the Cabinet, Seijiro Uta (played by Shinichi Tsutsumi). Despite his reservations about his father's actions, he reluctantly takes on the role of his father's secretary, and the kidnapping incident plunges the Uta family into unprecedented predicaments.
This will be the last. That is why I need to tell you...
Set in a barbershop in a small town by the sea, this is a story about a quiet but passionate one-hour encounter between an old owner and a young customer.
Toshihide works as a doctor at a clinic located by the sea. One day, he meets Ako. She looks exactly like the woman he admires. Due to her, his heart flutters. Soon, Toshihide realizes that Ako is not his ideal woman. A case leads to Ako to begin living with Toshihide and his family. Living with the warm-hearted family, Ako slowly regains herself and becomes a person with a truthful and honest mind.
Can we ever be freed from the "curse of love" that dictates "women must be pretty and fall in love"? A humorous and at times affecting chronicle of an artistic girl’s life and loves from elementary school, through university, into young adulthood.
A silent love story of a young man who wishes to make the dream come true of a young woman who lost her light.
Based on a true story - a true love story of a man and his wife who are at the mercy of fate, but wish to be reunited for 11 years. With thoughts of his wife and his fellows, Yamamoto Hatao never gave up hoping that he'd return home despite hopeless circumstances.
A mother searches for her missing son after a devastating calamity, only to realize that she has died and is now confined to a realm of restless spirits.
Kondo, a man with a reason for returning to his hometown of Ginpei-cho, where he spent his youth, unexpectedly meets Sato, a homeless man who loves movies, and Kajiwara, the manager of a movie theater. He starts working part-time at the theater. Surrounded by the theater staff and colorful regular customers, he gradually begins to find renewal, but...
Shun Fujishiro is a psychiatrist and works at a university hospital in Tokyo. He is engaged to Yayoi Sakamoto. One day in April, when he is about to marry Yayoi Sakamoto, he receives a letter from his first love Haru Iyoda. They dated 10 years ago. Suddenly, his fiancé Yayoi Sakamoto disappears.
MARU runs around Tokyo.MARU hears from his fellow messenger HIDE that he might be leaving Tokyo.
Momo and Todo are two strangers who meet in a small bar, and walk hand in hand while singing a children's song. They end up having sex and sleeping outside. As they wake up the next morning, Todo compares their situation to a "michiyuki", a lovers' elopement that ends in a double suicide. Both struggling with a painful past, they start to make their way towards the sea, not really sure whether they want to live or die.
For 21-year-old Kana, thinking about the future is too boring, and she doesn't even know what she wants in life. She lacks passion for anything, and even romance is merely just for killing time. Her boyfriend Honda, with whom she lives, tries to please Kana by paying the rent and cooking for her. However, as her relationship with the self-confident creator Hayashi deepens, Kana begins to feel burdened by Honda.
Yuri appreciates her son Kazuma's passion of figures, but worries about his ability to get along with the group. Yuri, who works as a writer, visits Edo Kiriko glass atelier to cover an article. Through the lessons she learns from the father and son artisans she meets during her interview, she begins to think about respecting Kazuma and developing his potential.
In a near-future Japanese city bracing for a devastating earthquake, a group of teenage friends navigate personal struggles and fractured bonds amid rising tension.
An omnibus collection of six short films the stories are the result of skull sessions at workshops lead by writer and director Ryosuke Hashiguchi. The film depicts body-length tight fetishists called Zentai. The members of the group convene at a karaoke parlor and celebrate their obsession together.
A Taiwanese girl Yuwen comes to a village of Fukushima to study abroad. She thinks falling-in-love is a stupid thing and the land is unusually dry as Yuwen’s heart because of no rains. Yuwen struggles to speak Japanese but learns Japan culture and relationships from her host family and neighbors. As she opens her heart little by little, rain falls on the small village after a long time.
Iconic actress Jean Yu returns to Japanese-occupied China to star in a play directed by her former lover. However, her undercover work for the Allies soon places her life in grave danger.
This mystery special consists of three thrilling stories by three notable writers.
Midori Mantani and Masao Minamisawa are both 28-years-old. They have dated for 4 years, but their relationship seems to be just going through the motions. They think about breaking up. At that time, Midori becomes pregnant. Midori and Masao decide to marry. While preparing for their wedding, they become more familiar with each other's background. Midori Mantani grew up with parents who ran an iron factory in a provincial city that didn't offer much in terms of culture. Unlike Midori, Masao Minamisawa grew up in Tokyo and his family was wealthy. His father worked as a photographer and his mother was a doctor. He now works as a web designer. The couple begin to have a better understanding of each other.
This is a work depicting a man suffering from dissociative identity disorder, who is different on each day of the week, from the perspective of "I" on Tuesday.
An unexpected love triangle, a seduction trap, and a random encounter are the three episodes, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and regrets.
A shy country girl chooses a part-time job at a maid cafe where she serves customers while dressed up as a maid.
Shibuya in Tokyo, a city that continues to change due to redevelopment. At a house in the corner of Shibuya, Ai dreaming of a model, Mizuho working for the editorial department of a magazine, and musician Erika live together. This story is about the modest cohabitation of the three.
The last night of Heisei. This time it will change.
Teruko is a 28-year-old office worker. 5 months ago, she fell in love with Mamoru at first sight. Since that time, she has not cared about her work or her friends. She then loses her job and her friends look at her coldly. Yet, Teruko is happy as long as she is with Mamoru. Meanwhile, Mamoru thinks Teruko is an easy woman for him to not love. Teruko's unrequited love grows deeper.
Koji runs a second-hand bookstore. He likes female drummer Ichihana, but, suddenly, female high school student Misaki appears in front of him and keeps confesses her feelings for him.
Retired university professor Gisuke Watanabe lives a comfortable but secluded life of affluence in the traditional Japanese house built by his grandfather. One day, an anonymous email threatens his peaceful lifestyle.
Shindo Yuya quits his job and joins the agriculture and forestry division of Takasaki City in Gunma Prefecture which is tasked with the regional revitalization of the local agriculture industry.
In 1987 Tokyo, a quirky and sensitive 11-year-old girl copes with a terminally ill father and stressed-out working mother while encountering various adults dealing with their own struggles.
The anime film follows a man's 100-year journey, from a lonely, bullied boy to an aspiring idol. Told in 10 chapters, it explores social issues like the dark side of entertainment, war, and unidentified youth deaths.
The first omnibus film starring "BiSH", also known as “The punk band that doesn’t play any instruments”. A collaboration with six different directors to create a unique experience that reveals new aspects of "BiSH", from drama to arthouse.
It’s easy to promise ‘for better or worse’ in a wedding vow, but how many marriages can truly weather every storm? Sachi decides to study for the bar exam with her boyfriend Tamotsu as an act of solidarity. However, Sachi ends up becoming a lawyer, while Tamotsu, who fails the exam repeatedly, is relegated to stay-at-home dad.
A household name in Hong Kong, queen of Canto pop, Anita Mui was the very definition of a cultural icon during Hong Kong’s golden age in the eighties and nineties. With a career that began at the age of 4 in an amusement park, Mui dedicated almost her whole life to music. Behind stardom, her personal life, passion at work and the love for friends made her an irreplaceable role model of "The Daughter of Hong Kong". The film opens with her final concert and looks back on her life and legacy. In loving memories of our dearest Anita, the biopic revisits the big screens with a 3-hour 4K re-edit version that includes precious unseen footages!
Snarky 1980s PE teacher, Ogawa Ichiro, is back — crashing through the wall of Café Scandal! This time, he's brought along the café "master" and 83-year-old inventor, Inoue, embarking on a new, time warping adventure. After sending Kiyoshi into the past to prevent Yuzuru's fated encounter with daughter, Junko, Ichiro travels to the night of the Great Hanshin Earthquake (1995) and greets a surprise visitor, while learning of an incident coming in 2036.