“Mystery Hour – Petero no Soretsu (Funeral Parade of St. Peter),” premieres on Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 7:35 p.m.
“Mystery Hour – Petero no Soretsu” is the sequel to “Mystery Hour – Na mo Naki Doku.” Sugimura is living a reverse Cinderella story having married the daughter of president to a major conglomerate, and now working as editor of the firm’s in-house gazette. One day, Sugimura finds himself at the center of an armed bus jacking by an old man with gun. The perpetrator’s hidden motive speaks to the core of Japan as a nation and to the difficulties of the human condition. While no one is above making the occasional “lie,” what does one do when a lie grows a life of its own and becomes irreversibly damaging to many? How does one begin to atone? Fully subtitled in English.
“Asunaro 3-3-7 Byoshi (Cheering Beat for Tomorrow),” premieres on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 7:35 p.m.
Based on a novel written by a best-selling author, Kiyoshi Shigematsu, this drama takes you on a heartwarming and tear-jerking journey about an ordinary middle-aged office worker who finds himself captivated by the magic of cheerleading.
Daisuke Fujimaki, a 50-year-old trading company employee, receives an order given from the company president. Instead of a layoff, the order was for Daisuke to transfer and save the college pep squad on the verge of dissolution. The president himself is an alumni of the college and former member of the pep squad. On the contrary of to their intention, the college administration deems the pep squad as being pre-modern and male-dominated and wants to destroy the team completely. In such attempt, the administration assigns an associate professor that is an authority of feminism as the squad’s advisor to keep a constant eye on their moves and developments. Fully subtitled in English.
NGN 3 MOVIE CHANNEL (Digital Ch. 679)
Premiere titles air on Friday. Movies are shown at various times. Check your digital on-screen guide for movie schedules, using either the GUIDE or INFO buttons (up to one week ahead). Or call NGN, Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 538-1966 for inquiries or to request an e-mail of NGN 3 programming information. All movies are in Japanese language with full English subtitles.
PREMIERE TITLES OF THE MONTH
Feb. 6: “Otoko wa Tsuraiyo Junjo-hen (Tora-san’s Shattered Romance),” 1971 comedy, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Directed by Yoji Yamada. Starring Kiyoshi Atsumi and Chieko Baisho.
Tora-San, a good-natured street vender, is adored by a girl who has escaped from an institution. Overjoyed, he decides to marry her. His family and friends worry about his decision, and her teacher takes her back to the institution.
Feb. 13: “Yoto Monogatari Hana no Yoshiwara Hyakuningiri (Tale of a Mystical Sword),” 1960 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 49 minutes.
Directed by Tomu Uchida. Starring Chiezo Kataoka.
A successful textile industrialist from the countryside, who is beloved by his employees for his kindness, cannot find a wife because of a disfiguring birthmark on his face. Even the courtesans in Yoshiwara refuse to entertain him, but an indentured peasant prostitute, Tamazuru, treats him with brash tenderness. “The scar is not on your heart,” she says, and he falls madly in love with her, ultimately losing his fortune in the expensive quest to purchase her freedom.
Feb. 19: “Truck Yaro Tenka Gomen (Truck Rascals in Fever Heat),” 1976 action film, 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Directed by Noribumi Suzuki. Starring Bunta Sugawara and Kinya Aikawa.
The fourth film of the “Truck Yaro” series. A comical road movie of two long-distance truckers, “Momojiro” and “Kinzo,” who travel around Japan in highly decorated trucks. Momojiro goes to Shikoku this time, and he falls in love with a beautiful designer named Wakako, who is on a pilgrimage.
Feb. 26: “Minbo no Teio (Emperor of Upheaval),” 1993 action film, 1 hour and 52 minutes.
Directed by Seiji Izumi. Starring Akira Kobayashi and Tsunehiko Watase.
A gang boss is active behind-the-scenes in politics and finance.
NGN3 MOVIE OF THE MONTH
“Ore wa Mada Honki Dashitenai Dake (I’ll Give It My All . . . Tomorrow),” 2013 comedy drama, 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Directed by Yuichi Fukada. Starring Shinichi Tsutsumi and Ai Hashimoto.
Shizuo, a 41-year-old father of a 17-year-old girl, truly believes he’s talented in many ways although he never seems to put much effort into anything. One day, Shizuo decides to quit his job “to find himself.” However, he spends his days doing nothing but getting yelled at by his father. On a whim, he decides to inform his father and daughter, Suzuko, that he’s going to become a manga artist. Unfortunately, Shizuo receives a rude awakening when his portfolio is rejected by a brutally honest manga editor and winds up taking a menial part-time job.
NGN3 COMMUNITY FAVORITE
“Kimi no Na wa (Always in My Heart, Part 2),” 1953 drama, 2 hours.
Directed by Hideo Oba. Starring Keiko Kishi and Keiji Sada.
Machiko and Haruki’s drama continues. The two meet in Hokkaido only to be separated again. Part two of three.
NGN3 Movies (in alphabetical order)
“Antoki no Inochi (Life Back Then),” 2011 drama, 2 hours and 11 minutes.
Directed by Takahisa Zeze. Starring Masaki Okada and Nana Eikura.
Kyohei has shut away the world. During his high school days he was the target of bullying and experienced horrifying moments. Now as a young adult, he works for a company that specializes in cleaning out the homes of recently deceased individuals. When sorting through the personal belongings of the deceased, he’s forced to face the concept of life and death. With his new job Kyohei meets co-worker Yuki. She has also experienced a traumatizing event as a teen and has also shut herself away from the world. These two young people form a bond as they go through the homes and gradually open up to each other.
“Arakure Daimyo (Prince of Red Banner),” 1960 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 32
minutes.
Directed by Kokichi Uchidate. Starring Utaemon Ichikawa and Kotaro Satomi.
A young prince lives against the will of his father Lord Tokugawa.
“Bodaiju (Der Lindenbaum),” 1988 drama, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. Starring Yoko Minamino, Masaki Kanda and Shingo Yanagisawa.
A young woman, Asami, searches for the man who helps her quest to enter medical school.
“Boxer (The Boxer),” 1977 drama, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Shuji Terashima. Starring Bunta Sugawara and Kentaro Shimizu.
Fate brings two men together in the pursuit of winning a boxing championship title. An ex-champion, Hayabusa, takes on an aspiring amateur boxer, Tenma, to train him to overcome his handicapped leg and become a champion.
“Chiisakobe (A Carpenter and Children),” 1962 samurai film, 2 hours and 50 minutes.
Directed by Tomotaka Tasaka. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura, Chiemi Eri,
Chiyonosuke Azuma and Katsuo Nakamura.
A carpenter, Shigetsugu, learns a lesson of love and humanity from five
orphaned children and an affectionate woman named Oritsu.
“Gorotsuki Butai (Team of Ruffians),” 1969 action film, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa. Starring Tomisaburo Wakayama and Bunta
Sugawara.
Prisoners with special skills from all over Japan are sent to the battlefront on a mission.
“Hibotan Bakuto Oryu Sanjo (The Valiant Red Peony Gambles Her Life),” 1970 drama, 1 hour and 39 minutes.
Directed by Tai Kato. Starring Junko Fuji and Kanjuro Arashi.
Oryu the gambler travels to find young Okimi who was orphaned after her mother’s death several years ago.
“Hikagemono (In the Shadows),” 1972 drama, 1 hour and 37 minutes.
Directed by Kosaku Yamashita. Starring Koji Tsuruta
Yakuza Tetsujiro must protect his turf from being converted into a lucrative military factory by a rival gang.
“Hitokiri Kannon Uta (Swordsong),” 1970 drama, 1 hour and 28 minutes.
Directed by Takashi Harada. Starring Bunta Sugawara and Tomisaburo Wakayama.
A story about a priest who is on a mission to reunite a young boy with his
missing mother.
“Jigoku no Okite ni Asu wa Nai (Glorious Fights),” 1966 action film, 1 hour and 31 minutes.
Directed by Yasuo Furuhata. Starring Ken Takakura and Yukiyo Toake.
A young leader of the Yamazaki family of Nagasaki, Takida (Ken Takakura) is an A-bomb survivor. He fiercely battles violent elements in southern Japan like there is no tomorrow.
“Jirocho to Kotengu Nagurikomi Koshuji (A Revengeful Raid),” 1962 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Masahiro Makino. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura and Kinya Kitaoji.
Eijiro, a carefree young man, is rescued from a family feud by Jirocho.
“Kuchibue o Fuku Mushukumono (Whistling Drifter),” 1961 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Directed by Daisuke Yamazaki. Starring Kinya Kitaoji and Hiroki Matsukata.
A story of friendship between good samurais and aborigines in Hokkaido.
“Ninkyo Yawara Ichidai (Judo vs. Karate),” 1966 action film, 1 hour and 59 minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Hideo Murata and Saburo Kitajima.
A story of friendship between a lone wolf judo expert and a youth.
“Oedo Senryo Bayashi (Swordsman and the Actress),” 1955 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 25 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Hibari Misora, Chiyonosuke Azuma and Ryutaro Otomo.
Koharu, a famous actress, becomes involved in the search for the Shogun’s treasure.
“Okaeri, Hayabusa (Welcome Home, Hayabusa),” 2012 drama, 1 hour and 54 minutes.
Directed by Katsuhide Motoki. Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara and Tomokazu Miura.
Kento Ohashi is a novice ion engine developer. He works on a team that is planning to launch the unmanned Hayabusa spacecraft. His father Isao was the leader of a previously failed space mission. Now, Kento pursues his and his father’s dreams while experiencing the unexpected surprises that come with working on a spacecraft.
“Satomi Hakkenden Dai-nibu (Sorcerer’s Orb 2),” 1954 samurai film, 54
minutes.
Directed by Toshikazu Kono. Starring Chiyonosuke Azuma, Kinnosuke
Nakamura, Ryunosuke Tsukigata
The adventures of eight warriors continue in the second part of the popular series, “Satomi Hakkenden.” Fate brings the sacred warriors together to carry out their ultimate destiny.
“Satomi Hakkenden Dai-sanbu (Sorcerer’s Orb 3),” 1954 samurai film, 52 minutes.
Directed by Toshikazu Kono. Starring Chiyonosuke Azuma, Kinnosuke
Nakamura, Ryunosuke Tsukigata
Four sacred warriors continue their search for the remaining members while also discovering the magical powers that lay in their own orbs.
“Second Virgin (Second Virginity),” 2011 drama, 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Directed by Hiroshi Kurosaki. Starring Kyoka Suzuki and Hiroki Hasegawa.
Forty-five-year-old Rui Nakamura is a highly successful publisher. During the course of work, she encounters a 28-year-old married man Kou Suzuki who aggressively pursues her. Unexpectedly, Rui Nakamura starts to fall in love with the younger married man.
“Seishun no Mon (Gate of Youth),” 1981 drama, 2 hours and 21 minutes.
Directed by Koreyoshi Kurahawa. Starring Bunta Sugawara, Keiko Matsuzaka, Tomizaburo Wakayama, Koichi Sato and Saburo Tokito.
A story of Shinsuke, a young man who lives through a stormy life as a poverty-stricken coal miner.
“Shin Gokudo no Onnatachi (Yakuza Ladies Revisited),” 1991 action film,
1 hour and 53 minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Shima Iwashita and Masahiro Takeshima.
The third episode of the “Yakuza Ladies New Series.” Kanae, wife of the Fujinami family boss of Amagasaki, must represent the family after the sudden death of her husband.
“Shingo Juban Shobu Kanketsu-hen (Shingo’s Original Challenge, Part 4),” 1960 samurai film, 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Hashizo Okawa, Yumiko Hasegawa, Ryutaro Otomo, Ryunosuke Tsukigata and Satomi Oka.
Aoi Shingo, a son of the Shogun, continues his travels seeking to further his mastery of the sword. In this final episode of the popular “Shingo’s Original Challenge” series, Shingo confronts his master’s killer in the ultimate test of his skill.
“Souchou no Kubi (Down with the Big Boss),” 1979 film, 2 hours and 16
minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Bunta Sugawara and Kentaro Shimizu.
A story of a young Yakuza man who fights for his life in bloody conflicts in the 1930’s.
“Tenka no Kaidanji Mannen Taro (Man of the World),” 1969 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 26 minutes.
Starring Ken Takakura.
An upstanding young man who is popular with the ladies takes on a corrupt group of men in his company.
“Tenpo Rokkasen Jigoku no Hanamichi (Runaway to Hell),” 1960 jidaigeki,
1 hour and 43 minutes.
Directed by Masahiro Makino. Starring Utaemon Ichikawa and Chiyonosuke Azuma.
Samurai Kochiyama helps Kaneko Ichinosuke avenge the death of Kaneko’s father who was wrongly accused of embezzling.
“Toyama no Kinsan Tatsumaki Bugyo (Whirlwind Magistrate),”
1959 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 36 minutes.
Directed by Masahiro Makino. Starring Chiezo Kataoka, Chiyonosuke Azuma, Ryunosuke Tsukigata and Yoshiko Sakuma.
Toyama Kinshiro, a commissioner from northern Edo, travels to Sado to investigate the whereabouts of a ship gone missing in the midst of a whirlwind.
“Truck Yaro Bokyo Ichibanboshi (Truckster Goes to Hokkaido),”
1976 drama,1 hour and 40 minutes.
Directed by Noribumi Suzuki. Starring Bunta Sugawara, and Kinya Aikawa.
Truckster Momojiro comes to the rescue of beautiful Akiko who struggles to run a ranch on her own.
