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Mari Natsuki
, more commonly known by her stage name , is a Japanese singer, dancer and actress. Born in Tokyo, she started work as a singer from a young age. In 2007, Natsuki announced her engagement to percussionist Nobu Saitō, with their marriage taking place in Spring 2008. Natsuki has participated in musical theatre, including that of Yukio Ninagawa. She provided the voice of Yubaba in ''Spirited Away'', played the young witch's mother in the Japanese TV remake of ''Bewitched'' and has twice been nominated for a Japanese Academy Award. Natsuki played the character Big Mama in the Japanese version of '' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots'' and has also acted in television dramas, such as the 2005 series ''Nobuta o Produce'', playing the Vice Principal, Katharine. Filmography Film * ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' series: **'' Tora-san, My Uncle'' (1989) **'' Tora-san Takes a Vacation'' (1990) **''Tora-san Confesses'' (1991) **'' Tora-San Makes Excuses'' (1992) **'' Tora-san to the Rescu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 million residents ; the city proper has a population of 13.99 million people. Located at the head of Tokyo Bay, the prefecture forms part of the Kantō region on the central coast of Honshu, Japan's largest island. Tokyo serves as Japan's economic center and is the seat of both the Japanese government and the Emperor of Japan. Originally a fishing village named Edo, the city became politically prominent in 1603, when it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. By the mid-18th century, Edo was one of the most populous cities in the world with a population of over one million people. Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the imperial capital in Kyoto was moved to Edo, which was renamed "Tokyo" (). Tokyo was devastate ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Isle Of Dogs (film)
The Isle of Dogs is a large peninsula bounded on three sides by a large meander in the River Thames in East London, England, which includes the Cubitt Town, Millwall and Canary Wharf districts. The area was historically part of the Manor, Hamlet, Parish and, for a time, the wider borough of Poplar. The name had no official status until the 1987 creation of the Isle of Dogs Neighbourhood by Tower Hamlets London Borough Council. It has been known locally as simply "the Island" since the 19th century. The whole area was once known as Stepney Marsh; Anton van den Wyngaerde's "Panorama of London" dated 1543 depicts and refers to the Isle of Dogs. Records show that ships preparing to carry the English royal household to Calais in 1520 docked at the southern bank of the island. The name ''Isle of Dogges'' occurs in the ''Thamesis Descriptio'' of 1588, applied to a small island in the south-western part of the peninsula. The name is next applied to the ''Isle of Dogs Farm'' (ori ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Girl In The Sunny Place
is a 2013 Japanese fantasy romance film directed by Takahiro Miki. The film, about an ordinary young couple named Kosuke and Mao, is based on a novel by Osamu Koshigaya of the same name that ranked first among novels which Japanese girls wanted boys to read in the year 2011, and has sold more than one million copies in Japan. Plot Kosuke and Mao were classmates in the Junior High School and they were also each other's "first love". However, their relationship was ended when Kosuke transferred to another school. Since then they never contacted each other again. 10 Years Later, Kosuke started working as a Salesman at a Railway Advertising Company. That's when the miracle reunion happened, when he met Mao at the presentation for the company that Mao's working for. Both of them fell in love again and decided to marry soon after that. Kosuke and Mao started a very happy married life. Everything seems to go well for them. Until the "Incident" happened. The next day after that "Incid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sakuran
, is a Japanese manga series by Moyoco Anno. The manga is about a girl who goes through different names throughout the story and becomes a , or high ranking (courtesan). North American publisher Vertical Inc published it in English in July 2012. Plot A young (maid in a brothel) is sold into the red-light district of and is put under the care of the of the house, , who names her . The girl is very rebellious, leading to the heads of the household considering her potential future as a successful , as a high-ranking courtesan needs not only beauty and talent but also the tenacity to maintain their position in order to be successful. later takes the name as a (or courtesan-in-training), and later takes the name , and is considered the most beautiful girl in the household. Her popularity threatens the position of the household's other , , which creates great tension between the two. 's rivalry with is not the only challenge she faces, as the appearance of a young man ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sugar And Spice (2006 Film)
is a 2006 Japanese movie directed by Isamu Nakae and starring Yūya Yagira and Erika Sawajiri. Plot Recently graduated from high school, 17-year-old Shiro (Yūya Yagira) decides to put off college and work at a gas station instead. Shy and introspective, Shiro understands he is at a turning point of his life, but is unsure of what lies ahead. Though his parents disapprove of his decision, he has the support of his flower child grandmother (Natsuki Mari) who declares that a gas station is a romantic place for life's drifters. Surely enough, soon a new co-worker, college student Noriko (Erika Sawajiri), drifts into Shiro's life. He falls headfirst into a bittersweet first love that ushers him into the world of adulthood. Cast * Yūya Yagira - Shiro Yamashita * Erika Sawajiri - Noriko Watanabe * Mari Natsuki - Grandma * Chen Bolin - Mike * Yo Oizumi - Gas Station Guy * Ryō Kimura as Makkī * Gaku Hamada as Naoki * Mayuko Iwasa as Yoko * Yū Aoi is a Japanese actress and mod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ping Pong (2002 Film)
is a 2002 sports film directed by Japanese filmmaker Fumihiko Sori. It is based on Taiyō Matsumoto's manga of the same name and is about the friendship between two high school table tennis players. The film concentrates on these two friends, their two mentors, and three players who they encounter at high school table tennis tournaments. It explores the different motivations and philosophies that they have towards table tennis and tries to portray the excitement and subtlety of the sport. Plot Peco (real name Yutaka Hoshino) and Smile (real name Makoto Tsukimoto) are members of Katase High table tennis club. Peco is charismatic and has a passion for the sport, while Smile is introverted. Tsukimoto's friends in the table tennis club nicknamed him "Smile" as he does not smile often. The characters have known each other, and Demon (Akuma 悪魔, real name Manabu Sakuma), since primary school. Despite Smile's greater natural talent, he sees the sport as simply a way to pass the tim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samurai Fiction
is a 1998 comedy-samurai film directed by Hiroyuki Nakano. It is almost entirely black-and-white, and follows a fairly standard plotline for a comedy and ''jidaigeki'' samurai film, but the presence of Tomoyasu Hotei's rock-and-roll soundtrack separates it from the films it was inspired by, such as the works of Akira Kurosawa. A loose spinoff was released in 2001, as '' Red Shadow''. Overview While the film is nearly entirely in black-and-white, paying homage to older samurai movies, this allows for the artistic and dramatic use of color; this is most noticeable whenever a character is killed, and the screen flashes red for a moment. Color is used to dramatic effect at the beginning and end of the film as well. ''Samurai Fiction'' was the first full-length feature film for writer-director Hiroyuki Nakano, who had been primarily a director of music videos for MTV Japan. His experience with music videos comes through in the directing of the film. This movie was also the first actin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Hunted (1995 Film)
''The Hunted'' is a 1995 United States, American and Japanese martial arts film, martial-arts thriller film written and directed by J. F. Lawton in his mainstream directorial debut, and starring Christopher Lambert, John Lone, Joan Chen, Yoshio Harada and Yoko Shimada. Lambert plays Paul Racine, an American businessman who by accident earns the wrath of a ninja clan led by Lone's character, Kinjo. The film was shot in Nagoya, Japan, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on a $25 million budget, and premiered in February 1995, taking in $6.6 million in U.S. box office. Most critic reviews found the plot clichéed and the acting unconvincing, while some praised Harada's performance as samurai Ijuro Takeda, Racine's protector and Kinjo's sworn enemy. The critically well-received soundtrack featured music by the Japanese taiko troupe Kodo (taiko group), Kodō, which pervades the film. Plot Paul Racine (Lambert), a tech executive from New York City, is on a business trip t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Death Powder
is a 1986 low-budget science fiction/ horror film with Body horror elements, written and directed by Japanese poet/folk singer Shigeru Izumiya. The experimental film is credited as being the first core of the Japanese cyberpunk subgenre that emerged during the 1980s, predating both Katsuhiro Otomo's anime film adaptation of '' Akira'' and Shinya Tsukamoto's '' Tetsuo: The Iron Man''. Izumiya also stars in his own film, as one of the three scientists who have stolen a cybernetic android and take it to an abandoned warehouse. Plot In the very near future, a group of three conspirators capture a very special android named Guernica. The scientists bring her to a deserted warehouse, and tie her to a cot, with a protective covering over her mouth. One assisting researcher (Harima) is left to guard the Guernica, but the android secretes a reality-altering substance, causing Harima to slowly lose his mind. The lead researcher and his female colleague (Norris) apparently have just ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fireflies In The North
is a 1984 Japanese film directed by Hideo Gosha. The lead star is Tatsuya Nakadai. Plot The film depicts the conflict between the prisoners forced to work as manpower of Hokkaido settlers and the administrators of the Kabato district as well as the love and hate of the women who gathered there during the Meiji era. Cast *Tatsuya Nakadai as Takeshi Tsukigata *Shima Iwashita as Yu Nakamura *Mari Natsuki as Suma *Isao Natsuyagi as Kakumu * Kōichi Satō as Yakichi *Kunihiko Mitamura as Denji Masaki *Masanari Nihei as Kumagai *Hiroshi Miyauchi as Unno *Reiko Nakamura as Hamagiku *Junko Takazawa *Shunsuke Kariya as Tsuyoshi * Arase Nagahide as Yoshida Susumu *Naruse Tadashi as Nakajima Senkichi *Hatsuo Yamane as Marutoku *Kai Atō as Ryuzo * Seizo Fukumoto * Arase Nagahide as Susumu Yoshida *Toru Masuoka as Kanda *Ai Saotome as Setsu Furuya *Yoshio Inaba as Besho Ken *Daisuke Ryu as Nagakura Shinpachi *Asao Koike as Yuhara Tadayoshi * Tetsuro Tamba as Ishikura *Mikio Narita as Kanb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Legend Of The Eight Samurai
is a 1983 Japanese historical martial arts fantasy film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. The script is adapted from Toshio Kamata's 1982 novel ''Shin Satomi Hakkenden'' (新・里見八犬伝), itself a loose reworking of the epic serial ''Nansō Satomi Hakkenden'' by Kyokutei Bakin. Synopsis The story follows Princess Shizu (Hiroko Yakushimaru), her family slain and on the run from her enemies. As she escapes she is found by the vagabond Shinbei (Hiroyuki Sanada), before being rescued from her pursuers by Dōsetsu (Sonny Chiba). He tells her the legend of a curse on her family, and of eight beads that identify eight dog-warriors who can lift it, of which he and his companion are two. To defeat the evil queen Tamazusa (Mari Natsuki) who killed her family, they must find all eight. But Shinbei hears of Princess Shizu's identity, and vows to collect the reward for capturing her. Cast *Hiroko Yakushimaru as Princess Shizu *Hiroyuki Sanada as Inue Shinbee Masashi *Sonny Chiba as Inuyama ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
