Apr 1, 2021
Quite a few Japanese films serve as an extra episode of a popular TV series. They even get their own abbreviation: “SP” (special program).
Those who venture into these SPs unacquainted with the world of the TV show can feel as though they’ve crashed a family dinner. Fortunately, “Signal The Movie Cold Case Investigation Unit,” a cop actioner that is the film offshoot of a 2018 Fuji TV series that was itself based on a 2016 Korean show, provides a rapid-fire digest in the opening minutes to get the uninitiated up to speed.
But an investment in the characters is still assumed, which is not surprising for a film targeted at core “Signal” fans. The personalities of the main cast, which range from the spit-flecked emotional (Kazuki Kitamura) to the clenched-jaw stoic (Michiko Kichise), are carryovers from the show, though director Hajime Hashimoto, a veteran of the long-running “Aibou: Tokyo Detective Duo” TV and film series, is new to the “Sign
Signal The Movie Cold Case Investigation Unit : Obvious but with plenty of panache japantimes.co.jp - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from japantimes.co.jp Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Mar 17, 2021
Japan is not a bad place to be a young filmmaker. There are a number of festivals here that feature the work of up-and-coming directors, including the pioneering Pia Film Festival, which has been discovering and nurturing directorial talents since 1977.
Additionally, many festivals abroad are also constantly on the hunt for the next hot first- or second-time director. In other words: first Pia, then the world. Dozens of Japanese filmmakers have followed this path (or something like it) for decades, including Aya Igashi.
The 24-year-old director is still a standout among her peers, however. In 2016, her short film “Tokeru” won a Special Jury’s Award at the 2016 Pia festival. Then, in 2017, it was selected for the Cinefondation section at the Cannes Film Festival, making Igashi the youngest Japanese filmmaker to be so honored. The following year, when she was 22, her first theatrical feature, “A Crimson Star,” was released in Japan.