Summer Time Machine Blues / Samâ taimu mashin burûsu (2005)
Comedy | Sci-Fi
A sci-fi club concocts a plan to repair a remote by using a time machine that suddenly appears.
Starring: Eita, Yoshiaki Yoza, Daijiro Kawaoka, Munenori Nagano, Juri Ueno, Yôko Maki, Tsuyoshi Muro
Director: Katsuyuki Motohiro
Barbecue Dragon / Yakiniku Dragon / Yakiniku Doragon (2018)
Drama | Family
It is the 1970s and Yong Gil has immigrated to Japan from South Korea and operates a barbecue restaurant. He also operates a wife and three daughters. The daughters are a drama unto themselves when it comes to men with feelings as volatile as a tank of estrogen. What is worse is that the three girls are sometimes in love with married men and married men married to the other sister.
Starring: Yôko Maki, Mao Inoue, Nanami Sakuraba, Sang-ho Kim, Jeong-eun Lee, Yô Ôizumi, Shinpei Ooe
Director: Wui-Sin Chong
The Blood of Wolves / Korô no chi (2018)
Crime | Drama
Hiroshima Police detective Ogami Shogo and his partner Hioka Shuichi are investigating the disappearance of a company's employees amidst an escalating yakuza turf war in 1988. Blood, shooting and death is everywhere. At the same time, there is a suspicion that the former man has his own ties to the thugs. Certainly many of his methods and actions are thuggish, violent and should be illegal.
Starring: Kôji Yakusho, Tôri Matsuzaka, Yôko Maki, Ken'ichi Takitô, Takuma Otoo, Tarô Suruga
Director: Kazuya Shiraishi
After the Storm / Umi yori mo mada fukaku (2016)
Comedy | Drama | Family
Dwelling on his past glory as a prize-winning author, Ryota wastes the money he makes as a private detective on gambling and can barely pay child support. After the death of his father, his aging mother and beautiful ex-wife seem to be moving on with their lives. Renewing contact with his initially distrusting family, Ryota struggles to take back control of his existence and to find a lasting place in the life of his young son – until a stormy summer night offers them a chance to truly bond again.
Starring: Hiroshi Abe, Yôko Maki, Taiyô Yoshizawa, Kirin Kiki
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Bitter Honey / Mitsu no aware (2016)
Drama | Fantasy | History
Based on novelist Muro Saisei's 1959 book, Bitter Honey narrates the story of a poet who informed by his physician of his impending death finds renewed flights of fantasy. He is visited by a thin and attractive girl in red who becomes a catalyst for romance. The girl has to vie with competition for the artist's attention, however, as other women work in the wings. Bitter Honey's story is coloured by gorgeous photography as it explores sex, love, life and immortality.
Starring: Fumi Nikaidou, Ren Ohsugi, Yôko Maki, Kengo Kôra, Masatoshi Nagase
Director: Gakuryû Ishii
Mozu the Movie / Gekijouban Mozu (2015)
Action | Thriller
Lone wolf detective with an enormous personal grievance seeks to connect the mysterious death of his daughter to an urban legend of a villain who terrorizes Japan by insinuating himself into people's dreams and the collective psyche of the Japanese people.
Starring: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Takeshi Kitano, Teruyuki Kagawa, Yôko Maki, Yuriko Ishida, Tôri Matsuzaka, Hiroki Hasegawa, Fumiyo Kohinata, Sôsuke Ikematsu, Atsushi Itô
Director: Eiichirô Hasumi
Poison Berry in My Brain / Nounai poizun berî (2015)
Comedy
Ichiko can't forget the younger man she met at a party. To make matters worse, she has five different characters in her brain who debate whether or not she should reach out to that man.
Starring: Yôko Maki, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Yûki Furukawa, Songha, Yô Yoshida, Hiyori Sakurada, Kazuyuki Asano
Director: Yûichi Satô
Miyamoto Musashi (TV Mini-Series 2014)
Drama
Musashi Miyamoto left his village and ended up fighting in the battle of Sekigahara with his friend Matahachi, but Musashi Miyamoto lost Matahachi. He goes back to the village to inform Matahachi's family about what happened. At the village, he is persecuted by people there. Musashi Miyamoto becomes worn down physically and mentally. At this time, Soho Takuan appears in front of Musashi Miyamoto . He then rebuilds his life with his sword. Musashi begins to travel for warrior training. He meets many masters of the sword and grows as a person.
Starring: Takuya Kimura, Ikki Sawamura, Yôko Maki, Yûsuke Santamaria, Teruyuki Kagawa, Shôta Matsuda, Miki Nakatani
Creator: Shimako Sato
The Lion Standing in the Wind / Kaze ni tatsu raion (2015)
Drama
Koichiro Shimada (Takao Osawa) is sent to a research facility in Kenya, Africa by a teaching hospital in Japan. He encounters a desperate situation and decides to work there as a doctor, treating patients hurt in battles. He struggles with nurses and colleagues at the hospital. Koichiro Shimada then encounters a boy soldier severely wounded mentally. This changes Koichiro Shimada's fate.
Starring: Takao Ohsawa, Satomi Ishihara, Yôko Maki
Director: Takashi Miike
Tada's Do-It-All House / Mahoro ekimae kyôsôkyoku (2014)
Comedy | Drama
In the fictional Tokyo suburb of Mahoro, Keisuke Tada (Eita) works as a "benriya" – a general problem solver for hire. One day in January, former classmate Haruhiko Gyoten (Ryuhei Matsuda) appears unannounced. Back in their schooldays Haruhiko was a quiet person who rarely talked. Now, Haruhiko is talkative. Both men are over 30 years old and divorced. Without giving an explanation, Haruhiko suddenly asks to spend the night at Keisuke's home. Keisuke turns down Haruhiko, but Haruhiko is persistant and finally Keisuke allows him to sleep over for one night. What Keisuke is unaware of is that Haruhiko plans to stay for more than one night. Eventually, Keisuke accepts Haruhiko as his assistant and they become involved in various cases involving an assortment of people from different walks of life.
Starring: Eita, Ryûhei Matsuda, Kengo Kôra, Yôko Maki
Director: Tatsushi Ohmori
Veronika Decides to Die / Veronika wa shinu koto ni shita (2005)
Drama
Towa lives in a peculiar sanatorium after committing suicide. Convalescing in sanatorium, she is informed that she has only 7 days to live. Isolated within their worlds, strange people live in this sanatorium and try to avoid making any contact with her. However, Claude a man who lost his power of speech feels sympathetic towards her and their every lovable things give true colors to the life and inspire Towa's honest desire for the life…
Starring: Yôko Maki, Wan Lee, Jun Fubuki, Tomoko Nakajima, Keiko Oginome, Yumi Takigawa, Keiko Awaji, Masachika Ichimura
Director: Kei Horie
Genome Hazard / Genom Hazard: aru tensai kagakusha no itsukakan (2013)
Drama | Thriller
Ishigami comes home from work and discovers his wife dead. Just then, he receives a phone call from his wife and falls in utter confusion. Unexplainable things keep happening as Ishigami struggles to find his wife. Gradually, Ishigami realizes all his memories are gone and finds himself acting like someone else. What is his true identity?
Starring: Hidetoshi Nishijima, Hyo-jin Kim, Yôko Maki, Yuri Nakamura, Manabu Hamada. Masatô Ibu, Lee Kyoung-Young, Nahana
Director: Seong-soo Kim
Like Father, Like Son / Soshite chichi ni naru (2013)
Drama
Would you choose your natural son, or the son you believed was yours after spending 6 years together? Kore-eda Hirokazu, the globally acclaimed director of "Nobody Knows", "Still Walking" and "I Wish", returns to the big screen with another family – a family thrown into torment after a phone call from the hospital where the son was born… Ryota has earned everything he has by his hard work, and believes nothing can stop him from pursuing his perfect life as a winner. Then one day, he and his wife, Midori, get an unexpected phone call from the hospital. Their 6-year-old son, Keita, is not 'their' son – the hospital gave them the wrong baby. Ryota is forced to make a life-changing decision, to choose between 'nature' and 'nurture.'
Starring: Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono, Yôko Maki, Rirî Furankî, Keita Ninomiya, Shôgen Hwang
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
The Ravine of Goodbye / Sayonara keikoku (2013)
Drama
In a valley, with a dense growth of trees, a baby is killed. The baby's mother Satomi Tachibana (Anne Suzuki) is arrested as the prime suspect. The police also learn that Satomi Tachibana is involved in a romantic relationship with her next door neighbor Shunsuke Ozaki (Shima Onishi). The neighbor's lover Kanako (Yoko Maki) has informed the police of this. Meanwhile, magazine reporter Watanabe (Nao Omori) covers the story. As Watanabe investigates the case, he discovers the shocking fact that Shunsuke Ozaki was involved in a rape case 15 years ago. Even more shocking, Watanabe learns that the victim in the rape case is Shunsuke's lover Kanako.
Starring: Yôko Maki, Shima Ohnishi
Director: Tatsushi Ohmori
Late Blooming Sunflower ~My Life, Renewal~ / Osozaki no Himawari ~Boku no Jinsei, Renewal~ (2012) (TV Mini-Series)
Drama
"Late blooming Sunflower –My life renewed-" is a story of 7 young adults living their ordinary days near the Shimanto river of Kochi prefecture, renowned as the last of the crystal clear streams. Somewhat nostalgic, somewhat new, they hold on to their dreams and insecurities. It's a true-to-life portrayal of the days in young adulthood. Kodaira Jotaro, the main character, played by Ikuta, is an easy going, slow starter who spends a rather relaxing time at a private college before graduating to work at a company as a contract employee. He leads a so-so life with moderate satisfaction and moderate uneasiness, like any other young man of the modern times. Later, his character and honest ways are acknowledged by the company and he is planned to become a full-time employee when suddenly things take a complete turn. He is not only laid off, but left behind by his girlfriend who he dated for over 7 years.
Starring: Tôma Ikuta, Yôko Maki, Kenta Kiritani, Yû Kashii, Tasuku Emoto, Fumino Kimura, Ryôko Kuninaka, Yutaka Matsushige
Creator: Atsuko Hashibe
Sue, Mai & Sawa: Righting the Girl Ship / Sû-chan, Mai-chan, Sawako-san (2013)
Comedy | Drama
"Su-chan Mai-chan Sawako-san" follows the lives of three women who are former co-workers. 34-year-old Su-chan works at a coffee shop and has feelings for the manager there. 34-year-old Mai-chan works at an OA machine maker. She is in a relationship with a married man. 39-year-old Sawako works as a web designer and also takes care of her grandmother. -san and her mother take care of her grandmother.
Starring: Kô Shibasaki, Yôko Maki, Shinobu Terajima
Director: Osamu Minorikawa
Genji monogatari: Sennen no nazo / Tale of Genji: A Thousand Year Engima (2011)
Drama
"Genji Monogatari" focuses on the love and hate relationships surrounding Genji Hakaru. Lady Fujitsubo is Genji's first love. Ryokuzono Miyasutokoro is obsessed with Genji and eventually becomes a spirit. Yu Kao, who is from the lower class, give comfort to Genji's emotional wounds. Writer Murasaki Shikibu is jealous of Genji and is eventually ordered by Seime Abe to write a work…
Starring: Tôma Ikuta, Miki Nakatani, Yôko Maki, Mikako Tabe, Sei Ashina, Rena Tanaka, Noriyuki Higashiyama, Yôsuke Kubozuka
Director: Yasuo Tsuruhashi
Love Strikes! / Moteki (2011)
Comedy
"Moteki" is…a period in one’s life when a person is most attractive to the opposite sex. Fujimoto, 31, has no money, no aspirations and no girlfriend. Leaving his temp job, he decides to finally get a life and lands a job as a writer for an Internet news site. But love eludes him. At the height of his loneliness and social isolation, out of nowhere springs his season of irresistibility – the arrival of "moteki". Miyuki, a fun and gregarious magazine editor, who shares a lot of Yukiyo’s interests but has a boyfriend. Rumiko, Miyuki’s close friend, a pretty but obsessive office worker. Ai, a gaudy young bar hostess. Motoko, Yukiyo’s senior colleague, a cool beauty with an acid tongue. Between these four very different women, Yukiyo gets pushed and pulled in all directions. But will Yukiyo reach the elusive promised land of true love?
Starring: Mirai Moriyama, Masami Nagasawa, Kumiko Asô, Riisa Naka, Yôko Maki
Director: Hitoshi Ohne
SP: The motion picture yabô hen (2010)
Drama
For the uninitiated, SP: The Motion Picture basically introduced a team of Japanese politician bodyguards. The focus here lies on the team leader, Soichiro Ogata (Shin'ichi Tsutsumi / Suspect X) and one of the member Kaoru Inoue (Junichi Okada). Inoue stood out from the rest with his special "ESP" abilities to remember stuff, detect traps and even premonition. Needless to say, as the protagonist, he would go above and beyond the call of duty.
Starring: Teruyuki Kagawa, Yôko Maki, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Junichi Okada, Yukijirô Hotaru, Kei Yamamoto
Director: Takafumi Hatano
SP: The motion picture yabô hen (2010)
Drama
For the uninitiated, SP: The Motion Picture basically introduced a team of Japanese politician bodyguards. The focus here lies on the team leader, Soichiro Ogata (Shin'ichi Tsutsumi / Suspect X) and one of the member Kaoru Inoue (Junichi Okada). Inoue stood out from the rest with his special "ESP" abilities to remember stuff, detect traps and even premonition. Needless to say, as the protagonist, he would go above and beyond the call of duty.
Starring: Teruyuki Kagawa, Yôko Maki, Shin'ichi Tsutsumi, Junichi Okada, Yukijirô Hotaru, Kei Yamamoto
Director: Takafumi Hatano
