News
NY Asian Film Fest to Show Manga/Anime-Related Films
posted on by Egan Loo
The New York Asian Film Festival opens Friday with several live-action films inspired by manga. Takashi Yamazaki's award-winning adaptation of Ryohei Saigan's Always: Sunset on Third Street post-war nostalgia manga returns with last year's sequel, Always: Sunset on Third Street 2. Issei Oda's decidely different Arch Angels film updates Izumi Kawahara's Warau Michael shōjo comedy about three super-powered girls in a Catholic school. In Dororo, Akihiko Shiota directs a live-action version of the supernatural samurai story from manga pioneer Osamu Tezuka.
Hideo Nakata (The Ring) puts the focus on the genius detective L (Ken'ichi Matsuyama) in the much anticipated L change the WorLd spinoff from the Death Note suspense movies. Hong Kong's Soi Cheang provides his own over-the-top take on Izō Hashimoto's violent martial arts manga in Shamo. Hitoshi Yazaki directs Strawberry Shortcakes, a film based on Kiriko Nananan's manga about the trials and tribulations of four professional women in Tokyo. Finally, Yūdai Yamaguchi (live-action Cromartie High School) offers a darker story with his adaptation of Kazuo Umezu's luridly comic horror story Tamami: The Baby's Curse (Akanbo Shojo).
The festival runs from June 20 to July 3 at the IFC Center and from July 3 to July 6 at the Japan Society in New York City.
