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Shindō, Stranger, Other Films Shown in San Francisco
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The Viz Cinema located in San Francisco announced its January lineup. Among the films being shown is the regional premiere of the live-action adaptation of Akira Saso's (Kodomo no Kodomo, Fujisan) Shindō manga from December 26 to January 7. The movie revolves around a high school graduate named Wao, played by Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note, NANA, Detroit Metal City), who wants to go to a music school, and how he meets Uta, a 13-year-old child prodigy pianist.
Viz Cinema will be giving a two-night showing of Masahiro Andō and Bones' samurai anime film Sword of the Stranger on January 19 and 20. The film opened last February on more than 360 American theaters. The film centers on a nameless samurai ("Nanashi") and the boy he vows to protect from pursuing feudal factions. Sword of the Stranger was among the 14 films submitted for the 2009 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature, and was eventually accepted in the category but was not nominated.
Viz Cinema will also screen the film Midnight Sun from January 8 to January 21. The movie centers around a girl whose skin condition makes it so she cannot be exposed to sunlight. Singer/songwriter YUI (Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Kaiji live-action film) stars.
The other two films in Viz Cinema's lineup are the rock coming-of-age story Oh! My Buddha (January 22-February 4) and the Daido Moriyama: Stray Dog Of Tokyo documentary (January 26).
