“Smuggler,” airs Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7:35 p.m.
Ryosuke is a failed actor who falls into debt to the mob and must now work for them. His job is to smuggle or dispose of bodies. When Ryosuke takes part in transporting an assassin, he soon finds himself having to use all of his acting skills to stay alive. Fully subtitled in English.
“Space Battleship Yamato,” airs Friday, Nov. 7, at 7:35 p.m.
The story is set in the year 2199. The Gamilas, a mysterious alien enemy, has been decimating the Earth to unlivable and irradiated conditions for the past five years. Humankind now lives underground to escape the radiation, but with only a year until extinction. One day while roaming the surface of Earth, former pilot Susumu Kodai (Takuya Kimura) comes across a capsule sent from the planet Iskandar that reveals there is technology that has the power to eradicate the radiation from Earth. A chosen crew of Space battleship Yamato takes off on the long trip to Iskandar with hopes to save the Earth. Fully subtitled in English.
“First Class,” premieres on Monday, Nov. 10, at 7:35 p.m.
Chinami (Erika Sawajiri) works at a fabric shop, dreaming of one day working in the fashion industry. By accident, she begins work in the editing section for a fashion magazine. Chinami believes her new job may open doors for her to new opportunities, but it turns out her new job is like working in a war zone with daily fights and competitiveness between the women who work there. Can Chinami survive in such a cutthroat environment? Fully subtitled in English.
“Mystery Hour – ST (Scientific Task Force),” premieres on Tuesday, Nov. 11, at 7:35 p.m.
(Special on Tuesdays, Nov. 11 and 18; series starts on Tuesday, Nov. 25)
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s scientific task force has its fair share of oddballs, but senior analyst — and senior weirdo — Samon Akagi takes the cake. He is a genius forensic investigator with an unerring instinct of precisely analyzing any crime scene to the most miniscule details by a mere glance. Luckily, he works just fine behind the scenes, until he’s forced to lead an investigation on a grisly high-profile murder. When Detective Yurine is assigned to the case, he’s not only got to solve the crime, but is also challenged with managing Akagi and his team of eccentrics. Fully subtitled in English.
“Hirugao – Love Affairs in the Afternoon,” premieres on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7:35 p.m.
Life is simple for Sawa (Ueto Aya), a young housewife, but when the adulteress Rikako moves into her neighborhood, so does a new world of sophistication and sex. Through an incident, she begins to have an affair with a handsome teacher named Yuichi — and discovers her own desires for extramarital passions. “Hirugao” follows the lives of these women, what lies beyond the affair and the consequences they suffer from committing such immoral act. What do married women in the modern world desire? Fully subtitled in English.
“Jishaku Otoko,” Friday, Nov. 14 and 21, at 7:35 p.m.
“If you participate in the weekend farming experience over there, you’ll find your partner in marriage in mysterious ways.” As a result of this rumor, Oba Farm has become a power spot for searching for marriage partners. Its owner Sosuke is an oddball; a science guy who is deeply attached to the vegetables he produces and his beloved cow Ushiko. He declares, “People are all classified into N and S. Like a magnet, those that are alike will repel while those that are opposite will hit it off.” Sosuke is called the “Jishaku Otoko (magnet man)” and revered as the god of marriage hunting. Fully subtitled in English.
“Chiso Hyakkei,” premieres on Friday, Nov. 14, at 8:30 p.m.
Actor Takenori Murano visits different towns to introduce special “chiso (feast)” from each town that is very unique to the region. Fully subtitled in English.
“Akumu-chan Special,” airs Friday, Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, at 7:35 p.m.
What would you do if all of your dreams had a way of coming true . . . including nightmares? In this special beautiful teacher Ayami joins J-pop group “Momoiro Clover Z,” to form the group “Kimoclo.” They perform the drama’s theme song. Fully subtitled in English.
NGN 3 MOVIE CHANNEL (Digital Ch. 679)
Premiere titles air on Friday. Movies are shown at various times. Check your digital on-screen guide for movie schedules, using either the GUIDE or INFO buttons (up to one week ahead). Or call NGN, Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 538-1966 for inquiries or to request an e-mail of NGN 3 programming information. All movies are in Japanese language with full English subtitles.
PREMIERE TITLES OF THE MONTH
Nov. 7: “Nihon Jokyoden Gekito Himeyuri Misaki (Trials of an Okinawa Village),” 1971 action film, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa. Starring Junko Fuji and Bunta Sugawara.
A female of a trucking company has run-ins with evil yakuza during the American occupation of Okinawa. Her hometown is threatened by usurers, gangsters and indirectly by American GI influences. She must battle a yakuza organization with her employees to help settle things.
Nov. 14: “Doberman Deka (Detective Doberman),” 1977 action film, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku. Starring Sonny Chiba and Hiroki Matsukata.
A naive detective from Okinawa comes to Tokyo to track down a missing girl from his village and gets involved in a scandal in show business.
Nov. 21: “Chiyari Fuji (Red Soil Near Fuji),” 1955 samurai film, 1 hour and 34 minutes.
Directed by Tomu Uchida. Starring Chiezo Kataoka and Ryunosuke
Tsukigata.
A lord’s spearsman travels to Edo with his two servants. On their way, they meet people and encounter great injustice.
Nov. 28: “Showa Zankyoden Karajishi Botan (Contemporary Tales of
Chivalry 2),” 1966 action film, 1 hour and 29 minutes.
Directed by Kiyoshi Saeki. Starring Ken Takakura and Yoshiko Mita.
Hidejiro is a wandering yakuza with a ‘karashi botan’ (Chinese lion and peony) tattoo. Owing a favor to the Soda Family, he kills the boss of the rival Sakaki Family. When the Soda attacks the Sakaki and double-crosses him, with sword in hand, Hidejiro seeks brutal retribution.
NGN3 MOVIE OF THE MONTH
“Antoki no Inochi (Life Back Then),” 2011 drama, 2 hours and 11 minutes.
Directed by Takahisa Zeze. Starring Masaki Okada and Nana Eikura.
Kyohei has shut away the world. During his high school days he was the target of bullying and experienced horrifying moments. Now as a young adult, he works for a company that specializes in cleaning out the homes of recently deceased individuals. When sorting through the personal belongings of the deceased, he’s forced to face the concept of life and death. With his new job Kyohei meets co-worker Yuki. She has also experienced a traumatizing event as a teen and has also shut herself away from the world. These two young people form a bond as they go through the homes and gradually open up to each other.
NGN3 COMMUNITY FAVORITE
“Shingo Bangai Shobu (Fifth Street Duel),” 1964 samurai film, 1 hour and 36 minutes.
Directed by Sadatsugu Matsuda. Starring Hashizo Okawa, Ryohei Uchida, Junko Fuji, Hiroki Matsukata and Kunie Tanaka.
Shingo’s long-awaited peaceful life comes to a halt when his rival Hikojiro suddenly appears and demands a final duel.
NGN3 Movies (in alphabetical order)
“Abare Kaido (Turbulent Highways),” 1959 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 31 minutes.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa. Starring Utaemon Ichikawa and Kotaro Satomi.
Danjuro, a popular kabuki actor from a yakuza family beats the evil force.
“Aoi Unabara (The Deep Blue Sea),” 1957 drama, 1 hour and 27 minutes.
Directed by Kobayashi Tsuneo. Starring Hibari Misora, Ken Takakura and Jun Usami.
To fulfill a friend’s dying wish, a young sailor Kenji takes on the task of delivering an heirloom to his friend’s daughter, Harumi, who has been adopted by another family. When he arrives, Kenji soon discovers that Harumi and her adopted family are the targets of an evil gang boss. In an attempt to help them, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
“Bokyo Komoriuta (Lullaby for a Tough Guy),” 1972 action film, 1 hour and 38 minutes.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa. Starring Ken Takakura and Ryo Ikebe.
A ruffian joins the ranks of the emperor’s guards.
“Dendera,” 2011 drama, 1 hour and 59 minutes.
Directed by Daisuke Tengan. Starring Ruriko Asaoka and Mitsuko Baisho.
Fifty elderly women are abandoned to die on a snow-covered mountain, but instead work together to build their own village named “Dendera.” Some want to live the final years of their lives out in peace, while others want revenge against the villagers who left them to die.
“Echigo Tsutsuishi Oyashirazu (A Story from Echigo),” 1964 drama, 1 hour and 51 minutes.
Directed by Tadashi Imai. Starring Yoshiko Sakuma and Rentaro Mikuni.
Based on a famous novel by Tsutomu Mizukami. Beautiful Oshin falls as a victim of Tomekichi, a man who is envious of Oshin’s husband Gonkichi.
“Hadakakko (Run, Genta, Run),” 1961 drama, 2 hours and 27 minutes.
Directed by Tomotaka Tasaka. Starring Toshitaka Ito, Michiyo Kogure and Rentaro Mikuni.
A touching story about a young boy, Genta, who bravely takes on life’s challenges in hopes of finding a better life for himself and his sickly mother.
“Hatamoto Taikutsu Otoko Nazo no Daimonji (The Daimonji Consipiracy),” 1959 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 31 minutes.
Directed by Yasushi Sasaki. Starring Ichiakwa Utaemon and Azuma Chiyonosuke.
Saotome Mondonosuke, a master swordsman and loyal vassal, goes on a mission to find a missing princess.
“Heitai Gokudo (Enlisted Yakuza),” 1968 action film, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Directed by Kiyoshi Saeki. Starring Tomisaburo Wakayama and Shingo Yamashiro.
Gang leader Shimamura is forced to join the army in 1937 and fight in China.
“Iemitsu to Hikoza to Isshin Tasuke (The King and His Vassals),” 1961
jidaigeki, 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Directed by Tadashi Sawashima. Starring Kinnosuke Nakamura and Katsuo Nakamura.
Fishmonger Tasuke and Shogun Iemitsu swap their identities in pretence for the protection of Iemitsu.
“Kaidan Hebionna (Snake Woman’s Curse),” 1968 horror film, 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Directed by Nobuo Nakagawa. Starring Seizaburo Kawazu and Shingo Yamashiro.
Chobei, the wealthy landlord of a countryside village in the early Meiji period, incurs a ghostly wrath after he causes a poor farmer to die. After Chobei enslaves the farmer’s wife and daughter in his household, he kills a snake and finds himself slowly going mad, glimpsing rotting corpses and deathly spirits all around him. Even his son Takeo cannot escape and begins to notice that his new bride has certain characteristics like scales and green skin! Can Chobei fulfill the promise of the Snake Woman’s curse before the spirits of the dead come to claim him?
“Mamushi to Aodaisho (The Viper and General),” 1975 action film, 1 hour and 31 minutes.
Directed by Sadao Nakajima. Starring Bunta Sugawara and Tamio Kawachi.
The viper brothers fight against a big yakuza family.
“Nihatsume wa Jigoku Ikidaze (The Second Bullet is Marked),” 1960 action film, 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa. Starring Chiezo Kataoka and Ken Takakura.
Tsunokichi and Ken face off against a rival yakuza in Kyushu.
“Nintama Rantaro (Ninja Kids),” 2011 comedy, 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Directed by Takashi Miike. Starring Seishiro Kato and Hiroki Matsukata.
A family-oriented comedy film directed by Takashi Miike about the adventures of Rantaro and other ninja apprentices at an elite ninjutsu academy. Rantaro comes from a family of bad ninjas and has been sent off to Ninja school to break the streak of unsuccessful ninjas in the family. During the summer, they are challenged by a group of rival ninjas which culminates in a race to ring a bell on top of a mountain.
“Oabare Gojusantsugi (53 Stages of Action),” 1963 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Directed by Masahiro Makino. Starring Kinya Kitaoji and Hiroki Matsukata.
Matsukichi, a worker at a fish market, tries to settle the business between two competitors on his turf.
“Okaeri, Hayabusa (Welcome Home, Hayabusa),” 2012 drama, 1 hour and 54 minutes.
Directed by Katsuhide Motoki. Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara and Tomokazu Miura.
Kento Ohashi is a novice ion engine developer. He works on a team that is planning to launch the unmanned Hayabusa spacecraft. His father Isao was the leader of a previously failed space mission. Now, Kento pursues his and his father’s dreams while experiencing the unexpected surprises that come with working on a spacecraft.
“Orugoru (Music Box),” 1989 action drama, 1 hour and 46 minutes
Directed by Mitsuo Kurotsuchi. Starring Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi, Nobuko Sendo and Sho Aikawa.
Yuji, a retired yakuza, is forced back into the gangster life when and old enemy threatens the safety of his beloved son, Ren.
“Ougon Kujaku-jo (Golden Peacock Castle),” 1961 samurai action film, 50 minutes.
Directed by Masaharu Matsuda. Starring Kotaro Satomi, Shingo Yamashiro and Mitsuko Nagai.
A group of pirates led by the evil Gondaiyu and his wizard, Genkuro, capture the Golden Peacock Castle and massacre the peaceful clan that lives there. The few survivors that manage to escape plot their revenge and wait for the timing to be right for an attack.
“Ougon Kujaku-jo Dai-Nibu (Golden Peacock Castle, Part 2),” 1961 samurai action film, 56 minutes.
Directed by Shoji Matsumura. Starring Totsuben Sawamura, Kotaro Satomi and Shingo Yamashiro.
The struggles of the Golden Peacock Castle Clan continues as they seek to reclaim their home and prevent the evil Gondaiyu from taking their most prized treasures.
“Sennen no Koi Genji Monogatari (Genji-A Thousand Year Love),” 2001 historical fictional drama, 2 hours and 23 minutes.
Directed by Tonkou Horikawa. Starring Sayuri Yoshinaga, Ken Watanabe, Takako Tokiwa and Yuki Amami.
Toei’s big budget modern remake of the classic Genji Monotgatari — a tale of a wealthy playboy, Genji, and the numerous women in his life. Starring Academy Award nominee Ken Watanabe.
“Tsuri Baka Nisshi 5 (Free and Easy 5),” 1992 drama, 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Directed by Tomio Kuriyama. Starring Toshiyuki Nishida and Rentaro Mikuni.
Hama-chan and Michiko’s son, Koitaro, is now one year old. When Michiko leaves home to attend a school reunion and her mother is unable to care for the baby, Hama-chan is forced to take Koitaro to work and the baby soon gets lost, creating all manner of havoc at the construction firm he works for.
“Wakasama Zamurai Torimonocho Beranme Katsujinken (Case of A Young Lord, Part 2),” 1956 jidaigeki, 52 minutes.
Directed by Kinnosuke Fukada. Starring Hashizo Okawa and Yumiko Hasegawa.
A master swordsman must retrieve the mercer’s stolen heirloom in time to present it to the Shogun.
“Yagyu Bugeicho Kengo Midaregumo (The Yagyu Military Art: The Buried Conspiracy),” 1963 jidaigeki, 1 hour and 24 minutes.
Directed by Koukichi Uchidate. Starring Jushiro Konoe and Hiroki Matsukata.
Yagyu Jubei must protect the Yagyu scroll that holds the secret of the infamous assassination plotted by the Tokugawa government 30 years ago.