JQ Magazine: Nippon in New York — Joe Hisaishi, Anime NYC, ‘Shoplifters’
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By JQ magazine editor Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02). Justin has written about Japanese arts and entertainment for JETAA since 2005. For more of his articles, click here.
From the silver screen to the stage to J-pop, November is just as colorful as the autumn leaves drifting through the air. Add these live events to the mix and you’ve got an irresistibly epic rundown.
This month’s highlights include:
FUNimation
Nov. 3, 5
Dragon Ball Z: Saiyan Double Feature
Regal E-Walk 42nd Street 13, 247 West 43nd Street
AMC Empire 25, 234 West 42nd Street
$12.50
Catch these two DBZ films back-to-back for the first time in U.S. theaters—fully remastered! In Bardock: The Father of Goku, a low-class Saiyan soldier unexpectedly inherits the ability to see into the future. Haunted by visions of his own end as well as the destruction of his entire planet, Bardock sets off on a nightmarish race with fate to advert the impending disaster. Then, in Fusion Reborn, an industrial disaster in Other World unleashes the monstrous Janemba, a beast who grows stronger with each passing minute. While Goku and Vegeta fight for Other World’s survival, Goten and Trunks confront a ghoulish army of the undead back on Earth, where only an unprecedented act of teamwork can save the universe! Presented in English.
© SUSIE/© Takao Iwasawa
Saturday, Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m.
Akiko Yano + Seiho: Unusual Pairings
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$38, $30 members
Beloved pianist/singer-songwriter Akiko Yano returns to Japan Society for a U.S. premiere collaboration with rising Osaka-based electronic sound artist/DJ and ikebana enthusiast Seiho. This one-of-a-kind concert mixes the singular stylings of Yano’s piano and singing with Seiho’s thumping, atmospheric beats, and flower arranging! Join us on this moody trip into the soundscapes of these two formidable artists as their music melds, merges and even takes shape in floral form.
Courtesy of Willow Arts (Shanghai)
Sunday, Nov. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Joe Hisaishi and David Lang: Music Future Vol. 5
Zankel Hall, 881 Seventh Avenue
$59-$99
Music Future is a concert series started in 2014 by Studio Ghibli film composer, conductor, and pianist Joe Hisaishi. Intended to introduce the latest in contemporary classical music, Music Future includes works from composers Arnold Schoenberg, John Adams, David Lang, Philip Glass, and Bryce Dessner performed by the Future Orchestra. In addition, Hisaishi presents a newly composed work each year. This year, David Lang will join Music Future at Carnegie Hall to present his latest work, Increase.
Courtesy of Bluenotejazz.com
Nov. 13-18
Blue Note New York, 131 West Third Street
$20, $35
The career of multi-Grammy winner Bob James is long, varied and continues to evolve at every turn as he continues to captivate audiences throughout the world for more than 50 years (and even more albums), plus innumerable awards. While James is recognized as one of the progenitors of smooth jazz, his music has also had a profound effect on the history of hip-hop, having been sampled frequently since the early days of the genre. A longtime star in Japan, he has recorded a piano duet album with Keiko Matsui, and worked with Seiko Matsuda as a guest vocalist on “Put Our Hearts Together,” written by James and his daughter Hilary in response to the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. This intimate residency will feature trio performances from James’s first solo album in more than a decade, Espresso.
Crunchyroll
Nov. 16-18
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street
$40-$65
For the second year of this three-day celebration of Japanese animation powered by Crunchyroll, attendees will be able to view exclusive anime screenings and meet major guests courtesy of international animation and manga publishers; play the latest in Japanese gaming technology; chow down on Japanese delicacies and fusion cuisine; rock out to musical guests direct from Tokyo; and more! A centerpiece event this year includes the Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] two-hour celebration showcasing the beloved English cast of the Fate series including Kari Wahlgren (Voice of Saber), Cristina Vee (Voice of Sakura Matou), Bryce Papenbrook (Voice of Shirou Emiya), and Tony Oliver (English ADR Director and Voice of Lancer) on stage and an electrifying concert from Japanese songstress Aimer.
Courtesy of Animenyc.com
Nov. 16-17
Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center, 311 34th Street
$53, $138
Anisong World Matsuri’s mission is to bring Japanese pop music popularized by anime to new audiences around the world, and it has conducted major event concerts in cities including Los Angeles, Shanghai, and Washington, D.C. since its launch in 2016. For two nights this month, Anime NYC and Anisong World Matsuri will host the largest Japanese pop concerts in the history of New York City, bringing together headlining J-pop stars for show-stopping live performances. These inaugural concerts will feature major performances from Luna Haruna, Shoko Nakagawa, Morning Musume。’18, and Hironobu Kageyama of Dragon Ball Z fame!
GKIDS
Nov. 18-20
Regal E-Walk 42nd Street 13, 247 West 43nd Street
AMC Empire 25, 234 West 42nd Street
$12.50
Castle in the Sky is a timeless story of courage and friendship, with stunning animation from acclaimed Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki. This high-flying adventure begins when Pazu, an engineer’s apprentice, spies a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky, held aloft by a glowing pendant. Both Sheeta and Pazu are searching for the legendary floating castle, Laputa, and they vow to travel there together to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal. But their quest won’t be easy, as soon they are being pursued by greedy air pirates, the military, and secret government agents, who all seek the power Sheeta alone can control. The Nov. 19 screenings are presented in Japanese with English subtitles.
Magnolia Pictures
Premieres Friday, Nov. 23
Walter Reade Theater, 165 West 65th Street
IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue
$11-$15
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner is a heartrending glimpse into an often invisible segment of Japanese society: those struggling to stay afloat in the face of crushing poverty. On the margins of Tokyo, a most unusual “family”—a collection of societal castoffs united by their shared outsiderhood and fierce loyalty to one another—survives by petty stealing and grifting. When they welcome into their fold a young girl who’s been abused by her parents, they risk exposing themselves to the authorities and upending their tenuous, below-the-radar existence. The director’s latest masterful, richly observed human drama makes the quietly radical case that it is love—not blood—that defines a family.
© 2018 Pokémon. © 1998-2018 PIKACHU PROJECT. TM.
Nov. 24, 26, 28, Dec. 1
Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us
Regal E-Walk 42nd Street 13, 247 West 43nd Street
AMC Empire 25, 234 West 42nd Street
$12.50
A young athlete whose running days might be behind her, a compulsive liar, a shy researcher, a bitter old woman, and a little girl with a big secret—the only thing they have in common is the annual Wind Festival in Fula City. The festival celebrates the Legendary Pokémon Lugia, who brings the wind that powers this seaside city. When a series of threats endangers not just the festival, but all the people and Pokémon of Fula City, it’ll take more than just Ash and Pikachu to save the day! Can everyone put aside their differences and work together—or will it all end in destruction? Catch the latest all-new Pokémon adventure on the big screen! Presented in English.
GKIDS
Nov. 29, Dec. 5, 8
Regal E-Walk 42nd Street 13, 247 West 43nd Street
AMC Empire 25, 234 West 42nd Street
$12.50
An official selection at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight from acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children) and Japan’s Studio Chizu comes Mirai, a daringly original story of love passed down through generations. When four-year-old Kun meets his new baby sister, his world is turned upside down. Named Mirai (meaning “future”), the baby quickly wins the hearts of Kun’s entire family. As his mother returns to work and his father struggles to run the household, Kun becomes increasingly jealous of baby Mirai…until one day he storms off into the garden, where he encounters strange guests from the past and future—including his sister Mirai, as a teenager. Together, Kun and teenage Mirai go on a journey through time and space, uncovering their family’s incredible story. But why did Mirai come from the future? Presented in Japanese with English subtitles (Nov. 29 at 8:00 p.m., Dec. 5 at 7:00 p.m.) and in English (Nov. 29 at 7:00 p.m., Dec. 8 at 12:55 p.m.)
Marco Borggreve/Redpath Studios
Friday, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m.
Zankel Hall, 881 Seventh Avenue
$76-$89
Dance-inspired German music, Vivaldi’s gleaming virtuosity, Handel’s hybrid German-Italian style, and more are showcased by one of the preeminent period instrument ensembles, Bach Collegium Japan, conducted by Masaaki Suzuki and featuring soprano Joanne Lunn. Bach’s famous suite is a showpiece for flute and strings, while Vivaldi’s concerto is a classic of its kind. In addition to the instrumental works, there’s a cantata by Conti, much admired by Bach, and a brilliantly virtuosic Italianate motet by Handel that’s noteworthy for its culminating sparkling Alleluia. Also scheduled to be performed is Marcello’s Oboe Concerto in D Minor and Telemann’s Quatour No. 1 in D Major from “Noveaux quatours.”
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