JQ Magazine: Nippon in New York — ‘Modest Heroes,’ ‘Dragon Ball Z Super: Broly,’ ‘A Silent Voice’
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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.
Start the new year right by heading down to your local concert venue, cinema, or arts center for some fantastic new year’s fare. Whether you enjoy movies, travel, or orchestral performances classic video games, treat yourself and catch a break from the cold.
This month’s highlights include:
Silver Knife © Jusung Lee; Pollen Revolution © Hiroyasu Daido; Kids © Etang Chen
Jan. 4-5, 7:30 p.m.
Contemporary Dance Festival: Japan + East Asia
Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street
$30, $25 Japan Society members
Formerly known as the Contemporary Dance Showcase, this year’s festival continues with three revelatory and robust works from three countries. From Japan, Mitsutake Kasai performs butoh master Akira Kasai’s legendary piece Pollen Revolution. Hailed as “energetic and altogether wonderfully human” two decades ago, Sr. Kasai choreographs a revival of this eclectic dance for his son. From Taiwan, choreographed by emerging star Kuan-Hsiang Liu, Kids is a tribute to death and the choreographer’s mother. Performed to voice recordings of Liu with his mother during her fight against cancer, this modern-day grief ritual is full of idiosyncratic motion and moments of serenity. From Korea, Silver Knife by Goblin Party delves into conflicting portrayals of female identity through the eloquently crafted movements of four women. The Friday, Jan. 4 performance is followed by a MetLife Meet-the-Artists Reception.
GKIDS
Jan. 10, 12
Modest Heroes: Ponoc Short Films Theatre, Volume 1
Regal E-Walk 42nd Street 13, 247 West 43nd Street
AMC Empire 25, 234 West 42nd Street
AMC Kips Bay 15, 570 Second Avenue
$10
Studio Ponoc, the new animation studio founded by two-time Academy Award-nominee Yoshiaki Nishimura (The Tale of The Princess Kaguya, When Marnie Was There) and featuring many artists from the venerable Studio Ghibli, made an immediate splash with their acclaimed debut film Mary and The Witch’s Flower last year. The studio returns this year with Modest Heroes, an ambitious anthology of three thrilling tales created by some of the greatest talents working in Japanese animation today. The Jan. 12 screenings will be presented in English.
Courtesy of Facebook.com/vgmjamnyc.jpg
Sunday, Jan. 13, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Black Cat LES, 172 Rivington Street
No cover
Every first Sunday of each month, Black Cat LES hosts the J-MUSIC Pocket Band’s VGM+ Jazz Jam Sessions, which showcases live collective performances of legendary tunes from Pokémon, Zelda, Sonic, Mario, anime, J-pop, and everything in between! In celebration of the latest release of another storied Nintendo franchise, the group (led by Grammy Award-nominated composer Patrick Bartley Jr.) will dedicate the first theme of the new year to Super Smash Bros. This one-of-a-kind performance will include music from every game in the series—something you won’t want to miss! For more info, click here or contact info@jmusicband.com.
FUNimation
Jan. 16-22
AMC Empire 25, 234 West 42nd Street
AMC 34th Street 14, 312 West 34th Street
AMC Lincoln Square 13, 1998 Broadway
AMC Magic Johnson Harlem 9, 2309 Frederick Douglass Boulevard
City Cinemas East 86th Street, 210 East 86th Street
City Cinemas Village East Cinema, 181-189 Second Avenue
UA Kaufman Astoria Cinemas 14 & RPX, 35-30 38th Street (Astoria)
$12.50-$25.49 (IMAX at select theaters)
A planet destroyed, a powerful race reduced to nothing. After the devastation of Planet Vegeta, three Saiyans were scattered among the stars, destined for different fates. While two found a home on Earth, the third was raised with a burning desire for vengeance and developed an unbelievable power. And the time for revenge has come. Destinies collide in a battle that will shake the universe to its very core! Goku is back to training hard so he can face the most powerful foes the universes have to offer, and Vegeta is keeping up right beside him. But when they suddenly find themselves against an unknown Saiyan, they discover a terrible, destructive force. Locked into battle with the formidable Broly, Goku and Vegeta face their most dangerous opponent yet! Presented in English.
Courtesy of Cdn.travelpulse
Jan. 25-27
The New York Times Travel Show
Jacob K. Javits Center, 655 West 34th Street
$20-25
Calling all travel professionals: Set your wanderlust free! Now celebrating its 16th year, this annual event features over 30,000 travel professionals, with over 560 exhibitor booths representing more than 100 destinations. Get the latest information you need for planning your next global destination with over 40 destination-specific seminars, and focused niche topics from cruises to family travel, exclusive trade-only exhibition hours, and an industry reception.
Shochiku
Jan. 28, 31
Regal E-Walk 42nd Street 13, 247 West 43nd Street
AMC Empire 25, 234 West 42nd Street
AMC Kips Bay 15, 570 Second Avenue
Regal Union Square 14, 850 Broadway
Regal Battery Park 11, 102 North End Avenue
$12.50
After transferring into a new school, a deaf girl, Shoko Nishimiya, is bullied by the popular Shoya Ishida. As Shoya continues to bully Shoko, the class turns its back on him. Shoko transfers and Shoya grows up as an outcast. Alone and depressed, the regretful Shoya finds Shoko to make amends. A Silent Voice is a moving coming-of-age drama that depicts the struggles of adolescence through its memorable characters and beautiful animation. The Jan. 31 screenings will be presented in English.
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