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.
In the dog days of summer, it’s best to escape the heat in a place that’s cozy and cool. For those into both cutting-edge and classic anime, this month offers a diverse trio of theatrical revivals—all in the comfort of indoor air conditioning.
This month’s highlights include:
August 1-2
Hiromi’s Sonicwonder – OUT THERE Album Release Show
Sony Hall, 145 West 45th Street
From $45
Since Hiromi’s debut album Another Mind (2003), the world-renowned pianist’s sound has evolved with every release, erasing the lines between jazz and classical, composition and improvisation. This special intimate performance celebrates the release of OUT THERE, Hiromi’s 13th studio full-length album. Born in Hamamatsu, Japan, Hiromi began studying piano when she was six years old. When she was 17, Chick Corea invited her to play with him at a Tokyo concert. She attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where she was mentored by jazz legend Ahmad Jamal. A prolific artist, she has also recorded the soundtrack to Blue Giant, an animated feature film based on the popular manga. Hiromi is a perennial favorite on DownBeat’s Annual Critics and Readers Poll, and has performed at the world’s finest jazz festivals, including Montreux, Umbria, North Sea, Newport, and Monterey. Her work has been celebrated by media including the New York Times, NPR and NPR Music, and the Washington Post, and she was a featured performer at the Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony in 2021.
August 10-12
Various theaters
Various prices
As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies. This is the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources. Forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth, their doomed struggle is both a tribute to the human spirit and the stuff of nightmares. Beautiful, yet at times brutal and horrifying. Based on the retellings of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki and directed by Isao Takahata (co-founder, with Hayao Miyazaki, of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli). Grave of the Fireflies has been universally hailed as an artistic and emotional tour de force. Now digitally remastered and restored, it is one of the rare films that truly deserves to be called a masterpiece.
Opens August 13
Various theaters
Various prices
Now in 4K! Something has surfaced in Tokyo Bay. As the Prime Minister of Japan pleads with the public to remain calm, a horrific creature of tremendous size makes landfall in the city, leaving death and destruction in its wake. Then it evolves. The government assembles a motley task force to combat the monster when an envoy from the US Department of State delivers a folder of classified documents. On its cover is written: “GODZILLA.” From Director Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) and Co-Director Shinji Higuchi, Shin Godzilla offers a thrilling origin story to one of cinema’s greatest creations. Propelled by astounding visual effects and rapid fire dialogue, Shin Godzilla is equal parts pulse-pounding action film and venomous political satire, worthy of the franchise’s towering history.
August 14, 19
Various theaters
Various prices
Riffed in front of a live audience! In the futuristic world of 2004, Jean-Claude Van Damme isn’t just doing leg splits, he’s splitting the very barriers of space and time. Get ready for Timecop! Riffed by the trio from RiffTrax: Mike Nelson, Bill Borbett, and Kevin Murphy (the stars of classic Mystery Science Theater 3000). After the death of his wife (Mia Sara, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) at the hands of time-traveling goons, Jean-Claude Van Damme (Street Fighter) is recruited to an elite task force of time-based police officers. Why does the government have an elite task force of time-based police officers? Timecop may, or may not, have answers to that perfectly reasonable question! Unfortunately, a U.S. Senator (Ron Silver, Blue Steel) has gained access to their system of time travel and he’s using it to commit unspeakable evils – huge campaign finance violations – across generations. Imagine a nightmarish world where stuff like THAT happens. You can’t!
August 16-20
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 35th Anniversary
Various theaters
Various prices
Four baby turtles come in contact with a mysterious substance called ooze and then are transformed into human sized crime fighters. The leader of the turtles is a human sized rat who has come into contact with the same green ooze. The rat was a former pet of a ninja master and therefore uses his skills to train the four turtles in martial arts. They befriend a local journalist and with her help attempt to find the group behind a crime wave in New York City. Starring Josh Pais, Elias Koteas, and Judith Hoag. Bodacious bonus: In the “Turtles Unmasked” featurette before the movie, produced in collaboration with the creators of the forthcoming documentary TMNT: Evolution, Mutation & Reboot, experience never-before-seen footage from the archives, extended scenes left to history on the cutting room floor, home-recorded behind-the-scenes footage, and 1-on-1 time and commentary with the Director Steve Barron, as he reflects on the day-to-day in crafting the absolute best version of Turtles brought to the big screen.
August 22-24
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street
From $51
For this year’s celebration of Japanese animation and pop culture (now expanded to four days!), 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! Centerpiece events this year include a live concert with Yoko Takahashi of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame; an autograph opportunity with legendary voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda (Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man); a Star Wars: Visions Volume 3 episode screening and Q&A; artist meet and greets; rare import gaming and screenings; the Anime NYC Masquerade; and much more!
August 23-24, 6:00 p.m.
hololive English 3rd Concert: All for One
Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas
From $130
hololive English will bring their 3rd Concert “All For One” to Radio City Music Hall on August 23-24. The concert will feature the members of hololive English, including members of hololive English -Justice-, who will be debuting in 3D before the performance during the month of August 2025. More details regarding their upcoming 3D debuts can be found here. “Our staff have been working hard to make this concert even more enjoyable than previous ones, so please look forward to it! If you can’t make it there, we hope you will tune in via livestreaming,” commented Motoaki Tanigo, CEO, COVER Corporation. Special guests include hololive English, Mori Calliope, Takanashi Kiara, Ninomae Ina’nis, IRyS, Ouro Kronii, Hakos Baelz, Shiori Novella, Koseki Bijou, Nerissa Ravencroft, Fuwawa Abyssgard, Mococo Abyssgard, Elizabeth Rose Bloodflame, Gigi Murin, Cecilia Immergreen, and Raora Panthera.
August 23-27
Various theaters
Various prices
From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, and Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a heartwarming family adventure. When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea. Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale The Little Mermaid, Miyazaki’s breathtaking, imaginative world is brought to life with an all-star cast, featuring the voices of Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Frankie Jonas, Cloris Leachman, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, and Betty White.
For more JQ articles, click here.
leave a reply