Bungo Japanese Literature Cinema - Season 1

First aired: 2/15/2010 6 episodes
← Back to Bungo Japanese Literature Cinema

Episodes

1. Wonderful Scene

Aired: 2/15/2010

This is the first film in the BUNGO Japanese Literature Cinema (BUNGO Nihon Bungaku Shinema) series dramatizing short stories by the great writers of Japan, starring a popular young cast. This was broadcast on late night TV. Based on the autobiographical novel by Dazai Osamu, the film depicts twisted and awkward young love. Tsushima Shuji (Mukai Osamu) is a literary hack, who grew up spoiled in a prominent family in Tsugaru. One day, when he hears that the family's former maid, Okei (Yuka), has gotten married, he becomes angry for some reason, and is cruel to her when she visits.

2. Lemon

Aired: 2/16/2010

This is the second in the BUNGO Japanese Literature Cinema (BUNGO Nihon Bungaku Shinema) series of films depicting Japan's short novels. The original work is a masterpiece by Kajii Motojiro that is always included in Japanese language texts. Sato Ryuta frequently plays hot-blooded characters, but here he shows us a new side, as he plays a protagonist who hides dark urges in his heart. Kajii (Sato), a young man, has lung disease, and he wanders aimlessly around town, terrified by uncertainty. He imagines that a lemon he buys at a fruit store he passes is a bomb, and fantasizes about everything getting blown up.

3. The Boat on the Takase River

Aired: 2/17/2010

This is the third film in the BUNGO Japanese Literature Cinema (BUNGO Nihon Bungaku Shinema) series dramatizing short stories by the masters of Japanese literature. A film adaptation of a famous work by Mori Ogai that deals with the issue of euthanasia, directed by Togashi Shin, who showed what he could do in films for boys such as Tetsujin 28 (Tetsujin Nijuhachi-go). The criminal Kisuke (Narimiya Hiroki), who killed his brother, is put on a boat and sent to a remote island. Haneda Shobei (Sugimoto Tetta) finds it strange that he has such a clear conscience, and asks him why. Kisuke begins to explain the sad truth of what led him to kill his brother

4. Magic

Aired: 2/22/2010

This is the fourth film in the BUNGO Japanese Literature Cinema (BUNGO Nihon Bungaku Shinema) series dramatizing short stories by the masters of Japanese literature. The original work was by Akutagawa Ryunosuke, and the film was directed by Kumakiri Kazuyoshi, who also directed NON-KO (Nonko 36 Sai ). One day, Sakurada Ryuichi (Tsukamoto Takashi) visits an Indian magician named Matiram Mithra (Murakami Jun). The magician tells Sakurada, who has asked to be taught magic, that in order to learn magic, he must rid himself of his desires. One month later, Sakurada has the chance to display his magic before his friends, but...

5. Fumiko no Ashi

Aired: 2/23/2010

This is the fifth in the BUNGO Japanese Literature Cinema (BUNGO Nihon Bungaku Shinema, Fumiko no Ashi) series of films depicting Japan's short novels. The original work is a sensual novel by Tanizaki Junichiro's that is full of masochistic fetishism. Old man Tsukagoshi (Terada Minori) takes the geisha Fumiko (Kato Rosa) as his mistress, and delights in caressing her beautiful legs. Tsukagoshi orders the art student Unokichi (Yuki Jyutta) to paint a picture modeling Fumiko, and while he is looking at her legs it arouses memories from his childhood.

6. Good-bye

Aired: 2/24/2010

This is the sixth film in the BUNGO Japanese Literature Cinema (BUNGO Nihon Bungaku Shinema) series dramatizing short stories by the masters of Japanese literature. The original is Dazai Osamu's unfinished last work, and the director is Shinohara Tetsuo, who also directed The Moon and Cabbages (Tsuki to Kyabetsu). Tajima (Yamazaki Masayoshi) wants to break up with his 10 lovers and live with his family, so he devises a plan. He will visit each of his lovers with Kinuko (Mizukawa Asami), a peerless beauty with a vile personality, and tell them all that she is his wife. Will Tajima manage to say good bye to the women?