The Japan TimesJul 23, 2025
Written, directed, edited and led by Asuna Yanagi while she was still a teen, this coming-of-age tale blurs the lines between life, fiction and cinephile obsession. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2025/07/24/film/rainy-blue/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #culture #film #japanesefilm #asunayanagi #misatsugawa #chishuryu #yasujiroozu #hirobumiwatanabe
‘Rainy Blue’: Behind-the-scenes drama tarnishes an intriguing debut

Made while she was still a teen, Asuna Yanagi’s coming-of-age tale blurs the lines between life, fiction and cinephile obsession.

The Japan Times
japanesemoviesmeFeb 11, 2025

Just made this review of #LoveNonetheless with #AyumuNakajima #HonamiSato aka #HonaIkoka #KojiSeto #YuumiKawai #YukaKouri #KazuyaMaikuma #JotaroTozuka #HirobumiWatanabe and #KaishiIwao

This #JapaneseMovie won awards in #Japan, #China and #Italy

https://japanesemoviesme.com/love-nonetheless-review/

Love Nonetheless review

If you want to read my review of Love Nonetheless, read this post. In 愛なのに, Koji finds himself involved in a loving sextet of people who don't know each other, but suffer from the same pain, unrequited love for each other.

Japanese movies me
The Japan TimesJul 21, 2023
Indie director Hirobumi Watanabe looks back on 10 years of making distinctive, micro-budget films with his brother and seeking out new challenges on and off screen. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2023/07/21/films/foolish-piggies-films/?utm_content=buffer64188&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #culture #film #hirobumiwatanabe #foolishpiggiesfilms
Foolish Piggies Films keeps humor at its heart

Indie director Hirobumi Watanabe looks back on 10 years of making distinctive, micro-budget films with his brother and seeking out new challenges on and off screen.

The Japan Times
The Japan TimesJul 13, 2023
Hirobumi Watanabe finds inspiration in Kraftwerk and "The Blues Brothers" while maintaining his personal style, which blends minimalist arthouse influences with offbeat humor. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2023/07/13/films/film-reviews/techno-brothers/?utm_content=buffera581f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #culture #film #techno #hirobumiwatanabe
'Techno Brothers': Off-kilter road trip comedy pays homage to techno pioneers

Hirobumi Watanabe finds inspiration in Kraftwerk and "The Blues Brothers" while maintaining his personal style, which blends minimalist arthouse influences with offbeat humor.

The Japan Times