Movies by Ryuhei Matsuda
The Scythian Lamb
Based on a manga written by Tatsuhiko Yamagami, the story is set in a former seaport town Uobuka, where 6 former criminals were sent to live there by the government, with the intention of re-socialising them. Aside from the few who know about the project, the general townsfolk has no idea of the former convicts' identities. Tsukisue is the pleasant and efficient municipal official put in charge of the programme. As he slowly learns about their past, a body is discovered.
Nana
Two girls named Nana meet on a train to Tokyo. Nana K. aims to reunite with her boyfriend and Nana O. hopes to make it big in the music business. Despite their differences, the pair hit it off and become roommates.
The Day of Destruction
Seven years ago, a mysterious monster was found deep in a rural coal mine. Since then, rumors of a plague spread through the small town, and people experience an unexplainable mental illness. A young Shugendo practitioner goes missing only to resurface transformed, intent on exorcising the world from the monsters haunting it.
Detective in the Bar 2
A friend of the detective has been is murdered. During the investigation, he comes across a source which tells him that his friend was murdered for involvement with the dark side of the political world. On top of that, a woman approaches the detective with a request.
The Tokyo Night Sky Is Always the Densest Shade of Blue
Mika works as a nurse by day; by night she entertains covetous men at a girls' bar. Shinji is blind in one eye and ekes out a living as a construction worker. Young and grown-up at the same time, they both lead a lonely existence, but somehow their paths keep miraculously crossing under the Tokyo sky.
The Foreign Duck, the Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker
A university student finds himself wrapped up in the bizarre world of his next door neighbor, learning about his history and relationship with a girl who changed his life.
I'm Flash!
Rui is the charismatic leader of a new religious group. Consequently, he starts to gain attention from the mass media. After becoming involved in a car accident, Rui goes to a remote island with ex-gangster now bodyguard. On the island, Rui reveals more about his religious group, while a set of ominous events are about to occur.
My Little Sweet Pea
It isn't easy to find a dream to chase when you're young, but Mugiko has one: she can't wait to become an anime voice actress. Saving up for classes while she works part time in a manga store, she lives with her older, gambler brother after her father's death. When the mother she never knew turns up out of nowhere and moves in, it only causes irritation for the aspiring otaku. But when her mother just as quickly disappears, it leaves Mugiko (or "Sweet Pea") searching for answers, bringing her back to her mother's hometown to discover what ha...
The Summit: A Chronicle Of Stones to Serenity
In 1907, a group of men climb an unconquered peak in the last unmapped region of Japan.
The Great Passage
Majime, an eccentric man in publishing company, who has unique ability of words, joins the team that will compile a new dictionary, The Great Passage. In the eclectic team, he becomes immersed in the world of dictionaries. But the team is overwhelmed with problems.
Beneath the Shadow
Konno moved to Iwate for his job. There, he meets his colleague Hiasa at work. They form a close bond while drinking together, fishing together and doing other activities. One day, Hiasa quits his job without saying anything to Konno. Shortly after, they meet again, but they cannot have that close feeling as they had before. They do not meet again. Time passes and Konno learns that Hiasa went missing. While looking for Hiasa, Konno learns a secret about Hiasa.
Kurara: The Dazzling Life of Hokusai's Daughter
Oei, later known as Katsushika Oi, was born the third daughter of Edo’s talented painter Katsushika Hokusai and his second wife Koto. Although Oei became the wife of a town painter for a time, her love of the paintbrush more than her husband spelt disaster and she comes back home to Hokusai from the family she had married into. This is how Oei starts to help her father out in his painting of the “insurmountable high wall”. Meanwhile, Oei can only talk to the painter Ikeda Zenjiro, who is her father’s student, about her pain and worries. Zenj...
The Miracle of Crybaby Shottan
Shoji Segawa was a quiet and inconspicuous boy, but, for the first time, he is recognized by people after winning the National Middle School Shogi Tournament. At the age of 26, his dream of becoming a professional shogi player collapses due to an age restriction. After he quits playing shogi, he becomes desperate. With the support of his peers, including Yuya Suzuki, and his love of shogi, Shoji Segawa begins to play shogi again. A miracle happens to him.
Okehazama: Oda Nobunaga Birth of the Overlord
Drama set in the historical Warring States Era of Japan. Tokaido name Imagawa Yoshimoto personally led his army to invade Owari Province territory, now in Aichi Prefecture Nagoya City area, was the leader Nobunaga of this surprising burst of death. After the war, the Imagawa clan who originally dominated the Tokaido region fell away, and the victorious Oda Nobunaga quickly expanded his power in Central Japan and the Kinki region, laying the foundation for his future control of the central government of Japan.
Before We Vanish
Narumi is on bad terms with her husband, Shinji, when, one day, Shinji goes missing. He comes back a couple of days later, but he seems like a totally different person, and he is now gentle and tender. He goes for a walk every day. Meanwhile, journalist Sakurai covers the story of a family that was brutally murdered, when an unexplained phenomenon takes place. Shinji Kase tells his wife that he came to Earth to invade.
The 300 million yen robbery
The 300 million yen robbery (San Oku En Jiken), also known as the 300 million yen affair or incident,was the single largest heist in Japanese history at the time. It occurred on the morning of December 10, 1968, in Tokyo,Japan. Half a century later, the case remains unsolved. 7 years later,just before just before the statute of limitations, Sawatari, a journalist, found out about the mind behind the crime is Matsuda, a businessman currently living in America. He traveled to America and asked Matsuda for the truth. Matsuda told him a story of...
Who Were We?
On Sado Island, Kii works as a cleaner at a gold mine. One day, she finds a collapsed woman in the facility and takes the woman to her home. The woman doesn't remember her past or even her name. The woman is named Midori by the two other girls living with Kii. Kii gets permission from the director for Midori to work as a cleaner at the mine. One day, Midori is attracted by the presence of cats and this leads her to meet Ao, who works as a night guard at the gold mine. Ao tells her that he also doesn't remember his past. Midori and Ao get att...
My Uncle
Yukio Haruyama is an elementary school student. He has an uncle that teaches philosophy part-time at an university. His uncle leeches off his family. The uncle then goes on a blind date and falls in love with beautiful Eri Inaba. She is a fourth generation Japanese living in Hawaii. Sometime later, Eri goes back to Hawaii to take over a coffee farm left behind by her recently deceased grandmother. Yukio and his uncle travel to Hawaii to see Eri.
Life Can Be So Wonderful
Five short stories of life's joys and sorrows are brought together in this omnibus drama from Japan.