The best Sakura Ando’s drama movies

After one of their shoplifting sessions, Osamu and his son come across a little girl in the freezing cold. At first reluctant to shelter the girl, Osamu’s wife agrees to take care of her after learning of the hardships she faces. Although the family is poor, barely making enough money to survive through petty crime, they seem to live happily together until an unforeseen incident reveals hidden secrets, testing the bonds that unite them.

The story of a teenage boy named Yu, who falls for Yoko, a girl he runs into while working as an "up-skirt" photographer in an offshoot of the porn industry. His attempts to woo her are complicated by a spot of cross-dressing - which convinces Yoko that she is lesbian - dalliances with kung-fu and crime, and a constant struggle with the guilt that's a legacy of his Catholic upbringing.

Set in an alternate universe, the ancient capital of Kamakura is a vibrant town where fantastical creatures live alongside humans. Akiko is a cheerful publishing assistant who moves into town after marrying Masakazu, a popular mystery writer. Akiko is surprised by the unusual town but enjoys the new curiosities surrounding her. However, just as she was beginning to settle in, a trifling incident sweeps her spirit to the underworld too soon. Convinced that destiny has something else in store for his wife, Masakazu journeys into the underworld to bring back Akiko’s spirit.

Slacker Ichiko gets into a fight with her younger sister and begins to live on her own, working the late shift at a 100 yen shop. On her way home, she passes a gym and meets middle-aged boxer Kano who trains there in silence...

From the late 1950s through the '70s, more than 90,000 of the ethnic Koreans in Japan emigrated to North Korea, a country that promised them affluence, justice, and an end to discrimination. KAZOKU NO KUNI tells the story of one of their number, who returns for just a short period. For the first time in 25 years, Sonho is reunited with his family in Tokyo after being allowed to undergo an operation there. Sonho’s younger sister Rie is at the centre of the film, and is not hard to recognise as the director’s alter-ego. In her documentaries DEAR PYONGYANG and SONA, THE OTHER MYSELF, Yang Yonghi told the story of her own life, and how, at age six, she experienced the departure of her three older brothers, who left their family for Pyongyang.

Troubled high school student Makoto arrives in Tokyo to exact revenge from a past incident. He then falls in love at first sight with Ai, a daughter raised in a wholesome family. Around Makoto and Ai are Iwashimizu, who has feelings for Ai and Gamuko, a gang member who eyes Makoto.

Three childhood friends reunite over a murder case.

Sawa, a home helper for a middle class family with an elderly infirm grandfather, is forced to stretch her morals to keep her job. As a result, she finds herself broke and out on the street. She survives her first night by striking up an ambiguous friendship with a kindly old man, gaining access to a portion of the immense wealth held by Japan's aging population. She continues with similar encounters, and while these begin as scams or revenge on rampant sexism, they ultimately become vulnerable intergenerational exchanges.

The murder of a young girl leaves the inhabitants of a small Japanese village in shock. The body of Emili is found by four classmates with whom she was playing. The murder is never solved. Emili's mother, Asako, is torn by grief and puts a curse on the four girls when they claim not to remember the killer's face. Each of the girls, in their own way, will do penance for their silence.

Koroki is a 35-year old man who admires Japanese singer-songwriter Tamio Okuda and aspires to live like him. He works as an editor at the lifestyle magazine "Mare," where he meets Akari Amami, a mischievous fashion press writer, and falls in love with her at first sight.

Four women, who have their own different sorrows, embark on a road trip. They look back at their past and restart their lives... Jinko and Motoko have been friends since their university days. One day, they hear a rumor about their former classmate and friend Miki. The rumor is that Miki ran into the sea, but got out safely. Jinko and Motoko decide to visit Miki to see if she is OK. In addition, Haraki who Jinko met at the library where she works, joins their trip as a driver. Their one night and two days road trip begins.

Tsugumi Dozono works at a large electronics company in Tokyo. She likes to spend long vacations at her grandmother’s house in the countryside. When her grandmother dies, Tsugumi Dozono decides to live in the house full-time, and to work from there as well. However, one day she encounters a middle-aged man in the house, who tells Tsugumi that her grandmother gave him a key to the annex house when he was her student. The two share the property, although Tsugumi still does not know the exact relationship that her grandmother had with this man.

Married couple Aiko Tsumari and Ayumu Muko live a happy and peaceful life. Aiko is bit naive, while Ayumu works as a not so popular novelist. One day, a letter arrives for Ayumu. Because of this letter, the couple become estranged...

Five years after a hit-and-run accident kills his wife, a distraught metalworker comes face to face with the man behind the steering wheel.

Based on a manga by Saso Akira, the film caters to a high school or older audience, marked by the frequent addition of profanity, nudity, and scenes of (mostly attempted) sex. It is an unexpectedly dark film, with infrequent scenes of comedy that may make you chuckle, but not laugh. Ain't No Tomorrows is not the most likable film out there, but it is not completely dissatisfying. It is a film that succeeds in establishing itself as unique and apart from the typical teenage drama, but feels like a surface film–one that should not be thought too deeply about.

With Saitama no rappa 2 (AKA 8000 Miles 2 – Girls Rapper), Yu Irie tells the story of amateur girl rappers who dream of a small big-time. The film opens with Saitama 1 B-boys, Ikku and Tom coming to town. They run into young Ayoma (Maho Yamada), inspiring her to gather her girlfriends and work up their rap routine.

A seemingly "normal" office worker Hiroko has a secret. At home she lives with a prosthetic torso - no head, arms or feet, just body and penis. Hiroko bathes with the torso and she also makes love with the torso at night. Hiroko's secret life is interrupted when her outgoing sister Mina rings her doorbell. Mina is running away from her abusive boyfriend and wants to stay at Hiroko's home

Kyoko (Sakura Ando) works as an insurance agent. Due to a series of unfortunate events, she brings shame to her family and has to leave her hometown. Shuichi (Tasuku Emoto) killed his drunken father to save his mother. After he is released from prison, he begins to work at a small factory in Tokyo.

Jiro Sawada is a sophomore in high school when a false accusation drives him out his hometown: a small village in Fukushima Prefecture. The entire village is abandoned after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, but Jiro returns there to live. Before long, members of his family come and join him.

Terako is a young woman without a job. She has an affair with Iwanaga who is married. His wife is in a coma. One day, Terako's friend kills herself. After that, Terako sleeps all day long and wakes up only when Iwanaga calls her.