The best Shohei Uno’s romance movies

The year is 1987 and Japan is just reaching the peak of its economic success. Eighteen-year old Yonosuke Yokomichi arrives in Tokyo from Nagasaki. Ordinary in every way possible, he lives in a suburb far from the excitement of the big city and commutes to a university in the center of Tokyo.

This enticing period melodrama depicts a long-suffering woman's relationship with her brilliant but self-destructive writer husband in postwar Tokyo. Based on a semi-autobiographical 1947 novel by Osamu Dazai, the story centers less on the womanizing, heavy-drinking, suicidal hero than on the wife who loves him. Written by Palm Springs International Film Festival

Struggling scriptwriter Gota Yanagida and his wife Chika have been married for ten years and live with their daughter Aki. Gota suffers in his sexless marriage and tries to make his wife happy every day, but Chika is cold to him because he earns no money. One day, Gota is approached by a film producer about his story of “a high school girl who makes udon noodles at a tremendous speed.” He needs to go to Kagawa to write the screenplay and proposes a family trip there, and Chika reluctantly joins. However, a different film project has already been decided.

Kazumichi Tsuji is a bored office worker in questionable relationships with two women at work. One day he meets the intriguing Ukiyo Hayama at a convenience store. However, having her in his life brings nothing but trouble.

Takuji Kameoka is a 37-year-old bachelor whose occupation is a “miscellaneous actor”. His only interest is drinking. One day he falls in love and his boring life begins to change. The film is based on the book “Actor, Takuji Kameoka” by Akito Inui, a five-time nominee for Japan’s most prestigious literary prize, the Akutagawa Prize. Satoko Yokohama, a much-admired up-and-coming newcomer, directs the film and we can immediately tell that she is a special talent, with a unique understanding that flows through to her actors and crew.

In 1987, frustrated junior high student Takashi hates his uncool father hanging around their suburban home all the time, and is pestered by the area’s wannabe gangsters. But he’s interested in the girl next door, the bounteously-breasted Megumi. One day, Takashi hears a rumor that porn actress Kyoko Yokushimaru is coming to town for an autograph session at the only video store in town where Takashi and his judo friends always hang out. Their ridiculous but serious adventure begins. What will Takashi find after all the surprises and chaos? Recalling youth classics like Stand By Me, this is the debut feature of Shin Adachi, Japan Academy Prize-winning screenwriter of 100 Yen Love.

Dr. Akiba, a rather perverted scientist, developed a series of sex robots, and Type 100 is his newest creation. She has highly advanced artificial intelligence — so advanced that she refuses to become Dr. Akiba's sex slave as he had designed and escapes from his lab. She meets college student Shunsuke Kubo and decides to stay at his apartment. However, as she is designed to be a sex robot, she interprets everything Shunsuke says in a sexual manner.