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Release: July 30, 2024

$7.99

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*This listing is for the standard edition version and does NOT come with a limited edition slipcase!* Shunzo (Bengal) and his wife Michi (Masako Motai) run a beloved greengrocer on the outskirts of Tokyo. When Lee, a struggling exchange student from China, visits the shop but is unable to afford the produce, an uneasy relationship sprouts. Begrudgingly, Shunzo agrees to lower his prices. Soon, Lee’s classmates begin frequenting the shop. As Shunzo’s generosity sneaks up on him and strains his family’s welfare, he confronts his role as surrogate father to his newfound Chinese friends. Shot between May - July of 1989 and addressing the historically charged notion of a Sino-Japanese friendship, this lesser-seen masterpiece from director Nobuhiko Obayashi (House) chronicles the end of a decade marked by the Japanese economic bubble and the brutal close of possibility in China. A delicate elegy to the Chinese students of its time, BEIJING WATERMELON finds Obayashi at his most modern, channeling the style of Yasujiro Ozu, while his experimental flourishes provide the perfect disruption, inviting viewers to fill in the blanks of history. Bonus Features: 1. 2K restoration 2. Interview with Chigumi Obayashi 3. Theatrical Trailer & Teaser 4. Optional English subtitles 5. Booklet with new writing by Aaron Gerow 6. New art by Qiu Jiongjiong of A New Old Play (Kani 010) 7. Logo design by Leo Mak Top About this item Similar From the Brand Reviews Beijing Watermelon [Blu-ray]

Release: March 3, 2026

$7.99

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Schoolgirl Kazuko begins to experience time leaps backwards and forwards in time, disorienting her as she yearns to stay in the present. Adapting sci-fi author Yasutaka Tsutsui's famous 1967 novel, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time cast Tomoyo Harada in her feature film debut, launching the Kadokawa pop idol into superstardom. After suffering a fainting spell in her school's laboratory, 16-year-old Kazuko Yoshiyama (Harada) begins to experience a strange phenomenon throughout her daily life--temporal leaps backward and forward in time--disorienting her as she relives moments time and time again, as days past return to present. Lost in a sea of time, Kazuko's desperate plead to exist in the present are answered, amidst the swell of FX wizardry, musical overtures and, most of all, the anchor of young love. Lyrical, romantic and longing, Obayashi's film is a genuine expression of the filmmaker's reflections on the poetic transcendence of love--cast across the stars for a young girl who lives in tomorrow. Bonus Materials 4K Transfer & Restoration + HDR Audio Commentary by Obayashi Scholar Alex Pratt A Movie: Obayashi’s Cinematic Life - Visual essay by Max Robinson Now and Then, Here and There: Onomichi Pt. 2 - Visual essay by Alex Pratt A Conversation with Nobuhiko Obayashi (2015) Japan Society NY Director Nobuhiko Obayashi Archival Interview The Tomoyo Harada Story Toki O Kakeru Shojo music video Theatrical Trailers New improved English subtitles New Slipcase art design by Sam Smith Reversible sleeve with original Japanese poster art First Pressing includes repro 24-page Japanese booklet Cast & Crew Actors: Tomoyo Harada Ryoichi Takayanagi Toshinori Omi Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi Top About this item Similar From the Brand Reviews The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2-Disc Collector's Edition) [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]

Release: March 3, 2026

$6.99

Description

Schoolgirl Kazuko begins to experience time leaps backwards and forwards in time, disorienting her as she yearns to stay in the present. Adapting sci-fi author Yasutaka Tsutsui's famous 1967 novel, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time cast Tomoyo Harada in her feature film debut, launching the Kadokawa pop idol into superstardom. After suffering a fainting spell in her school's laboratory, 16-year-old Kazuko Yoshiyama (Harada) begins to experience a strange phenomenon throughout her daily life--temporal leaps backward and forward in time--disorienting her as she relives moments time and time again, as days past return to present. Lost in a sea of time, Kazuko's desperate plead to exist in the present are answered, amidst the swell of FX wizardry, musical overtures and, most of all, the anchor of young love. Lyrical, romantic and longing, Obayashi's film is a genuine expression of the filmmaker's reflections on the poetic transcendence of love--cast across the stars for a young girl who lives in tomorrow. Bonus Materials 4K Transfer & Restoration + HDR Audio Commentary by Obayashi Scholar Alex Pratt A Movie: Obayashi’s Cinematic Life - Visual essay by Max Robinson Now and Then, Here and There: Onomichi Pt. 2 - Visual essay by Alex Pratt A Conversation with Nobuhiko Obayashi (2015) Japan Society NY Director Nobuhiko Obayashi Archival Interview The Tomoyo Harada Story Toki O Kakeru Shojo music video Theatrical Trailers New improved English subtitles New Slipcase art design by Sam Smith Reversible sleeve with original Japanese poster art First Pressing includes repro 24-page Japanese booklet Cast & Crew Actors: Tomoyo Harada Ryoichi Takayanagi Toshinori Omi Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi Top About this item Similar From the Brand Reviews The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2-Disc Collector's Edition) [4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray]

Release: August 12, 2025

$7.99

Description

Obayashi's monochromatic dream playfully worships the biker culture of yesteryear, delivering a sentimental and liberating take on young love. Following a painful breakup, macho biker Koh (Riki Takeuchi) skips town and hits the road on his beloved Kawasaki W3 650. On his countryside excursion, he encounters the free-spirited Miyo (Kiwako Harada, older sister of Obayashi favorite Tomoyo Harada) who quickly takes interest in both the leather-clad Koh and his motorbike. Koh and Miyo fall in love even as Miyo's prodigious biking talent and thrill-seeking tendencies heighten Koh's fear that she may push it all too far. A nostalgia-filled reminiscence, Obayashi's monochromatic dream playfully worships the biker culture of yesteryear, delivering a sentimental and liberating take on young love. Bonus Materials High-definition Transfer Audio Commentary by Samm Deighan Becoming the Wind: His Motorbike, Her Island and the Biker Movie - Visual essay by Esther Rosenfield Her Island: Onomichi Pt. 1 - Visual essay by Alex Pratt Director Nobuhiko Obayashi Archival Interview Theatrical Trailers New improved English subtitles New Slipcase design by Sam Smith Reversible sleeve with Japanese original poster art First Pressing includes repro 24-page Japanese booklet (pamphlet) Cast & Crew Actors: Riki Takeuchi Kiwako Harada Noriko Watanabe Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi Top Similar From the Brand Reviews His Motorbike, Her Island

$7.99

Description

A schoolgirl and her friends visit a remote house where surreal and deadly supernatural events erupt.

Release: November 25, 2025

$7.99

Description

Bookish teen Mari (Tomoyo Harada) ventures solo to a paradise-laden archipelago in search of the mythic locale, in this coming-of-age tale. Based on Katsura Morimura's 1966 best-selling travelogue, Obayashi's paradise-laden coming-of-age tale is an island retreat to the white sands of New Caledonia. Fulfilling her late father's (YMO's Yukihiro Takahashi) dream to take her to "the island closest to heaven," bookish teen Mari (Tomoyo Harada) ventures solo to the archipelago's indigo waters in search of this mythic locale. Taking in the island's sites, Mari journeys off the beaten path, befriending a host of friendly locals in the process, from islander Taro (Ryoichi Takayanagi) to footloose tour guide Yuichi. One of Obayashi's breeziest features, filled with a sense of old school Hollywood romanticism, The Island Closest to Heaven forms an affecting portrait of a young girl's journey to self-discovery and her own piece of heaven deep within. Bonus Materials 2K Transfer & Restoration Audio Commentary by film critic Derek Smith Kadokawa and Obayashi - Visual essay by Alex Pratt Tomoya Harada 28 Days in Caledonia: The Making of The Island Closest to Heaven Theatrical Trailers New improved English subtitles New Slipcase art design by Sam Smith Reversible sleeve with original Japanese poster art First Pressing includes repro 24-page Japanese booklet (pamphlet) Cast & Crew Actors: Tomoyo Harada Yukihiro Takahashi Ryoichi Takayanagi Toru Minegishi Miyoko Akaza Director: Nobuhiko Obayashi Press “The Island Closest To Heaven might be the purest idol-film Obayashi made.” - Psychocinematography “With “The Island Closest to Heaven”, Obayashi takes what could be presented as a run-of-the-mill coming-of-age tale and instead turns it into something quite special, the film is a beautiful tale about growing up. The director delivers a rich and reflective story about finding happiness along with yourself, rife with romanticism and set against the glorious backdrop of the Southwest Pacific. With a stirring lead performance and a touching, character-driven narrative, the film is a beautiful tale about growing up.” - Asianmoviepulse “Each of Obayashi’s films feel like gifts, but this has become one of my favorites.” - Letterboxd "There’s a gentle, low stakes quality to The Island Closest to Heaven that feels very much in tune with some of the anime films put out by Studio Ghibli.” - Derek Smith (Slant Magazine)