I’m always super excited for a great Film Festival, and I can't believe it's been a year since the last Japanese Film Festival when I watched Erased at Hoyts Carousel. It seems that the Festival is getting better with heaps of great movies in 2018. Below are 7 movies that I really want to see at the festival:

1. Ramen Shop

I first heard about Ramen Shop when it was out in Singapore, under the name of Ramen Teh. This movie follows Masato, a young Ramen chef who left Japan to find out the truth about his deceased parents' past in Singapore.  This movie will speak of forgiveness and no doubt the delicious home-cooked ramen will shine here as well. Director Eric Khoo is known for his gastronomy movies, such as Wanton Mee and Mee Pok Man. After seeing Singapore depicted in Crazy Rich Asians, it'd be great to see it through a different set of eyes. Now I wish a ramen place in Perth will sell Bak Kut Teh Ramen.

2. The Crimes that Bind

Detective Kyoichiro Kaga series is a top-rated series in Japan. As Japan's second-biggest locally-produced live-action movie in 2018, it is set in Nihonbashi district where a woman has been strangled to death and her body left to decompose for more than 20 days. The movie is based on a book written by Japanese thriller writer Keigo Higashino. If you love thriller and mystery, make sure to add this movie to your watch list during the Japanese Film Festival.

3. Yakiniku Dragon

The exciting thing about Yakiniku Dragon is the combination of the Japanese and Korean cast for this movie. It is a story of resilience, and based off Wui-sin Chong (Wishing Chong) own experiences as a Zainichi (Japanese with modern Korean ancestry). Formerly an award-winning stage play, it'd be interesting to see the interpretation of the story and the depth of each character into the cinema. This movie was chosen as Jeonju International Film Festival 2018 Opening Film.

4. Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura

Destiny: The Tale of Kamakura is the fifth-highest grossing Japanese film in 2018. It's also the OPENING NIGHT FILM in Perth! Kamakura is a coastal town that can be reached from Tokyo easily. In the movie, Akiko a publishing assistant moved into Kamakura after she got married to a famous mystery writer, Masakazu. It is a beautifully shot movie with beautiful CG of supernatural creatures and spirits. Not going to give any spoiler, but Masakazu needs to take a journey into the underworld to bring back Akiko's spirit.

5. Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter

I'm always a fan of Detective Conan. I religiously read each of Detective Conan manga from book number one. Yes, I'm still waiting for a solid ending to the manga, but at the same time, I don't want Conan's story to end too. If this movie is anything like the manga and anime, I think you will really enjoy it. Detective Conan always has a twist to its story, while including fun and excellent deduction skill. The anime was directed by Kobun Shizuno, the director of Netflix's Godzilla trilogy.

6. The 8-Year Engagement

No doubt a story that can bring tears to my eyes, the 8-year engagement is based on an actual event of a tragedy that struck a lovebird. The female in the story wakes up from a coma with her memory wholly erased due to brain inflammation. The real-life tale became a YouTube sensation, and the autobiographical novel was a best-selling book in 2015. I can't wait to see Takeru Sato live-action movie Rurouni Kenshin and Kamen Rider!

7. One Cut of the Dead

Now, who doesn't love a zombie apocalypse theme for a movie? I want to see the 37 minutes single-take opening for this movie. Imagine having the movie crew and actors to repeat the whole 37 minutes when things didn't go their way. Fantasia Film Festival called this movie "the best zombie comedy since Shaun of the Dead", and it earns itself 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This movie was also picked up as a runner-up in the audience vote at Udine, one of Europe's leading events for Asian cinema.

Japanese Film Festival Perth opens from the 31st of October to the 4th of November and screening at Event Cinemas Innaloo. Tickets are on sale, and you can check all the schedule here.