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Japan Foundation Hosts Screenings for Popin Q Anime Film in the Philippines
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Japan Foundation, Manila announced on Friday that it has partnered with the with Robinsons Movieworld local cinema chain to for its "Japan Movie Fest" event, which will screen five Japanese films in four theaters in the Philippines from November 19 to December 1. The event will screen Toei Animation's Popin Q anime film and the live-action film based on Mari Yamazaki's Thermae Romae manga, as well as the films A Tale of Samurai Cooking – A True Love Story, Nobody to Watch Over Me, and Mameshiba.
The screenings will take place at Robinsons Metro East in Pasig (November 19-20), Robinsons Place General Trias in Cavite (November 21-22), Robinsons Starmills in San Fernando (November 24-25), and Robinsons Place Pavia in Iloilo (November 30-December 1).
Popin Q opened in Japan in December 2016. The film commemorated Toei Animation's 60th anniversary.
The film's story begins the day before the graduation ceremony. Five middle school girls each are preoccupied with their real everyday lives. These girls meet each other in a fantasy world after being sent there through a sudden occurrence. There, they learn about the impending crisis that this world is facing. The only way to avert this crisis is for the five to collaborate and bring their five hearts together as one through dance. However, the five cannot come to love the world, and cannot tell their true feelings to one another, so their hearts are unable to unite. The time limit is fast approaching. Can the dance of the five girls save the world? And will they be able to graduate?
Izumi Todo, the collective pseudonym for the Toei Animation staff, is credited with the film's original work. Naoki Miyahara (Dragon Ball Z, "Precure All-Star DX 3D Theater" short, Precure series dance sequences) directed the film, and Kouhaku Kuroboshi (Kino's Journey, World Conquest Zvezda Plot) drafted the original character designs. Shūko Arai (live-action Twin Spica series) wrote the script, and Takayuki Uragami served as character designer and chief animation director. Hiromi Mizutani (Tanaka-kun is Always Listless, Toriko, Non Non Biyori) and Shūji Katayama (Overlord, Yurumates3Dei) of Team-MAX composed the film's music, and the idol unit P.IDL performed the opening song "Teenage Blues" for the film. Questy performed the theme song "Fantasy" and contributed a background song for the anime. The performance marked the debut of the all-female dance and vocal unit.
Source: Japan Foundation, Manila
