Masked Ward

In the organizer's words:

仮面病棟 Kamen byôtô

Director: KIMURA Hisashi
2020, 114 minutes, OmeU, Blu-ray

The live-action film is based on a mystery crime novel by practicing doctor Chinen Mikoto, who also wrote the screenplay. The gripping story is set in a former psychiatric hospital and depicts a doctor's battle against a violent criminal.

One day, the quiet Tadokoro hospital is attacked by an armed thug wearing a clown mask. Among those trapped inside are on-call doctor Hayami and college student Hitomi, who was previously wounded by the criminal. Trapped behind iron bars, the two try to escape and discover that not only the perpetrator but also the hospital are highly opaque. There are patients without admission papers, a hidden hospital room and staff who refuse to alert the police.

Film series
Manga on the big screen - Japanese comic adaptations

It is not only the printed editions of manga that have long enjoyed cult status, but their film adaptations are also enthusiastically received by many fans. To accompany the exhibition Manga Hokusai Manga: The Famous Master's Sketchbooks from the Perspective of Contemporary Japanese Comics, we are presenting five live-action films and one anime based on manga.

The immense diversity of manga genres is also reflected in the film adaptations. We start with Kûki ningyô by master director Koreeda Hirokazu, which deals with the themes of isolation and loneliness in urban life in an extraordinary way. The manga series of the same name by Gôda Yoshi'ie, which appeared in a magazine for a predominantly young adult male readership(Seinen Manga), served as a source of inspiration. This was followed by film adaptations of two bestselling girls' manga(Shôjo Manga) by award-winning illustrators George Asakura and Andô Yuki. The animated film about a quirky music band is also outstanding due to its rotoscoping production technique. Finally, a thriller and the film adaptation of a boys' love manga(Bôizu rabu Manga) will also appeal to lovers of suspense and mystery.

Price information:

Admission free