Commentary:Three "cheerful movies" to watch during the New Year holidays: Anime that will give you an energy boost, live-action adaptations of popular manga, and theatrical versions of dramas

The first three days of the new year are about to pass. Surely many people have too much free time on their hands? We'll introduce some New Year's movies that will cheer you up when you're in this kind of situation. You can go see them with your family when your child requests to "go somewhere!", or you can go see them by yourself! We'll explain the highlights of three movies that are currently on show.

◇ "Moana 2" is the perfect way to recharge your energy for the new year

The first film will introduce Disney Animation Studios' latest film, "Moana 2" (directed by Dave Derrick Jr. and others).

This film is a sequel to the previous film "Moana" produced in 2016. Three years have passed since the previous film, and Moana is now 19 years old, up from 16 years old. After learning the legend that "if she reaches the island at the end of the sea, the curse will be lifted," she decides to embark on a dangerous voyage, shouldering the great mission of being a "guide" who only comes once every 1,000 years and connects all the seas. The film depicts her embarking on another adventure with Maui, the demigod who adventured with her in the previous film, and new companions.

The Japanese dubbed version will feature China Yabiku as Moana and Matsuya Onoe as Maui, as in the previous film. The cast also includes Koseki Yuta as Moni, Moana's new companion, a young man and "legend geek" who is a big fan of Moana and Maui, former child actor Rio Suzuki as Loto, a genius and reliable shipwright girl, Yamaji Kazuhiro as Kele, a stubborn old man who hates singing and is in charge of cooking, and Sonim as Matangi, an important character who flies like a bat and confuses Moana, as well as other talented actors who can be trusted to sing and act.

In this film, just listening to the songs such as "Beyond" sung by Moana and "I Can Do It! Chi-Hoo" sung by Maui in a rap style will make your heart dance. In addition, the beautiful visuals of the beautiful ocean, island scenery, and waves have been scaled up from the previous film, creating a special experience for the viewer. You will also be captivated by the cute characters such as the quirky movements of the chicken Hei Hei and the adorable behavior of the pig Pua.

Along with the excitement of the adventure, the film also depicts the conflicts and growth of the positive princess Moana as she grows up. There are also developments that suggest there is another path for the troubled Moana, and as you watch, you will find yourself cheering for Moana and cheering her on. After watching this film, you will feel recharged with energy, and it is a film that will give you energy. It will also give you a positive attitude towards school or work, making you think, "I'll do my best tomorrow too."

◇ "Cells at Work" is a refreshing and informative entertainment piece that is "two bites at a time"

The second film is "Cells at Work" (directed by Hideki Takeuchi), a live-action adaptation of a popular manga featuring characters that are personified human cells.

This work is a live-action adaptation of the popular manga (Kodansha) by Akane Shimizu, which has sold over 10 million copies in total. Set inside the human body, it depicts the daily activities of personified cells. Mei Nagano plays a red blood cell that struggles to deliver oxygen to each organ in the body, and Takeru Satoh plays a white blood cell that eliminates foreign substances such as bacteria and viruses that have invaded the body.

The film is divided into an internal part featuring Nagano and Sato, and a real part featuring Ashida Mana, Kato Seishirō, Abe Sadao and others. The structure is easy to understand, as the internal part depicts what is happening inside the bodies of the characters in the real part, and is sure to satisfy the interest of adults as well as children.

The story depicts a drama in which cells fight with all their might to heal the sick characters in the internal parts, while the real-life parts show the love of parents and children or partners trying to heal them, and it will unexpectedly move you to tears.

In the internal body section, the highlights are of course Nagano's brave red blood cell and Sato's "Rurouni Kenshin"-like white blood cell action, but the macho figure of Koji Yamamoto who plays the killer T cell and the "Tomb Raider"-like action of Riisa Naka who plays the NK cell are also exciting. Furthermore, Kataoka Ainosuke and Niiro Shinya, who play the "bad guys", appeared in special makeup that was so bad it was hard to tell who they were. The strength of the final boss and the "bizarre" performances of the actors who played them were a constant source of surprise.

This is a refreshing and informative entertainment piece that gives you two benefits: it's refreshing and it helps you understand your body.

◇ "Grand Maison Paris" is as exciting as the TV drama. The scenery of Paris and the delicious food will make you feel luxurious.

The third film we will introduce is "Grand Maison Paris" (directed by Tsukahara Ayuko), which was just released at the end of the year (December 30, 2024).

This film is based on the popular drama "Grand Maison Tokyo," which aired on TBS's Sunday Theatre slot (Sundays at 9pm) in 2019 and stars Takuya Kimura as an unconventional genius chef. The drama follows the story of a genius chef, Obana Natsuki (Kimura), who loses his restaurant and all his friends in a serious incident brought about by his own arrogance, as he meets a female chef, Hayami Rinko (Suzuki Kyoka), and struggles to create "Grand Maison Tokyo," the world's best three-star restaurant, in Tokyo with his former colleagues.

The film is set at "Grand Maison Paris," a new restaurant opened by Obana and Michiko (Suzuki) in Paris, the home of French cuisine, and depicts the passionate challenge of "Team Grand Maison" as they aim to become the first Asian chefs to receive three Michelin stars.

Considering the development of the drama, you can expect a heart-warming ending in the movie, but it is still guaranteed to leave you feeling refreshed. When the beautiful scenery, which was shot on a large scale in Paris, and the elegant and delicious French cuisine are projected on the screen, you can't help but feel enchanted. It will make you feel luxurious, just like the New Year.

During the New Year, we want to watch movies that will cheer us up. Watch these movies, recharge your energy, and get through 2025!