Golden Week began last weekend. Here are some movies that parents and children can enjoy at a nearby theater without having to go far away during the long holiday. We conducted an emergency survey of 3-9 year olds and their parents about three popular movies, and introduce the highlights of each movie along with what parents and children are looking forward to.
◇ "I want to enter the world of my favorite game" with "Minecraft: The Movie"!
The first film is an introduction to the Hollywood movie "Minecraft: The Movie" (directed by Jared Hess, currently in theaters).
"Minecraft" is a game where you can freely create and adventure in a virtual space made up of 3D blocks. In 2023, worldwide sales exceeded 300 million copies.
The film tells the story of Garrett (Jason Momoa), a former top gamer, who is transported to a mysterious world called "Minecraft World" where people can create anything they want after touching a mysterious blue glowing cube, along with siblings Natalie (Emma Myers) and Henry (Sebastian Hansen), and Dawn (Danielle Brooks). With advice from Steve (Jack Black), a native of the world, they use their creativity to survive in "Minecraft World."
The Japanese dubbed version will feature a cast of voice actors including popular voice actors, actors and comedians. Steve will be played by Koichi Yamadera, Garrett by Hiroki Yasumoto, reliable Natalie by Meru Nukumi, Natalie's younger brother Henry who dreams of becoming an inventor by Ayumu Murase, and Dawn, the traveling zoo director who watches over Natalie and Henry, by Saito Kimiko. Chungus, the boss of the opposing army of square pigs called piglins, will be voiced by Kano Eiko, who is such a big fan of Minecraft that he even broadcasts his own gameplay commentary on YouTube.
Many other video creators, including well-known Minecraft players HIKAKIN and SEIKIN, also appear in the dubbed version, which can be enjoyed by both children and adults.
A 9-year-old boy who always plays Minecraft expressed his excitement after watching the trailer, saying, "I've always wanted to enter the world of my favorite game, so I'm excited to think that I'll be able to enter that world in the movie. Characters from the game, like piglins and sheep, appear and I can't wait to see it." His mother in her 30s commented, "I want him to enter the world of Minecraft, which he loves, and have a great time. I hope he'll experience the excitement of being in a world where he can create anything he imagines."
A 7-year-old girl said, "I want to go see the piglins that appeared carrying TNT (bombs) which looked interesting," and her 9-year-old brother said, "I'm curious to see how they fly with their favorite item (elytra)." A father in his 40s expressed his expectations, saying, "It's a game my kids like, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the world of that game is expressed and recreated."
An 8-year-old girl who is easily scared said, "I thought it would be a little scary in the dark and all. Maybe it won't be so scary if I go to see it with my mom and dad." Her mother, in her 40s, wanted her to watch the movie together, saying, "I want her to learn that you need to make some effort to regain your freedom."
◇ "Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback " "Parents and children can figure out the tricks and the culprits together"
The second film is Detective Conan: Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback, which is based on the manga by Gosho Aoyama .
The setting of this work is the snowy mountains of Nagano Prefecture. The story depicts the "dormant memory" that connects two seemingly unrelated people, Kogoro in his sleep and Yamato Gansuke of the Nagano Prefectural Police. While Gansuke is chasing a "certain man" in the snowy mountains, a bullet grazes his left eye and he is caught in an avalanche. Ten months later, Gansuke miraculously survives and receives a report that a researcher at Nobeyama Observatory has been attacked by someone, so he rushes to the scene, but as soon as the observatory's parabolic antenna starts moving, his one-eyed left eye suddenly begins to tingle. Kogoro and Conan have arranged to meet a former colleague from the Metropolitan Police Department who is investigating the avalanche accident, and on their way to the meeting place, a gunshot rings out... and so the story unfolds.
In the ten days since its release on April 18th, box office revenues have topped 6.34 billion yen. The film has attracted over 4.3 million viewers, making it the best start in the series. An 8-year-old girl who said, "I watch the anime on TV every week with my mom," said, "I'm curious to see what kind of gadgets the professor will use," while her mother in her 40s expressed her expectations, saying, "I've been watching every film since the first one. It's been a while since we've seen a Kogoro episode. It gets more and more exciting every year, so I'm looking forward to it, and I think this one will exceed my expectations once again."
After watching the preview, a 9-year-old boy said, "It was cool to see Conan kicking the soccer ball with the kick-boosting shoes. I'm curious to see how he solves the case." His mother in her 30s said, "I hope my son will enjoy seeing him make use of new inventions like the turbo-engine skateboard. I'm looking forward to parents and kids discussing and deducing the tricks and the culprits together."
One man in his 40s, a father of a 9-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl, said, "My children have never seen 'Conan' before, so I hope this will spark their interest." He was excited about their first experience with "Conan."
◇ " Tabekko Dobutsu THE MOVIE" The characters are cute and "it looks easy for even younger elementary school children to watch."
The third film is "Tabekko Dobutsu THE MOVIE" (directed by Takekiyo Hitoshi, released on May 1st), an animated feature film based on the popular snack "Tabekko Dobutsu " (Ginbis).
"Tabekko Dobutsu" is a biscuit series shaped like various animals that was released in 1978. Based on the theme of "delicious, fun, and learning through eating," the biscuits have the alphabet of animals written on them. They are sold in over 20 countries around the world, including Japan, and recently animal-themed goods have also become popular.
In the movie, the Tabekko Dobutsu take on the mission of defeating an enemy plotting to take over the world. In Sweets Land, where sweets and humans live together in harmony, the singing and dancing super idols "Tabekko Dobutsu" are extremely popular. However, Pegasus-chan is captured by the most evil Cotton Candy Army, who are trying to eliminate all sweets in the world and take over the world. For the sake of their precious friend, the Tabekko Dobutsu zero fighting ability, take on the 1000% impossible "Pegasus-chan rescue mission"... and so the story unfolds.
Genta Matsuda from the popular group "Travis Japan" will play the main character, Lion-kun, actor Koshi Mizukami Koji will make his voice acting debut as Elephant-kun, and Akari Takaishi will play the heroine, Pegasus-chan. Other cast members include Fujimori Shingo as Monkey-kun, Aoi Shouta as Hippo-chan, Inori Minase Ari as Rabbit-chan, Nao Toyama as Giraffe-chan, Fumihiko Tachiki as Crocodile-kun, and Mamiya Kurumi as Chick-chan.
Three brothers, aged 3, 5 and 7, instinctively felt that the trailer looked fun, saying, "It looks like fun to see animals like lions and elephants fighting together" (7 year old), "It looks interesting, and it looks fun with so many cotton candy gangs" (5 year old), and "It's fun with all the different animals! The unicorn is the best! And the bike is cool" (3 year old). A father in his 30s said, "I'm curious to see how these cute characters with zero fighting power will stand up to the cotton candy gang. I want my children to realize that it's important to work together with their friends."
A 7-year-old boy said, "I like Tabekko Dobutsu Snacks, so I'm looking forward to it," while his mother in her 40s commented, "The characters are cute. The story is easy to understand even for children in the lower grades of elementary school, so it looks like it will be easy to watch." A 7-year-old girl said after watching the preview, "I'm curious about the enemy, the cotton candy," while his father in his 40s said, "The Japanese dubbing cast is impressive. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of acting they'll put in. I think it's an entertainment film for children, so I hope they'll immerse themselves in it and have a lot of fun."
During Golden Week, parents and children can enjoy movies together and discuss their impressions, which will surely deepen the bonds between family members.
