Teaser trailer for Naoto Kumazawa's VANISHED (OYAYUBI SAGASHI), w/ Ken Miyake, Ayumi Itô, Ken'ichi
FOR TRAILER, SEE THE BOTTOM OF THIS ARTICLE
A downloadable teaser trailer for Naoto Kumazawa's Vanished (Oyayubi sagashi) has been added to the official website for the movie. Xanadeux K.K. (K.K. Zanadû) is scheduled to release the movie theatrically in Japan on August 26th.
The screenplay for Vanished (Oyayubi sagashi) was written by Kumazawa, Yukiko Manabe, and Izumi Takahashi, based on the eponymous novel Oyayubi sagashi by Yûsuke Yamada. The movie's principal cast is as follows: Ken Miyake, Ayumi Itô, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Luna Nagai (a.k.a. Runa Nagai), Hiroyuki Onoue, Tôru Shinagawa, Shihô Harumi, Ayumu Saitô, Yûki Nozawa, Asuka Ono, Shirô Sano, and Satomi Tezuka (Teduka Satomi).
Here's a story summary for Vanished from the website of international sales agent Pony Canyon Inc. (K.K. Ponî Kyanion): "On a hot summer day at an elementary school reunion, Takeshi finds himself seated at the same table with his old schoolmates Chie, Tomohiko, Aya and Nobuhisa. While they haven't seen each other since graduation, at Takeshi's urging, they decide to play 'the game' one more time - for Yumiko. ¶ 8 years ago, it was Yumiko who initiated 'the game'. With eyes closed, holding hands and forming a circle, they recite a chant that will transport their souls to another place - a room where they might find the missing thumb of a dead girl. Whoever found it would be granted their wish. But if someone tapped you on the shoulder, you must never look back or you would be trapped in the room forever. ¶ The six classmates nervously begin the ritual, and just moments before 'the game' begins, Yumiko asks Takeshi, 'What would you do if I disappeared?' ¶ 'I promise I would find you.' ¶ Then Takeshi is transported to a room he has never seen before. He scrambles around in search of the missing thumb, but hears Yumiko's scream from another room. As he tries to find her, someone taps him on the shoulder. A white hand... without a thumb. In a blind panic, Takeshi returns to the real world, leaving Yumiko behind. ¶ Yumiko is never found. Takeshi insists to the police that Yumiko disappeared playing 'the game', but no one believes him and Yumiko's disappearance is filed away as a runaway case. ¶ 8 years later. The group hesitantly replays 'the game', each grappling with his own guilt over Yumiko's disappearance. They join hands just as they did 8 years ago and begin the ritual, but nothing happens... ¶ Then, inexplicably, one by one, the classmates start to disappear. Takeshi and the remaining friends begin investigating the mysterious legend behind 'the game'..."
For more information on Vanished, see ScreenAnarchy's third, second, and first articles on it.
Kumazawa's previous directing credits include Niraikanai kara no tegami and The Security Women Affair (Nikutai keibiin: sakareta seifuku).
Other movies based on works by Yamada include Yoshihiro Nakamura's Asoko no seki (eponymous novel), Nakamura's @babymail (@beibîmêru - eponymous novel), and Yôhei Takahashi's 8.1 (a.k.a. "Hatten'ichi" - eponymous novella).
Vanished teaser trailer (downloadable 9.2 MB WMV file)
Vanished official website
Pony Canyon: Vanished
Ekusutashî supesharu: nikutai reddo zôn DVD official webpage (DVD includes The Security Women Affair - viewer discretion is advised)
8.1 theatrical trailer (streaming Windows Media)
8.1 teaser trailer (streaming Windows Media)
Yamada World (w/ trailers for Asoko no seki & @babymail)
