Ayumi Ito

Ayumi Ito

Born: April 14, 1980
in Tokyo, Japan
Born in Tokyo, Ayumi Ito has always had a love for movies and art. She made her big-screen debut in Nobuhiko Obayashi's The Water Travelers: Samurai Kids. Her distinctive style led to her critically acclaimed performance in Swallowtail Butterfly, directed by the renowned Director Shunji Iwai. At 16-years-old, Ayumi was awarded both the Best New Actress Award as well as the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 20th Annual Japanese Academy Awards.

Ayumi's career has blossomed into starring roles in several successful films and television shows. She trained in LA and New York and has worked globally with world-renown Chinese director and artist Zhuangzhuang Tian, Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), among other great filmmakers. Ayumi's performance in the the Fuji TV drama Belle de Jour was so strong that she reprised the role when it became a feature film and box-office hit, earning over 2.3 billion JPY. She is also the voice of Tifa Lockhart in the animated film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Off-screen, Ayumi is a talented vocalist and recording artist. Her passion for art continues to thrive and she brings characters to life in her performances.

Movies for Ayumi Ito...

Title: Hakubo no Chronicle
Character: Azechi Kaoruko
Released: March 1, 2024
Type: TV
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Title: The Great Passage: I'll Make a Dictionary
Released: February 18, 2024
Type: TV
Kishibe Midori (Ikeda Elaiza), an editor for a popular fashion magazine, finds herself transferring to the lexicography division following the magazine's discontinuation. The place is filled with a group of quirky characters, led by Majime Mitsuya (Noda Yojiro), a boss with a shaggy hair who is extremely serious. While being tossed about by them, Midori is influenced by their patience and passion for making a dictionary which takes over a decade, and she gradually immerses herself in the work. This drama depicts their struggles in creating and finalizing the dictionary, "The Great Passage."
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Title: Yu Yu Hakusho
Character: Atsuko Urameshi
Released: December 14, 2023
Type: TV
After a selfless act costs him his life, teen delinquent Yusuke Urameshi is chosen as a Spirit Detective to investigate cases involving rogue yokai.
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Immersion
Title: Immersion
Released: June 16, 2023
Type: Movie
Mysterious deaths befall on employees of a VR-tech company. There's an unprecedented fear waiting between reality and the virtual world.
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Title: Last Man: The Blind Profiler
Released: April 23, 2023
Type: TV
Minami Hiromi is an FBI agent visiting Japan from the US for a limited time. Minami lost his sight due to an accident in the past and he is called the "last man" in the FBI, referring him as the last trump card to end a case with his strong sense of analysis, smell, and touch. Godo Shintaro has been assigned to attend to Minami. From a family that has served as the Commissioner of the National Police Agency for generations, Godo has an extraordinary sense of justice and is willing to go any lengths to catch the criminals. Minami, who is always ready to ask for help, and Godo, who has never trusted anyone except himself, become a duo and work together to solve cases.
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Dr. Coto's Clinic
Title: Dr. Coto's Clinic
Character: Rika Ando
Released: December 16, 2022
Type: Movie
In this drama set on Shikina Island, a far-flung island of the Japanese archipelago located more than six hours from the Japanese main islands, the young physician Kensuke Goto arrives at the island and has to deal with the island's inhabitants, not eager to accept him, at a clinic lacking sufficient medical equipment. Here's a human drama showing how Dr. Coto values the dignity of human life while unflinchingly facing disease with a serious attitude.
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Story Game
Title: Story Game
Character: Michiko
Released: November 5, 2022
Type: Movie
Who can tell the scariest story? Three friends try to out wit each other on a camping trip in Hawaii. But only one can win The Story Game.
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Title: Tokyo Vice
Character: Misaki
Released: April 7, 2022
Type: TV
A first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat following Jake Adelstein, an American journalist who embeds himself into the Tokyo Vice police squad to reveal corruption. Based on Jake Adelstein’s non-fiction book of the same name.
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Noise
Title: Noise
Character: Chihiro Aoki
Released: January 27, 2022
Type: Movie
Shishikari is a remote island, which is behind the times. The island suffers from a decreasing population and declining industries. Keita Izumi (Tatsuya Fujiwara) begins to produce black fig on Shishikari Island. Because of his well received product, the island is close to receiving a 5 billion yen grant from the government, which is part of the goverment's policy to reinvigorate rural economy. The residents of the island are excited, but their peaceful days changes by the appearance of Mutsuo Komisaka. Keita Izumi and his friends Jun Tanabe (Kenichi Matsuyama) and Rookie Police Officer Shinichiro Moriya are suspicious about him. One night, Keita Izumi's daughter goes missing. Due to that, Keita Izumi, Jun Tanabe and Shinichiro Moriya happen to kill Mutsuo Komisaka. They decide to hide Mutsuo Komisaka’s murder to protect the future of the island and their families. It turns out Mutsuo Komisaka was a psycho killer. Police officers come to Shishikari Island to catch Mutsuo Komisaka.
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Title: 20th year reunion
Character: self
Released: December 16, 2021
Type: TV
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People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan
Title: People Just Do Nothing: Big in Japan
Character: Ishika
Released: August 13, 2021
Type: Movie
Since the end of their pirate radio station, life has been quiet for the Kurupt FM boys, but everything is about to change. News reaches them that one of their songs has been used on a popular game show in Japan. They've made it. Their music is reaching hundreds of thousands of people. It's finally time for them to enjoy the fame and fortune that they've always known they deserved. Chabuddy G steps excitedly back into his management role as Grindah, Beats, Steves and Decoy begin their journey to international stardom - but is Japan really ready for Kurupt FM?
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Labyrinth of Cinema
Title: Labyrinth of Cinema
Character: Yoshiko Kawashima
Released: July 31, 2020
Type: Movie
The only movie theater on the Onomichi seafront is about to close its doors. Its last night of screenings will be an all-night marathon of Japanese war films. When lightning strikes the theater, three young men in the audience find themselves thrown back in time into the world inside the screen.
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Title: 70才、初めて産みました~セブンティウイザン。
Character: 黄桜豊子
Released: April 5, 2020
Type: TV
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Title: Grand Maison Tokyo
Released: October 20, 2019
Type: TV
Natsuki Obana (Takuya Kimura) is a charismatic Japanese chef running a 2-star restaurant in Paris. Despite an extreme pride and confidence, he can’t seem to earn the 3 stars he covets. Feeling the pressure of a career slipping away, Obana’s troubles are compounded when his restaurant is caught in a scandal that forces its closure and the departure of his staff. Amid his despair, a glimmer of hope arrives when he encounters a female chef with whom he is encouraged to start anew. Assembling a staff of talented chefs, he launches his restaurant but is constantly clashing with personnel. Can a middle-aged man once knocked down recover the verve of youth necessary to achieve a lifelong dream?
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Title: Sherlock: Untold Stories
Character: Rieko Ichikawa(市川 利枝子)
Released: October 7, 2019
Type: TV
Set in present day Tokyo, Shishio Homare (Dean Fujioka) works as a freelancer crime consultant. From an early age, Shishio Homare has been fascinated with how people become criminals and in original sin. He is a genius, but he also has an impulse to commit crimes. Shishio Homare works on cases which interests him among police or customer requests. Meanwhile, Junichi Wakamiya (Takanori Iwata) is a psychiatrist. He is smart and cool-headed. Due to a case, Junichi Wakamiya gets involved with Shishio Homare. At first, Junichi Wakamiya thinks Shishio Homare is ignorant and arrogant, but, as they work together, Junichi Wakamiya gets comfortable with Shishio Homare.
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Title: Poison Daughter, Holy Mother
Released: July 6, 2019
Type: TV
Yumika is an actress. Since she was a child, she has had to endure her mother Yoshika (Shinobu Terajima) controlling her life. Yoshika is a “poison mother” to Yumika and Yumika cannot tolerate her mother anymore. Yumika appears on a talk show and criticizes her mother. Her criticism causes a sensation. Meanwhile, people around Yoshika state that she is not a poison mother and she is actually a good mother.
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Cheer Boys!!
Title: Cheer Boys!!
Character: Takagi Satsuki
Released: May 10, 2019
Type: Movie
Haruki Bando decides to quit his family's sport of judo after a shoulder injury and start a new project with his childhood friend Kazuma. Together they form a cheerleading group called 'Breakers'.
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Title: Radiation House
Character: Shizuku Ikeda
Released: April 8, 2019
Type: TV
Iori Igarashi is a talented radiographer who believes the “truth” is definitely captured in CT and MRI images. He and radiologist An Amakasu work at a hospital’s radiology department where they determine the causes of patients’ illnesses and injuries.
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Title: Stolen Face
Character: Chiharu
Released: January 5, 2019
Type: TV
Shirato Takamasa is a detective at the Investigation Cooperation Section of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. His job is to catch wanted criminals by only relying on their faces. One day, he sees Sunami's face who was a senior detective, but had a mysterious death 4 years ago.
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Chief - Keishichou IR Bunsekishitsu
Title: Chief - Keishichou IR Bunsekishitsu
Character: Izumoto Noriko
Released: April 15, 2018
Type: Movie
ogane Takichi, the CEO of a construction company, is shot dead in the street in Nishi Shinjuku in Tokyo. The only eyewitness, Odagiri Naoto, refuses to cooperate with the police for some reason. Fukamachi Kotaro, a senior member of the IR Analysis Office, is ordered by Nitta Yukihiko, the head of the First Investigative Division, to handle Odagiri. The newly established office was set up on the pretext of tracking and monitoring suspects and witnesses to advance investigations by using the many surveillance cameras and GPS trackers installed in Tokyo.
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CHIEF~警視庁IR分析室~
Title: CHIEF~警視庁IR分析室~
Character: 泉本乃梨子
Released: April 15, 2018
Type: Movie
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Title: I Prefer Tomorrow's You
Character: Satokawa Akane
Released: January 20, 2018
Type: TV
Matsuo Ryo works at a gardening company. He thinks women are annoying. At a client’s office, he meets Satogawa Akane who works as a CEO’s secretary. She is admired by the male employees due to her attractiveness and smarts, but, due to a bad experience, she is not interested in finding love. She only has sex with married men. A new male employee, Kinosaki Haruto, approaches Akane. One evening, Matsuo Ryo’s boss asks him if he is interested in marrying his daughter Tanno Ayaka and eventually taking over the gardening company. But, Ryo is embarrassed by the suggestion. He views Ayaka as a sister. Meanwhile, Ayaka works at a construction site during the day but works at a girl's bar at night. She has lost her sexual identity. While working at the girl's bar, female customer Kuroda Azusa approaches Ayaka.
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Title: The Makioka Sisters
Character: Makioka Yukiko
Released: January 7, 2018
Type: TV
Taking place in the spring of 1992, the story begins with the father of the Makioka company handing his company over. It starts a new era for the lives of the 4 Makioka sisters. Tsuruko continues living with the memory of their family's former glory, though it no longer remains. Yukiko, not dissatisfied with her married life, finds herself worrying over her sisters' behavior. Yukiko, the third born daughter, is seeking to marry but has failed matchmaking many times. The youngest, Taeko, gets caught in a typhoon that hits Kansai...
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Sekigahara
Title: Sekigahara
Character: Shirohebi
Released: August 26, 2017
Type: Movie
The background to and depiction of a watershed battle in Japanese history, at Sekigahara in 1600, when Tokugawa Ieyasu's Army of the East defeated the Army of the West of Ishida Mitsunari. The story includes the intrigues and shifting loyalties of the various retainers, family members, and samurai.
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Title: Cecile's Plot
Character: Eri Okita
Released: July 13, 2017
Type: TV
Miyaji is a full-time housewife who has no interest in dressing herself. One day, her life changes completely as she was scouted as a reader model for a popular female fashion magazine "Vogue". She meets various types of women in the fashion magazine industry, each in their own hunt for happiness.
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Hirugao
Title: Hirugao
Character: Noriko Kitano
Released: June 10, 2017
Type: Movie
Set 3 years after the drama series. Kitano Yuichiro comes to give a lecture in the town where divorcee Sasamoto Sawa now lives quietly. The two meet again and their love story continue.
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Title: Natsuko Kira
Character: Miyuki Sakabe
Released: July 21, 2016
Type: TV
Natsuko is going back to the advertising agency she worked for before taking maternity leave and is shocked to learn that she is not the creative director any more but instead, she is put in charge of the Sales Development. Unmotivated, Natsuko finds she has her work cut out for her, and she has trouble balancing her job responsibilities with her home life, so she hires Miyuki, a babysitter. Unfortunately, Miyuki’s presence eventually works to tear her marriage apart.
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Title: Never Let Me Go
Character: Horie Tatsuko
Released: January 15, 2016
Type: TV
30-year-old Kyoko has a "job". The story starts with her looking back 20 years to her boarding school of Yoko Gakuen in the mountains. Tomohiko, Miwa, and Kyoko are all in the same grade. Inspired by the educational philosophy of the principal - Emiko, teacher Tatsuko joins the boarding school staff, but soon finds the school rather strange...
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Title: Konkatsu Deka
Character: Hanada Yoneko
Released: July 2, 2015
Type: TV
35-year-old Hanada Yoneko is a detective of Ryogoku Police Precinct who is looking for a marriage partner. She swings between love and justice as she pursues cases with her partner, Fujioka Tsutsuji. Yoneko will not turn a blind eye to crime. In addition, she wants to be happy. But for some reason, all the handsome men she likes turn out to be criminals.
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Title: Sono otoko, ishiki takai kei
Character: Haruko Tsubokura
Released: March 3, 2015
Type: TV
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Title: Hirugao: Love Affairs in the Afternoon
Character: Noriko Kitano
Released: July 17, 2014
Type: TV
Life is simple for Sasamoto Sawa, a young housewife, but when the adulteress Takigawa Rikako moves into her neighborhood, so too does a new world of sophistication and sex. After Takigawa is nearly caught in the act, Sasamoto covers for her during the ensuing aftermath, unwittingly involving herself with a handsome teacher named Kitano Yuichi — and discovering her own desires for extramarital passions.
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Pandora: Eternal life
Title: Pandora: Eternal life
Character: Megumi Tashiro
Released: April 27, 2014
Type: Movie
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Dance! Dance! Dance!
Title: Dance! Dance! Dance!
Character: Yukino
Released: April 22, 2014
Type: Movie
The movie is set in Japan and tells the story of Furu, a young aspiring musician, who is dreaming of a getaway out of his small coastal town in Northern Iwate. He succeeds but the price is very high.
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Title: Shinigami-kun
Released: April 18, 2014
Type: TV
Shinigami-kun, alias grim reaper #413, is a rookie who pronounces the death of those scheduled to die and brings souls to the nether world. He would appear with the signature phrase “Congratulations! I’m here to call on you” although it is hard to say how this can be a happy occasion, and watch over the dying. To a grim reaper, persuading people attempting to commit suicide and preventing unforeseen deaths is also an important task. But because #413 is new to this grim reaper work, he has a tendency to lean towards humans in his judgments, break the rules of the nether world and get reprimanded by his superior.
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埋もれる
Title: 埋もれる
Released: March 16, 2014
Type: Movie
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Judge!
Title: Judge!
Character: Kiichiro Ota's former girlfriend
Released: January 11, 2014
Type: Movie
A major advertising festival is held each year to determine the best television commercial in the world. A rookie ad man at a big advertising company named Otan is selected as a judge on the festival jury. Meanwhile, a coworker also named Ota (although the Japanese characters are slightly different) poses as his wife so that he can attend an open party which is held nightly. Knowing that he’ll get fired if his company doesn’t win the Grand Prix, he’s forced to resort to a variety of desperate tactics.
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Flower of Shanidar
Title: Flower of Shanidar
Character: Yurie
Released: July 20, 2013
Type: Movie
A strange phenomenon takes place. A beautiful flower blooms on a selected woman's body and that flower is called the "Shanidar". When the Shanidar is in full bloom, the flower produces a substance which is then sold at a high cost to develop new drugs. Kenji Otaki works as a researcher at the facility where the Shanidar is grown.
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Penance
Title: Penance
Character: Mayu Murakami
Released: May 29, 2013
Type: Movie
The murder of a young girl leaves the inhabitants of a small Japanese village in shock. The body of Emili is found by four classmates with whom she was playing. The murder is never solved. Emili's mother, Asako, is torn by grief and puts a curse on the four girls when they claim not to remember the killer's face. Each of the girls, in their own way, will do penance for their silence.
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A Story of Yonosuke
Title: A Story of Yonosuke
Character: Chiharu Katase
Released: February 23, 2013
Type: Movie
The year is 1987 and Japan is just reaching the peak of its economic success. Eighteen-year old Yonosuke Yokomichi arrives in Tokyo from Nagasaki. Ordinary in every way possible, he lives in a suburb far from the excitement of the big city and commutes to a university in the center of Tokyo.
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With All Our Might
Title: With All Our Might
Character: Tamiko Sakamoto
Released: January 12, 2013
Type: Movie
Tamiko (Ayumi Ito) lives happily with her husband Hideaki (Sho Aoyagi) and step-daughter Kotoyo (Hazuki Inoue). Tamiko married her deceased friend Mari's (Mami Nakamura) husband. Tamiko gets along well with her step-daughter Kotoyo, but Kotoyo still doesn't call her mother. There is a traditional sumo game held to celebrate the moving of Mizuwakasu's shrine. The traditional sumo game is important to Tamiko who grew up on the island, while her husband Hideaki's reputation is not so good on the island because he broke off his engagement to a woman his parents set him up with. In order to marry his first wife Mari, he ran away from the island. Since then, his parents disowned him. Nevertheless, Hideaki and his first wife Mari still liked the island and went back to live there. Hideaki began sum wrestling then.
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Title: Wonderful Single Life
Character: Mizuki Kono
Released: October 11, 2012
Type: TV
"Kekkon Shinai" follows the lives of single people in their 30's and 40's.
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Soup
Title: Soup
Character: Mika Shibuya
Released: July 7, 2012
Type: Movie
Kenichi Shibuya is a 50-year-old salaryman who divorced a few years back. Since the divorce, his relationship with his daughter has become awkward. One day, Kenichi Shibuya and his boss Yumi Ayase are struck by lightning and die. They go to the afterlife. There in the afterlife they hear of a legendary soup. If someone drinks the legendary soup, that person is reborn, but the reborn person has no memories of their prior life. Kenichi Shibuya then searches for the secrets in the legendary soup, hoping to be reborn, but not forget his daughter.
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Title: Crime and Punishment: A Falsified Romance
Character: Tachi Yoshino
Released: April 29, 2012
Type: TV
In this modern adaptation of the Dostoyevsky classic, a loner named Miroku takes it upon himself to kill a teenage girl leading a prostitution ring. She's an insect that hurts everyone around her. She needs to die -- and he's going to kill her. Why is that wrong?
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Title: Penance
Character: Mayu Murakami
Released: January 8, 2012
Type: TV
The murder of a young girl shocks a small Japanese village, and the victim's mother is distraught when the classmates her daughter was playing with all claim not to remember the identity of the killer. In her anger, she puts a curse on them.
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The Room
Title: The Room
Character: Yumi
Released: January 1, 2012
Type: Movie
Yumi moves into her boyfriend's Tokyo apartment but on the night of the move, he is called away for business in New York. The couple communicates over Skype and over the course of four nights, their relationship descends into an abyss of mistrust and lies. Yumi believes there's a ghost in the room haunting her as her only connection to the outside world is Taka on the other side of the world. Taka believes she's slowly going crazy right in front of his eyes. The story concludes with a shocking twist that will haunt both of them forever.
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Gantz: Perfect Answer
Title: Gantz: Perfect Answer
Character: Eriko Ayukawa
Released: April 23, 2011
Type: Movie
Summoned by the black sphere, Kei and Masaru fight against extraterrestrials until Masaru grows tired of fighting and refuses to continue.
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Title: Ohisama
Character: Natsuko Takahashi
Released: April 4, 2011
Type: TV
Ohisama is a Japanese television drama that aired on NHK in 2011 in the Asadora time slot. Set in Nagano prefecture, "Ohisama" covers the life of Yoko Sudo (Mao Inoue) through World War II. Yoko Sudo with her smile is able to bring brightness to those around her & she follows her mother's motif to laugh through the hard times. During the onset of WW II, Yoko is a high school student and "Ohisama" follows her as she eventually becomes a teacher and then gets married and has a child. Yoko then opens a soba restaurant with her student. --asianwiki
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Gantz
Title: Gantz
Character: Eriko Ayukawa
Released: November 29, 2010
Type: Movie
After trying to rescue a man on the subway tracks, two teens wake up in a room dominated by a mysterious black sphere that sends them to hunt down and kill aliens hiding on Earth.
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Solanin
Title: Solanin
Character: Ai Kotani
Released: April 3, 2010
Type: Movie
Meiko Inoue is a recent college grad working as an office lady in a job she hates. Her boyfriend Taneda is permanently crashing at her apartment because his job as a freelance illustrator doesn't pay enough for rent. And her parents in the country keep sending her boxes of veggies that just rot in her fridge. Straddling the line between her years as a student and the rest of her life, Meiko struggles with the feeling that she's just not cut out to be a part of the real world.
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After the Flowers
Title: After the Flowers
Character: Kayo
Released: March 13, 2010
Type: Movie
Ito, daughter of a clan official, encounters Magoshiro Eguchi. Magoshiro is a low ranking samurai sparks an attraction with Ito. Ito challenges Magoshiro to a sword match using bamboo sticks. Mahoshiro accepts. The pair's duel causes sparks to fly an attraction from both sides. Meanwhile, Ito faces an arranged marriage with Saisuke Katagiri and Magoshiro is with Kayo...
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Bandage
Title: Bandage
Character: Nobuko Yukari
Released: January 16, 2010
Type: Movie
Set in the 1990s during Japan's "band boom" era, the film tells the tale of a girl in high school, Asako, who goes to a concert and meets Natsu, vocalist of the new band LANDS. Asako ends up being the band manager, but as the band's popularity starts to soar, the band's friendship begins to suffer.
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Be Sure to Share
Title: Be Sure to Share
Character: Yoko Nakagawa
Released: June 1, 2009
Type: Movie
Shiro's struggle with his father's cancer and impending death leads to a realization that he must communicate his love and admiration for him before it's too late. A series of flashbacks reveals their relationship over time, and the trouble Shiro faced connecting to his strict father who was also his teacher and soccer coach. With a consuming secret of his own, Shiro, now in his late twenties and about to get engaged, must eventually learn how to share the pain of it with his loved ones.
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Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile - Episode Denzel
Title: Final Fantasy VII: On the Way to a Smile - Episode Denzel
Character: Tifa Lockhart (voice)
Released: April 16, 2009
Type: Movie
It's been four years since Meteor fell on Midgar. Denzel meets Reeve at an outskirts coffee shop about joining the World Regenesis Organization. Upon the request Denzel tells Reeve about what his life was like prior to the Meteor incident.
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The Blue Bird
Title: The Blue Bird
Character: Ms. Shimazaki
Released: November 29, 2008
Type: Movie
Higashigaoka Junior High School is in turmoil as one of the pupils, Noguchi, who had been bullied, attempted suicide last term. On the first day of the new term, a substitute teacher arrives to take the second year class. When the teacher, Murauchi (Hiroshi Abe), introduces himself, the pupils are surprised by his stutter. He has a speech impediment. Unable to speak eloquently, Murauchi faces his pupils with ‘words of truth’. His first instruction to the pupils is to return Noguchi’s desk and chair to the original place in the classroom. Every morning Murauchi greets the empty desk, “Good morning, Noguchi.” This causes a ripple beyond the classroom and among other teachers and parents, but Murauchi will not stop doing it. Eventually the day comes when Murauchi must leave.
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Tokyo!
Title: Tokyo!
Character: Akemi (segment "Interior Design")
Released: August 16, 2008
Type: Movie
Three distinct tales unfold in the bustling city of Tokyo. Merde, a bizarre sewer-dweller, emerges from a manhole and begins terrorizing pedestrians. After his arrest, he stands trial and lashes out at a hostile courtroom. A man who has resigned himself to a life of solitude reconsiders after meeting a charming pizza delivery woman. And finally, a happy young couple find themselves undergoing a series of frightening metamorphoses.
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Into the Faraway Sky
Title: Into the Faraway Sky
Character: Sawako
Released: August 18, 2007
Type: Movie
A vast wheat field, a straight road that has no end, a sky without a single building in sight – this is a town in the country where time comfortably passes by. But this former paradise is now being stirred up by a fight amongst its people over constructing an airport. This is a tale of three young people exploring youth and friendship as they reach out into the sky.
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The Go Master
Title: The Go Master
Character: Kazuko Nakahara
Released: May 24, 2007
Type: Movie
The life of Go master Wu Qingyuan from his meteoric rise as a child prodigy to fame and fortune as a revolutionary strategic thinker, as well as the tumultuous conflicts between his homeland of China and his adopted nation of Japan.
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Tokyo Rhapsody
Title: Tokyo Rhapsody
Released: May 12, 2007
Type: Movie
"Tokyo Rhapsody" consists of 11 short films all centered around the music genre known as "Kayokyoku". Kayokyoku is a catch-all term to describe the music that defined two generations of post-war Japan. Although the term survives, it has a strong connotation with a simpler, pre-"Economic Bubble" era when Japanese people shared a common identity in the reconstruction of their nation.
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Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad
Title: Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad
Character: Tamami
Released: April 14, 2007
Type: Movie
Adapted from the bestselling Japanese autobiography of the same title, this gentle coming-of-age drama concerns an adolescent boy, Boku - Masaya, torn between the inherited recklessness of his father Oton and the inherited responsibility, wisdom and emotional strength of his mother Okan. Following a period of intensely rebellious behavior, Boku learns that his mom has contracted cancer; suddenly, his mother comes to live with him in Tokyo the entire emotional landscape of his life is altered.
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Kitokito!
Title: Kitokito!
Character: Ai
Released: March 17, 2007
Type: Movie
Coming of age story about a boy and his mother.
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Crickets
Title: Crickets
Character: Eiko
Released: November 23, 2006
Type: Movie
Kaoru, a wealthy woman whose youth is fading, abandons the hustle and bustle of the city to live a peaceful life in a house on the coast. There she takes care of an old deaf, dumb and blind man as if he were an insect, a child or a pet. He can’t do anything for himself, so she feeds him and accompanies him on his walks. This strong mutual dependency offers Kaoru an escape from society and allows her to free herself from restrictions imposed by common sense.
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Vanished
Title: Vanished
Character: Chie
Released: August 26, 2006
Type: Movie
Eight school friends innocently join together to play a game that, if played well, promised to make their greatest dreams come true. But, they soon discover that mistakes may cost them more than even their dreams could tell.
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Check It Out, Yo!
Title: Check It Out, Yo!
Character: Nagisa Nakamura
Released: April 22, 2006
Type: Movie
Tomboy Yui (Mao Inoue) brings her 3 male friends along with her to see a live performance of local Okinawan rap group, “Workaholic”. Upon witnessing the crowd reaction, the boys decide to start a rap group of their own to impress chicks—while Toru (Hayato Ichihara) has the added motivation of impressing his older, more sophisticated love interest Nagisa (Ayumi Ito). With only 2 weeks to learn how to play instruments and prepare for their first show, the performance is predictably humiliating. In order to save pride they decide to give it another shot, but this time they ditch the instruments for a sampler and stay truer to themselves. Will Toru be able to capture Nagisa’s heart? Will Yui ever confess her love to Toru or will she just keep practicing her advanced pro wrestling techniques on him instead?
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Clay Fear
Title: Clay Fear
Character: Zhen Zi
Released: February 24, 2006
Type: Movie
Pottery factory owner Ming Fu (Ng Kai Wah) is haunted by visions of the blazing death of his business partner in a suspicious fire. Widowed, Ming is set to marry Ye Yue (Miao Pu) much to the consternation of Ming’s “Rebecca”-like housemaid Zhen Zi (Ayumi Ito of “All About Lily Chou-Chou”), who just happens to be his late wife’s sister. Yarn hints at paranormal causes as more of Ming’s business associates die one by one, but an early slip gives the game away. Zhang’s helming, aided by Japanese vet Yudai Kato’s lustrous lensing, is inventive, but a heavy glazing of horror cliches make this cracked yarn damaged goods.
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Curtain Call
Title: Curtain Call
Character: Kaori Hashimoto
Released: November 12, 2005
Type: Movie
Kaori is pursuing her career as a journalist for a magazine with great enthusiasm. But as a result of an article she wrote, she is sent to work for a community magazine at Fukuoka. An anonymous letter arrives, which puts her in contact with an old and forgotten theater, the 'Minato Theater' in nearby Shimonoseki.
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Hold Up Down
Title: Hold Up Down
Character: Kyoko Miyazaki
Released: October 28, 2005
Type: Movie
A bank robbery goes completely to pot, a pair of shoplifters get both an old man and a cop behind them. It is the beginning of this zany comedy, including the guys from boy band V6.
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Sunday's Dream
Title: Sunday's Dream
Released: October 22, 2005
Type: Movie
Kazuya goes to live with his mother Shinobu because his father, Yoshiki, who works in the same company, has fired him according to the company policy regarding redundancy. However, Shinobu soon gets remarried to Sakamoto depriving Kazuya of a place to stay. He then meets Sachiko who works in a salon where sexual pleasure is offered to men. They promise to have a date on the next Sunday by the sea.
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Final Fantasy VII: Last Order
Title: Final Fantasy VII: Last Order
Character: Tifa Lockhart (voice)
Released: September 14, 2005
Type: Movie
In the events of Last Order, taking place five years before the beginning of Final Fantasy VII itself, Sephiroth was ordered to inspect the Mako Reactor outside the town of Nibelheim with a small entourage, consisting of one other member of SOLDIER and a few Shin-Ra MPs. Among this group was SOLDIER 1st Class member Zack and his buddy, a 16-year-old Shin-Ra trooper named Cloud Strife.
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Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Title: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Character: Tifa Lockhart (voice)
Released: July 14, 2005
Type: Movie
Two years have passed since the final battle with Sephiroth. Though Midgar, city of mako, city of prosperity, has been reduced to ruins, its people slowly but steadily walk the road to reconstruction. However, a mysterious illness called Geostigma torments them. With no cure in sight, it brings death to the afflicted, one after another, robbing the people of their fledgling hope.
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The Motive
Title: The Motive
Character: Ayako Takarai
Released: December 18, 2004
Type: Movie
Four people are discovered brutally murdered in an up-scale high-rise apartment. All the victims appear to be family, but as the investigation deepens it is discovered that one of the victims isn't related to the family.
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River of First Love
Title: River of First Love
Character: Mika Inoue
Released: November 13, 2004
Type: Movie
8-year old boy, Shimpei, who loves fishing and painting, lives with his beautiful mother, surrounded by nature. His mother, Satsuki, has a weak constitution and lost her husband years ago. She takes care of her son lovingly but sometimes strictly, on her own. Shimpei's childhood sweetheart, Sayuri, is deaf, but somehow they can understand each other and they always spend time together.
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Last Quarter
Title: Last Quarter
Character: Sayaka Kamijo
Released: September 25, 2004
Type: Movie
Do you believe in love after death? On the eve of her 19th birthday, Mizuki (Kuriyama) doesn't have a lot to celebrate about. Her mother recently committed suicide, her stepfamily bothers her, her boyfriend has been cheating on her and her best friend has betrayed her. Hurt and disillusioned, Mizuki runs from everything and is drawn by some unknown force to a dilapidated estate. Deep within the house Mizuki discovers the mysterious Adam (Hyde), playing a hauntingly familiar melody on the guitar. Melancholy and full of secrets, it seems that Adam, and the house, have a strange, irresistible link to Mizuki. Can Mizuki's boyfriend and a couple of well-meaning schoolchildren uncover the secret of what happened 19 years ago and free Mizuki before the last quarter of the moon falls?
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Believer
Title: Believer
Character: Kaoru Takano
Released: June 12, 2004
Type: Movie
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Hana and Alice
Title: Hana and Alice
Character: Saori Ikeda
Released: March 13, 2004
Type: Movie
Two teenage best pals attracted to the same boy end up scrambling his life after he walks into a door and is knocked unconscious.
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A Day on the Planet
Title: A Day on the Planet
Character: Kate
Released: February 5, 2004
Type: Movie
Seven friends gather at a party in Kyoto to celebrate Masamichi's entry to graduate school. Maki & her boyfriend Nakazawa join the party and get drunk easily after the friendship reunion. Kate has a crush on one of the cute guy who doesn't have any interests on her though. The cheerful and unforgettable night is full of joy while the whales and the thief incidents also attract the attention of them. Before the sunrise, seven friends meet again on the beach so as to witness the fade of youth days.
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Mask de 41
Title: Mask de 41
Character: Haruko Kuramochi
Released: January 26, 2004
Type: Movie
Tadao Kuramochi, an ordinary salaryman, decides one day to reach for his dreams and start his own wrestling federation. Tadao must succeed to save his family on the verge of collapsing.
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Honto ni Atta! Noroi no Video 7
Title: Honto ni Atta! Noroi no Video 7
Released: November 21, 2003
Type: Movie
A collection of psychic images received by general posts. Fear multiplies! Earth-bound spirits, vengeful spirits, floating spirits, guardian spirits ... full of mysterious images that can not be elucidated by science!
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Farewell, Kuro
Title: Farewell, Kuro
Character: Yukiko Igarashi
Released: July 1, 2003
Type: Movie
Based on a true story set in Matsumoto city, Nagano, during 1960s. A stray dog wanders into a high school's grounds. The dog, named Kuro, stays at the school and becomes a special friend to everyone.
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Owl
Title: Owl
Character: Emiko
Released: February 7, 2003
Type: Movie
A mother and daughter are stranded in small, isolated cabin, and are starving to death. In order to survive, they plan to entice men that happen to stray to their cabin with sex, and kill them. All goes well until a local cop shows up and, then, an old relation.
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All About
Title: All About "All About Lily Chou-Chou"
Released: June 28, 2002
Type: Movie
The making of 'All About Lily Chou-Chou' starting from its conception as an interactive story that played out on a BBS
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All About Lily Chou-Chou
Title: All About Lily Chou-Chou
Character: Yōko Kuno
Released: October 6, 2001
Type: Movie
Charts the troubled teenage years of students Yūichi Hasumi and Shūsuke Hoshino, exploring the shifting and complex power dynamics of their relationship against the backdrop of Yūichi's love for the dreamy and abstract music of fictional pop star Lily Chou-Chou.
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Title: Lipstick
Character: Eriko Matsuda
Released: April 12, 1999
Type: TV
Hayakawa Ai commits a crime which lands her in a correction facility for juveniles. There she meets & becomes firm friends with four other delinquents & falls in love with one of the wardens, Ariake Yu, an artist with secrets.... (dramawiki)
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Amateur Singing Contest
Title: Amateur Singing Contest
Released: January 15, 1999
Type: Movie
Traditional Japanese pop singer Reiko (Muroi) decides to enter a well-known TV program for amateur singers along with a confused teenager (Ôtomo) and a 40-year-old father of four (Bito).
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Title: Emergency Room 24 Hours
Released: January 5, 1999
Type: TV
Dr. Shindo seems cold, but is a competent surgeon. He is also an ER doctor capable of accurate decisions and treatment, who always tries to see things from the patient’s side. Although once retired from his profession, he one day discovers someone in need of help, who he treats and rushes to the Kohoku Medical University Emergency Center. This incident encourages him to once again work as an ER doctor. Confrontation erupts between female doctor Tamaki, and Shindo, now a just-arrived ER doctor. While this human drama depicts the relationships among doctors and nurses, it appeals emotionally to viewers on the subject of life.
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Dr. Akagi
Title: Dr. Akagi
Released: May 17, 1998
Type: Movie
At the end of WWII, Japanese doctor Akagi searches for the cure for hepatitis in the prisoner-of-war camp.
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Sada
Title: Sada
Character: Maid
Released: April 11, 1998
Type: Movie
Based on real-life events, this erotic thriller tells the sad and sadistic tale of a Japanese geisha whose behavior spiraled out of control.
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Fishes in August
Title: Fishes in August
Released: January 1, 1998
Type: Movie
A refined psychological portrait of youths on their way to maturity
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Happy Go Lucky
Title: Happy Go Lucky
Character: High School Girl
Released: March 17, 1997
Type: Movie
Takashi and four of his classmates, fourth-grade students, cannot succeed in doing a back pullover around a horizontal bar. Their gym teacher warns them: they have one week to succeed; if they resign now, then, tomorrow, facing life difficulties, they will always run away and become bums. Furthermore, all five must succeed, if one of them cannot do it, then all of them fail. Takashi is really worried and wonders if he won't be always the loser who couldn't succeed in the back pullover bar exercise.
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円都 YEN TOWN
Title: 円都 YEN TOWN
Released: October 18, 1996
Type: Movie
Making-of documentary for Swallowtail Butterfly
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Swallowtail Butterfly
Title: Swallowtail Butterfly
Character: Ageha
Released: September 14, 1996
Type: Movie
An industrial section of Japan got the name of “Yentown” as many immigrants come to make money and hope to go home rich. A small group of people in Yentown try to work together to survive—Ageha, a young girl with no family; Glico, a sex worker; Fei Hong, a poor immigrant from Shanghai; Arrow, an ex-boxer from the US; and Ren, a mysterious guy who seems to know too much about guns. Fortune shines upon them when they find a cassette that will get them rich, but along with money, trouble will always follow.
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Samurai Kids
Title: Samurai Kids
Character: Chizuko Kusubayashi
Released: July 17, 1993
Type: Movie
A special effects filled fantasy adventure, in which an 8-year-old boy encounters an ancient samurai warrior who is only six inches tall.