Did You Like MAD CATS? Did You Enjoy DARK CHILD? Check Out What Ayane Has Been Up To Lately!
The new shortfilm raised more than 1.3 million yen prior to filming back in May!
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Streaming Sleepers: Reiki Tsuno’s MAD CATS Claws Its Way To Prime, Tubi, And More In The U.S.
Mad Cats was originally reviewed for the 29th edition of the Slamdance Film Festival. The movie was released on All-Region Blu-Ray in the UK from Third Window Films, and originally as a streaming exclusive on Midnight Pulp. If you regularly take in Asian movies, then you can certainly understand director Reiki Tsuno’s logic and motivation of late. Citing a need for Japanese filmgoing audiences to enjoy “fun movies that make you feel happy,” it comes as no surprise that he would create a film that centers its narrative on one of the most enigmatic yet culturally beloved domestic mammals, particularly in Japan. What’s impressive, of course, is the degree to which Tsuno pulls this feat off in his feature directorial debut, Mad Cats, which screens for Slamdance this weekend. Prefacing our story is an opening sequence host to an eerie hilltop with five women in white gowns, standing several feet apart […]
TACFEST 2024 Review: DARK CHILD (Short Film) A brutal display of skill and talent with Ayane shining on the lead
Dark Child is a brutal short film of non-stop action in which we follow a young woman who making her way through a path of brutal blows and contusions avoids a group of men to inject her with a mysterious substance. With the very talented Ayane on the the lead, and under the action direction of Shun Yamashita, Dark Child offers a stunning display of talent with a high level of screen fighting skills that has the ability of knocking out the audience with its awesomeness… This amazing short film will be competing for the Quixote awards among many other international productions in the upcoming TOLEDO ACTION FEST and EXPO that will be held in the city of Illescas (Toledo, Spain) from May 15 to 17, 2024.
DARK CHILD: Ayane Hits The Sweet Spot Hard, Fast And Bloody In Reiki Tsuno’s Brutal New Action Short!
I woke up this morning, looked into my notifications and found a four-minute action short that begins with rising action star talent Ayane beating the crap out of a henchman, already passed out and covered in his own blood… The title alone, Dark Child, should tell you as much about what to expect when you press Play, but I certainly hope the context helps, because four minutes of Ayane beating the pus out of several other goons while trying to enjoy her GameBoy and the occasional lolipop is exactly the kind of thrill you can expect for the duration of the short. And, courtesy of action coordinator Shun Yamashita, we’re all here for it! Dark Child is also directed by Reiki Tsuno who also brought us a feature debut performance from Ayane in last year’s breakout hit, Mad Cats, which is available on all-region Blu-Ray from Third Window Films and […]
MAD CATS: Catch The Official Trailer For The Hit Action Comedy Coming To Midnight Pulp!
There’s something to be said about actress and action specialist Ayane’s debut in Reiki Tsuno’s Mad Cats. The arrival this year of the hard-hitting lo-fi deadpan action comedy comes at a pretty auspicious time with niche audiences gracing Japanese action cinema with such a spotlight; It’s the kind that’s been cast for the likes of Yuji Shimomura (Death Trance, Re:Born), Yugo Sakamoto (Baby Assassins, A Janitor) and Kensuke Sonomura (Hydra, Bad City) of late, and that puts our lead star at the forefront of a momentous moment in her nascent career that has already taken off, working on a several projects including music videos, stunts on hit Netflix series “One Piece”, and even appearing in Karate Kill actor Hayate’s independent feature directing debut, The First Mission. Tsuno’s Mad Cats now marks not only Ayane’s debut lead role – the first she auditioned for after getting into film – it also […]
Reiki Tsuno’s MAD CATS Is Coming To Midnight Pulp In Late 2023!
I’ve been living under a rock of immense work and with very little help, so I completely missed the announcement just over a month ago when Reiki Tsuno’s action comedy, Mad Cats, was acquired by Cineverse to begin streaming exclusively on Midnight Pulp in late 2023. Indeed, that’s the case and so finally folks who’ve been following action actress Ayane on social media and are keen on seeing her breakout role may finally be able to do so. The film had its initial premiere at Slamdance earlier this year and I was one of the fortunate ones to receive a virtual invite to screen and review it. Suffice it to say, I was a happy film critic. Tsuno makes his debut on Mad Cats casting Ayane alongside Sho Mineo, Yuya Matsura and So Yamanaka for the story of an aimless mobile home park dweller who receives a message about the […]
MAD CATS Sets Japan Release With New Poster And Trailer
The newest official poster and trailer assets are out for Mad Cats, the latest from writer/director Reiki Tsuno and starring Sho Mineo and debut actress and rising action talent, Ayane. The film is currently making the international festival rounds following its world premiere at Slamdance earlier this year and is poised for a Japan release in September. Mineo stars as Taka, a shiftless young man with no job and living in a trailer park. After receiving a mysterious package alerting him of the likely location of his long missing brother, Mune, Taka sets off on a quest to that finds him taking on a pack of vengeful humanoid monster cats with the help of a homeless man haphazardly swept into the affray, and an edgy, mysterious young girl with the arsenal of a small army, and martial arts skills to match. Yuya Matsuura and So Yamanaka also star. The film […]
MAD CATS: Paws (Get It?) And Check Out The Brand New Poster For Reiki Tsuno’s Hit Feature Debut!
International sales agent Third Window Films has affirmed its next steps forward with Reiki Tsuno’s fantastically entertaining action comedy adventure thriller, Mad Cats. The film is currently poised to screen for the White Raven Competition of the 41st BIFFF in Brussels next month. Further festival dates and commercial release announcements remain pending as well, and those updates can’t come soon enough. Mad Cats made its world premiere at Slamdance back in January, featuring Sho Mineo and Yuya Matsuura, and introducing actress and burgeoning action star hopeful, Ayane in the first role she auditioned for after jumping into the world of performing arts. Tsuno directs from his script which sees Mineo as a shiftless, jobless trailer park dweller who instantly sets out on a mission to find his missing brother after receiving a mysterious package. The journey soon lands him in the throes of a vengeful family of female monster cats […]
Slamdance 2023 Review: Reiki Tsuno’s MAD CATS, An Endearing Road Adventure That Hails The Arrival Of A New Martial Arts Action Star
If you regularly take in Asian movies, then you can certainly understand director Reiki Tsuno’s logic and motivation of late. Citing a need for Japanese filmgoing audiences to enjoy “fun movies that make you feel happy,” it comes as no surprise that he would create a film that centers its narrative on one of the most enigmatic yet culturally beloved domestic mammals, particularly in Japan. What’s impressive, of course, is the degree to which Tsuno pulls this feat off in his feature directorial debut, Mad Cats, which screens for Slamdance this weekend. Prefacing our story is an opening sequence host to an eerie hilltop with five women in white gowns, standing several feet apart from one another as they stare off into the windy distance. That shot is soon followed by a woman creeping down a dark flight of steps with an ax in hand, just before using it to […]
New MAD CATS Official Promo Teaser Lunges At You Ahead Of Next Weekend’s Slamdance Premiere!
“I had wondered why Japanese movies are so sad, serious, and depressing most of the time. I came to think that it’s the budget. Budgets for indie movies in Japan are actually much smaller than ones in overseas. It is very difficult to make something exciting and flashy because they simply cost a lot. I wanted to change that…” It matters that Crying Bitch shortfilm helmer Reiki Tsuno feels this way as we head into a new year with his independent feature debut, Mad Cats. Fairing all the same is that Japanese cinematic action has become a little more commercially prolific in the past year – enough for the likes of Tsuno to get to ride the momentum with the good folks at this year’s upcoming Slamdance Film Festival also taking notice. Indeed, Tsuno’s humbly-produced and driven crowdfunded effort is now looking to gain traction with an official teaser to […]