Godzilla Minus One takes the iconic monster back to his roots, showing him as he emerges in a Japan still reeling from the effects of World War II. It stars Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando and Kuranosuke Sasaki. This is Hamabe’s biggest film to date and it has garnered critical acclaim.
Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (2017)
When an aloof boy finds a diary in a hospital waiting room, he discovers that his very popular classmate is dying from pancreatic cancer. She forces him to playfully attend to her whims and fancies despite his indifference, but their relationship grows closer as time passes.
While some scoffed at this film’s lack of blood and gore, it is a beautiful story of two high school lovers that makes you think about how much the little things in life are worth living for. Hamabe’s performance is awe-inducing and she shows her ability to connect with the audience. This movie also features Takumi Kitamura in his best role ever.
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
The latest entry in the kaiju franchise has already garnered strong critical praise and a healthy amount of ticket sales, despite stiff competition from major holiday and award season contenders. It’s unclear whether Godzilla Minus One will continue its strong momentum, but the film’s promising start has many kaiju fans optimistic for its future.
While Godzilla Minus One still delivers the awe-inspiring blockbuster spectacle, it places a greater emphasis on character development than previous films. Rather than focus on the government bureaucrats that blunder their way through many a Godzilla adventure, this movie centers on civilians taking collective action to stop the monster. Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, and Sakura Ando star.
The Promised Neverland (2020)
A controversial manga that broke conventions and grabbed readers’ attention, the premise of The Promised Neverland is disturbing yet gripping. Hamabe delivers an exceptional performance, bringing to life Emma’s robust energy and optimistic outlook, sharp wit, and undying determination; Norman’s cunning intellect and innocent admiration for Emma; and Ray’s deadpan humor and piercing acumen.
Hamabe is complemented by the rest of the cast, with Yukino Kitagawa standing out for her ability to send chills down your spine as scheming Isabella. The gomovies online film satisfies fans with its faithfulness to the source material, and the cinematography, soundtrack, and acting are top-notch. A definite must-see!.
The Great War of Archimedes (2019)
The Great War of Archimedes focuses on the procurement process for Japan’s pre-WWII battleships. Forward thinking admirals want to replace the outdated Yamato with an aircraft carrier, but they’re losing out to the old guards who demand a gigantic battleship. They recruit military-hating obsessive mathematician Tadashi Kai to discredit their rivals’ low-ball cost estimates.
Ryunosuke Kamiki gives an award-worthy performance as disgraced kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima. He reunites with Noriko (Minami Hamabe), the plucky thief he saved from death during WWII, and forms a new family. Together they struggle to survive while Godzilla rampages through the devastated city. This is a satisfyingly well-rounded film with a touching and heartwarming final act.
Murders at the House of Death (2020)
The Miyazawa family were slain at their house in the Setagaya district of Tokyo on August 29, 2022. Police have deduced that the killer was a male who wore a black sweater with a red logo and left behind ten items (knife, pants, sweater, scarf, hip bag, hat, shoes, and two handkerchiefs). He consumed string beans and sesame seeds, threw his feces in their toilet and used their bathroom, ransacked their drawers and papers, and attacked Yasuko, Niina, and Mikio with a sashimi bocho knife until part of it broke off inside the mother’s head.
In 2022, Hamabe co-starred in the live-action adaptation of Cursed in Love and the drama Dr. White. She also lent her voice to the Japanese anime film version of Case Closed: The Scarlet Letter.
Saki (2017)
Nagata (Kento Yamazaki) is the playwright and director of a local theater troupe called Oraka. He’s a talented young man in the making but his insular personality puts him at odds with the rest of his ensemble.
When he meets fashion student Saki (Mayu Matsuoka) who is the polar opposite of his self-described solipsistic fur ball, he’s instantly smitten with her exuberant energy. Yet, he can’t seem to recognise this and uses his sullen intensity as an excuse to snub her reasonable requests for cooperation such as paying the utilities. This is a tricky and challenging role for Hamabe and she rises to the challenge with a powerful performance.
Ajin: Demi-Human (2017)
After her breakout role in Let Me Eat Your Pancreas (2017), Hamabe gained wider recognition with the Godzilla sequel, Godzilla Minus One (2023). She also took on the lead of a supporting character in the 2020 crime drama Murders at the House of Death.
High school student Kei discovers he is an immortal Ajin and flees before government experiments can get to him. A fellow Ajin, Sato, offers him protection but at an inhuman cost. Despite appearing as a casual older man who enjoys video games, Sato is actually a cold-blooded killer who relishes the use of violence. He is the leader of the pro-Ajin movement. He is feared by all who oppose him.
One Day You Will Reach the Sea (2020)
Five years after her free-spirited best friend disappeared during the tsunami, brittle Mana (Kishii Yukino) is summoned to her apartment by Sumire’s ex-boyfriend. He wants her to empty their flat, sort through the boxes of their shared mementos and decide what she will keep.
Ryutaro Nakagawa (Summer Blooms) crafts a delicate, multi-layered drama with this film. It’s a reminder of the inability to truly know the people closest to us and the complexity of grief. A perspective shift late in the film fills in details from the other side of the relationship, revealing the mystery of Sumire’s life and death. It’s a beautiful, touching film that lingers long after the credits roll.
