Presented by O-Taku Manga Lounge,Japan Foundation
Don't Call it Mystery
Directed by Hiroaki Matsuyama
Official selection
Fantasporto: Porto International Film Festival 2024
Marie Claire Film Festival 2024
Director
Hiroaki Matsuyama
Writer
Tomoko Aizawa
Cast
Masaki Suda, Nanoka Hara, Kouhei Matsushita
contact
Fuji Creative corporation
With his distinctive head of luscious curls, college student Totonou Kuno always stands out in a crowd, though he probably wishes he didn’t. A loner at heart, he is considered strange and overly talkative, but his mind is sharp as a knife and his observation skills, unparalleled. Which is why, while on a trip to Hiroshima, he doesn’t take long to notice the girl who’s been following him all day… but can’t hide his bewilderment when Shioji finally reveals her intentions: “Do you want a job? Money and lives are at stake,” she says. Intrigued, Totonou is then swept into a complicated family mystery involving the inheritance of her late grandfather, who left behind a riddle for his heirs to solve. For generations, the reputable Kariatsumari clan has repeatedly feuded over the estate; some members—including Shioji’s father—even dying in odd circumstances. Could this be her fate, too?
Based on an award-winning manga by Yumi Tamura, one of Japan’s most celebrated shojo artists and creator of the popular Basara and 7 Seeds franchises, DON’T CALL IT MYSTERY was first adapted into a 13-episode television drama in 2022. Praised for its exciting twists, endearing cast of characters, and bingeable quality, the show attracted a slew of new enthusiasts around the world, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce Fantasia audiences to the many charms of Totonou’s universe with a full feature film! Bringing back the series’ director Hiroaki Matsuyama and beloved star Masaki Suda, who recently voiced the titular Grey Heron in Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning THE BOY AND THE HERON, this stand-alone instalment is a compelling whodunit that promises to please fans of quirky detectives à la Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc. See if you can solve this enigma before the credits start rolling! – Alyssia Duval-Nguon
Showings
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