"The Ramen Girl"

UPDATES

An underrated film that showcases both the beauty and raw talent of Brittany Murphy.

👤 Kris Caballero 📅 Nov 12, 2021 🗨 0 comments 📂 DVD Reviews

NOTE: This DVD review was originally scheduled for post on May 23, 2020, but was set aside for months-long proofreading and undivided focus on website re-design.

The Ramen Girl DVD title
The Ramen Girl Subtitle Menu

According to our research, this movie was released straight to DVD in 2009—the same year the beautiful Brittany Murphy passed away. In the depth of things, it's a sad notion that we don't appreciate someone until they pass away. For such film with a simple, yet complex collaboration between two cultures, seems like a treat for romantic entertainment, with some dosage of food philosophy. We feel The Ramen Girl fits the bill even by today's standards—one beautiful American girl with an interest to Asian culture, Japanese in this case, and wanting to learn a famous dish many citizens have dined in with an open heart and empty stomach, that is, ramen.

(This DVD review will serve as a personal tribute to Brittany Murphy herself. This is for you, girl, wherever you are.)

Brittany Murphy in the subway
Brittany Murphy as Abby

What do we mean by "simple yet complex collaboration between two cultures?" Very much, the story starts when Abby flew to Japan to catch up with her boyfriend Ethan, who held a job that requires him to travel. Because of that, he confesses the 'flames' between both of them has doused, and like a jerk, leaves Abby destitute, forcing her to survive in "the land of the rising sun," surrounded by a culture she knows nothing about. Despite being introduced to Charles and Gretchen at a club, both English speakers, Abby must now find a place to earn a living. This is very much what the movie centers around.

The opening of Abby's character develops as we get to know her as a struggling American girl with a slew of bad luck; She doesn't know where to carry her life from this point on. The moment she noticed a popular restaurant, became her target mainstay for getting a job. I'll never forget when she ran in and said this:

"I wanna learn how to make ramen!"
— Abby (played by Brittany Murphy)

Neko cat!

Along the way, we learn the typical arrogance and stubborn personality of the American psyche in comparison to the Japanese way of thinking. As someone who's born an American citizen—personally, I'm of Filipino-Spanish descent—scenes that portray such characteristic(s) hit hard. Why are we Americans like this? Granted, not all of us are like that, but it sure makes you wonder. We also learn the basics of Japanese culture, such as bowing, taking your shoes off before entering someone's residence, respecting and obeying those who teach you, let alone the elders, and their life philosophies. Makes sense since you don't just enter another foreign country and expect everyone to treat you the same way you are treated back home (a very debatable topic of discussion, but culture shock is heavily emphasized in this film).

Keeping in touch with her friends, Abby gets introduced to some other folks and eventually develops a love-tie with Toshi, who spent 1 year in Los Angeles, and knows some English. He strikes an interest in Abby, as they go about their time together—something you'll find in a Hallmark movie.

Abby getting yelled at by her boss
What it means to give

The plot thickens when Toshi tells Abby he needs to leave for work—d`já vu for her. Worse, The Ramen Master is off taste-testing ramen dishes around town, hoping aspiring chefs receive his blessings. After all that Abby has learned from the restaurant she was working in, she composed her own ramen dish. Amazing, because at the end of the film, Abby was able to open her own ramen shop named "The Ramen Girl." Did she get The Ramen Master's blessing? We'll have you see that part.

At the end, her now-new boyfriend reunites with her, saying he hated the job he was offered at Shanghai and wanted to be with her. Abby opens her own ramen shop in New York.

Abby's The Ramen Girl restaurant

Let's get it out of the way: Those who think badly of this film may criticize this movie as propaganda for interracial romance—Asian foreigner in love with an American, as the American hosts their own business being the income earner to the foreigner. In addition, foreign relations have become a sort of "uptick" in recent news headlines, from economic statuses to social/political issues that have arisen. Listen, we get it. However, we feel it's more than just that.

"Why do Americans think everybody should be like them?"
— Toshi (played by Sohee Park)

Fair to say, this is harshest question ever posed against an American in critique of their culture. Again, why are we like this? Is news media the one that makes us like this? Our sports teams? Our economic position in comparison to other countries? Our entertainment mediums and its underlying, psychological messages being brought to us? Our education system? Peer pressure? Virtue signaling? The personalities of celebrities we admire? It's a lot to discuss, but as someone born and raised in the US, it's something about us I'm honestly not too proud of. Personally, getting to know other people and their cultures, their philosophies and their ways of life, helps me learn about myself as a human, not just as an American. I hate to admit that not everyone is as open-minded as that, but they are who they are; I am the way I am, and if learning other cultures improves my growth, then I'm fine (hoping you, the readers, practice the same mindset). If people had enough patience to understand others, you'll feel like you bridged the gap that separates us from the others. In other words, you accomplished something without being told or forced to do so.

What stood out to me about this film is the food philosophy from the Japanese perspective. As someone who's a huge fan of food, this is important (see our FOODSOTROS section). Cooking isn't just a task where you follow instructions then serve. Food is the "paint" in composing a delectable art—a dish you serve that also includes who you are. You know the phrase, "you are what you eat?" In this case, you feel what the chef provided in the dish you eat. That fact is the main ingredient in driving that hidden message behind Abby's goal: Creating the perfect bowl of ramen.

"A bowl of ramen is a self-contained universe with life from the sea, the mountains and the earth. All existing in perfect harmony. Harmony is essential. What holds it all together is the broth. The broth gives life to the ramen."
— Maezumi (played by Toshiyuki Nishida)

Yeah, if that isn't re-quoted everywhere, it will be soon.

While this movie showcases your typical comedy-romance story, the food side of things will trigger you never to look at food the same way again (in a good way). It will make you think before you start cooking for people, your family, your significant other and/or even yourself. Oh, and yes, this movie will make you hungry as well.

As neat and beautiful as this movie is, watch Hollywood and perhaps UPtv, Lifetime or the Hallmark Channel try to imitate this movie, if they haven't already. With the craze of pop music and culture in Eastern Asia, and the love of ramen, we feel there'll be a big consideration creating films whose center focus is around ramen and the interracial romance of the Asian-American couple (to all executive producers, directors and network managers reading this, you're welcome). Being that Mrs. Murphy produced this very film, we're not sure if she had a fascination to Japanese culture, ramen noodles, or had a hidden attraction to Asian men. Nevertheless, the story was told nicely, and we feel it will hold up today.

This DVD was encoded in 720x480 video resolution at a 29.97 frame rate (interlaced). Compressed with MPEG1/2 (mpgv), the color space used was ITU-R BT.601 Range. The audio was at 32 bits under the sample rate of 48000Hz. Compressed using A52 (AC3) and channels identified as 3F2M/LFE.

Such an excellent film that we're a fan of. Highly recommended!

Okay, so why 95% rating? What disappointed us was the audio dub over the profane language to make the movie more "TV broadcast friendly," censoring the extreme language. Understandable, however, this is on DVD, shouldn't it be uncensored? Purchasing the DVD version of this will not make fans happy, and that's the reason for the 5% deduction. We haven't checked the streaming version of this film, but we may recommend that, as opposed to the DVD version. Remember, this is a DVD review, not a movie review as this movie itself receives a perfect 100% from us.

Because this hasn't been too known around my circle of movie buffs, this is a great film to check out! Like I said, it will make you hungry so be ready for that.

(We dedicate this review to the beauty queen herself, Brittany Murphy. You were excellent in films like Clueless, and still delivered with this movie you produced. We are very sorry about your early passing, and are sure you're reading this personal message as our tribute, from our network to you. We would be happy to contribute to your foundation, the Brittany Murphy Foundation, but it has been defunct since 2018. Anyway, no matter what, this movie secured our fanaticism toward you and your amazing acting. Thank you with all our hearts Brittany, we love you, and may all films of yours, like this, continue to live on. We hop you do, too. Shout out to all your family members and friends who have known you ever since. Rest in peace, as we are big fans and we love you always. Always.)

FEATURE PRESENTATION5/5

ARTWORK5/5

CONTENTS4/5

QUALITY5/5

PLUSES

Brittany Murphy (rest in peace).
Simple story that may as well be featured on the Hallmark channel, Lifetime and/or Freeform.
A simple film that will make you hungry (today's romance films almost always include scenes with food, don't they?).
Folks in Hollywood may attempt to remake this—the romantic connection of Asian-Western love.
Excellent portrayal of the typical American attitude and behavior, in comparison to other cultures.

MINUSES

Profane language dubbed over.

95% (A)

Fan Rating

PROFILE
Title	The Ramen Girl
Description	Her romance is on pins and noodles. An American slacker (Brittany Murphy, 8 Mile; Girl, Interrupted) abandoned by her boyfriend in Tokyo finds her calling in an unlikely place: a local ramen house run by a tyrannical chef who doesn't speak a word of English. Undaunted by the chef's raging crankiness, Abby convinces him to teach her the art of ramen preparation...and despite hilarious clashes of culture and personality, she learns how to put passion and spirit into her life as well as her cooking. BONUS FEATURES • Deleted Scenes • Alternate Ending • Trailer
ISBN / Bar Code number	0 14381 60842 7
DVD Amaray Movie Credits	MEDIA 8 ENTERTAINMENT presents in association with DIGITAL SITE CORPORATION BRITTANY MURPHY "THE RAMEN GIRL" TOSHIYUKI NISHIDA TAMMY BLANCHARD GABRIEL MANN DANIEL EVANS RENJI ISHIBASHI SOHEE PARK KIMIKO YO and TSUTOMU YAMAZAKI casting by VICTORIA THOMAS and YOKO NARAHASHI music by CARLO SILLIOTTO music supervisor HOWARD PAAR costume designer DONA GRANATA editor RICK SHAINE, a.c.e. production designer TSUTOMU IMAMURA director of photography TOSHITAKA SAKAMOTO executive producers MASAFUMI ODAWARA MICHAEL ELIASBERG CLEVE LANDSBERG produced by ROBERT ALLAN ACKERMAN BRITTANY MURPHY STEWART HALL YOKO NARAHASHI screenplay by BECCA TOPOL directed by ROBERT ALLAN ACKERMAN
Program Content and Artwork	© 2008 HAPPY NOODLE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
DVD Package Design	© 2009 IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Video Format	1.85:1 (16:9) / Widescreen
Audio Format	Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Disc Count	One (1)
Language(s)	English
Genre	Comedy
Subtitles	Spanish, English for the Hearing-impaired
Rated	PG-13 \| Some Sexual Content Supplemental Materials Not Rated
Region	Region 1 - NTSC
Specification	Color
Features	[MAIN MENU]: (1. Play Movie, 2. Languages, 3. Subtitles, 4. Scene Selections, 5. Special Features) [PLAY MOVIE], [LANGUAGES]: (1. English 2-Channel, 2. Spanish Mono), [SUBTITLES]: (1. English SDH, 2. Spanish, 3. None), [SCENE SELECTIONS]: (1. Welcome to Japan, 2. Ra-men, 3. Helping, 4. 5:00 AM, 5. Clean, 6. Holiday, 7. Lessons, 8. The Path of Life, 9. Merry Christmas, 10. I Don't Understand, 11. Spirit, 12. Trial Run, 13. Grand Master, 14. Successor, 15. Welcome to My Ramen Shop, 16. End Credits), [EXTRAS]: (1. Alternate Ending, 2. Deleted Scenes, 3. Trailer), [SPECIAL FEATURES]: (1. Theatrical Trailer, 2. Talent & Filmographies)
Studio	media8entertainment
Production	media8entertainment
Company	Image Entertainment
Item / Product Number	THE RAMEN GIRL MEE6084DVDLIT
Closed Captioning	--
DVD Release	May 26, 2009
Run Time	102 minutes (Incendiary trailer - 01:35, Lost in Austen trailer - 01:35, FBI Warning/IMAGE Entertainment splash screens - 0:26, Title Menu - 0:44, Feature film - 1:42:13, Alternative ending - 02:32, [DELETED SCENES]: Ethan Leaves - 01:15, Can You Correct My Translation? - 01:01, Alone in Tokyo - 01:07, Lonely Girl - 02:20, Abby's Mom Calls - 01:14, Abby Asks for More Work - 00:32, Abby Quits Her Job - 00:49, Gretchen Leaves a Message - 00:58, Abby Gets Kendo Lesson - 02:25, Charlie Leaves a Message - 00:30, Farm Girl from Iowa - 00:53, Gretchen Gets Fired - 00:59, Stranger in the House - 00:58, Sleepover at Charlie's - 03:52, Abby's First Kendo Match - 00:32, Gretchen Spirals Downward 01:58, Where Life Takes You 02:45. Movie trailer - 02:00. Total DVD time: 2:15:13)
Copyright	© 1999, 2000 Volcano Entertainment III, L.L.C. Manufactured in the United States by Zomba Recording
Other Formats	????
Quoted Reviews	--
Other	20525 NORDHOFF STREET, SUITE 200, CHATSWORTH, CA 91311 www.watchimage.com *THE RAMEN GIRL* IS PRESENTED IN A 1.85:1 WIDESCREEN ASPECT RATIO. ENHANCED FOR 16:9 TVs. Store under cool, dry conditions. DUAL LAYER FORMAT: Layer transitions may trigger a slight pause. WARNING: The program contained in these DVDs is authorized for private home use only. All other rights are retained by the copyright proprietor. The FBI investigates allegations of copyright infringement, and federal law provides severe criminal and civil penalties for those found to be in violation. Made in U.S.A.

Credits

Directed by
ROBERT ALLAN ACKERMAN

Screenplay by
BECCA TOPOL

BRITTANY MURPHY

THE RAMEN GIRL

TOSHIYUKI NISHIDA

TAMMY BLANCHARD

GABRIEL MANN

DANIEL EVANS

RENJI ISHIBASHI

SOHEE PARK

KIMIKO YO

and
TSUTOMU YAMAZAKI

Casting by
VICTORIA THOMAS
YOKO NARAHASHI

Produced by
ROBERT ALLAN ACKERMAN
BRITTANY MURPHY

Produced by
STEWART HALL
YOKO NARAHASHI

Executive Producer
MASAFUMI ODAWARA

Executive Producer
MICHAEL ELIASBERG
CLEVE LANDSBERG

Director of Photography
YOSHITAKA SAKAMOTO

Production Designer
TSUTOMU IMAMURA

Editor
RICK SHAINE, a.c.e.

Costume Designer
DONA GRANATA

Co-Executive Producer
SHIRO WAKEBE

Co-Producers
PHILIP HALL
RANDY DANNENBERG

Co-Producers
TSUTOMU SAKURAI
MIREI YOSHINO

Music by
CARLO SILIOTTO

Music Supervision
HOWARD PAAR

Line Producer
KIMIO KATAOKA

Unit Production Manager
MOTOKI ISHIDA

First Assistant Director
ED LICHT (US)
TAKASHI INOUE (JPN)

Second Assistant Directors
HIROSHI SAITO
HIROYASU KITAGAWA

CAST
In order of appearance

Abby    BRITTANY MURPHY
Young Boy    KOSEI ASAMI
Ethan    GABRIEL MANN
Mio    AKIKO MONOU
Jin    HARUKI KOBAYASHI
Asami    MARIA ABE
Tom    DAISUKE TAKAHASHI
Charlie    DANIEL EVANS
Gretchan    TAMMY BLANCHARD
Taxi Driver    DAIGO TANJI
Wilson    THANE CAMUS
Hanako    HAKO UENO
Vendor    MASAYUKI MAEKAWA
College Student    YUYA OGAWA
College Student    TOMOYUKI KURAMOTO
Young Man at the Shrine    YUTA
Young Woman at the Shrine    NANA
Goth Boy at the Shrine    SHINJI SUZUKI
Maezumi    TOSHIYUKI NISHIDA
Reiko    KIMIKO YO
Suzuki    KEN TOYAMA
Depressed Businessman    JUDAI IKESHITA
Secretary    SACHIKO MATSUURA
Megumi    TOMIKO ISHII
Midori    REI OKAMOTO
Harumi's Colleague    NITTA TANABE
Harumi    KEN MAEDA
Gretchan's Patron    TAKEO NAKAHARA
Toshi    SOHEE PARK
Akira    TAKAKI UDA
Kuma    TAKAHIRO HIRANO
Udagawa    RENJI ISHIBASHI
Udagawa's Son    TAKANOBU KANEKO
Kendo Master    YUTAKA ODA
Ueno    SONHA CHO
Manager    MAN KATO
Male Singer    KAZUYA TAKAHASHI
Elf #1    TAKAKO OGASAWARA
Elf #2    MAI ISHIKAWA
Mamasan    KAORI MOMOI
Yuki    MASAYOSHI HANADA
Merchant 1    MASAYOSHI NOGAMI
Merchant 2    HIDEKI KURAUCHI
Merchant 3    SHU NAKAJIMA
Twin Babies (Emiko, Aiko)    RURU, MIMI FURUYA
Kenichi    NAOKI SAITO
Maezumi's Mother    HISAKO OOKATA
Grand Master    TSUTOMU YAMAZAKI
NY Young Female Cook    TIFFANY MARTIN
NY Waitress    SONYA INGE
NY Waiter    JUSTIN BERTI
Latino Customer    JORGE DIAZ RODRIGUEZ
Female Customer    DONA GRANATA
Male Customer    EDWARD PATAZIAN

Assistant Editor    MARTIN HESELOV

Post Production Supervisor    TIM PEDEGANA

Set Designer    KYOICHI OKAMURA

Stylist    KYOKO TSUNODA

Art Department Assistants    YOSHIAKI NAGASHIMA
ASUKA TADA
NOBUKO MORIKAWA

Fourth Assistant A-Camera    KAORI MIYAHARA

Second Assistant B-Camera    TAKUYA SATO

Third Assistant B-Camera    SHINJI YOSHIDA

Camera Department Assistant    EIKU TAMADA

Steadicam Operator    JEFF CLARK

Script Supervisor    KAZUKO SHINGYOKU

Production Sound Mixer    KUNIO ANDO

Boom Operator    KAZUNORI FUJIMARU

Sound Utility    HISAFUMI TAKEUCHI

Sound Assistants    YOSHIHIRO SHIMODA
JUN KOBAYASHI

Stylist Assistants    MARI KODO
YURI YAMAGUCHI
MAYUKO INOUE

Costume Design Assistant    JERIANA SAN JUAN

Costume Assistant    EIKOKUYA

Hair and Make-up Artist    NAOKI KAMADA

Make-up Artist for Brittany Murphy    MAYA HARDINGE

Hair Dresser for Brittany Murphy    ROBERTO RAMOS

Additional Hair and Make-up Artists    YUKO SOEJIMA
AI INOUE
SIAN RICHARDS

Hair and Make-up Assistants    KAZUMI MATSUYAMA
KAZUE KAWAMURA
YUMO UMEZAWA
HITOMI TAKAHASHI

Additional Hair and Make-up Assistants    SHUNICHI KAWATA
KIYOKO OSHIMA
KUMI KIMURA
MIKI SUGIYAMA
KAYOKO OKUZUMI
YUKO FUKUSHIMA
TOMOKO SUZUKI

Brittany Murphy's Make-up Provided by    SHU UEMURA

Tattoo Artist    RYOKI KASUMI

Cooking Stylist    ERIKO FUKAZAWA

Ramen Advisor    SHIGETOSHI NAKAMURA

Post Production Coordinator    TODD KOLKER

Post Production Intern    YOSHI ATSUMI

Avids Provided by    GEP

Gaffer    TAKESHI OKUBO

Chief Electrician    KAZUHIKO WAGURI

Electricians    TSUKASA INAMINE
YUTAKA ONO
HIROAKI FUKUNAGA
MITURU ISHIHARA

Additional Electricians    DAIGO YOKOTA
JUNICHI HONDA
TOSHIHIRO KIZU
AGURU MIYANAGA
SATOSHI OBA
TSUYOSHI SHOJI
SEIJI MIYASAKA
KAZUHIRO KAWANA
TAKESHI KAGAMI
TAKAFUMI SASAKI
KOICHI TATEBE
HIDEAKI OI
HIDEAKI HAYAKAWA

Key Grip    SHUICHI KIMOTO

Grip    HIROKI TANAKA

Property Master    RIEKO ARAI

Assistant Property Master    ERIKO TAMAKI

Action Coordinator    YUTA MOROKAJI

Special Effects    HIROYUKI HATORI
YUKIO UDAGAWA
TOSHIMITSU TAKAMIZAWA
YUTAKA YOKOI

Production Manager    KUNIHIRO YASUDA

Production Coordinator    SADAMI HWANG

Additional 2nd Assistant Director    HIROYASU KITAGAWA

3rd Assistant Director    JON HIJIRI

4th Assistant Director    MASARU IWASAKI

5th Assistant Director    HITOMI SAKURAI

Assistant to Mr. Ackerman    SHUREI SIT

Assistants to Ms. Murphy    MIKKI PALLAS

Bodyguard for Ms. Murphy    NESTOR TAKAMIYAGI

Set Production Assistants    EMU SAKURAI
TAKAHARU INAGAKI
TAKAHIRO HONO
YOKO KYONO
SHO KUDO
KENJI OKAMOTO
KIYOTAKA INAGAKI
TAKASHI MIMATSU
KOTA SUEMITSU
HAYATO CHAKI
YASUHIRO UEDA
YUYA MOCHIZUKI
TAKURO TAKAHASHI
RENTO FUJIMORI
YOSHIFUMI NAGASAWA

Casting Coordinator    NOBUAKI MUROOKA

Assistant to Casting    KAZUHITO TSUTSUMI

Assistant to Extras Casting    HIROAKI WATANABE

Set Decorator    TAKAHIRO KURODA

Set Dressers    HIDEAKI HAYASAKA
TOMOAKI SAITO
TAKESHI IWAI
MAKIKO KAWAUCHI

Ramen Girl Bowl Logo Design    DAISUKE OMI

Supervising Sound Editor    TRIP BROCK

Sound Effects Editors    STEVEN AVILA
PETER LAGO

Dialogue Editor    BRIAN S.M. WROTH

ADR Editor    MICHAEL FOX

Foley Editor    BEN WHITVER

ADR Voice Casting    BARBARA HARRIS

First Assistant Sound Editor    STEVEN UTT

Foley Mixer    GREG MAUER

Foley Artists    ADAM DE COSTER
RICK OWENS

Re-Recording Mixers    MARK ROZETT, CAS
KELLY VANDEVER

Post Sound Coordinator    MELISSA STRATER

Re-Recorded at    MONKEYLAND AUDIO, INC.
AOI STUDIO

Construction    MASAAKI OZAKI

Location Managers    TOMOHIKO SEKI
KOTARO MIYATA

Insurance Provided by    AON / ALBERT G. RUBIN
BUCKLEY NORRIS and SHARI HUGGINS

Banking Services Provided by    FIRST REPUBLIC BANK
GREG HADDAD

Clearance Services Provided by    ENTERTAINMENT CLEARANCES INC.
LAURA SEVIER

Music Legal    KEVIN KOLOFF

Completion Bond    FILM FINANCE

Production Accountants    NATSUKO NEZU
YURI MORIKAWA
SATOKO TSUJI

Production Accounting Services Provided by    PASS ACCOUNTING, INC.

American Production Accountant    DIANE PACHECO

Post Production Accountant    SUE MURPHY

Collection Account Management by    FINTAGE CAm B.V.

Still Photographer    AKIKO HONDA

Making Of    ATSURO KIDO
SHOJI KUDAKA

Transportation Drivers    KATSUAKI INOUE
TOSHIKAZU SUZUKI
HIROYUKI KATAOKA
AKIHIKO MASUDA
KENJI MIZUSAKI
YOSHINORI FURIKOMA
MINORU HIGA
TAKESHI UEHARA
SHOJI GODA
WATARU WAKITA
JUN OUICHI
TOSHIHIKO TAKUMA
TOSHIHIRO HAYASHI
KAZUKO SAWAMURA
HIROSHI AOKI
NAOYUKI ITOH
SHIGEO NOZAWA
IPPEI ITOH
MASATOMI OKAMOTO

Production Company    TOKYO IMAGE STUDIO

Script Translators    NORIKO YOSHIOKA
SHUREI SIT

Bilingual Production Assistants    BRIAN KOBO
MAKI KAYO

Translators    YUKO CHIBA
HARUKA TSUTSUI

Additional Translators    KATSUYA TSUKUI
NORIKO YOSHIOKA
TAEKO HATAKEYAMA

Assistant to Ms. Granata    TAMOTSU ONO

Stand-ins    MASAYUKI MAEGAWA
TETSUYA FUKATSU
TAKAKO OGASAWARA

Catering    AKINO GINI

Key Craft Service    CHIHARU MORITA

Visual Effects by    NTT LEARNING SYSTEMS

VFX Supervisors    MANABU SHINODA
TAKESHI SHIN

Compositor    HIROKI MORI

Matte Artists    REIKO NOHARA
AYAKO KAWAWA-HYATT

Digital Intermediate by    TOEI LABO TECH CO., LTD.

Technical Coordinator    MAKOTO NEGISHI

Lab Timing    NOBORU TOMITA

PIRANHA Editor    MANABU SUZUKI
OSAMU ABE

Colorist    SOICHI SATAKE
MASARU SATOH

Additional Colorist    DAVID BLOCK

Color Management    KDMS/PISARO

Film Recording    ARRI LASER

Color Grading    DAVINCI RESOLVE

Digital Editing    PIRANHA

Titles Design by    PACIFIC TITLE

Original Score Produced and Coordinated by    DANIEL HAMUY

Music Coordinator    DREW DeASCENTIS

Midi Programming    MARCELLO DeFRANSISCI
DANIEL HAMUY

Original Score Recorded by    CZECH REPUBLIC SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA

Orchestra Conductor    ADAM KLEMENS

Orchestra Recorded by    ORCHESRA.NET

Recording Engineer - Prague    VIT KRAL

Recording Engineer - Los Angeles    STEVE SALANI

Orchestra Soloist - Piano    MICHAL REZEK

Erhu Soloist    GUANGMING LI

Ehru Recorded at    SCULPTURED MUSIC STUDIOS, LOS ANGELES, CA

Ehru Recorded by    DINO HERRMANN

Mixing Studio    GLENWOOD STUDIOS, LOS ANGELES, CA

Score Mixing Engineer    MARCO STRECCIONI

Engineer Assistant    JAMES MURRAY

ProTools Operator    DREW DeASCENTIS

Mixed by    MARCO STRECCIONI
CARLO SILIOTTO
DANIEL HAMUY

Additional Music Editor    JULIE PEARCE

Music Copying    KEYSOUND PRODUCTIONS

Music Preparation    LENONA WALTON
GIOVANNI ROTONDO

Music Assistant    KAREN SIDLOW

Music Consultant    KENTARO TOKUHIRO
DIAMOND HEAD KK

For Media 8

JESSICA COPPOLA    TERESA LUNDY
PHOENIX CROSS    LIZ MACKIEWICZ
DEVIN CUTLER    JEFF MAURO
RANDY DANNENBERG    LAURA McCOY
AUDREY DELANEY    FRED MICHAELS
KRISTIN FIGEROID    LISA MITCHELL
JOY HOLLAND    GABRIELLA PLATTNER
VICKY KOPELEVICH    PETER ROWLEY
PIERRE KURLAND    JENNA SANZ-AGERO
TIFFANY LECLERE    APRIL TASKIN
JIMMY LI    CAROLE WHEELER

For Ray

HIDEO WAKEBE    FUJIO KAWASAKI
TAKAMITSU WATANABE    KENTO MURAISHI

For Digital Site

MASAMI KAWAMATA    KAZUHIRO TAKADA
SHINICHI SASAKI    MASAAKI TERADA
HARUMI SUZUKI

For United Performers' Studio

YOSHIYUKI NARAHASHI    ETSUKO KOBAYASHI
KAZUHITO TSUTSUMI    HAURHIKO SHIMIZU

Film Acquisition For Digital Site
JONATHAN PLATT
YVONNE MCDONALD

SONGS

"LIGHTS GO OUT"
Performed by: Client
Written by: Kate Holmes, Sarah Blackwood and Martin Glover
Courtesy of: Loser Friendly Records

"DRIVE"
Performed by: Client
Written by: Kate Holmes, Sarah Blackwood and Martin Glover
Courtesy of: Loser Friendly Records

"ORENO UTA"
Performed by: Ryotaro Sugi
Written by: Ryotaro Sugi
Courtesy of: Teichiku Entertainment, Inc.
Courtesy of: Globule Music Publishers, Inc.

"KASUMISOU"
Performed by: Natsuko Godai
Written by: Hifumi Midori and Eiji Takino
Courtesy of: Sony/BMG

"MY WILD SIDE"
Performed by: Andrea Wasse
Written by: Andrea Wasse, Robert Wells and Christopher Ward
Courtesy of: Bosse Wasse Records

"TROPICANDO" (Remix)
Performed by: Les Maxter
Written by: Les Baxter
Remix by: The Newton Boys
Courtesy of: Madacy Entertainment and
Kid Gloves Records

"LIVIN' IN THE CITY"
Performed by: Johnny Boy
Written by: Johnny Boy
Courtesy of: Johnny Bouy Recordings

"BOUKYOU SHAMISEN"
Performed by: Rumi Yamagichi
Written by: Haru Nakazato
Courtesy of: Teichiku Entertainment, Inc.
Courtesy of: RF Music Publisher Inc.

"KITANO RYOUBA"
Performed by: Saburo Kitajima
Written by: Seiichi Sakurada and Kaoru Shinjo
Courtesy of: Nippon Crown Co., LTD
Courtesy of: Kitajima Music Publishers, Inc.

"RAMEN GIRL"
Performed by: Asobi Seksu
Written by: Nick Zarin Ackerman
Courtesy of: Dream Pop Universelle

Special Thanks

ABISTE    LIBERAL
ACE CO., LTD    M. KENJIRO
AIMI MIWA    MANABU IMAI - RF MUSIC PUBLISHERS INC.
ALONZO CRUZ    MARUHO SHOJI LTD,.CO [sic]
AMERICAN APPAREL    MATSUSHITAHAIKEI
ANTILLES    MELROSE AVE.
APRICA    MICHELLE DUNTON
ARAKAWA KABUSHIKI KAISHA AMOUR    MIHARAYASUHIRO
ARC. SYSTEM    MIKE TSAI
ARGOS    MISS SIXTY
ASHIGARASHINRINKOEN MARUTANOMORI    MODEL LANGUAGE STUDIO
ASKA LOC LEASE    MTO
ATRIE SENKA    MUNETOKKI
ATSUKO SHIMOZATO    MUUNBATTO LTD,. CO [sic]
AZUMAKASEI    NAITO SHOJI LTD,. CO [sic]
BAKU BAKU - KYO    NAOMI UOZUMI
BALI BARRET    NIHON CINE SERVICE
BALILAX    NIHON SHOMEI
BLOOM    NTT LEARNING SYSTEMS
BOSHIYA OVERRIDE    OAKWOOD RESIDENCE T-CUBE
BRAND OFF TOKYO    OFFICE SEKKEI
BRIAN HULSE    OIZUMI BIJUTSU
BUCKLEY NORRIS    OLIVER PEOPLES TOKYO GARALLERY
CARIANNE BROWN    OSAWA SEISAKUJO
CARY MIZOBE    PAT LUCAS
CHIE    PAUL SMITH
CINEMA INVESTMENT    PEACEBOAT
CITRUS NOTES    PEOPLE OF SHINSEN
CLUB NEO    PETRO ZILLIA
CLUB XROSS    PMA
COLZA DESIGN    POST FOUNDATION
CORIOLIS    RAMENYA, LOS ANGELES
CRAIG YOSKOWITZ    RICH
CRICKET     RIKI PROJECT (TAKURO NAGAI)
CROQUIA CL    RINGO LTD,. CO [sic]
DAI18 KYUTEI MANSION    ROPPONGI PRINCE HOTEL
DAZZLIN'DAZZIE    ROYKI ARITA - TEICHIKU ENTERTAINMENT, MANAGER A&R DEPARTMENT
DEAREST STYLE
DIANA LA POINTE    RYUSHANGHAI
DIOR    SAKAZEN BAKUROCHOTEN
DORMEUIL    SANWA
DOUG JAMES    SATORUTANAKA
DRESSCAMP    SCHIATTI
DTC    SENSOYUNIKO
EF ET PE    SEVEN UNIFORM
EGUCHI BUDOGU TEN    SHARI HUGGINS
EIKOKUYA    SHIBUYA FRONTIER
ENERGIE    SHINSEN MARUYAMA SHINEIKAI
EPA    SHINSHIFUKU KONAKA
FAIR FAX    SHINYOKOHAMA RAUMEN MUSEUM
FILM COMMISSION ASHIGARA    SHISUIEN
FIORE    SHOZO TSUJIISHI - TEICHIKU ENTERTAINMENT
FOLK    SNIDEL
FOSSIL JAPAN    STEFANEL
FUJITO ABE
KITAJIMA MUSIC PUBLISHERS INC., PRODUCER    STUDIO SAI
SUPER DRIVERS
FUKUCHAN RAUMEN    SUZI YAMAGUCHI
GAKUSEIFFUKU NO KO-DO    SWEAR
GALSVILLE    TAKAHAMATOSO
HACHIYA    TAKAKI UDA
HARUKIYA    TAKASHI MURA
I PHIL    TAKATSU SOUSHOKU BIJUTSU
ICDB    TAKEHISA GOTO - TEICHIKU ENTERTAINMENT, GENERAL MANAGER A&R
IMAC
IO    TEC'S
JIKYOU-KAN    TELUMIKKU
JUN IMAI    TOEI LABO TECH
JUNKO ARAI    TOEI STUDIOS
K PLANNING    TOKYO IMAGE STUDIO
K3    TOKYO LOCATION BOX
KAORI EGUCHI    TOKYO METROPOLITAN CENTRAL WHOLESALE MARKET TSUKIJI MARKET
KATHERINE HAMNETT LONDON
KATHY    TOYOKAWA-INARI
KENSSCRATCH    TPT
KEVIN KOLOFF    TRANSPORTATION BUREAU, CITY OF YOKOHAMA
KIKUYA GAKKITEN    UPS ACADEMY
KOMURASAKI    USEN
KOUSAKU YAMADA    WENDE CROWLEY
KURI-KU    YOKOHAMA FILM COMISSION [sic]
KURT WOOLNER    YUKI FUJISAWA
KUSAKA KINJI    YUKO NAKAOKU - RF MUSIC PUBLISHERS INC.
KYOKAORI    ZAIM
LECENT    ZUIEN-JI
LE CORDON BLEU

Club Clip:

Steam Head Original
Director / Script: Hiroyuki Nakano
Design / Production: P.I.C.S.
Copyright: TV Tokyo / P.I.C.S.
Distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment (Japan) Limited

© TV TOKYO / P.I.C.S.Co.,Ltd.
TM,AE & Copyright ©2006 by Paramount Pictures, All Rights Reserved.

Kentaro Mori / FUTURE EXPRESS

The Asahi Shimbun Company

KG KEISOKU
GIKEN

VARICAM
F-Rec/DI

Panasonic

shu uemura

Ascent
Media

SUNTORY

The Major League Baseball trademarks depicted in this
motion picture were licensed by Major League Baseball Properties, Inc.

Color by and/or Prints by
TOEI LABO TECH
ASCENT MEDIA

THIS PICTURE MADE UNDER
THE JURIDICTION OF

AFFILIATED WITH
A.F.L./C.I.O./C.L.C.

NO. 44868
MOTION PICTURE CORPORATION OF AMERICA

DOLBY
DIGITAL
IN SELECTED THEATRES

Copyright ©2006 Media 8
All Rights Reserved

Country of First Publication: United States of America.

Media 8 is the author of this motion picture for purposes of
the Berne Convention and all national laws giving effect thereto.

THE CHARACTERS AND EVENTS DEPICTED IN THIS PHOTOPLAY ARE FICTITIOUS.
ANY SIMILARITY TO ACTUAL PERSONS, LIVING OR DEAD,
IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL.

THIS MOTION PICTURE IS PROTECTED
UNDER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER COUNTRIES.
UNAUTHORIZED DUPLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR EXHIBITION MAY RESULT IN
CIVIL LIABILITY AND CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

Kris Caballero

Founder and operator of KCU Network, Kris has been writing since managing his personal blog created back in late 2005. Despite producing content from time to time for the network's website, Kris enjoys playing old video/DOS games, studying video technologies, keeping up with quantum computing and enjoys watching sports.

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