Kikansha Sensei is a 2004 Japanese-language film by Ryuichi Hiroki

Ryuichi Hiroki

is a Japanese artist, film director, and film editor.-Biography:Ryūichi Hiroki is now one of the most prolific film directors in Japan. He is a pioneer in using digital video to shoot theatrical films in Japan...

 based on the best-selling book by Shizuka Ijuin.

Plot

A young teacher, Seigo Fujioka, arrives at a school of only seven pupils on a small island where his mother grew up. Due to a kendo accident, Seigo has permanently lost his voice. The children are anxious to meet their new teacher, but are surprised to find he doesn't speak a word. They soon become attached to their new teacher, naming him "Locomotive Teacher" because he looks big and strong like the picture of a locomotive hanging in their classroom. The adults are upset by the fact that they received a defective teacher, and many are hostile towards the outsider. The bond between Seigo and his pupils grows day by day, and one by one the adults begin to accept him, until tragedy strikes the island. One pupil, Shuhei, loses his father when his fishing boat sinks. Seigo helps Shuhei to accept reality, and realize that true strength is within oneself. However before he leaves the island, Seigo too will have to confront his own memories of the past to show his pupils what true courage is.

Cast & characters

Kenji Sakaguchi as Seigo Yoshioka

Masaaki Sakai

Masaaki Sakai

is a popular Japanese performer from Tokyo. He is best known to English-speaking audiences as the title star of the TV show Monkey.- Biography :...

 as Shuichiro Sako

Mitsuko Baisho as Yone Abe

Nene Otsuka as Yoshie Muroi

Masatô Ibu

Masato Ibu

' is a Japanese actor and voice actor.-Films:*Maison Ikkoku *Empire of the Sun as Sgt. Nagata*Sukeban Deka *Dr. Akagi *Taboo *Godzilla vs...

 as Jutaro Mimasaka

Masami Sato as Mieko Sako

Naoyuki Morita as Shuhei Nishimoto

Reviews

The film received generally favorable reviews, receiving praise for its cinematography and beautiful, authentic depictions of island life in Seto Naikai, where the film was shot. Mark Schilling of The Japan Times panned Sakaguchi’s performance, stating,
“This hunk of burnin' love, who comes from the worlds of fashion modeling and TV drama, complete with flawless cheekbones and flashing bedroom eyes, looks gorgeous on camera -- but is in far over his head playing a role that would have challenged a much more accomplished actor. He poses stiffly in scenes where Sean Penn would have bared his soul."
Writing for Variety

Variety (magazine)

Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...

, Russell Edwards’ review praised the performance of the children, while regarding the adults’ performances as “stiff.”

External links

• Schilling Review http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ff20040811a2.html
• Edwards Review http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117927855.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0