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is a 1997 Japanese
film directed by Koki Mitani
. It was popular in Japan upon its release and won 3 Japanese Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Sound, and Best Supporting Actor (Nishimura Masahiko). It was also nominated for Best Actor (Karasawa Toshiaki
), Best Actress (Kyōka Suzuki), Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Film, Best Lighting, Best Music Score, and Best Supporting Actress (Keiko Toda
).
) decides she won't play her role unless she's allowed to change her character's name, the whole cast eventually insists on changing various parts of the play to their liking. This begins a chain of events that completely changes every aspect of the story and requires the entire staff to participate in completing the drama, all while live on the air.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
film directed by Koki Mitani
Koki Mitani
is a Japanese playwright, screenwriter, actor and film director. He was previously married to Japanese actress Satomi Kobayashi. The name "Koki" is a combination of two Japanese characters - 幸 "Happy" and 喜 "Pleased". In an attempt to add his own character to his movies, as a director he takes...
. It was popular in Japan upon its release and won 3 Japanese Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Sound, and Best Supporting Actor (Nishimura Masahiko). It was also nominated for Best Actor (Karasawa Toshiaki
Toshiaki Karasawa
is a Japanese theatre and film actor. He made his theatrical debut in the play Voice Review Stay Gold in 1987. He specialises in theatrical action sequences such as swordplay and fighting...
), Best Actress (Kyōka Suzuki), Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Film, Best Lighting, Best Music Score, and Best Supporting Actress (Keiko Toda
Keiko Toda
is a Japanese actress and seiyū. Her most famous role is being the voice of the children's hero Anpanman on the long running anime Soreike! Anpanman...
).
Summary
A late-night live broadcast of a radio drama begins with none of the cast or crew being pleased with the project. When the lead actress Nokko Senbon (Keiko TodaKeiko Toda
is a Japanese actress and seiyū. Her most famous role is being the voice of the children's hero Anpanman on the long running anime Soreike! Anpanman...
) decides she won't play her role unless she's allowed to change her character's name, the whole cast eventually insists on changing various parts of the play to their liking. This begins a chain of events that completely changes every aspect of the story and requires the entire staff to participate in completing the drama, all while live on the air.
Cast
- Toshiaki KarasawaToshiaki Karasawais a Japanese theatre and film actor. He made his theatrical debut in the play Voice Review Stay Gold in 1987. He specialises in theatrical action sequences such as swordplay and fighting...
as Manabu Kudo, the director - Kyōka Suzuki as Miyako Suzuki, the writer
- Masahiko Nishimura as Tatsuhiko Ushijima, the producer
- Keiko TodaKeiko Todais a Japanese actress and seiyū. Her most famous role is being the voice of the children's hero Anpanman on the long running anime Soreike! Anpanman...
as Nokko Senbon, actress - Inoue Jun as Mitsutoshi Hirose, actor
- Toshiyuki HosokawaToshiyuki Hosokawawas a Japanese actor and disc jockey, whose credits included roles in television, film, stage and musical theater. He reached prominence in Japan for his starring role in the 1970 film Eros Plus Massacre, which was directed by Yoshishige Yoshida.Hosokawa was a raised in Fukuoka Prefecture...
as Hamamura Jo, actor - Kaoru Okunuki as Sumiko Nagai, assistant
- Zen KajiwaraZen KajiwaraZen Kajiwara , born 25 February 1966 in Okayama, Japan, is a Japanese theatre actor. Originally a member of the Tokyo Sunshine Boys theatrical troupe, he now works mainly with the Gekidan Shinkansen troupe....
as Harugoro Otaguro, staff - Moro Morooka as Bucky, the writer
- Yoshimasa KondoYoshimasa Kondo, born on August 13, 1961 in Nagoya, Japan, is a Japanese theatre and film actor.- Biography :He debuted as an extra in the series Chu-gaku-sei Nikki, and was later written into the script. He later gained notability while working with the theatrical troupe Tokyo Sunshine Boys, though he is not a...
as Shiro Suzuki, Miyako's husband - Akira FuseAkira Fuseis a Japanese singer who was once married to Olivia Hussey. He debuted in 1965 with the single . His greatest hits are and . He currently makes consistent appearances on television, performs occasional seasonal tours, hosts a late night talk show, and is involved in a number of stage plays...
as Shuji Horinouchi, the executive producer - Shunji FujimuraShunji Fujimurais a Japanese actor from Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan. He appeared in the second series of Monkey as the horse. He appears in the Death Note live-action movie as Quillsh Wammy A.K.A...
as Mansaku Iori - Shirô Namiki as Suguru Hosaka, announcer
- Hiromasa Taguchi as Makoto Tatsumi, sound mixer
- Yasukiyo Umeno as Furukawa
- Takehiko Ono as Ben Noda
- Ken WatanabeKen Watanabeis a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. To English-speaking audiences he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
as Truck Yaro - Kaori Momoi as Takako Nakaura, DJ
- Bsaku Sato as Iwao Kamota, sleeping guy
- Somegoro Ichikawa as Kimihoko Saimeiji, control room
- Nobuko MiyamotoNobuko Miyamotois a Japanese actress. She was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, and raised in Nagoya. She was married to director Jūzō Itami from 1969 until his death in 1997, and regularly starred in his films....
as Rumiko Yamazaki, cleaning lady
Trivia
- This film was also released at the Berlin International Film FestivalBerlin International Film FestivalThe Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
. - This film was originally a play starring the Tokyo Sunshine BoysTokyo Sunshine BoysThe is a Japanese theatrical troupe that was active from 1983 until about 1994. Since it disbanded almost all of its members have continued acting on theatre and in film.-History:...
in Japan. - This film is the first film ever directed by Koki Mitani. In the "making of" commentary included on the Japanese DVD, Mitani claimed that he worried the scenes were too long -- as a theatre writer, he did not know how to write short scenes.
- Ken Watanabe plays the Truckdriver Yaro. He played a similar character in the movie TampopoTampopois a 1985 Japanese comedy film by director Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto and Ken Watanabe. The publicity for the film calls it the first ramen western, a play on the term Spaghetti Western .-Plot summary:Tampopo begins when a pair of truck drivers, an experienced one named...
, a movie directed by Juzo ItamiJuzo Itami, born , was an actor and a popular modern Japanese film director. Many critics came to regard him as Japan's greatest director since Akira Kurosawa. His 10 movies, all of which he wrote himself, are comic satires on elements of Japanese culture....
. Another homage to Itami is a cameo by Itami's wife, Nobuko MiyamotoNobuko Miyamotois a Japanese actress. She was born in Otaru, Hokkaidō, and raised in Nagoya. She was married to director Jūzō Itami from 1969 until his death in 1997, and regularly starred in his films....
who starred in all of Itami's movies, including TampopoTampopois a 1985 Japanese comedy film by director Juzo Itami, starring Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto and Ken Watanabe. The publicity for the film calls it the first ramen western, a play on the term Spaghetti Western .-Plot summary:Tampopo begins when a pair of truck drivers, an experienced one named...
.