Yu Tokui Movies
- 2002
Prolific cult director Takashi Miike adapts Yuji Aoki's popular comic book into this black comedy about the life of a humble businessman struggling to stay afloat during Japan's economic doldrums. The film opens with the bankruptcy of a big Osaka supermarket chain. The news hits a family run printing business hard, which makes flyers for the store -- and if the supermarket's check bounces then most likely they'll go belly up. Umemoto (Yu Tokui) begs the head of the defunct supermarket (Maro Akaji) to honor his company's check, but the man demurs, saying he hasn't a penny to his name though his trophy wife continues to live a life of luxury. Just as Umemoto is preparing to take a long suck from his car's tail pipe, his suicide attempt is interrupted by a gang of yakuza roughing up a homeless shantytown next door. When Umemoto rushes one of the injured homeless to a local hospital, he finds himself made an honorary member of the camp, which they call Togen village. Umemoto soon befriends Kuwata (Shiro Sano), a failed writer who hit hard times, and the town's enigmatic "mayor" (Sho Aikawa sporting a fright wig). Moved by Umemoto's tale of woe, Kuwata vows to help him save his business. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yu Tokui, Shiro Sano, (more)
Reminiscent of the Australian hit Strictly Ballroom (1992), this romantic comedy from Japan was a hit in its country of origin, despite (or perhaps because of) its tacit criticisms of the restrictive aspects of Japanese culture. Shohei Sugiyama (Koji Yakusho) is a typically strait-laced Japanese businessmen who, passing by in his commuter train one day, glimpses a beautiful young woman, Mai (real-life ballerina Tamiyo Kusakari) through the window of a dance school. Obsessed with her, Shohei enrolls in the school and meets instructor Mai, who at first mistakes Shohei for a philanderer. To her surprise, however, Shohei is a naturally gifted dancer interested in an artistic partnership only, and Mai begins training with him for a competition. Meanwhile, Shohei becomes familiar with his eccentric fellow students, including one person that Shohei already knows, a co-worker (Akira Emoto) who blooms in the dance sessions as a bewigged master of rumba. As dancing is frowned upon in Japan as a frivolous enterprise for a respectable businessman, Shohei keeps his sideline hobby secret, leading his wife to believe that he's being unfaithful and to hire a private investigator to follow him. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, (more)
