, stylized in promotional materials as ''BU・SU'', is a 1987

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Jun Ichikawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. He was first a director of television commercials before adding filmmaking to his creative activities. His most famous film outside Japan is '' Tony Takitani'', an adaptation of a short story by Har ...

. It was Ichikawa's feature film debut. The film was theatrically released by

Toho-Towa is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...

on October 31, 1987, in

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Its score was composed by Bun Itakura, while the film's theme song, "Ajisai no Uta" (あじさいのうた, Hydrangea Song), was performed by

Yuko Hara Yuko Hara (原由子 ''Hara Yūko'', born December 11, 1956, in Yokohama, Japan, nicknamed "Harabo") is the keyboardist for Southern All Stars. She is also a vocalist and writes many of her own songs. She is married to Keisuke Kuwata, the mul ...

of the band

Southern All Stars , also known by the abbreviations and SAS, are a Japanese rock band formed in Kanagawa in 1974. The band is composed of Keisuke Kuwata (lead vocals and guitars), Yuko Hara (vocals and keyboards), Kazuyuki Sekiguchi (bass), (drums) and (pe ...

. Lead actress

Yasuko Tomita is a japanese former idol, singer and actress. She won the Award for Best Newcomer at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival and at the 8th Japan Academy Prize for '' Aiko 16 sai''. She also worked with director Nobuhiko Obayashi in the acclaimed fant ...

received awards for her performance in the film.

Premise

After a traumatic incident, 18-year-old Mugiko (

) departs her Izu island village, leaving behind her mother, a famous former

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha{{efn, {{IPAc-en, lang, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ., ʃ, ə, {{IPA, ja, ɡei.ɕa, ɡeː-, lang{{cite book, script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典, publisher=NHK Publishing, editor= ...

. Mugiko goes to live with her aunt, who runs a geisha house in the

Kagurazaka is a neighbourhood in Tokyo, northwest of Iidabashi Station. It has a shopping street at its center, lined by numerous cafés and restaurants. It is served by Tokyo Metro Tozai Line and Toei Oedo Line. History The main road of Kagurazaka was ...

district of

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. Once she arrives, Mugiko chooses to enroll in geisha training as her mother once did, while also attending high school in the city. She is given the geisha name "Suzume" by her aunt. Her decision, however, is met with a number of obstacles. She begins her training at the lowest level, only allowed to serve drinks to the customers. After angering her aunt with her lack of ability, Mugiko is further demoted, made to run behind the carriages that move the geishas from event to event. Mugiko's school life is similarly troubled. Her timid and private nature leaves her isolated from her peers. Tsuda (

Masahiro Takashima is a Japanese actor and singer. Early life Takashima comes from a family of actors, including his father Tadao Takashima, his mother Hanayo Sumi, and his younger brother Masanobu Takashima. Career Acting Takashima debuted in the 1987 film '' ...

), a handsome classmate and boxing enthusiast, is the only person Mugiko interacts with. A popular fellow classmate, jealous of Tsuda's attraction to Mugiko, peer pressures Mugiko into performing for their school's

centenary A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

cultural festival. Despite her reluctance, Mugiko decides to perform the climactic scene of

Yaoya Oshichi , literally "greengrocer Oshichi", was a daughter of the greengrocer Tarobei, who lived in the Hongō neighborhood of Edo at the beginning of the Edo period. She was burned at the stake for attempting to commit arson. The story (see below) beca ...

, a

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

play based on the story of a teenage girl who committed arson to be reunited with a boy she loved. With the help of her aunt and a mentally impaired girl whom she saved from bullying, Mugiko prepares for her performance and begins to open up to the world around her.

Cast

Production

''Bu Su'' was originally conceived as a vehicle for

, an

idol Idol or Idols may refer to: Religion and philosophy * Cult image, a human-made object that is venerated or worshipped for the deity, spirit or daemon that it embodies or represents * Murti, a devotional image of a deity or saint used during puja ...

who was at the peak of her popularity in the late 1980s. She had previously given an award-winning performance in '' Aiko 16 sai'' (1983), and had also starred in the

Nobuhiko Obayashi was a Japanese film director, director, screenwriter and film editing, editor of films and television advertisements. He began his filmmaking career as a pioneer of Japanese experimental films before transitioning to directing more mainstream m ...

films '' Lonely Heart'' and ''Four Sisters'', both in 1985. Obayashi was originally set to direct ''Bu Su'', but he chose to make ''

His Motorbike, Her Island is a 1986 Japanese romance film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, based on a 1977 novel by Yoshio Kataoka. Produced by Kadokawa Haruki Jimusho, the film stars Kiwako Harada, Riki Takeuchi, Noriko Watanabe and Tomokazu Miura. Takeuchi, in his actin ...

'', ''Poisson D'avril'', ''Bound for the Fields, the Mountains, and the Seacoast'' and ''

The Drifting Classroom is a Japanese Horror fiction, horror manga series written and illustrated by Kazuo Umezu. It was serialized in the List of manga magazines, manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from 1972 to 1974, and published as collected ''tankōbon'' ...

'' instead. Thus ''Bu Su'' became the directorial debut of in-demand commercial director Jun Ichikawa. The film's title is

pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...

slang referring to women who are not considered attractive. It can also refer to "emotional ugliness" and isolation. Frequent Ichikawa collaborator Bun Itakura composed the film's score, while musician

performed the film's theme song, "Ajisai no Uta" (あじさいのうた, Hydrangea Song).

Awards

9th

Yokohama Film Festival The is an annual awards ceremony held in Yokohama, Japan. Ten films are chosen as the best of the year and various awards are given to personnel. The first festival, held on February 3, 1980, was a small affair by fans and film critics. In 1994, ...

*Won: Best Actress -

*2nd Best Film

References

1987 films 1987 in Japanese cinema Films directed by Jun Ichikawa 1980s Japanese-language films 1980s Japanese films Japanese drama films Films about geisha {{1980s-Japan-film-stub