is a 2001 Japanese samurai film directed by
Hiroyuki Nakano. The film stars
Masanobu Andō in the title role and features a guest star appearance of
Tomoyasu Hotei
, also known simply as Hotei ( ), is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter, composer, record producer and actor. With a career spanning more than 35 years, Hotei claims record sales of over 40 million copies and has collaborated with acclaimed a ...
returning from the 1998 spin-off and virtual prequel ''
Samurai Fiction''. The film is loosely based on the 1960s manga
Akakage.
Plot
in 1545, the world was in the Warring States period. The servants surpassed the lord and defeated them frequently, and the Sengoku daimyo repeated fierce battles and were devoted to trade-in.
Among the ninjas who served them was a group of ninjas called the "Kage Clan". They serve the Sengoku daimyo Hidenobu Togo, and while faithfully performing all missions to unify the world, they make weapons and armor with metal that is stronger than any substance called "invincible steel" and meet mysterious ninjutsu. However, after a long time, the "invincible steel" dissipates and the number of people who can use the technique gradually decreases, and the legitimate successors of the Kage clan are the three people, Akakage, Aokage, and Asuka, who remain under the white shadow who is the leader. It was only leaving the young man. And I felt a big gap with the lesson passed down from generation to generation to the clan, "Working as a shadow for a peaceful world with light" to Togo, and the minds of Akakage and others began to get lost.
Cast
*
Masanobu Andō - Akakage
*
Megumi Okina - Koto-Hime
*
Kumiko Asō - Asuka
*
Jun Murakami
is a Japanese actor. He is not to be confused with Japanese stunt actor Jun Murakami.
Career
Murakami starred in Sho Miyake's ''Playback'' (2012). He co-starred in Sion Sono's '' The Land of Hope'' (2012) with Megumi Kagurazaka.
He has also ...
- Aokage
*
Naoto Takenaka
is a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and director from Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, affiliated with From First Production. He is married to idol singer and actress Midori Kinouchi. He is also known as the voice of Samuel L. Jac ...
- Shirokage
*
Fumiya Fujii - Ranmaru
*Shuhei Mainoumi - Rikimaru
*
Kei Tani - Roushi
*
Ryoko Shinohara
Ryōko or Ryouko is a Japanese female given name. The meanings of Ryoko vary depending on which Kanji is used to write the name.
Possible writings
* 涼子 – "refreshing, child"
* 亮子 – "helpful, child"
* 良子 – "good, child"
* 諒子 ...
- O-Rin
*
Kitarō - Roushi, Mura no chourou
*
Denden - Bonnobei
*
Masahiko Tsugawa - Tougou Hidenobu, Sengoku Daimyou
*
Yutaka Matsushige - Kamijou Takatora
*
Alina Kabaeva - Olga, Circus no shoujo
Reception
Mark Schilling of ''
The Japan Times
''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc.. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo.
History
''The Japan Times'' was launched b ...
'' stated that "There is not a dull moment in the film." but also that there was "unfortunately, not much in the way of real thrills or laughs, which ''
The Seven Samurai'' and ''
Yojimbo
is a 1961 Japanese samurai film co-written, produced, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film stars Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yoko Tsukasa, Isuzu Yamada, Daisuke Katō, Takashi Shimura, Kamatari Fujiwara, and Atsushi W ...
'' manage to have, despite the lack of cool computer graphics", and that "One day, maybe, Nakano will get around to filming a movie".
References
External links
*
2001 films
Japanese comedy films
2000s Japanese-language films
Ninja films
Samurai films
2000s Japanese films
{{2000s-comedy-drama-film-stub