Tora's Pure Love
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a.k.a. ''Torasan Meets his School-Mates'' ''and'' ''Tora-san's Heart of Gold'' is a 1976 Japanese comedy film directed by
Yoji Yamada is a Japanese film director best known for his ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' series of films and his Samurai Trilogy ('' The Twilight Samurai'', '' The Hidden Blade'' and '' Love and Honor''). Biography Yamada was born in Osaka, but due to his father' ...
. It stars
Kiyoshi Atsumi , born , was a Japanese actor. He is best known for portraying Tora-san in the Japanese comedy film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo, a role he played 48 times over 26 years. Life and career Atsumi was born in Tokyo suffering from childhood malnutr ...
as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and
Machiko Kyō Motoko Yano, better known as , was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s. Considered one of Japan's first sex symbols and one of its greatest screen actresses, Kyō is best known for her critically acclaimed work with director ...
as his
love interest (; ) were stock characters within the theatre style known as commedia dell'arte, who appeared in 16th-century Italy. In the plays, everything revolved around the lovers in some regard. These dramatic and posh characters were present within pl ...
or "Madonna". ''Tora's Pure Love'' is the eighteenth entry in the popular, long-running ''
Otoko wa Tsurai yo is a Japanese film series starring Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma, whose nickname is , a kind-hearted vagabond who is always unlucky in love. The series itself is often referred to as "''Tora-san''" by its fans. Spanning 48 installments rel ...
'' series, and was Machiko Kyō's penultimate film appearance.


Plot

When Tora-san's infatuation with his nephew's school teacher causes family turmoil, he leaves on his travels again. When he returns, he falls in love with the teacher's mother, who has a terminal illness.


Cast

*
Kiyoshi Atsumi , born , was a Japanese actor. He is best known for portraying Tora-san in the Japanese comedy film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo, a role he played 48 times over 26 years. Life and career Atsumi was born in Tokyo suffering from childhood malnutr ...
as Torajirō *
Chieko Baisho is a Japanese actress and singer. In Japan, she is well known for her performance as Sakura in the ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' series from 1969 until 1995. In addition, she has acted in many films directed by Yōji Yamada since the 1960s. She won t ...
as Sakura *
Machiko Kyō Motoko Yano, better known as , was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s. Considered one of Japan's first sex symbols and one of its greatest screen actresses, Kyō is best known for her critically acclaimed work with director ...
as Aya Yagyū *
Fumi Dan (born June 5, 1954) is a Japanese actress. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 17th Japan Academy Prize for her role in '' Bloom in the Moonlight''. Her father is the novelist Kazuo Dan and she herself has won awards for her e ...
as Masako Yagyū *
Masami Shimojō was a Japanese film and stage actor. He appeared in more than 100 films. Career Hoping to become a film director, Shimojō traveled to Tokyo in 1935 but ended up joining a theater troupe, debuting on stage in 1936. He made his film debut in 194 ...
as Kuruma Tatsuzō *
Chieko Misaki Chieko Misaki (, ''Misaki Chieko''; 20 February 1921 – 13 February 2012) was a Japanese actress and singer known for her role as aunt Tsune Kuruma in the long-running '' It's Tough Being a Man'' film series. Life Misaki was born in an area of ...
as Tsune Kuruma (Torajiro's aunt) *
Gin Maeda (born February 21, 1944) is a Japanese actor. He had a regular role in the ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' films, beginning with the first in the series (1969), as Sakura's husband. Filmography Film *''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' series (1969–2019), Hiroshi S ...
as Hiroshi Suwa * Hayato Nakamura as Mitsuo Suwa *
Hisao Dazai Hisao (written: 央生, 久生, 久雄, 寿雄, 寿夫, 尚雄, 尚久 or 尚勇) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese voice actor *, Japanese government official *, Japanese baseball player *, Japa ...
as Boss (Umetarō Katsura) * Gajirō Satō as Genkō *
Chishū Ryū was a Japanese actor who, in a career lasting 65 years, appeared in over 160 films and about 70 television productions. Early life Ryū was born in Tamamizu Village, Tamana, Kumamoto, Tamana County, a rural area of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu ...
as Gozen-sama * Yoshio Yoshida as Chairman *
Mari Okamoto is a Japanese actress and voice actress. Biography Despite being born in Tokyo, Okamoto was actually raised in Hirakata, Osaka, where she also spent her elementary-school years. In 1961, she made her debut for performing arts activities in ...
as Sayuri Ōzora


Critical appraisal

''Tora's Pure Love'' was the sixth top-grossing Japanese film of 1976. However,
Stuart Galbraith IV Stuart Eugene Galbraith IV (born December 29, 1965) is an American film historian, film critic, essayist, and audio commentator. Early life and education Raised in Livonia, Michigan, Galbraith first worked professionally as a film reviewer and ...
writes that the film is disappointing in comparison with the previous ''
Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset a.k.a. ''Torasan and the Painter'' and ''Tora-san's Sunset Glow'' is a 1976 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Kiwako Taichi as his love interest or "Madonna". ''Tora-san's Su ...
'' (also 1976), more sentimental and less well-plotted than the earlier film. Galbraith judges ''Tora's Pure Love'' nevertheless to be funny, and enjoyable for the scenes between series star
Kiyoshi Atsumi , born , was a Japanese actor. He is best known for portraying Tora-san in the Japanese comedy film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo, a role he played 48 times over 26 years. Life and career Atsumi was born in Tokyo suffering from childhood malnutr ...
and actress
Machiko Kyō Motoko Yano, better known as , was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s. Considered one of Japan's first sex symbols and one of its greatest screen actresses, Kyō is best known for her critically acclaimed work with director ...
in one of her last appearances. The German-language site molodezhnaja gives ''Tora's Pure Love'' three and a half out of five stars.


Availability

''Tora's Pure Love'' was released theatrically on December 25, 1976. In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1996, and in DVD format in 1999 and 2008.


References


Bibliography


English

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German

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Japanese

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External links


''Tora's Pure Love''
at www.tora-san.jp (official site) {{Yoji Yamada 1976 films Films directed by Yoji Yamada 1976 comedy films 1970s Japanese-language films Otoko wa Tsurai yo films Japanese sequel films Shochiku films Films with screenplays by Yôji Yamada 1970s Japanese films