Page

Kokuho

Watch trailer

02:10

Kokuho

Save

Summary

In post-war Japan's economic boom, gangster family-born Kikuo Tachibana finds himself adopted by a kabuki actor. Despite life's challenges, he develops into a gifted performer.

Ad

Powered By

IMDB

Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Steve Morrissey

Talent versus birthright is the question posed by this lavishly realised, decade-straddling epic from Japan. It follows the orphaned son of a yakuza as he works his way up the rankings as one of the onnagata - the men who play women in Japan's highly ritualised kabuki theatre. What emerges is an almost biblical tale of friendship and rivalry between gifted outsider Kikuo (Ryô Yoshizawa) and Shunsuke (Ryûsei Yokohama), the cosseted son of the kabuki master (Ken Watanabe) who first recognises Kikuo's ability and takes him on. As the action shifts from the 1960s to the 2010s, Sang-il Lee's film (whose title translates as "national treasure") presents its dramatic plot turns in stylised fashion, taking its cue from kabuki and cooling down what might otherwise be overcooked melodrama. It may be too restrained for some, but there are spectacular visuals and gorgeous costumes to feast the eyes on. It's also a useful introduction to the glorious realm of kabuki, in which maidens are always expiring on stage, but look how stylishly they go!

imdb-square

7.5/10

How to watch

Loading

Credits

Cast

rolenameKikuo TachibanaRyô YoshizawaShunsuke OgakiRyûsei YokohamaHarue FukudaMitsuki TakahataAkikoNana MoriSachiko OgakiShinobu Terajima

Show more

Crew

rolenameDirectorSang-il Lee

Details

Theatrical distributor

Vue Lumiere

Released on

2026-05-08

Languages

Japanese

Guidance

A sex scene

Formats

Colour

News & features about Kokuho

Ad

Ad

Ad