A movie writer said. Toho, the distributor of “Kokuho,” had already predicted more than a month ago that “Odoru” would overtake “Odoru” to become the number one live-action Japanese film of all time. Since “Odoru” was produced by Fuji Television Network, it was forced to mobilize audiences by repeatedly running advertisements featuring cast members such as Yuji Oda and Toshiro Yanagiba on everything from morning information programs to evening variety shows. However, “Kokuho” does not involve a TV station, and it is a big production based on the theme of kabuki, a traditional Japanese performing art. This is a live-action adaptation of a masterpiece novel written by author Shuichi Yoshida, who spent three years in kabuki black and interviewed kabuki actors on stage and in their dressing rooms. The film depicts the 50-year life of the protagonist (Yoshizawa Ryo), who was born into a chivalrous family but lost his father in a war and was taken in by a famous kabuki actor. There have not been many films based on Kabuki, and at first it was whispered in the industry that the box office would probably be around 1 billion yen, but when the film opened, it was an unprecedented hit. Why is it so popular? The most noticeable group in the movie theaters is the elderly. They are motivated by a renewed interest in the traditional Japanese culture of kabuki, and many are watching the film to reflect on their own lives by comparing the 50 years of a kabuki actor’s life to their own. However, the number of young people who come to the theater is also increasing as a result of feedback on social networking services, and the theater has a structure that attracts both older and younger audiences. The number of repeat viewers is increasing rapidly, as people feel the need to recommend the film to others after seeing it, while at the same time enjoying the beauty of the images again.
