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Azumi 2
is a Japanese jidaigeki film written by Mataichiro Yamamoto and Yoshiaki Kawajiri, directed by Shusuke Kaneko, and starring Aya Ueto, Yuma Ishigaki, Chiaki Kuriyama and Shun Oguri. It is the only sequel to the Japanese film ''Azumi'' based on the manga series of the same title by Yū Koyama. Plot Azumi and her only remaining colleague Nagara find themselves hunted by ninjas hired by General Kanbei for the assassinations they have carried out. One of which is the killing of his master. They hid temporarily in a temple so Nagara can heal his wounds sustained from their recent encounter. Azumi comes across some bandits led by Ginkaku, a young bandit who bears a striking resemblance to Azumi's former friend (and love interest) Nachi. Later, Azumi and Nagara are found by the allied ninjas working for the priest Tenkai, upon whose orders the assassins initially began their mission. After discussing it with Tenkai, Azumi and Nagara leave to seek out their final target, Sanada Masayuki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shusuke Kaneko
is a Japanese filmmaker. Life and career Shūsuke Kaneko was born in Tokyo on June 8, 1955. According to the biography on his official website Kaneko was interested in science fiction, particularly Godzilla and Gamera films, from a young age. He became involved in amateur film making in his teen years, but majored in education when he attended Tokyo Gakugei University. After graduation, he found a job at the major Japanese movie studio Nikkatsu. By 1982 he was a screenwriter and assistant director for Nikkatsu's ''Roman Porno'' film series. He made his debut as a director with Nikkatsu in February 1984 with ''Kōichirō Uno's Wet and Swinging'', part of a long-running Nikkatsu series based on the works of erotic novelist Kōichirō Uno. That work along with two other ''Roman Porno'' films he directed for Nikkatsu that year, and , won him the Best New Director award at the 6th Yokohama Film Festival. The next year, his manga-based April 1985 movie for Nikkatsu, '' Minna Agecha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jidaigeki
is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—''Portrait of Hell'', for example, is set during the late Heian period—and the early Meiji era is also a popular setting. ''Jidaigeki'' show the lives of the samurai, farmers, craftsmen, and merchants of their time. ''Jidaigeki'' films are sometimes referred to as chambara movies, a word meaning "sword fight", though chambara is more accurately a subgenre of ''jidaigeki''. ''Jidaigeki'' rely on an established set of dramatic conventions including the use of makeup, language, catchphrases, and plotlines. Types Many ''jidaigeki'' take place in Edo, the military capital. Others show the adventures of people wandering from place to place. The long-running television series ''Zenigata Heiji'' and ''Abarenbō Shōgun'' typify the Edo ''jidaigeki''. ''Mito ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tak Sakaguchi
is a Japanese actor, director, fight choreographer, stuntman and martial artist. He is best known for his role in Ryuhei Kitamura's cult film, '' Versus''. Since his debut, Sakaguchi has worked with Kitamura several times, often appearing alongside fellow Kitamura staple Hideo Sakaki. He has also worked with frequent Kitamura collaborators Yudai Yamaguchi and Yuji Shimomura. Sakaguchi is a talented martial artist, and most often appears in films featuring copious fight scenes, usually performing all of his own stunts. He is purportedly skilled in Bajiquan, Shorinji Kempo, Boxing, Kickboxing, and while recently filming Re:Born learned the tactical martial art Zero Range Combat developed by Yoshitaka Inagawa. Biography Before entering into the film industry, Sakaguchi was an underground street fighter who was well known for his skill in the martial arts. He was discovered by then-unknown director Ryuhei Kitamura, who recruited Sakaguchi for a lead role in ''Versus''. Sin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reiko Takashima
is a Japanese actress. Career Takashima starred in Shinji Aoyama's 1999 film, ''EM Embalming''. She has also appeared in films such as '' K-20: Legend of the Mask'', ''Railways'' and ''Space Battleship Yamato''. Filmography Film * ''Like a Rolling Stone'' (1994) * '' Ruby Fruit'' (1995) * ''Shomuni'' (1998) * ''Dreammaker'' (1999) * ''EM Embalming'' (1999) * ''Sennen no Koi Story of Genji'' (2001) * ''The Boat to Heaven'' (2003) * '' Tsuribaka Nisshi 14'' (2003) * ''Jusei: Last Drop of Blood'' (2003) * ''Half a Confession'' (2004) * ''The Hidden Blade'' (2004) * ''2/2'' (2005) * ''Yakuza Wives: Burning Desire'' (2005) * '' Azumi 2: Death or Love'' (2005) * '' The Ode to Joy'' (2006) * ''Adiantum Blue'' (2006) * ''Oh! Oku'' (2006) * ''Last Love (2007 film)'' (2007) * ''Cahcha'' (2007) * '' K-20: Legend of the Mask'' (2008) * '' 10 Promises to My Dog'' (2008) * ''Pride'' (2009) * ''Killer Virgin Road'' (2009) * ''Dear Heart'' (2009) * ''Space Battleship Yamato'' (2010) * ''Railway ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenichi Endō
is a Japanese actor and writer. He also worked as a narrator for many documentaries, both on television and film. He is best known for his roles in ''Visitor Q'' (2001), ''Crows Zero'' (2007), ''Crows Zero 2'' (2009), and '' The Raid 2: Berandal'' (2014). He is also known for his yakuza roles, such as Joji Yazaki, the head of Soshu Family Syndicate and the main antagonist of ''Crows Zero'' and ''Crows Zero 2'', and Hideaki Goto, the head of Goto Family, a powerful yakuza family from Japan and one of two mob bosses that control Jakarta in '' The Raid 2: Berandal''. Appearances Films * '' Violent Cop'' (1989) * ''All Under the Moon'' (1993) * '' Spellbound'' (1999) * '' Dead or Alive 2: Birds'' (2000), Kōhei * '' Tomie: Replay'' (2000), Dr. Tachibana * ''Family'' (2001) * ''Agitator'' (2001) * ''Visitor Q'' (2001), Kiyoshi Yamasaki * ''The Guys from Paradise'' (2001), Toshiyuki Umino * '' Deadly Outlaw: Rekka'' (2002) * '' Sabu'' (2002), Giichi * ''Kikoku'' (2003), Sorimachi * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kazuki Kitamura
is a Japanese film and television actor who won the award for best supporting actor at the 21st Yokohama Film Festival for '' Minazuki'', ''Kyohansha'' and ''Kanzen-naru shiiku'' as well as the CUT ABOVE Award for Excellence in Film at JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film in New York in 2014. Selected filmography Film *''Yuki no Concerto'' (1991) * (1996) as Kubo *''Tenzen Shoujo Man'' (天然少女 萬) (1996) * (1997) as Sada * (1997) as Hideyuki Sakata *''Mukokuseki no otoko: Chi no shûkaku'' (1997) *''Romantikku mania'' (1997) as Ujiie * (1997) *''Joker'' (1998) as Hisao * (1998) as Sada * (1999) as Tsuda * (1999) as Yasuharu Nishikawa * (1999) as Yoji * (1999) as Ryuichi * (1999) as Akira * (1999) * (2000) as Noboru Hirokawa *''Himawari'' (2000) as Shinji Sasahara *''Swing Man'' (2000) as Kazuki Kitaoka *''Kishiwada Shōnen Gurentai: Yakyudan'' (2000) *''Rendan'' (2001) as Ohsawa *''Man-hole'' (2001) as Shin'ichi Yoshioka *'' Turn'' (2001) as Kakizaki Kiyotaka *''Chi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mikijirō Hira
was a Japanese actor. Starting as a stage actor in the 1950s, he also worked in film and television and was active until the time of his death. From the 1970s he starred in several of Yukio Ninagawa's productions, including an acclaimed role as Macbeth. Described as "Japan's best Shakespearean actor", Hira received several awards throughout his career, including an excellence award at the 2011 hosted by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs. Biography Early life Hira was born in Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from in Jōge, Hiroshima Prefecture, he studied at the training school of the Haiyuza Theatre Company and officially joined the company in 1956. One of his early roles was in a production of Goethe's ''Faust''. Acting career Hira's television debut in the 1963 series ''Three Outlaw Samurai'', in which he played a nihilistic masterless samurai, saw his popularity rise. In 1968 he played Hamlet with the Shiki Theatre Company, a r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yoshio Harada
was a Japanese actor best known for playing rebels in a career that spanned six decades. Career Born in Tokyo, Harada joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company in 1966 and made his television debut in 1967 with "Tenka no seinen" and his film debut in 1968 with ''Fukushū no uta ga kikoeru''. He came to fame appearing in New Action films at Nikkatsu playing youthful rebels. Among his features for Nikkatsu was the 1971 exploitation film, ''Stray Cat Rock: Crazy Riders '71'' (aka ''Alleycat Rock: Crazy Riders '71'') for director Toshiya Fujita where he played the son of a yakuza boss. Leaving the Haiyūza in 1971, he appeared in films made by many directors, including Seijun Suzuki, Shūji Terayama, Azuma Morisaki, Kihachi Okamoto, Rokurō Mochizuki, Jun Ichikawa, Hirokazu Koreeda and Kōji Wakamatsu, but he was particularly favored by Kazuo Kuroki and Junji Sakamoto. He starred in many independent films, including those of the Art Theatre Guild. According to the critic Mark Schilling, H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tokugawa Shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 978.Nussbaum"''Edo-jidai''"at p. 167. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars of the Sengoku period following the collapse of the Ashikaga shogunate. Ieyasu became the ''shōgun,'' and the Tokugawa clan governed Japan from Edo Castle in the eastern city of Edo (Tokyo) along with the ''daimyō'' lords of the ''samurai'' class.Nussbaum"Tokugawa"at p. 976. The Tokugawa shogunate organized Japanese society under the strict Tokugawa class system and banned most foreigners under the isolationist policies of ''Sakoku'' to promote political stability. The Tokugawa shoguns governed Japan in a feudal system, with each ''daimyō'' administering a ''han'' (f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sanada Yukimura
, also known as , was a Japanese samurai warrior of the Sengoku period. He was especially known as the leading general on the defending side of the Siege of Osaka. Yukimura was called "A Hero who may appear once in a hundred years", "Crimson Demon of War" and "The Last Sengoku Hero". The famed veteran of the invasion of Korea, Shimazu Tadatsune, called him the . Early life He was the second son of Sanada Masayuki (1547–1611). His elder brother was Sanada Nobuyuki. He was married to Chikurin-in (Akihime), Ōtani Yoshitsugu's daughter and adopted daughter of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Three other wives of Yukimura were his first wife the daughter/sister of Hotta Sakubei, who lost her status to Chikurin-in; Takanashi Naiki's daughter and Ryūsei-in (a daughter of Toyotomi Hidetsugu). In 1575, the Battle of Nagashino claimed the lives of two of Sanada Masayuki's elder brothers. Masayuki, previously serving Takeda Shingen and Takeda Katsuyori as a retainer, inherited the Sanada clan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ninja Scroll
is a 1993 Japanese animated ''jidaigeki''- ''chanbara'' film written and directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri, starring the voices of Kōichi Yamadera, Emi Shinohara, Takeshi Aono, Daisuke Gōri, Toshihiko Seki and Shūichirō Moriyama. The film was a co-production between JVC, Toho and Movic, with Madhouse serving as the animation studio. ''Ninja Scroll'' was theatrically released in Japan on June 5, 1993, and received an English- dubbed release produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and released in Western countries through Manga Entertainment in 1995. The film takes place in feudal Japan and follows Kibagami Jubei, a mercenary swordsman who battles the Eight Devils of Kimon, a team of ninjas with supernatural powers who are intent on overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate. During his quest, he is aided by Dakuan, an elderly but crafty government spy, and Kagero, a Kōga kunoichi whose body is infused with poisonous toxins. Praised for its animation and action scenes, ''Ninja Scroll'' is reg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
