The Wakadaishō series is a series of films starring

Yūzō Kayama is a Japanese popular musician, singer-songwriter and actor. Life and career Son of mid-twentieth century film star Ken Uehara,and actress Yoko Kozakura, ( ja) Kayama graduated from Keio University. Yuzo Kayama signed with Toho and made his ...

and

Kunie Tanaka was a Japanese actor. Tanaka first made a name for himself as the lecherous antagonist of the ''Wakadaishō'' series (1961–1981) of films. He is also well-known for his roles in Kinji Fukasaku's yakuza films, namely the ''Battles Without Honor ...

. The first film in the series was ''

Daigaku no Wakadaishō AKA ''Sir Galahad in Campus'', is a 1961 Japanese musical comedy romance film starring Yūzō Kayama and directed by Toshio Sugie. It was the first in a series of films about the "Wakadaishō". Yuzo Kayama plays Yuichi Tanuma, ace of the swimmin ...

'' from 1961.

Masao Kusakari is a Japanese actor and model (profession), model. Biography Masao Kusakari was born in Fukuoka Prefecture to a Japanese mother and an American father, the latter who died in the Korean War. Considered stunningly good looking, his debut into th ...

portrayed the role of Wakadaishō in two other films. All of the films star Kayama as Yuichi Tanuma, nicknamed the meaning "young ace" or "whizz kid" for his prowess in various sports. His perpetual antagonist is the lecherous Shinjiro Ishiyama, played by

, who is nicknamed , the Japanese name of the

Japanese rat snake The Japanese rat snake (''Elaphe climacophora'') is a medium-sized colubrid snake found throughout the Japanese archipelago (except the far South West) as well as on the Russian-administered Kunashir Island. In Japanese it is known as the ''aod ...

Yuzo Kayama as Wakadaishō

Masao Kusakari as Wakadaishō

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wakadaisho series Japanese film series 1960s Japanese films