is a Japanese
comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
released in 2007.
Hitoshi Ueki
was a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and guitarist. He won six awards for acting.[Hitosh ...](_blank)
made his final film appearance in the film.
Plot
Kimihiko Onizuka (
Sadao Abe
is a Japanese actor, stage actor and musician from Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture. He started his acting career after joining a theater company/talent agency, Otona Keikaku, in around 1992 and gained his popularity after the drama series ''Team Medi ...
) is a
salaryman
The term is a Japanese word for salary, salaried workers. In Japanese popular culture, it is portrayed as a white-collar worker who shows unwavering loyalty and commitment to his employer, prioritizing work over anything else, including family. ...
infatuated with
maiko
A is an apprentice geiko in Kyoto (in Tokyo it is geisha). Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the or other traditional Japanese instruments for visitors during banquets and parties, known as .
are usually aged 17 ...
(apprentice geisha) and whose greatest goal in life is to play a party game called
yakyuken with one. Upon being transferred to his company's
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
branch, he dumps his coworker girlfriend Fujiko (
Kou Shibasaki
is a Japanese actress and singer who has performed in television shows, movies, and commercials. She is managed by Stardust Promotion.
Biography Acting career
Ko (also transcribed Kou and Koh) Shibasaki debuted in 2000, when she portrayed Mitsu ...
) and makes his first ever visit to a geisha house. However, when the realization of Kimihiko's lifelong dream is rudely interrupted by a
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Moder ...
star named Kiichiro Naito (
Shinichi Tsutsumi
is a Japanese stage and screen actor. Internationally, he is best known for his roles as Koichi Takagi in the ''Monday'' films, Tetsuya Ishigami in the '' Suspect X'' films, and Jo Sawashiro in '' Yakuza: Like a Dragon.'' In Japan, he is best kn ...
), he vows revenge by becoming a pro baseball player himself. Meanwhile, Fujiko decides to become an apprentice geisha. A rivalry between Kimihiko and Naito ensues in which they try to out-do each other at baseball,
K-1
K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii.
Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the worl ...
, cooking, acting and even
politics
Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
.
Cast
*
Sadao Abe
is a Japanese actor, stage actor and musician from Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture. He started his acting career after joining a theater company/talent agency, Otona Keikaku, in around 1992 and gained his popularity after the drama series ''Team Medi ...
as Kimihiko Onizuka
*
Shinichi Tsutsumi
is a Japanese stage and screen actor. Internationally, he is best known for his roles as Koichi Takagi in the ''Monday'' films, Tetsuya Ishigami in the '' Suspect X'' films, and Jo Sawashiro in '' Yakuza: Like a Dragon.'' In Japan, he is best kn ...
as Kiichiro Naito
*
Kou Shibasaki
is a Japanese actress and singer who has performed in television shows, movies, and commercials. She is managed by Stardust Promotion.
Biography Acting career
Ko (also transcribed Kou and Koh) Shibasaki debuted in 2000, when she portrayed Mitsu ...
as Fujiko Osawa
*
Kotomi Kyono
is a Japanese actress and occasional J-Pop singer (making her debut on 20 November 1992). She was born in Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan.
She has appeared in numerous TV series, including the 1999 drama '' Ring: The Final Chapter'' (''Ring: Saish� ...
as Koume
*
Hitoshi Ueki
was a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and guitarist. He won six awards for acting.[Hitosh ...](_blank)
as Saito
References
External links
*
*
2007 films
2000s Japanese-language films
Japanese comedy films
Nippon Television films
New People films
Toho films
Films with screenplays by Kankurō Kudō
Films scored by Taro Iwashiro
2000s Japanese films
{{2000s-Japan-film-stub