Drama about the difficult relationship between a former wrestler, his wife and their adopted children.
Acting
Ken Ogata's volcanic rage and devastating stillness.
Direction
Gosha's brutal intimacy in cramped period spaces.
Production
Lived-in Taisho-era poverty you can practically smell.
Director
Hideo Gosha
Ken Ogata
Iwago Tomita
Yukiyo Toake
Kiwa Tomita
Yūko Natori
Someyu
Mariko Ishihara
Kiku
Kimie Shingyoji
Tomokichi
Mari Shirato
Shōgo Shimada
Daizo Moriyama
Mikio Narita
Bunzo Tanigawa
Hajime Hana
Ogasawara
Tonpei Hidari
Sho
Kayako Sono
Satoe
Mitsuko Kusabue
Osada
Ryuzo Tanaka
Kentaro
Ryuji Katagiri
Kimoto
Masataka Naruse
Matsuzaki
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'kane-tsuke' system depicted — buying children from poor families — was historically common in early 20th-century Japan, particularly for geisha houses and entertainment industries.
Ken Ogata and director Hideo Gosha had explosive on-set conflicts; Ogata allegedly refused to speak to Gosha for days, channeling genuine resentment into Iwago's volcanic hostility.
JP
