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Kokuho

Play trailer 1:29 Poster for Kokuho 2h 54m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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Nagasaki, 1964 -- After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor's only son, he decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. For decades, the two young men grow and evolve together--from acting school to the grandest stages--amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals.... One of them will become the greatest Japanese master of the art of Kabuki.

Cast & Crew

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Lee Sang-il

Director

Ryô Yoshizawa

Kikuo Tachibana

Ryûsei Yokohama

Shunsuke Ogaki

Soya Kurokawa

Young Kikuo

Keitatsu Koshiyama

Young Shunsuke

Mitsuki Takahata

Harue Fukuda

Critics Reviews

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Ryan Swen Variety At nearly three hours, “Kokuho” takes its time in covering the events of 50 years — ending, after its longest of many time jumps, in 2014 — but it remains engaging throughout, in no small part because of its ambivalent perspective toward its protagonist. Sep 24, 2025 Full Review Elizabeth Kerr Screen International Despite almost becoming bogged down in melodrama in its second half, the film immerses viewers in this world in ways that are both intimate and cinematic. Oct 15, 2025 Full Review Sarah Gopaul That Shelf Although Kokuho runs three hours, the pace is even and doesn’t drag at any point. Sep 19, 2025 Full Review Stephen Saito Moveable Fest For all of the film’s resplendent recreations of kabuki classics, Sang-il finds just as rich a text in the tale he’s telling. Sep 15, 2025 Full Review Panos Kotzathanasis Asian Movie Pulse Kokuho” succeeds on multiple levels: as a character-driven drama, a cultural chronicle, and a meditation on legacy, sacrifice, and art. This is a richly crafted, deeply felt work that lingers long after the curtain falls. Rated: 7.5 Aug 3, 2025 Full Review Mark Schilling Japan Times The film’s story, scripted by Satoko Okudera, may turn shouty and even violent at times, but transforms Yoshida’s doorstop of a novel into a tightly focused, if episodic, narrative. Rated: 4/5 Jun 25, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews
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Kokuho

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Movie Info

Synopsis Nagasaki, 1964 -- After the death of his father, the leader of a yakuza gang, 14-year-old Kikuo is taken under the wing of a famous Kabuki actor. Alongside Shunsuke, the actor's only son, he decides to dedicate himself to this traditional form of theatre. For decades, the two young men grow and evolve together--from acting school to the grandest stages--amid scandals and glory, brotherhood and betrayals.... One of them will become the greatest Japanese master of the art of Kabuki.
Director
Lee Sang-il
Producer
Chieko Murata, Shinzô Matsuhashi
Screenwriter
Satoko Okudera
Distributor
GKIDS
Production Co
Aniplex
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 14, 2025, Limited
Runtime
2h 54m