ryuganji: film news from japan

I hope I beat Tokyograph to this: Terajima Susumu will be starring in the feature directorial debut of “Versus” badass Sakaki Hideo, “Grow”. Fanboys and fangirls, do I have your attention now ?

Synopsis: Murakami Atsushi, 17. A high school student for whom nothing seems to go right. He goes to school and gets bullied by his classmates, then returns home to beatings by his alcoholic father. He has no reason to go on living. He decides to end it all but just as he’s slipping a noose around his neck, from out of nowhere appear three weirdo juvenile delinquents! Actually, forget the juvenile bit - they’re really a bunch of dangerous old dudes, foul-mouthed and rough as guts but passionately loyal and surprisingly caring. As Atsushi timorously deals with his newfound allies, they teach him how to be a man and he begins to take control of his life. Then he learns their shocking secret…

You can see a couple of poor quality pics of Terajima wearing the iconic “gakuran” tunic favored by old school thugs at his online column for Cinema Today. He’ll be joined by the great Endo Kenichi, Watanabe Hiroyuki (the muscle-bound Freddy Mercury lookalike from “Cromartie High School”), Itao Itsuji (disgraced comedian who was also in “Cromartie High School” and had memorable roles in Toyoda Toshiaki’s “Nine Souls” and “Hanging Garden”), Kiritani Kenta, Sugata Shun, Kinoshita Hoka, Nakamura Eriko, Mikami Masashi, 、Igarashi Yasuharu, Nakae Tsubasa, Kurashina Kana. Tanabe Misaki, Fukaura Kanako and Kotera Rika.

The title’s a play on words, mixing the kanji characters for someone who goes bad (愚 - gu) and guy (郎 - ro) with the English reading’s meaning to emphasise the film’s theme of personal growth. “Grow” is set to open in presumably limited release (possibly late shows only) on September 8th. (sources: Nikkan Sports, Kiyomi★Smile)

Postscript: Before his breakthrough in Kitamura Ryuhei’s “Versus”, Sakaki enjoyed some minor recognition for appearing in a godawful commercial for De beers diamonds that used to play at a couple of cinemas I frequented when I lived in Osaka. The setup was an assortment of foreign (mostly white of course) men presenting diamond rings to the camera while saying the names of their non-existent girlfriends. Sakaki was last up and the most cringe-inducing of all, due to the way he cupped the ring in his hands like a newborn chick and slowly held it up to the lens… So no matter how much ass he kicks on the big screen these days, to me he’ll always be that pretentious dork from the wedding ring commercial.