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Tora-san's Love in Osaka
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Wikipedia article
'aka' 'Tora's Many-Splintered Love' is a 1981 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajir Kuruma (Tora-san), and Keiko Matsuzaka as his love interest or "Madonna". (official site) 'Tora-san's Love in Osaka' is the twenty-seventh entry in the popular, long-running 'Otoko wa Tsurai yo' series. It was the first film in the series in which Hidetaka Yoshioka played the role of Tora-san's nephew Mitsuo Suwa.
Synopsis
When his travels bring him to Osaka, Tora-san falls in love with a local geisha. He helps her to track down her estranged brother, and informs his family that he plans to marry her. His plans are foiled when the geisha informs Tora-san that she is engaged.
Cast
* Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajir
* Chieko Baisho as Sakura
* Keiko Matsuzaka as Fumi Hamada
* Shimojo Masami as Kuruma Tatsuz
* Chieko Misaki as Tsune Kuruma (Torajiro's aunt)
* Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa
* Hidetaka Yoshioka as Mitsuo Suwa
* Hisao Dazai as Boss (Umetar Katsura)
* Gajir Sat as Genk
* Chish Ry as Gozen-sama
* Kannosuke Ashiya as Kikai
Critical appraisal
'Tora-san's Love in Osaka' was the fifth top box-office money-maker in Japan for 1981. For her role in the film Keiko Matsuzaka was named Best Actress at the Japan Academy Prize and Blue Ribbon Awards. Kiyoshi Atsumi was nominated for Best Actor by the Japanese Academy.
Stuart Galbraith IV writes that 'Tora-san's Love in Osaka' is an "above-average entry in this consistently excellent series". He points out that some of the film's humor may be lost on western viewers since it stems from the contrast between Tokyo and Osaka culture.
Director Yamada, according to Galbraith, "obviously favors rural, remote Japan to sprawling urban landscapes like Osaka," but nevertheless, "the film plays as a heartfelt valentine to the city and its people." The German-language site molodezhnaja gives 'Tora-san's Love in Osaka' three and a half out of five stars.
Availability
'Tora-san's Love in Osaka' was released theatrically on August 8, 1981. In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1986 and 1996, and in DVD format in 1998, 2002 and 2008.
References
Bibliography
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