Kokuho

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Kokuho

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2h 54m

Drama

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22 Reviews

96%

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50+ Ratings

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.

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Jake Wilson

Sydney Morning Herald

Dec 11

3.5/5

... a sumptuous spectacle that is far less ponderous than the nearly three-hour running time might suggest.

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Ryan Lattanzio

IndieWire

Nov 13

B

The central narrative, of the emotional dance between these two men over decades, holds even as the running time, while never boring you, often feels exaggerated for the sake of epicness rather than wholly necessary to this telling.

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Sheri Linden

The Hollywood Reporter

Oct 29

At the center of its superb cast, Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama deliver exquisitely layered performances that interweave offstage characterization and onstage theatricality.

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Khanaphot Saengchai

Bangkok Post

Jan 20

Running just over three hours, the film is demanding and intense yet ultimately rewarding.

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Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

Jan 14

4/5

It's a riveting look into the culture of a distinctive art form, with glorious on-stage performances and even more involving back-stage interaction. It's very long, but powerfully well-made.

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Sarah Ward

AWFJ.org

Dec 21

Captivating, all-consuming, resplendent and affecting ... while subtlety is among the movie’s plentiful strengths, there’s no masking its emotion, artistry, beauty or impact, with every ounce of passion rewardingly on display.

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Alexander K

Jan 22

I just got back from an early preview of this film, and I cant remember the last time a movie moved me this deeply—or looked this breathtaking. Despite running nearly three hours and being entirely in Japanese with subtitles, I couldve easily stayed in my seat for several more without budging. The performances were exceptional, and the story was told with such beauty and restraint that I felt completely immersed from beginning to end. I didnt realize it was based on a novel, but now Im determined to find it and read it. Visually, the film is stunning—so much so that I caught myself holding my breath more than once, especially during the final scenes. And judging by the atmosphere in the theater, I doubt there was a single dry eye by the end, mine included. As far as Im concerned, it deserves every award it can possibly win. I truly hope it gets a wide release in the U.S., because I would absolutely travel to another city just to experience it again.

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Shan

Nov 26

Kokuho is three hours long and I didn’t move once. It takes you through fifty years of a man’s life in kabuki theater, and every scene earns its place—nothing drags, nothing is wasted. The performances are stunning, the cinematography pulls you onto the stage itself, and the character work is devastatingly good. You think you understand who you’re watching, and then the film quietly reveals the cost of his greatness. Everything introduced gets resolved. I’ve never seen anything like it.

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Liliko

Nov 23

Three hours passed quickly watching beautiful artwork. Describing the conflict as a performer.

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Kn

Nov 22

Wonderful. It too long.

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Glen

Nov 16

Superb in so many ways! Visually and culturally rich with strong acting and a captivating storyline.

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How Beautiful

Nov 16

It’s one of those movies I’m gonna think about for the rest of my life… gorgeous story telling and even more beautiful visuals. I went into this film knowing very little about Kabuki and now my interest and respect for the art has truly piqued!! Congrats on all the past and future success for the entire team that worked on Kokuho. WE WILL BE HEARING FROM THEM I’M SURE!!

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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

Kokuho: Trailer 1

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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
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1