Kokuho

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Kokuho

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2h 54m

Drama

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94%

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31 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

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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Bob Mondello

NPR

Feb 9

The filming is gorgeous, though the story becomes attenuated in its third hour. Still, it's easy to see how this film, nominated for best makeup and hairstyling at this year's Oscars, became Japan's highest-grossing live-action film.

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Brandon Yu

New York Times

Feb 5

Yet, even as it periodically languishes, the film comes back around, with some moving flourishes, to stamp its idea: To witness these vicissitudes over a lifetime, is to see the beauty, bloodshed and loneliness of true artistic greatness.

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Aparita Bhandari

Globe and Mail

Feb 4

hat makes an artist? Is one born with a gift or can you train to bewitch onstage? How does an artist become a national treasure? These are questions that Kokuho does not necessarily answer. Nevertheless, it’s an evocative film that poses those queries.

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Gregory Nussen

Screen Rant

4d

7/10

When it focuses on their artistry and their individual relationships to it, the piece sings. That's in large part thanks to two extraordinary performances from Yoshizawa and Yokohama, who bring a largess to their respective characters' inner lives.

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John McDonald

johnmcdonald.net.au

Feb 10

The setting may be distinctively Japanese, but the moral of the story echoes the famous words of Mark 8:36: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

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Laura Clifford

Reeling Reviews

Feb 7

A

a cinematic epic, a sweeping saga that pits innate talent against traditional hereditary birthright throughout decades...one of 2025's very best.

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Roam

1d

Incredibly well done. Incredible cinematography, music, and acting.

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Mariela C

Feb 8

Spectacular. Must watch.

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ChrisNY

Feb 6

Stunning visual sensation with the Japanese finesse

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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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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 2

2:10

Kokuho: Trailer 1

1:29

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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
Box Office (Gross USA): $125.2K
Runtime: 2h 54m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1