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Kikujiro (by Takeshi Kitano)

Irena

後輩
9 May 2003
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Konnichiwa!
Anyone has seen "Kikujiro-no natsu" by Takeshi Kitano?
What does the name Kikujiro mean?
Thanks for the answer, I would really really like to know. Bye for now, Irena
 
Hi Thomas,
Well, I wasn't VERY impressed either, but it was a nice family movie anyway (^-^)
I am just curious, I watched this movie with English subtitles (or maybe Polish, I don't remember), and it seemed to me that the main character's (played by Takeshi Kitano) name was not mentioned in the movie... only in the title (but I don't know what kanji was there), only the last sentence of the movie was: "what's your name? Kikujiro - damn it!". Deeper meaning or not, I just think it has ANY meaning. It always has, doesn't it?. I already learned "-ro" in the names means "son", the same about "-jiro" (is it true?).
 
Konnichiwa Irena-san!

"Kiku" is a chrysanthemum in Japanese.
"jiro" or "jirou" is common name in Japan and means "one's second son". "Ji" means "second" and "rou" means "man" or "son".
I watched this movie too.👍

NANGI
 
I saw it 😄
I think it was really warm-hearted, nice movie and I was impressed in a way. It left a really good feeling...and made me want to travel to Japan even more...
 
Hallo again, everybody!
Thank you, Nangi! (Konnichiwa, again)
Do you think the name has any symbolic meaning in the movie? A name of a former Yakuza, acting like aaaa ... like many of Takeshi Kitano's characters (^-^)... in fact... an angel(^-^)
(Well, last time I saw the actor in "Battle Royale", as a "Teacher of Death"... - I like that movie very much, too).
Well, I wasn't AS MUCH impressed as I was with "Hana-bi"... but, yes, that's what I thought after watching this: I want to go to Tokyo again ... (last time I was there, I lived near Asakusa, and there are few sights of Asakusa there...)
:)
(Well, but I probably think this after EVERY japanese movie I am watching lately, lol)
Bye! Irena
 
I loved this movie. The fact that it was completely without tension (and more or less rather pointless) made it outstanding. Something like this just doesn't happen in Hollywood movies.
 
Hey, it wasn't pointless at all!
Wasn't it about a small kid and a big rude tatooed Yakuza man (violent to some, but warm-hearted, and sometimes clumsy... do you remember how he was learning to swim?!) who helped the kid to survive the ultimate horror of being left by his own mother... whereas Kikujiro's own mother is... etc.
;)
The more we talk about this the more I like it :)
 
But in a strange way it was also pointless... ;)

Gee, it was really a good movie... what Takeshi Kitano's movies do you like best, and why, by the way?
 
I liked "Hana-bi" best. It's a bit violent, but not to the same extent as Takeshi's previous movies. I was very touched by the way he narrated the stories of the cop's wife who suffered from cancer and his collegue who became paralyzed after a shoot-out. The aspect of self-sacrifice is very moving, as well as the emotional contrast spanning from deep melancholy and violence to subtle humour and tenderness. Takeshi at his best.
 
I also like "Hana-bi" best... the juxtaposition of silent tenderness, and violent rage... hmm. ...Makes me silent.
 
I do think 'Hana-bi' is his most rounded work, but personally I think my favourite is 'Kids Return'... dunno why!

:)
 
Oh, I remember "Kid's Return" was on TV the day I was leaving for Japan :) ... so I haven't seen it :-(

(Hallo to a fellow sociologist, Sekabin! ;)
 
And what do you guys think about "Brother"? At first I disliked it (it seemed too violent, or something) ... and later I suddenly started to think about it again... and, yes, I think it was a good movie!
:hanabi:
 
I'm the same - at first I was a bit disappointed with Brother, but the second time I saw it I liked it a lot more. Still hate the ending though - it just doesn't seem Kitano, more smoltchy hollywood.

:eek:
 
:devilish:
Nooo, the ending was really cool... heh, as for a movie made in Los Angeles...:D
No, seriously: I like it (the ending)
 
I thought Kikujiro was long in some parts...I like artistic stuff but it got a bit tiring in places for me...but I really loved the movie as a whole. It had me laughing hysterically most of the time. Kitano's character was just so rude and blunt I thought it was hilarious.
 
Kikujiro
This is quite simply one of my favorite movies of all time.. I love the realtionship that takeshi has with the boy.. the slow moving pace.. the feel of the movie and the soundtrack was awesome.

Brother
Loved it just as mich.. tried to get my picture taken at all the places they filmed that I could recognise in LA... I really like Japanese films and when they are done in my city Los Angeles I lvoe them even more. But the movie in general a typical Takeshi Yakuza film.. he could keep making these for 20 more years and I woudl continue to purchase them... even though my favorite one is Violent Cop.
 
Brother had some really bad actors in it and it kind of gave me the same feeling as when I hear my favorite band go R&B or something like that for the first time. But it's still my favorite band...:D

Kikujirou was just awesome, something to see on a rainy sunday afternoon, basically. It's about aging, becoming an adult and yet becoming young again. Innocence is the basic theme here (I guess :)).

Kids return too is nice, especially thanks to composer Hisaishi Joe's score, a true story about hybris, nemesis and katharsis. A Greek tragedy on brotherhood.

Has anyone seen Sonatine? Fun to watch and a good ad for Okinawa!
 
I think Kukijirou is a delightful movie, though at times a little awkward and slow moving. But thats to be expected in a movie like that I guess.
Brother was cool. The ending... a bit of a disappointment to me.
Gohatto, was good too. Takeshi didn't direct it, but he was one of the main characters.
 
The meaning of the name Kikujiro

Kikujiro's meaning was explained very well by Nangi. So I am not doing that again. But here, I like to tell you the meaning in a cultural sense.

Kikujiro is:
-old-sounding Japanese name (of a previous generation),
-yakuza-sounding name (as his character was),
-as being the "second son" has a sense of freedom
(in Japan, traditionally, the first son takes care of parents,
stay with them, must marry and have kids... not much
freedom. This movie cannot be named Kikutaro --taro meaning
first son -- as the sense of freedom would not have been
implied.)
 
Thank you, Kiyokuma-san!

Your explanation is very interesting.
The explanation about the second son makes me think again of a short scene about Kikujiro coming to see his own mother.. and looking at her from afar, choosing not to say a word to her. Is he taking care of her.. or he isn't? Is it so that he just chooses not to disturb her? Well, the whole movie is about the kid who wants to find his mother and bring her back to his life. By the way, is the kid's name mentioned in the movie? - I don't remember.

Now I also wonder... as you say it's the yakuza-sounding name - a stupid question perhaps - why is it so? Do people in Yakuza change their name when entering Yakuza? Or is just this old-fashioned name of a second son making one to think about Yakuza by sheer association?

And - by the way - anyone has seen the "Kikujiro and Saki" by Takeshi Kitano (in that drama "Kikujiro" seems to be the name of his own father)?
http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fd20030629cs.htm

Bye!
Irena

;)
 
Konnichiwa!

As you said Irena, the name of Kitano Takeshi's father was Kikujiro. If you want to know more about Kitano-san i sugest that you watch the documentary "Scenes By The Sea".

My favorite Kitano movies are:
Kikujiro no natsu
Hana-Bi
Kidzu Ritan
Sonatine
and Dolls.

Btw: I'm a new member at this forum, I just found it by searching google.com for Kitano Takeshi facts. =)

Btw2: Annyone seen the new Kitano film "Zatテエichi"?

Regards!
 
Thank you, Kyoko-san, if only I will be able to get the documentary here in Poland...
I didn't see Zatoichi yet. I saw Dolls recently. It's very very beautiful.. and very very sad :( .One of the best Kitano's films, definitely.
;)
:hanabi:
 
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