Tora-san returns home to Tora-ya, their family members’ traditional candies store in Shibamata, in Tokyo, simply to find their space being rented off to a neighbor of sibling Sakura (Chieko Baisho): electric company lineman Ryosuke (Masatoshi Nakamura), proven to everybody by their nickname, Mr. Watt. Recently besieged by peddlers, Tora-san’s aunt (Chieko Misaki) and uncle (Masami Shimojo) instruct Ryosuke to produce a “No Peddlers” register front side regarding the store, not to mention the returning Tora-san takes this as being a individual assault and very nearly at once Tora and Ryosuke have reached one another’s throats.
They ultimately compensate at a pachinko parlor, nevertheless, particularly after Tora-san learns that bashful, hulking Ryosuke is with in love having a waitress, Sachiko (Shinobu Otake), whoever restaurant he frequents daily. The peddler takes the man under his wing, determined to bring the young lovers together as Ryosuke is even clumsier and shier than Tora-san. Obviously, Tora-san’s advice just makes things even even worse, and matters are further complicated whenever Tora-san joins Ryosuke in their hometown of Hirado, near Nagasaki, and falls for Ryosuke’s lonely sibling, Fujiko (Shiho Fujimura).
Tora-san has Cupid (Otoko wa tsuraiyo – Torajiro ganbare!, or “It’s Tough to Be a Man – battle On, Torajiro!,” 1977) is mainly exactly that:
Tora-san wanting to bring this sweet couple together with disastrous advice which comes near to ruining any potential for a relationship. Ryosuke, for their component, is really inept and inarticulate he very nearly does not require Tora-san’s “help,” though Sachiko therefore clearly adores him anyhow that their future together appears inescapable. Nakamura possessed a plum supporting part in the offbeat blaxploitation/martial arts/spy thriller That Man Bolt (1973), an American manufacturing starring Fred Williamson, but does not seem to have had a lot of a movie job beyond that.
Conversely, small Shinobu Otake (often billed as Shinobu Ootake), who had been scarcely 20 whenever this ended up being made, quickly established herself as you of Japan’s leading movie and phase actresses. Her credits through the Gate of Youth (1975), The Incident (1978), Nomugi Pass (1979), kids of Nagasaki (1983), Yoji Yamada’s Gakko III (1998), Poppoya: Railroad Man (1999), and much more recently Yoshimitsu Morita’s Like Asura (2003). She won academy that is japanese on her behalf operate in The Incident and Poppoya , and it has been nominated on many escort service Baton Rouge other occasions. (Western watchers might also remember her little but unforgettable part as a policewoman into the Demon .) She and Nakamura make an adorable, Mutt & Jeff-like few in Tora-san has Cupid .
Shiho Fujimura ended up being an even more traditional movie actress, having go off a lengthy job as being an agreement player at Daiei starting in 1962, where she appeared in a large number of that studio’s code writers, including a few Zatoichi and Kyoshiro Nemuri movies. She starred Kojiro that is opposite Hongo Wrath of Daimajin (Daimajin ikaru, 1966), and essayed the name part when you look at the organization’s 1968 adaptation of this Snow girl (Kaidan yukionna). Unlike numerous actresses of her generation, Fujimura continues to be quite mixed up in industry.
As always, Yamada makes use that is excellent of growing stock business of players. As well as support that is regular Chishu Ryu (because the local Buddhist priest), Hisao Dazai (given that print-shop president next door), as well as others, more recent regulars and semi-regulars such as for example Senri Sakurai (amusing here as a Catholic priest in Hirado) and Yoshio Yoshida (often the theif into the fantasy sequences that start each movie) receive little but gratifying parts. The movie also provides a hilarious operating gag about a pet monkey that becomes the talk of Shibamata.
Finally, the movie takes care of with its 3rd work, with a delicate work of cruelty that brings the film back off to planet. For the manager so frequently accused to be emotional (into the sense that is bad, Yamada’s insistence on resolutions real to human nature are an extremely important component regarding the show’ success.
Movie & Sound
Tora-san Enjoy Cupid is presented into the typical non-anamorphic widescreen transfer (at about 2:1 through the 2.35:1 original) making use of substandard movie elements to those utilized on the Japanese DVD. The sound is mono inspite of the Dolby Stereo statement from the full instance, but at the least it is free from distortion, in addition to English subtitles are fairly good. Optional Chinese subtitles may also be available.
Additional Features
A director that is skimpy biography and filmography (both in Chinese and English) is all which is provided right right here, duplicated in the CD-shaped booklet added to the disk.
Parting Thoughts
Tora-san has Cupid is yet another entry that is strong the long term show, one to not be missed by its fans.
Note: This movie follows Tora-san satisfies His Lordship (1977), and it is accompanied by Tora-san’s Stage-Struck (1978).
Stuart Galbraith IV is a film that is kyoto-based whoever work includes The Emperor therefore the Wolf – The Lives and movies of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune and Taschen’s forthcoming Cinema Nippon . Browse Stuart’s Cine Blogarama right here.