Kokuho

Set in Nagasaki in the mid 1960s, Kikuo loses his father, a yakuza boss, and finds an unlikely mentor in a celebrated kabuki actor. The boy and the actor's son Shunsuke forge a pact to devote themselves to the stage, trading street grit for the discipline of theater. Through years of training and shared performances, their paths cross and pull apart as ambition and tradition tug at them in different directions. The drama tracks two youths from adolescence into adulthood, showing how mentorship and sacrifice can shape a life devoted to an art form that survives Japan's changing decades. Its mood shifts from formation to simmering tension as the two men wrestle with what it takes to carry art forward.

Directed by Sang-il Lee from an original screenplay by Shuichi Yoshida and Satoko Okudera, the film dives into Nagasaki's 1960s theater world and a bond forged under tradition. It premiered to solid reviews and highlighted a restrained, theater grounded approach.

The film earned a worldwide gross of 123,108,471 against an 8 million budget, signaling strong interest across audiences and a significant commercial footprint for a drama rooted in traditional theater. Its performance outpaced many expectations for a niche cultural drama.

Reception highlights the film's measured pacing and the sustained chemistry between the leads. Viewers are invited to consider mentorship, artistic lineage, and the sacrifices behind mastering a centuries old art form, as personal loyalties press against inherited responsibilities. It also asks how public memory sustains tradition while forcing intimate choices.