"Boy, in search of mother, goes on adventure with boneheaded yakuza wannabe."

Kikujiro can be a very interesting film for Westerners due to the variety of modern day Japanese environments revealed in the story, and there are several laughter inducing scenes. This film is supposed to be a comedy, but be aware that its humor may be best suited to Japanese viewers who are likely to have some helpful background experience with the film's content and lead actor.

Kikujiro was written and directed by Takeshi Kitano who also stars in the film. Kitano sometimes goes by the name Beat Takeshi as an actor and comedian. Kikujiro is a big departure from many of the more violent yakuza films Kitano is known for. This provides an inside joke and probably adds to the humor throughout Kikujiro for Japanese viewers who are accustomed to seeing Kitano in grittier yakuza roles.

I have heard from a couple of Japanese friends who have a high opinion of this film, and I have been informed that this was a very successful comedy in Japan. But for a Westerner, I think this film plays more like a drama.

There is some humor, but the movie really wasn't that funny overall. Takeshi's low level, loser yakuza character is painfully annoying during the majority of the film. Some of the scenes are very intense. One scene has the boy encountering a child molester, before being saved finally by Takeshi's character.

The most emotionally traumatic scene in the film for me was when the boy makes an incredibly depressing discovery about his mother. It will knock you over, or it did me anyway. You can imagine the little boy aging 20 years in a matter of seconds. It hurts me now to even think about that scene.

Kikujiro takes you on a trip through many areas of Japan, and since people reading this review are very possibly interested in the sights of Japan, I should note that this is a road trip movie with diverse and intriguing settings.

I really had a hard time getting into the story at the beginning of Kikujiro, because Takeshi's character was so incredibly annoying to watch. Even though the progression of that character and eventual bonding with the child was an inevitable plot point, it was difficult to wait for.

I was pleased that the yakuza character was never turned into a saint as might have been forced in a Hollywood film, but I still would have appreciated it if he had been just a little less annoying. Humor is too sparsely applied in many parts of the story. Though I must admit, if Kitano's character had been too warm and fuzzy, it could have destroyed the film's impact.

In the end, Kikujiro did evolve into a partially endearing story. More than a traumatic comedy, I think this story is simply a strong statement on the importance of a stable and loving family in a young child's life. With his grandmother to take care of him, this kid certainly doesn't have it as bad as some children in the world. But at the end of the movie, you cannot help but feel an emptiness and sadness for the plight of little Masao.

Witnessing this boy's journey and the yakuza's slow migration to the status of "almost a good guy" was interesting, but not very laughable. If you select this unusual journey into modern Japan for your DVD collection or rental queue, be willing to accept a little emotional trauma as part of the expense of the trip.

Savage Japan Misc. Tidbits
Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi) is one of the most prolific entertainers in Japan. His activities include writing, directing, acting, comedy, television hosting, and more.

You may recognize him as one of the hosts of an old Japanese humorous competition show that has been recycled to play in different language markets around the world. Americans overdub the US version of the show attempting to add humor and make the show more listenable for English speakers. The program is Operation! Takeshi's Castle, but in the US it has been renamed MXC Most Extreme Elimination Challenge.

Another tidbit...
Amazingly, Kikujiro is not the name of the young boy character in the movie. It is the name of Takeshi Kitano's character. I cannot imagine this film being named for the gangster instead of the boy if it had been a Western movie. The Japanese title Kikujiro no Natsu is even worse. It translates to Kikujiro's Summer. The movie is definitely more "about" the little boy's summer, not the gangster wannabe's summer, even if the boy is really only a supporting character for Takeshi's performance. But then again, maybe for a Japanese audience who knows Kitano so well, this story might seem like it was "about" his character even more.

New Note: Later, after speaking with a Japanese friend, I learned that Kikujiro is a very old name in Japan, and not one that would be commonly given to a child in recent years. Maybe within a Japanese society context, there is added meaning and intrigue with the film's title including a name like Kikujiro. My friend also mentioned that Kikujiro sounded like a name a traditonal kabuki actor might use as a stage name these days.

For Japanese Language Students
Kikujiro is a pretty good selection for Japanese listening comprehension practice. It takes you into a variety of environments and modern Japanese is spoken throughout. For Japan enthusiasts, the scenery helps make up for the emotional distress of the story, and you will get a few laughs as a bonus.