| The Calamari Wrestler /Ika resuraa | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Directed by | Minoru Kawasaki |
| Produced by | Shuntaro Kanai |
| Written by | Minoru Kawasaki Masazaku Migita |
| Starring | Miho Shiraishi Osamu Nishimura Akira Nogami Yoshihiro Takayama |
| Cinematography | Minoru Kawasaki |
| Edited by | Minoru Kawasaki |
Production company | Imagica Corp. |
| Distributed by | Klock Worx Co. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | English Japanese |
The Calamari Wrestler (いかレスラー, Ika resuraa) is a 2004 Japanese film by director Minoru Kawasaki,[1] starring Kana Ishida and Osamu Nishimura.[2]
Plot
The plot revolves around a professional wrestler who, after developing a terminal illness, becomes a giant squid-like creature (Osamu Nishimura). As a giant squid, he must battle to reclaim his former life both inside and outside the ring.
Cast
- Kana Ishida as Miyako
- Osamu Nishimura as Kanichi Iwata/The Calamari Wrestler
- Akira Nogami as Koji Taguchi/The Octopus Wrestler
- Hirohisa Nakata as Godozan/The Squilla Boxer
- Miho Shiraishi as Sister
- Yoshihiro Takayama as Himself
- Hariken Ryu as Calamari Wrestler's suit actor
Reception
Jeannett Catsoulis of The New York Times described the film as goofy and bizarre "yet surprisingly coherent" with "a good-natured charm."[3] Catsoulis commented on the themes of the film noting a "convincing parallel between the anxieties of post-World War II Japan and what the film calls the "utter chaos" of the country today."[3]
References
- ^ Calamari Wrestler - Ika Resuraa (Kawasaki Minoru 2004) :: Japanese
- ^ Review at Nippon Cinema
- ^ a b Catsoulis, Jeannett (May 13, 2005). "Drawing Strength From a Giant Squid". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
External links
- The Calamari Wrestler at IMDb
- Archived March 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (Japanese)