Japanese Action Movie launched to the world! "Be A Man! Samurai School" SAKIGAKE!! OTOKOJUKU

“Sakigake!! Otokojuku”was (and still is) a long selling best-seller comic book series, which conquered Japan in the latter half of the 1980s as well as established the “Sakigake” age in the world of Manga. It has been said to be a textbook for young Japanese men, and the story laden with dreams, friendship and love was impossible to be translated on film as a live action. Director Tak Sakaguchi astonished the world with his action sequences in “VERSUS/The Ultimate Versus.” With comedy element of the original comic book in mind, Sakaguchi adds his own aesthetics to construct a narrative of extremely cool men, who dance beautifully in life and death battles.

Inheriting the Samurai Spirit, Otokojuku is a private boys school to nurture true men. As usual, 1st-year students enroll this year. What awaits them is grilling training by Drill Master Onihige. Momotaro is professed in both academics and martial arts. Hidemaro is a puny coward. 300 push-ups, Oil Bath punishment, Disciplinary Twin Cells are just examples of what the newcomers experience. With blood and sweat, Momotaro and Hidemaro live through the Otokojuku days, but during that time, they become true friends as well as pitch friendship with their other classmates. Meanwhile, Omito Date, a former Otokojuku 1st-year student leader, carrying a grudge on this school, now leads the evil army of Kanto Gogakuren school, is ready for a pay back. He conspires to take over Otokojuku and sets out to their school ground. The Otokojuku principle, Heihachi Edajima, appears and utters: “No personal vendetta is allowed on the grounds of Otokojuku, but it’s a different story elsewhere.” Thus, Otokojuku versus Kanto Gogakuren.

Born on March 15th, 1975 in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. With the independent film, VERSUS, he made with Ryuhei Kitamura and others, Tak Sakaguchi had world action flick fans glued to screen. The harmony of incredible speed and beautiful choreography are the trademarks of Sakaguchi’s actions. Adding to this calculated harmony is the realism he creates by projecting the feeling that the limbs actually hit the bodies. As the creator of action sequences never before seen, Sakaguchi is call the Speed Master. His sphere of action is not limited to that of an actor, but also as an action choreographer, fully utilizing his talents to create unique action sequences. In addition, he leads the action stunt team ZERO’s, which specializes in the 3rd generation action stunts.

Target Readers: Boys / Genre: Comedy, action / Author: Akira Miyashita /Publisher: Shueisha / Serialized Publication:: Weekly Shonen Jump (1985-1991) / Number of Volumes as Comic Books: 34 There are TV Anime, TV Game, Pachinko, Figures etc based on the comic

Momotaro Tsurugi : Tak Sakaguchi / Genji Togashi: Shoei (model for Giorgio Armani collection, etc.) Ryuji Toramaru: Shin’taro Yamada Hidemaro Gokukoji: Hiroyuki Onoue / Tazawa : Taketarino Yamaguchi Matuo : Yoshiaki Yoza / Heihachi Edajima: Akaji Maro (“The City of Lost Souls,” “Kill Bill”) Onihige: Shun Sugata (“Kill Bill,” “The Last Samurai”) / Omito Date: Hideo Sakaki (“VERSUS”) / Narrator: Shigeru Chiba

Director/Screenwriter: Tak Sakaguchi Producer: Keiko Kusakabe(Three Year Delivery, Vital etc. Venezia Int'l F.F Jury) Co-producer: Toshiki Kimura(Ichi the Killer etc.), Koichi Kusakabe(Hi-bi:Days of fire etc) Action Coleography: Tak Sakaguchi and Isao Karasawa Music: Jun’ichi Soga (Tornado Tatsumaki)

Copyright Owner: Akira Miyashita, Shueisha, Sakigake!! Otokoj-ju Production Committee 2007 2007/ Japan / 35 mm. / Color / America Vista / Dolby SR / 1 hr. 50 mins.