Onihei Gaiden: Kumagoro’s Face

2011 1h 10m JA

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In pursuit of the notorious thief “Subashiri no Kumagoro,” the Arson and Theft Investigation Squad corners him. Seizo, who has been actively working as their agent is killed by Kumagoro. Amidst the chaos, Kumagoro manages to escape from the squad. Four years later, Seizo’s widow, Onobu, is raising her young son, Yusomatsu, single-handedly while running a small tea shop. One day, she helps a traveling merchant named Shintaro, who collapses from a sudden illness in front of her shop. The two soon fall in love and promise to start a family together. Shintaro leaves on a business trip and promises to return in a few days. Right after his departure, Onobu is shocked to see a wanted poster delivered by the Arson and Theft Investigation Squad… Kumagoro’s face on the poster is the spitting image of Shintaro.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Shinobu Terajima
Oen
Mari Hoshino
Otake
Jundai Yamada
Shinjuro Ihara
Ken Nakamoto
Ushitora
Shinji Ogawa
Narrateur

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Akira Inoue
Writers: Narito Kaneko
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 70-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "Onihei Gaiden" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Shinobu Terajima and Mari Hoshino and Jundai Yamada carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt34376304 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Akira Inoue directs. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 70-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 15 years ago.
3Part of the "Onihei Gaiden" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Shinobu Terajima and Mari Hoshino and Jundai Yamada carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt34376304 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Runtime: 70 min · 1h 10m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Onihei Gaiden: Kumagoro’s Face (2011)

Part of

Onihei Gaiden

Onihei Gaiden is a series of Japanese historical films and television dramas based on novels by Shōtarō Ikenami, focusing on stories from the "thieves" side, distinct from the main Samurai Detective Onihei series. It tells tales from the perspective of criminals, such as bandit leader "Night Rabbit" Kakuemon or the events surrounding the notorious thief Kumagorō. These side stories provide a look into the lives of common people and outlaws in Edo-period Japan.