K-20: The Fiend with Twenty Faces

2008 2h 17m JA

😐

6.1

MID

⭐

6.6

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 47★6.6IMDB · 2,168

ActionAdventureCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In an alternate version of 1949 Japan in which World War II never happened, the Japanese capital of Teito is home to both an ultra rich upper class and the dirt poor masses. The city is thrown into a state of panic when a phantom thief called “The Kaijin (Fiend) with 20 Faces” (K-20 for short) begins to use his mysterious abilities to steal from the rich and give to the poor. One day a circus acrobat named Heikichi Endo (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is framed for K-20’s crimes and becomes determined to clear his name. He teams up with K-20’s next target, a wealthy duchess named Yoko Hashiba (Takako Matsu) and her detective fiancé (Toru Nakamura), to take K-20 down once and for all.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Takeshi Kaneshiro
Heikichi Endo
Takako Matsu
Yoko Hashiba
Toru Nakamura
Kogoro Akechi
Kanata Hongo
Yoshio Kobayashi
Jun Kunimura
Genji
Yuki Imai
Shinsuke
Fumiyo Kohinata
Ringmaster
Takeshi Kaga
Mysterious Gentleman

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shimako Satō
Writers: So Kitamura, Shimako Satō, Takashi Yamazaki
Languages: Japanese
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 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 18 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shimako Satō, shot by Kōzō Shibazaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Naoki Sato. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ryuji Miyajima shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Takeshi Kaneshiro and Takako Matsu and Toru Nakamura carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt1156395 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 47 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shimako Satō directs. Kōzō Shibazaki behind the camera. Naoki Sato scores. Ryuji Miyajima cuts. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 18 years ago.
2Directed by Shimako Satō, shot by Kōzō Shibazaki. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Naoki Sato. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Ryuji Miyajima shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Takeshi Kaneshiro and Takako Matsu and Toru Nakamura carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt1156395 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 47 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.