Tora-san's Tropical Fever (男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花, Otoko wa Tsurai yo: Torajirō Haibisukasu no Hana)[1] aka Torasan Goes to Hisbiscus Land[2] is a 1980 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Ruriko Asaoka as his love interest or "Madonna".[3] Tora's Tropical Fever is the twenty-fifth entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series.
| Tora-san's Tropical Fever | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Yoji Yamada |
| Written by | Yoji Yamada Yoshitaka Asama |
| Starring | Kiyoshi Atsumi Ruriko Asaoka |
| Cinematography | Tetsuo Takaba |
| Edited by | Iwao Ishii |
| Music by | Naozumi Yamamoto |
| Distributed by | Shochiku |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Shochiku theatrically released a Special Edition version to theaters in 1997. It used computer graphics to add Hidetaka Yoshioka (who played Tora-san's nephew in the later films) to the story in added scenes.
Plot edit
Lily, the lounge singer with whom Tora-san fell in love in film 11 (Tora-san's Forget Me Not, 1973) and film 15 (Tora-san's Rise and Fall, 1975) sends Tora-san a letter informing him that she is terminally ill. Tora-san rushes to Okinawa—taking his first plane trip in the process—to be at her side and nurse her to health.[4][5][6]
Cast edit
- Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō[7]
- Chieko Baisho as Sakura
- Ruriko Asaoka as Lily
- Masami Shimojō as Kuruma Tatsuzō
- Chieko Misaki as Tsune Kuruma (Torajiro's aunt)
- Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa
- Hisao Dazai as Boss (Umetarō Katsura)
- Hayato Nakamura as Mitsuo Suwa
- Gajirō Satō as Genkō
- Suzuko Aragaki as Kaori Yamazato
Critical appraisal edit
Writer-director Yoji Yamada reportedly considers Tora's Tropical Fever his own favorite of the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series films.[6] The Japan Academy awarded Yamada and co-writer Yoshitaka Asama Best Screenplay for the film. Chieko Baisho was also given the Best Actress award, and Kiyoshi Atsumi was nominated for Best Actor at the ceremony.[8] The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Tora's Tropical Fever four out of five stars, naming it one of the highlights of the series.[9] Stuart Galbraith IV judges the film "one of the best of the series", and a "delight in every respect: it's funny, sad, and perceptive about human nature".[6]
Availability edit
Tora-san's Tropical Fever was released theatrically on August 2, 1980.[10] In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1996 and 1998, and in DVD format in 2008.[11]
References edit
- ^ "Tora-San's Tropical Fever ｜ Shochiku Films".
- ^ "OTOKO WA TSURAIYO -TORAJIRO HAIBISUKASU NO HANA". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花 (Madonna)" (in Japanese). www.tora-san.jp. Retrieved 2010-01-21. (official site)
- ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花 (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "OTOKO WA TSURAI YO TORAJIRO HIBISCUS NO HANA (1980)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ a b c Galbraith IV, Stuart (2006-02-24). "Tora-san 25: Tora-san's Tropical Fever (Region 3)". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "Awards for Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana (1980)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "Tora-San's Tropical Fever" (in German). www.molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ 男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花 (1980) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
Bibliography edit
English edit
- "OTOKO WA TSURAI YO TORAJIRO HIBISCUS NO HANA (1980)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- "OTOKO WA TSURAIYO -TORAJIRO HAIBISUKASU NO HANA". Complete Index to World Film. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana (1980) at IMDb
- Otoko wa tsurai yo: Torajiro haibisukasu no hana tokubetsu-hen (1997) at IMDb
- Galbraith IV, Stuart (2006-02-24). "Tora-san 25: Tora-san's Tropical Fever (Region 3)". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
German edit
- "Tora-San's Tropical Fever" (in German). www.molodezhnaja.ch. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
Japanese edit
- 男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花 (1980) (in Japanese). allcinema.net. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- "男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花". Japanese Cinema Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- 男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花 (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- 男はつらいよ 寅次郎ハイビスカスの花 (in Japanese). Kinema Junpo. Archived from the original on 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
External links edit
- Tora's Tropical Fever Archived 2014-07-29 at the Wayback Machine at www.tora-san.jp (official site)