Goemon (film)
Encyclopedia
Goemon is a 2009 Japanese historical fantasy
film written and directed by Kazuaki Kiriya
. It is loosely based on the story of Ishikawa Goemon
, a legendary outlaw hero who stole valuables from the rich and gave them to the poor. The film is a fictional account of Goemon's exploits and his role during the final phase of Japanese civil war
, especially the conflict leading to its decisive Battle of Sekigahara
. With the use of over 2,500 visual effects, the director of Casshern mixes action with Japanese history and folklore into a film evocative of the classic Robin Hood
-style tale. Goemon was released on DVD
and Blu-ray
by FUNimation Entertainment
on April 19, 2011.
's (Yōsuke Eguchi
) entire family was assassinated for political reasons. His mother (Ryo) sent Goemon off moments before she was killed herself. Running away with his caretaker, they were attacked by bandits, but he was saved by Nobunaga Oda (Hashinosuké Nakamura) who offered him a chance to become stronger. Goemon followed Nobunaga and he was assigned to Hattori Hanzō
(Susumu Terajima
) to train him in the ways of the shinobi (ninja
) along with Saizō
(Takao Osawa).
After many years of training, Goemon was assigned to shadow Oda's niece, princess Chacha
(Ryōko Hirosue
). They developed feelings for each other, but they couldn't be together and eventually she had to leave. Before going, Chacha gave Goemon her favourite fan to remember her by. As a gift for his service in protecting Chacha, Oda gave Goemon a double-bladed sword. Meanwhile, Oda generals Toyotomi Hideyoshi
(Eiji Okuda
) and Akechi Mitsuhide
(Kazuaki Kiriya
) conspired to kill Nobunaga. The two made a secret written covenant, placing their signatures onto a black scroll. Mitsuhide, not trusting Hideyoshi, had his men hide the contract. After assassinating Nobunaga, Hideyoshi betrayed and killed Mitsuhide, took credit for slaying Nobunaga's killer and became the next ruler of Japan. With Nobunaga dead, Saizo, ambitious to be elevated to Samurai status, opted to remain in service to Nobunaga, while Goemon chose to leave and be free. As a parting gift, Goemon broke his double-bladed sword in two, and gave one half to Saizo.
Years later, Goemon became a master thief, and stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Sarutobi Sasuke
(Gori), a wannabe bounty hunter
, tried to arrest Goemon for the reward, but failed and became his servant instead. During a festival, Goemon infiltrated & robbed a treasure repository that containing a mysterious box with foreign writing on it. Ishida Mitsunari
(Jun Kaname
), a high-ranking samurai under Lord Hideyoshi, tried to retrieve this box to destroy it, but Goemon escaped with it, leaving behind only his calling card: a red sticker with the Japanese character 'Go' on it. Goemon, unaware of the value of the box, threw it away and distributed the gold to the people. A young pick-pocket, Koheita, picked up the mysterious box and kept it. The following day, Goemon learned of the box's value from Sasuke. Intrigued by the box, Goemon returned to the city to find it. Travelling around the slums in search of the box, Goemon heard a scream and finds Koheita and his mother, who had just been callously murdered by cruel and petty local samurai. Goemon saved Koheita and retrieved the box.
Saizo and his ninja squad, working for Mitsunari, appeared and confronted Goemon. Refusing to turn over the box, Goemon fled, pursued by the ninja. Goemon manages to escape all of his pursuers except Saizo, who remained close behind him. After dismounting Goemon, Saizo informed him that the box he carried was referred to as a "Pandora's Box" by foreigners, and the two engaged in a duel. After being caught and about to be killed by Saizo, Hattori Hanzo appeared and intervened, causing Saizo to withdraw. After returning to the city, Goemon examined the "empty" box and discovered a map to a mysterious treasure. Following the map, Goemon and Sasuke were led to the destroyed Buddha statue where Akechi Mitsuhide had hidden his contract with Hideyoshi. Goemon became angry once he learned that Hideyoshi was involved with Nobunaga's death. Hattori Hanzo then reappeared, under the command of Tokugawa Ieyasu
(Masatō Ibu
). Hanzo offered his old student a bag of gold for the contract, which Goemon readily agrees to. Seeking vengeance for his murdered lord, Goemon infiltrated Lord Hideyoshi's castle, where he killed Lord Hideyoshi and discovered Princess Chacha. Startled by another person entering, Goemon hid himself in the ceiling of Chacha's room, losing Chacha's fan as he did so. To Goemon's surprise, the real Hideyoshi entered the room. Goemon had only killed his double. Suddenly, one of Lord Hideyoshi's guards discovered Goemon and shot him in the chest, blowing him out of the castle into the moat. Later, Goemon was secretly rescued and recovered by Saizo.
Goemon was then contacted by Hanzo, who took him to a waterfall to meet Chacha. The princess had come to bid farewell and return the fan as she had reluctantly agreed to become Hideyoshi's concubine. Afterwards, Lord Tokugawa arrived to ask Goemon to assassinate Hideyoshi in order to save Chacha. Elsewhere, Lord Mitsunari offered Saizo samurai status in return for killing Lord Hideyoshi. Goemon and Lord Tokugawa crafted a plan to assassinate Lord Hideyoshi during a celebration on his royal boat, but upon receiving the appropriate signal, Goemon changed his mind and did not complete the plan. Moments later, all of Lord Hideyoshi's escort ships were destroyed by explosives set by and Saizo and his team; they captured Lord Hideyoshi and tried to assassinate him by hanging him from the ship's mast with a steel chain. Lord Mitsunari, believing Lord Hideyoshi to be dead, then turned on Saizo and shot him. However, Lord Hideyoshi survived the assassination attempt, while Saizo survived the gunshot wound. Lord Hideyoshi, unaware of Lord Mitsunari's betrayal, interrogated Saizo, and threatened to kill Saizo's family unless he revealed who hired him.
Meanwhile, Goemon tried to rescue Chacha, but as it became clear that Lord Hideyoshi was still alive, she refused to leave. Later, against Sasuske's warnings, Goemon rescued Saizo from prison. Unfortunately, this caused Lord Mitsunari to kill Saizo's wife and take his child as a hostage. Saizo was later recaptured and Lord Hideyoshi decreed he be executed during an elaborate public execution. Saizo was to be boiled to death if he didn't reveal his identity, and he loudly identified himself as Goemon. Goemon tried to stop the execution, but he could only watch in horror as Lord Hideyoshi kicked Saizo into the cauldron and then threw in the child. Sasuke, disillusioned and in shock over all of the carnage, abandoned Goemon.
With the help of Saizo's surviving team, Goemon stormed through the palace and eventually reached Lord Hideyoshi. Goemon wanted to know why Lord Hideyoshi had betrayed Lord Nobunaga. Hideyoshi explained it was his insatiable hunger for power that had driven him. Goemon then killed Lord Hideyoshi. With Hideyoshi dead, Tokugawa and Mitsunari raised their own armies to decide who would be the next ruler of Japan. Tired of all the deaths and suffering, Goemon decided to intervene.
Goemon charged into the battle wearing Lord Nobunaga's armor and carrying the reforged double-bladed sword. The armies were fearful and confused as they saw the crimson armor of Lord Nobunaga. Goemon fought through the armies until he confronted and killed Lord Mitsunari during a solar eclipse. Lord Mitsunari's army fled in fear. Goemon then charged through Lord Tokugawa's army, but Hattori Hanzo appeared and intercepted him mid-way. Goemon immobilized his former master by pinning Hanzo's foot to the ground with a broken sword blade. Approaching Lord Tokugawa, Goemon closed the distance seemingly intent on the kill, but was intercepted by Sasuke, who had joined Lord Tokugawa's army. Mortally wounded by Sasuke, Goemon staggered, and it was revealed that he was only holding Chacha's fan; instead of trying to kill Lord Tokugawa, Goemon only wanted him to promise that there would finally be peace. As Goemon tried to stumble to Chacha he fell to the ground. Dying, he admired the fireflies
and stars while Chacha, alone, cried.
in 2010 in the categories Best Costume Designer (Vaughan Alexander and Tina Kalivas) and Best Visual Effects (Takuya Fujita and Kôji Nozaki).
According to Twitch Film
, "Goemon is going to be a divisive film ... It fits in well with their live action catalog of films like Shinobi: Heart Under Blade and yet it feels like a live action anime
." According to a DVD Verdict
review by Paul Pritchard
, Goemon "entertains with its combination of imaginative visuals and exciting action sequences, but leaves you wanting for more".
to Goemon, composed by Akihiko Matsumoto, was released in Japan on April 22, 2009, by Columbia Music Entertainment
. The movie's theme song, "Rosa -Movie Mix-" by Violet UK, was released on iTunes
seven days later on April 29, 2009.
Historical fantasy
Historical fantasy is a sub-genre of fantasy and related to historical fiction, which makes use of specific elements of real world history. It is used as an umbrella term for the sword and sorcery genre and sometimes, if fantasy is involved, the sword-and-sandal genre too...
film written and directed by Kazuaki Kiriya
Kazuaki Kiriya
, born April 20, 1968 in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese photographer and director of films and music videos. His birth name is .He made his feature film debut writing and directing the live action film adaptation of Casshern in 2004. In 2009, he wrote and directed his second film,...
. It is loosely based on the story of Ishikawa Goemon
Ishikawa Goemon
was a semi-legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and valuables and gave them to the poor. Goemon is notable for being boiled alive along with his son in public after a failed assassination attempt on the civil war-era warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A large iron kettle-shaped bathtub is now...
, a legendary outlaw hero who stole valuables from the rich and gave them to the poor. The film is a fictional account of Goemon's exploits and his role during the final phase of Japanese civil war
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
, especially the conflict leading to its decisive Battle of Sekigahara
Battle of Sekigahara
The , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
. With the use of over 2,500 visual effects, the director of Casshern mixes action with Japanese history and folklore into a film evocative of the classic Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
-style tale. Goemon was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
by FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
on April 19, 2011.
Plot
As a child, Ishikawa GoemonIshikawa Goemon
was a semi-legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and valuables and gave them to the poor. Goemon is notable for being boiled alive along with his son in public after a failed assassination attempt on the civil war-era warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A large iron kettle-shaped bathtub is now...
's (Yōsuke Eguchi
Yōsuke Eguchi
is a Japanese poet, actor and singer, who most recently starred in 2009 Japanese film Goemon. Since 1986, he as appeared in a number of television series and movies. He is married to the actress and pop star Chisato Moritaka, with whom he has a son and a daughter....
) entire family was assassinated for political reasons. His mother (Ryo) sent Goemon off moments before she was killed herself. Running away with his caretaker, they were attacked by bandits, but he was saved by Nobunaga Oda (Hashinosuké Nakamura) who offered him a chance to become stronger. Goemon followed Nobunaga and he was assigned to Hattori Hanzō
Hattori Hanzo
, also known as , was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of modern popular culture.-Biography:...
(Susumu Terajima
Susumu Terajima
is a Japanese actor who has appeared in over 100 films, 15 television commercials, three PVs, and numerous television dramas in a career spanning over 20 years. He rarely is the star of the films he is in but he is widely respected for taking every job seriously and diving into his work,...
) to train him in the ways of the shinobi (ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
) along with Saizō
Kirigakure Saizo
' was a legendary ninja of the final phase of the Japanese civil war. In the folklore he is one of the Sanada Ten Braves, and next to Sarutobi Sasuke, he is the most recognized of the Ten....
(Takao Osawa).
After many years of training, Goemon was assigned to shadow Oda's niece, princess Chacha
Yodo-Dono
or was a prominently-placed figure in late-Sengoku period. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful man in Japan. She also became the mother of his son and successor, Hideyori. She was also known as Lady Chacha...
(Ryōko Hirosue
Ryoko Hirosue
is a Japanese actress and pop star, best known in the West for her roles in the Luc Besson-produced Wasabi and the Academy Award-winning Japanese film Departures. She also starred in a comedy series Yasuko to Kenji in 2008.- Early life :...
). They developed feelings for each other, but they couldn't be together and eventually she had to leave. Before going, Chacha gave Goemon her favourite fan to remember her by. As a gift for his service in protecting Chacha, Oda gave Goemon a double-bladed sword. Meanwhile, Oda generals Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
(Eiji Okuda
Eiji Okuda
is a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 1990 Japanese Academy Awards for his performance in Sen no Rikyu...
) and Akechi Mitsuhide
Akechi Mitsuhide
, nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji...
(Kazuaki Kiriya
Kazuaki Kiriya
, born April 20, 1968 in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese photographer and director of films and music videos. His birth name is .He made his feature film debut writing and directing the live action film adaptation of Casshern in 2004. In 2009, he wrote and directed his second film,...
) conspired to kill Nobunaga. The two made a secret written covenant, placing their signatures onto a black scroll. Mitsuhide, not trusting Hideyoshi, had his men hide the contract. After assassinating Nobunaga, Hideyoshi betrayed and killed Mitsuhide, took credit for slaying Nobunaga's killer and became the next ruler of Japan. With Nobunaga dead, Saizo, ambitious to be elevated to Samurai status, opted to remain in service to Nobunaga, while Goemon chose to leave and be free. As a parting gift, Goemon broke his double-bladed sword in two, and gave one half to Saizo.
Years later, Goemon became a master thief, and stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Sarutobi Sasuke
Sarutobi Sasuke
was a famous ninja in Japanese folklore. He is generally believed to be a Meiji period fictional creation based on the historical ninja ', although some argue for his actual existence.- In folklore :...
(Gori), a wannabe bounty hunter
Bounty hunter
A bounty hunter captures fugitives for a monetary reward . Other names, mainly used in the United States, include bail enforcement agent and fugitive recovery agent.-Laws in the U.S.:...
, tried to arrest Goemon for the reward, but failed and became his servant instead. During a festival, Goemon infiltrated & robbed a treasure repository that containing a mysterious box with foreign writing on it. Ishida Mitsunari
Ishida Mitsunari
Ishida Mitsunari was a samurai who led the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the 17th century. Also known by his court title, Jibunoshō...
(Jun Kaname
Jun Kaname
is a Japanese actor. He was born in Mitoyo, Kagawa. He made his drama debut as an actor in 2001 in the Tokusatsu Series "Kamen Rider Agito". He appears not only in TV dramas but also in movies, commercial messages, variety TV programs, plays, and music videos.-TV:...
), a high-ranking samurai under Lord Hideyoshi, tried to retrieve this box to destroy it, but Goemon escaped with it, leaving behind only his calling card: a red sticker with the Japanese character 'Go' on it. Goemon, unaware of the value of the box, threw it away and distributed the gold to the people. A young pick-pocket, Koheita, picked up the mysterious box and kept it. The following day, Goemon learned of the box's value from Sasuke. Intrigued by the box, Goemon returned to the city to find it. Travelling around the slums in search of the box, Goemon heard a scream and finds Koheita and his mother, who had just been callously murdered by cruel and petty local samurai. Goemon saved Koheita and retrieved the box.
Saizo and his ninja squad, working for Mitsunari, appeared and confronted Goemon. Refusing to turn over the box, Goemon fled, pursued by the ninja. Goemon manages to escape all of his pursuers except Saizo, who remained close behind him. After dismounting Goemon, Saizo informed him that the box he carried was referred to as a "Pandora's Box" by foreigners, and the two engaged in a duel. After being caught and about to be killed by Saizo, Hattori Hanzo appeared and intervened, causing Saizo to withdraw. After returning to the city, Goemon examined the "empty" box and discovered a map to a mysterious treasure. Following the map, Goemon and Sasuke were led to the destroyed Buddha statue where Akechi Mitsuhide had hidden his contract with Hideyoshi. Goemon became angry once he learned that Hideyoshi was involved with Nobunaga's death. Hattori Hanzo then reappeared, under the command of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
(Masatō Ibu
Masato Ibu
' is a Japanese actor and voice actor.-Films:*Maison Ikkoku *Empire of the Sun as Sgt. Nagata*Sukeban Deka *Dr. Akagi *Taboo *Godzilla vs...
). Hanzo offered his old student a bag of gold for the contract, which Goemon readily agrees to. Seeking vengeance for his murdered lord, Goemon infiltrated Lord Hideyoshi's castle, where he killed Lord Hideyoshi and discovered Princess Chacha. Startled by another person entering, Goemon hid himself in the ceiling of Chacha's room, losing Chacha's fan as he did so. To Goemon's surprise, the real Hideyoshi entered the room. Goemon had only killed his double. Suddenly, one of Lord Hideyoshi's guards discovered Goemon and shot him in the chest, blowing him out of the castle into the moat. Later, Goemon was secretly rescued and recovered by Saizo.
Goemon was then contacted by Hanzo, who took him to a waterfall to meet Chacha. The princess had come to bid farewell and return the fan as she had reluctantly agreed to become Hideyoshi's concubine. Afterwards, Lord Tokugawa arrived to ask Goemon to assassinate Hideyoshi in order to save Chacha. Elsewhere, Lord Mitsunari offered Saizo samurai status in return for killing Lord Hideyoshi. Goemon and Lord Tokugawa crafted a plan to assassinate Lord Hideyoshi during a celebration on his royal boat, but upon receiving the appropriate signal, Goemon changed his mind and did not complete the plan. Moments later, all of Lord Hideyoshi's escort ships were destroyed by explosives set by and Saizo and his team; they captured Lord Hideyoshi and tried to assassinate him by hanging him from the ship's mast with a steel chain. Lord Mitsunari, believing Lord Hideyoshi to be dead, then turned on Saizo and shot him. However, Lord Hideyoshi survived the assassination attempt, while Saizo survived the gunshot wound. Lord Hideyoshi, unaware of Lord Mitsunari's betrayal, interrogated Saizo, and threatened to kill Saizo's family unless he revealed who hired him.
Meanwhile, Goemon tried to rescue Chacha, but as it became clear that Lord Hideyoshi was still alive, she refused to leave. Later, against Sasuske's warnings, Goemon rescued Saizo from prison. Unfortunately, this caused Lord Mitsunari to kill Saizo's wife and take his child as a hostage. Saizo was later recaptured and Lord Hideyoshi decreed he be executed during an elaborate public execution. Saizo was to be boiled to death if he didn't reveal his identity, and he loudly identified himself as Goemon. Goemon tried to stop the execution, but he could only watch in horror as Lord Hideyoshi kicked Saizo into the cauldron and then threw in the child. Sasuke, disillusioned and in shock over all of the carnage, abandoned Goemon.
With the help of Saizo's surviving team, Goemon stormed through the palace and eventually reached Lord Hideyoshi. Goemon wanted to know why Lord Hideyoshi had betrayed Lord Nobunaga. Hideyoshi explained it was his insatiable hunger for power that had driven him. Goemon then killed Lord Hideyoshi. With Hideyoshi dead, Tokugawa and Mitsunari raised their own armies to decide who would be the next ruler of Japan. Tired of all the deaths and suffering, Goemon decided to intervene.
Goemon charged into the battle wearing Lord Nobunaga's armor and carrying the reforged double-bladed sword. The armies were fearful and confused as they saw the crimson armor of Lord Nobunaga. Goemon fought through the armies until he confronted and killed Lord Mitsunari during a solar eclipse. Lord Mitsunari's army fled in fear. Goemon then charged through Lord Tokugawa's army, but Hattori Hanzo appeared and intercepted him mid-way. Goemon immobilized his former master by pinning Hanzo's foot to the ground with a broken sword blade. Approaching Lord Tokugawa, Goemon closed the distance seemingly intent on the kill, but was intercepted by Sasuke, who had joined Lord Tokugawa's army. Mortally wounded by Sasuke, Goemon staggered, and it was revealed that he was only holding Chacha's fan; instead of trying to kill Lord Tokugawa, Goemon only wanted him to promise that there would finally be peace. As Goemon tried to stumble to Chacha he fell to the ground. Dying, he admired the fireflies
Firefly
Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies...
and stars while Chacha, alone, cried.
Cast
- Yōsuke EguchiYōsuke Eguchiis a Japanese poet, actor and singer, who most recently starred in 2009 Japanese film Goemon. Since 1986, he as appeared in a number of television series and movies. He is married to the actress and pop star Chisato Moritaka, with whom he has a son and a daughter....
as Ishikawa GoemonIshikawa Goemonwas a semi-legendary Japanese outlaw hero who stole gold and valuables and gave them to the poor. Goemon is notable for being boiled alive along with his son in public after a failed assassination attempt on the civil war-era warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. A large iron kettle-shaped bathtub is now...
(Tokimasa Tanabe as younger Goemon) - Takao OsawaTakao Osawais a Japanese actor and a producer. He began his career as a fashion model when he was a university student in 1987.He rose to prominence in a lead role on the television drama Heaven's Coins in 1995. He turned his focus to film roles from 2000.-Movies:...
as Kirigakure SaizōKirigakure Saizo' was a legendary ninja of the final phase of the Japanese civil war. In the folklore he is one of the Sanada Ten Braves, and next to Sarutobi Sasuke, he is the most recognized of the Ten....
(Takeru SatohTakeru Satohis a Japanese actor. His debut role was as the lead in Kamen Rider Den-O, and is known for his subsequent roles in the dramatizations of Q10 and Ryōmaden.- Career :...
as younger Saizō) - Ryōko HirosueRyoko Hirosueis a Japanese actress and pop star, best known in the West for her roles in the Luc Besson-produced Wasabi and the Academy Award-winning Japanese film Departures. She also starred in a comedy series Yasuko to Kenji in 2008.- Early life :...
as ChachaYodo-Donoor was a prominently-placed figure in late-Sengoku period. She was a concubine and second wife of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was then the most powerful man in Japan. She also became the mother of his son and successor, Hideyori. She was also known as Lady Chacha... - Gori as Sarutobi SasukeSarutobi Sasukewas a famous ninja in Japanese folklore. He is generally believed to be a Meiji period fictional creation based on the historical ninja ', although some argue for his actual existence.- In folklore :...
- Eiji OkudaEiji Okudais a Japanese actor and film director. Born in Kasugai, Aichi, he was nominated for the Best Actor award at the 1990 Japanese Academy Awards for his performance in Sen no Rikyu...
as Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshiwas a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle... - Kazuaki KiriyaKazuaki Kiriya, born April 20, 1968 in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, is a Japanese photographer and director of films and music videos. His birth name is .He made his feature film debut writing and directing the live action film adaptation of Casshern in 2004. In 2009, he wrote and directed his second film,...
as Akechi MitsuhideAkechi Mitsuhide, nicknamed Jūbei or called from his clan name and title, was a samurai who lived during the Sengoku period of Feudal Japan.Mitsuhide was a general under daimyo Oda Nobunaga, although he became infamous for his betrayal in 1582, which led to Nobunaga's death at Honno-ji... - Jun KanameJun Kanameis a Japanese actor. He was born in Mitoyo, Kagawa. He made his drama debut as an actor in 2001 in the Tokusatsu Series "Kamen Rider Agito". He appears not only in TV dramas but also in movies, commercial messages, variety TV programs, plays, and music videos.-TV:...
as Ishida MitsunariIshida MitsunariIshida Mitsunari was a samurai who led the Western army in the Battle of Sekigahara following the Azuchi-Momoyama period of the 17th century. Also known by his court title, Jibunoshō... - Masatō IbuMasato Ibu' is a Japanese actor and voice actor.-Films:*Maison Ikkoku *Empire of the Sun as Sgt. Nagata*Sukeban Deka *Dr. Akagi *Taboo *Godzilla vs...
as Tokugawa IeyasuTokugawa Ieyasuwas the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but... - Hashinosuké Nakamura as Oda NobunagaOda Nobunagawas the initiator of the unification of Japan under the shogunate in the late 16th century, which ruled Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His opus was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi...
- Susumu TerajimaSusumu Terajimais a Japanese actor who has appeared in over 100 films, 15 television commercials, three PVs, and numerous television dramas in a career spanning over 20 years. He rarely is the star of the films he is in but he is widely respected for taking every job seriously and diving into his work,...
as Hattori HanzōHattori Hanzo, also known as , was a famous samurai and ninja master of the Sengoku era, credited with saving the life of Tokugawa Ieyasu and then helping him to become the ruler of united Japan. Today, he is often a subject of modern popular culture.-Biography:... - Mikijiro Hira as Rikyū SenSen no Rikyu, is considered the historical figure with the most profound influence on chanoyu, the Japanese "Way of Tea", particularly the tradition of wabi-cha...
- Tetsuji TamayamaTetsuji Tamayamais a Japanese TV and film actor. He was born to a Korean father. He joined modeling competitions and was active in Checkmate and other fashion magazines. In 2001, Tamayama debuted in Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger as GaoSilver...
as Matahachi - Choi Hong-manChoi Hong-manChoi Hong-man , often anglicised to Hong-man Choi, is a South Korean kickboxer, mixed martial artist and former ssireum wrestler. In Asia he is called "Che Man", "Korean Monster" and "Korean Colossus"...
as Gao - Erika TodaErika Toda, is a Japanese actress from Kobe. She originally debuted as a gravure model at age 13.She starred in many dramas like Liar Game, Code Blue, Ryusei no Kizuna and Keizoku 2: SPEC. She has had supporting roles in many popular Japanese TV dramas such as BOSS, Nobuta wo Produce, Engine and Gal Circle...
as Yugiri
Reception
The film was nominated to the Asian Film AwardsAsian Film Awards
The Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to recognize excellence of film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinema.-History:...
in 2010 in the categories Best Costume Designer (Vaughan Alexander and Tina Kalivas) and Best Visual Effects (Takuya Fujita and Kôji Nozaki).
According to Twitch Film
Twitch Film
Twitch Film, also known simply as Twitch, is an English language Canadian website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown, a cinephile with personal interests in arthouse and grindhouse cinema...
, "Goemon is going to be a divisive film ... It fits in well with their live action catalog of films like Shinobi: Heart Under Blade and yet it feels like a live action anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
." According to a DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict is a judicial themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. Current editor in chief is Michael Stailey, who also reviews for Rotten Tomatoes...
review by Paul Pritchard
Paul Pritchard
Paul Pritchard was one of the leading British climbers of the 1980s and 1990s. He started climbing at 16 in his native Lancashire, and within a year had started to repeat some of the hardest routes in the county, as well as beginning his own additions.Pritchard made many ascents of outstanding...
, Goemon "entertains with its combination of imaginative visuals and exciting action sequences, but leaves you wanting for more".
Soundtrack
The soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
to Goemon, composed by Akihiko Matsumoto, was released in Japan on April 22, 2009, by Columbia Music Entertainment
Columbia Music Entertainment
is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as . It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK Columbia trademarks in 1931. The company changed its name to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. in 1946. It used the Nippon Columbia name until...
. The movie's theme song, "Rosa -Movie Mix-" by Violet UK, was released on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
seven days later on April 29, 2009.