KINPIKA (きんぴか)

Director: Masaki Nishiura, Based on novels by: Jirô Asada and Adapted to screen by: Shin’ichi Hisamatsu, Production: WOWOW, Country: Japan, Language: Japanese, 5×50′, 2016, Rights: In limited territories

A WOWOW original gangster drama, based on a novel by Jirô Asada. Kenta Sakaguchi (Kiichi Nakai) was a yakuza member and he spent 13 years in prison for killing a rival boss, he is released from prison with no one to welcome him. Hidehiko Hirohashi (Yusuke Santamaria) was a secretary for a politician and took the blame for the politician’s act. Isao Okawara (Pierre Taki)  a self-defence official, but he took arms against the government. A human drama depicting three villains abandoned by an organization that they believed in.

The three men gather under retired ex-detective Gonzaemon Mukai (Katsuhiko Watabiki) and get even with the people who betrayed and deceived them.

Isao, attempts a “one-man coup d’état” with the demand that the Security Treaty Bill is revoked, but fails. Hirohashi, a political secretary, is arrested on charges of bribery. An old detective, Mukai gathers the three together and says to them,  he is not going to put up with this craziness.

Hirohashi’s father-in-law Ogata, who encouraged Hirohashi to become a secretary to Diet member Yamauchi (Kunio Murai), suddenly passes away. Thus, Hirohashi has no way of knowing the truth about the corruption case.

After  Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Oscar winner Drive My Car, Japanese drama is having its moment. Kinpika is reminiscent of Takeshi Kitano’s movies. However not as violent. At times slightly surreal but, with beautiful photography and a great pinch of humour.

Cast

Kiichi Nakai (47 Ronin )
Yusuke Santamaria
Pierre Taki( Like father like son)
Katsuhiko Watabiki
Kunio Murai
Shô Aoyagi (Alice in Borderland)

 

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