Kokuho

After Kikue (Soya Kurokawa, later played by Ryô Yoshizawa) witnesses the death of his yakuza father, he’s taken under the wing of kabuki master Hanjiro (a ferocious Ken Watanabe) to train in the art form. Over the next 50 years, Kokuho (adapted from the novel of the same name by Shuichi Yoshida) chronicles Kikue’s lifelong passion to become the best onnagata (a male actor who plays a female part) in Japan. Spanning the course of five decades, director Sang-il Lee weaves a dazzling epic that encompasses themes of friendship, family, honour, tradition, and the sacrifices artists make for their art.

With a runtime just shy of three hours, the feature covers a lot of ground as it moves throughout the years. Although some of the larger time skips can be a little jarring while audiences take a minute to regain their bearings, every moment is utterly compelling due to magnificent performances from the cast. Kurokawa and Yoshizawa are both mesmerising as the lead. Each performer effectively articulates the character’s single-minded determination to achieve their goal. Ryûsei Yokohama, who plays Shunsuke, Hanjiro’s son and rightful heir, is also consistently excellent. The love and rivalry that form their relationship are the driving force behind most of the drama. The pair’s onscreen chemistry is palpable, though it occasionally veers into the melodramatic. In a similar vein, some thematic points can be delivered heavy-handedly.

The feature also succeeds in capturing the beauty and elegance of kabuki theatre alongside the physicality demanded of the performers. Lee deploys careful camerawork during each of Kikue’s performances so that each shot becomes part of the dance. While close-ups are used to draw attention to precise and delicate movements, wider shots enable audiences to take in the larger spectacle happening on stage. Embodying every emotional beat is a euphoric score from Marihiko Hara, which frequently swells to triumphant highs.

With its focus on hierarchy and tradition, the world of kabuki is likely alien to Western viewers. Lee brings them into this space to experience its majesty and ruthlessness in Kokuho. Fronted by powerhouse performances and told through stunning cinematography, this feature is an epic in every sense of the word.

Andrew Murray

Kokuho is released nationwide on 8^th May 2026.

Watch the trailer for Kokuho here: