Hisato Nakahara

Osaka was the the site of Expo ’70, and among the most memorable elements of the event, standing to this day, is the "Tower of the Sun", a 70-metre-tall sculpture/building envisioned and designed by renowned artist Taro Okamoto, who some call “the Japanese Picasso”. This film is a theatrical adaptation of "TAROMAN", a tokusatsu series re-envisioning Okamoto's most famous pieces as surrealist superheroes and villains, with Ultraman-like TAROMAN, based on the Tower itself, at the forefront of it all.

Based on Tezuka Osamu’s “Shinsengumi” series from 1963. 1863, Kyoto. At a small teahouse run by his father, Fukakusa Kyujuurou lived modestly yet earnestly day by day. However, one night, that peaceful everyday life changed dramatically. His father, who had been sheltering a pro-Shogunate samurai, ends up being killed by Shonai, a Choshu samurai. Shaken with rage, Kyoujurou dashed out of the shop to pursue Shonai and his comrades, but then a man appeared, seemingly understanding Kyoujurou’s intentions, and swiftly cut down one of the samurai. Identifying himself as the chief of the Shinsengumi, Isami Kondo offered words of condolence to Kyoujurou, expressing gratitude for his father’s bravery, before departing. Determined to seek revenge, Kyoujurou resolved to enlist in the Shinsengumi. Credit : DramaClub