✅ Okudera’s script, based on Yoshida’s novel that clocks in at around 800 pages, is terrific.
✅ The transition between Kurokawa & Koshiyama and Yoshizawa & Yokohama playing Kikuo & Shunsuke is magically seamless.
✅ It’s strong enough that I’d love to experience the original cut that ran for 4.5 hours.
To underscore dramatic points, the Kabuki music sometimes fades over into the soundtrack; while it broke my immersion each time it’s well-balanced overall.
国宝 aka Kokuhō by Lee Sang-il, 2025.
Watched at the Bambi theater on March 29, 2026, in its original language with subtitles.