Aka Medaka (2015): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2015, Aka Medaka is a drama film directed by Hideta Takahata, running about 145 minutes.

What it’s about. One of the hottest selling tickets in town is to see the hugely popular “rakugoka”, or comic storyteller, Danshun. Danshun himself was inspired as a little boy to become a rakugoka after seeing the legendary Danshi. He had found his calling. After his resistant parents relented to their son’s pleas, Danshun at age 17 became an apprentice of Danshi, the man dubbed a “wunderkind” and “genius” of the rakugo world. He soon realized however how hard the training was, and embarked upon a rigorous existence in which he had to deliver newspapers to earn a living. Living with hardship and joys, Danshun and his fellow apprentices would eventually rise in the rakugo world. A resplendent cast comes together to depict the rough and tumble world of a man who loved rakugo above all else and was destined to fulfill a dream.

Who’s in it. Aka Medaka stars Kazunari Ninomiya as Danshun Tatekawa, Takeshi Kitano as Tatekawa Danshi, Gaku Hamada as Tatekawa Shiraku and Hiroko Yakushimaru as Narrator, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 8.1/10, Aka Medaka sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Aka Medaka page.

If you liked it. Fans of Aka Medaka tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.