Rikidōzan is a 2004

2004 in film

The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...

 South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

n and Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese film written and directed by Song Hae-seong

Song Hae-seong

Song Hae-seong is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He made his feature film debut in 1999 with Calla, but didn't become more widely known until the success of his second film, Failan...

. The film is based on the life of professional wrestler Rikidōzan

Rikidozan

, better known as Rikidōzan , was a Korean Japanese professional wrestler, known as the "Father of Puroresu" and one of the most influential men in wrestling history. Initially, he had moved from his native country Korea to Japan to become a sumo wrestler...

 and stars Sol Kyung-gu

Sol Kyung-gu

Sol Kyung-gu is a Grand Bell Award, Golden Space Needle Award, and Bratislava International Film Festival Best Actor winning South Korean actor. He studied film and theater at Hanyang University and upon graduation took part in mostly theatrical productions...

 in the titular role. Also starring in the movie are Miki Nakatani, Tatsuya Fuji, and actual Japanese wrestlers Keiji Mutoh

Keiji Mutoh

is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...

 and Masakatsu Funaki

Masakatsu Funaki

, is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling, PWFG, as well as the UWF. He is currently performing at All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is one half of the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Champions, along with Keiji Mutoh...

. The film won the South Korean film industry's Grand Bell Award for best directing and the cinematography by Kim Hyeon-gu but was not a box-office hit.

Cast

• Rikidōzan
  Rikidozan
  , better known as Rikidōzan , was a Korean Japanese professional wrestler, known as the "Father of Puroresu" and one of the most influential men in wrestling history. Initially, he had moved from his native country Korea to Japan to become a sumo wrestler...
  
  /Kim Sin-rak: Sol Kyung-gu
  Sol Kyung-gu
  Sol Kyung-gu is a Grand Bell Award, Golden Space Needle Award, and Bratislava International Film Festival Best Actor winning South Korean actor. He studied film and theater at Hanyang University and upon graduation took part in mostly theatrical productions...
  
  
• Aya: Miki Nakatani
• Yuzuru Yoshimachi: Masato Hagiwara
  Masato Hagiwara
  is a Japanese actor. He is employed by Alpha Agency.-Live-Action Roles:*Change!*Onmyoji as Imperial Prince Sawara Shinno-Anime roles:*Akagi as Shigeru Akagi*Blade as Kykyo Mikage...
  
  
• Keiko Oki: Sawa Suzuki
• Kōichi Kasai: Taro Yamamoto
  Taro Yamamoto
  is a Japanese actor.Currently, he actively involved with the anti-nuclear movement.- Selected filmography :* 1998 Love Letter* 1999 Big show! Hawaii ni utaeba* 2000 Battle Royale * 2001 Hashire! Ichiro...
  
  
• Masahiko Imura
  Masahiko Kimura
  was a Japanese judoka who is widely considered one of the greatest judoka of all time. Kimura was born on September 10, 1917 in Kumamoto, Japan...
  
  : Masakatsu Funaki
  Masakatsu Funaki
  , is a Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler who wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling, PWFG, as well as the UWF. He is currently performing at All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is one half of the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Champions, along with Keiji Mutoh...
  
  †
• Kim Myon-Gil: Park Cheol-min
• Kim Il
  Kintaro Ohki
  Kintarō Ōki was arguably the greatest South Korean professional wrestler of all time, also known professionally as Kim Il or KIM Il during his career in the Japan Wrestling Association, All Japan Pro Wrestling and International Pro...
  
  : No Jun-Ho
• Kōkichi Endō: Jun Akiyama
  Jun Akiyama
  is a Japanese professional wrestler who currently works for Pro Wrestling Noah and All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he is the current AJPW Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion. Akiyama is known for his serious style and outstanding, time-tested work as a tag team wrestler...
  
  †
• Toyonobori
  Toyonobori
  Michiharu Sadano, known in sumo and professional wrestling as Toyonobori, was a Japanese Sumo wrestler.After retiring as a Rikishi from sumo, he became a professional wrestler.-In professional wrestling:...
  
  : Mohammed Yone
  Satoshi Yoneyama
  , better known by his ring name Mohammed Yone , is a Japanese professional wrestler, currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is currently one half of the GHC Tag Team Champions with Takeshi Rikio. He is known for his trademark afro hairstyle, which has earned him the nickname "Mr. Afro"...
  
  †
• Harold Sakata
  Harold Sakata
  Toshiyuki "Harold" Sakata was a Japanese American professional wrestler and film actor most famous for his role as the villain "Oddjob" in the James Bond film Goldfinger.-Career:...
  
  : Keiji Mutoh
  Keiji Mutoh
  is a Japanese professional wrestler who first gained international fame in the National Wrestling Alliance. He is mostly known for his work as The Great Muta in New Japan Pro Wrestling during the 1990s, but he has also competed in United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Taiwan...
  
  †
• Azumanami
  Azumafuji Kin'ichi
  was a Japanese sumo wrestler from Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. He was the sport's 40th Yokozuna, and later a professional wrestler.-Sumo career:He made professional debut in January 1936, joining Takasago stable. He was promoted to the top makuuchi division in May 1943...
  
  : Shinya Hashimoto
  Shinya Hashimoto
  , was a Japanese professional wrestler. Along with Masahiro Chono and Keiji Mutoh, Hashimoto was dubbed one of the "Three Musketeers" that began competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling in the mid 1980s and dominated the promotion in the 1990s....
  
  †
• Ben Sharpe: Mike Barton†
• Mike Sharpe: Jim Steele†
• Atomic: Rick Steiner
  Rick Steiner
  Robert Rechsteiner is an American professional wrestler, better known under his ring name Rick Steiner.Steiner is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling, where he was an eight time World Tag Team Champion...
  
  †
• Wrestler: Makoto Hashi
  Makoto Hashi
  is a Japanese professional wrestler, best known for his appearances in Pro Wrestling Noah.-Career:Hashi's first championship reign in NOAH came after he defeated Naomichi Marufuji for the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship via stoppage; however, unsatisfied with his victory, Hashi vacated the...
  
  †
• Wrestler: Go Shiozaki
  Go Shiozaki
  is a Japanese professional wrestler currently working for Pro Wrestling Noah, where he is the current GHC Heavyweight Champion. In addition to Noah, he has previously worked in the American-based promotion Ring of Honor and its former sister promotion Full Impact Pro, where he won the latter's...
  
  †
• Wrestler: Koji Yoshida
• Wrestler: Chikara Momota
• Announcer: Shigeru Kajiwara
• Interviewer: Masami Ogishima
• NTV
  Nippon Television
  is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
  
   President: Shinji Nomura
• Nishonoyama
  Nishonoseki Stable
  is a stable of sumo wrestlers, part of the Nishonoseki group of stables named after it. It first appeared in the late eighteenth century and was re-established in its current form in 1935 by the 32nd Yokozuna Tamanishiki while still active...
  
   Oyakata: Kazuyuki Senba
• Kenichi Tamura: Munenori Iwamoto
• New Havana Club M.C.: Magy
  Magy (actor)
  Magy , born Yūichi Kojima on May 12th, 1973, is a Japanese actor.He starred in several roles, including:-Films:* Yuji Demegawa -External links:*...
  
  
• Middle-Aged Woman: Rei Okamoto
  Rei Okamoto
  is Japanese model and actress who stars as Mia Amagishi in Akai Ito.-References:...
  
  
• Takeo Kanno: Tatsuya Fuji
  Tatsuya Fuji
  Tatsuya Fuji is a Japanese film actor. He has appeared in 50 films since 1964, and was the first Japanese actor to appear in full-frontal nudity with explicit sexual scenes in a non-pornographic Japanese film, In the Realm of the Senses, which was released worldwide in 1976, but has yet to be...
  
  

†denotes an actual professional wrestler

External links

• Sony Pictures Japan