The Calamari Wrestler

2004 Japanese film

The Calamari Wrestler (いかレスラー, Ika resuraa) is a 2004 Japanese film by director Minoru Kawasaki,^[1] starring Kana Ishida and Osamu Nishimura.^[2]

Plot

The plot revolves around a professional wrestler who, after developing a terminal illness, becomes a giant squid-like creature (Osamu Nishimura). As a giant squid, he must battle to reclaim his former life both inside and outside the ring.

Cast

• Kana Ishida as Miyako
• Osamu Nishimura as Kanichi Iwata/The Calamari Wrestler
• Akira Nogami as Koji Taguchi/The Octopus Wrestler
• Hirohisa Nakata as Godozan/The Squilla Boxer
• Miho Shiraishi as Sister
• Yoshihiro Takayama as himself
• Hariken Ryu as Calamari Wrestler's suit actor

Reception

Jeannett Catsoulis of The New York Times described the film as goofy and bizarre "yet surprisingly coherent" with "a good-natured charm."^[3] Catsoulis commented on the themes of the film noting a "convincing parallel between the anxieties of post-World War II Japan and what the film calls the "utter chaos" of the country today."^[3]

References

1. Calamari Wrestler - Ika Resuraa (Kawasaki Minoru 2004) :: Japanese
2. Review at Nippon Cinema
3. Catsoulis, Jeannett (May 13, 2005). "Drawing Strength From a Giant Squid". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2018.

External links

• The Calamari Wrestler at IMDb
• Archived March 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine (Japanese)