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Weekend: Once all the rage, serial movies going dark

BY JUNKO FUKATSU

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

2009/11/27

The popular movie series "Tsuribaka Nisshi" (Free and Easy), produced by Shochiku Co., will come to a close with "Tsuribaka Nisshi 20: Fainaru," its 22nd episode which was completed in September. The end of the comedy series, set throughout Japan, may herald the end of the film-series genre, which was once guaranteed big business for major movie companies.

In 1988, fishing fans, Hama-chan, a carefree salaried worker of a construction company played by Toshiyuki Nishida, and Su-san, the one-man business operator played by Rentaro Mikuni, made their debut on the screen.

The movie was first double-billed with the popular "Otoko wa tsurai yo" (It's Tough Being a Man) films directed by Yoji Yamada and starring Kiyoshi Atsumi, but struck out on its own after Atsumi died, and grew to become Shochiku's trademark series.

The fishing movies have satirized the world of the salaried workers by reversing the role of the business owner and the perennial rank-and-file employee, who become the pupil and master once they hold fishing rods.

Fans also enjoyed the standing joke of seeing the kanji characters gattai (union) on the screen, suggesting lovemaking between Hama-chan and his beloved wife.

Up until the previous film, the series had attracted 23 million viewers.

Since Shochiku is the sole investor, the company can sell the films to any television station. It also makes money through DVD sales and in-flight screenings.

"Each time we release a new work, old ones in the series also sell. It is prime software that allows us to do long-term business," Toshihiko Murai, head of Shochiku's filmmaking department, said.

Then why are they ending the popular series?

Nishida, who plays the free-spirited Hama-chan, is 61, while Mikuni who has portrayed the work-oriented Su-san, is 86. The age difference between the characters and the actors was the main reason behind this decision.

"To put less strain on Mikuni, we have been slowly reducing the number of scenes where he engages in lively conversation with Nishida. While making the recent works, we have always been thinking of how to draw the curtain," producer Hiroshi Fukasawa said.

The final chapter of the series that traveled nationwide from Akita in the north to Okinawa in the south takes place in Hokkaido.

The schedule of the film shot in eastern Hokkaido was decided with due consideration to the physical condition of Mikuni who underwent a catheter operation for a possible cardiac infarction just before filming began.

"The movie series was my first experience with real comedy. Honestly, I feel that the 22 movies were done in a flash while I was still getting the knack of things," Mikuni said.

Expressing reluctance to part with the series, Nishida said, "Each time we shot a scene, we got closer to the moment of farewell. I'd been thinking that we should say goodbye while we would still be missed. But still ..."

There was a time when major studios in the country competed to come up with their own movie series.

That was in the 1950s, the golden era of movies. To fill the screening schedule of its affiliated cinemas, each company produced large numbers of films starring its in-house stars. Once a film became a hit, the studio would produce sequels following the pattern of the first work.

Toho Co. created the comedy series focusing on company employees such as the "Shacho" (Company president) series and "Musekinin Otoko" (Irresponsible guy) series as well as the "Wakadaisho" (Young guy) series depicting college students.

Toei Co. and Nikkatsu Corp. focused on "macho" and action, respectively. Such popular series determined the image of each company.

TV takes a toll on movies

But as an increasing number of viewers turned to television, the film industry entered dark times.

Although Japanese films are said to have made a comeback in the 2000s, the number of original films produced by film studios has dropped sharply.

They were replaced by films that are made by the current method under which a production committee raises funds outside the film industry, such as television stations and publishing companies.

Since money is raised for each individual movie, profit performance comes under close scrutiny, making it harder to develop long-term projects.

Many believe the reason "Tsuribaka Nisshi" managed to survive as series in such an difficult environment is due largely to the presence of the "Otoko wa tsurai yo" series.

The series, consisting of 48 films produced over 26 years and ending in 1995, was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the longest movie series in the world performed by the same actor.

While many series disappeared when viewers grew bored, the "Otoko wa" series managed to stay popular thanks to the personal magnetism of the star Atsumi that transcended generations.

Being double-billed with such a strong movie series raised people's awareness of "Tsuribaka Nisshi."

Director Yamada of the "Otoko wa" series was a screen writer for "Tsuribaka"and in-house Shochiku directors directed the "Tsuribaka" movies.

The "Otoko wa" and "Tsuribaka" series are alike in that they were shot on location around Japan, to allow them to appeal to a wider audience.

It was one of the few productions that carried on the "studio system" tradition of filmmaking that trained the cast and staff on the job.

Yuzo Asahara, who directed the final "Tsuribaka" film belongs to the last generation of directors employed directly by Shochiku. He has directed the seven other films in the series starting in 2003.

"We may no longer be able to make films as the studio taught us, where the same members get together every year and come up with new ideas to make a film," Asahara said.

He believes that the "Tsuribaka" series also mirrors the social situation of the times through its depiction of phenomena such as corruption at large construction companies and rehiring of retired workers. He believes the movies also has value as a "record of society."

Since the failure of last year's "Tsukiji uogashi sandaime," a prospective replacement for "Tsuribaka," a succeeding work has not appeared.

"Nowadays, the success is decided for each film. There is little room to nurture a series over the long run," Asahara said. "This is the same as a company that had manufactured on its own deciding to outsource. But all the more because we live in such times, I'd like to make much of the studio's tradition that requires us to think ourselves and train people."

The final film in the "Tsuribaka" series will open Dec. 26.