Kudo Kankuro - Kudos to the man who Kan(kuro)!

Kudo Kankuro deserves his own thread for writing the J-drama Ikebukuro West Gate Park alone but that would be doing injustice to the brilliance of his other works. Works such as Kisarazu Cat's Eye (which he also directed), Tiger & Dragon and Ryusei no Kizuna. The aforementioned dramas are by no means the exhuasted list of his work. To his credit he has written (from dramawiki):

Ryusei no Kizuna (TBS, 2008)
Mirai Koshi Meguru (TV Asahi, 2008)
Ganges Gawa de Butterfly (TV Asahi, 2007)
Wagahai wa Shufu de aru (TBS, 2006)
Tiger & Dragon (TBS, 2005)
Manhattan Love Story (TBS, 2003)
Boku no Mahou Tsukai (NTV, 2003)
Kei Ima Nanimachi? (Fuji TV, 2002)
Kisarazu Cat's Eye (TBS, 2002)
Rocket Boy (Fuji TV, 2001)
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (TBS, 2000)

Winning Best Scriptwriter at the Television Drama Academy Awards for Ikebukuro West Gate Park, Kisarazu Cat's Eye, Boku no Mahou Tsukai, Manhattan Love Story, Tiger & Dragon and Ryusei no Kizuna. As well as winning Best Director for Kisarazu Cat's Eye.

If you think his genius is restricted to the field of television entertainment then you are sadly mistaken because he has also written a wide range of movies such as Ping Pong and Go. The latter film for which he won Best Screenplay at the Japanese Academy Awards.

A full list of the movies his written (again from dramawiki):

Donju (2009)
Kamui Gaiden (2008)
Shonen Merikensack (2008)
Maiko Haaaan!!! (2007)
Kisarazu Cat's Eye: World Series (2006)
Nonta no Shippo (2006)
Mayonaka no Yaji-san Kita-san (2005)
69 sixty nine (2004)
ZEBRAMAN (2004)
IDEN & TITY (2004)
Drugstore Girl (2004)
Project Z Shirokuro Tsuketai Otokotachi (2004)
Gokinjo Tantei TOMOE (2003)
Kisarazu Cat's Eye: Nihon Series (2003)
Ping Pong (2002)
Go (2001)

He has also directed the following movies:

Shonen Merikensack (2008)
Mayonaka no Yaji-san Kita-san (2005)

Not content with sitting behind the camera Kudo Kankuro has also made acting appereances in:

Dramas
Ojiisan-sensei (NTV, 2007, ep7)
Semishigure (NHK, 2003)
Yume no California (TBS, 2002)
Kei Ima Nanimachi? (Fuji TV, 2002)
Yonimo Kimyona Monogatari Mom in Stores Now! (Fuji TV, 2001)
Matchpoint (NHK, 2001)
Nisennen no Koi (Fuji TV, 2000)
Oishii Kankei (Fuji TV, 1996)

Movies
Moryo no Hako (2007)
Welcome to the Quiet Room (2007)
Taitei no Ken (2007)
Kirawareru Matsuko no Issho (2006)
Kono Mune Ippai no Ai wo (2005)
Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu (2004)
Fukumimi (2003)
13 Kaidan (2003)

Is there no end to this mans talent? (Some even profess that he is actually the Sting. I'll let you guys make up your mind on that one).

Source: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Kudo_Kankuro

Of what I've seen of Kudo Kankuro's work he does seem to have a wacky sense of humour! I was suprised when I found that he had written Ping Pong and Go two excellent movies starring the ace actor Yosuke Kubozuka - two movies which everybody must see!!!!!!!

His the only screenwriter whose work I anticipate kinda like hoping for a new Nagase drama! lol Laugh

I've noticed that (depending if he has any say in the casting for his screenplays) there seems to be like actors that are preferred who appear in more then one drama or movie of his. Like Nagase who has appeared in the dramas IWGP, Tiger & Dragon and the movie Mayonaka no Yaji-san Kita-san and Yosuke Kubozuka who has appeared in the drama IWGP and the movies Go and Ping Pong. There are others as well but at the moment I can't remember who from the top of my head.

And now to put a face to the star name (he does seem to favour the hat, our top writer) WARNING - The following pictures may contain partial facial nudity - view at own discretion:

Hidden:

So feel free to post about his screenwriting, his directing, his acting, his love of hats, his fashion sense, if you've ever met the man, if you have a crush, love or want him for no particular reason, if he actually is the Sting Blink

, if you think you can write better then him (please back that up with awards - nothing flashy like an Oscar mind - Quentin Tarantino I'm looking at you Mad

), or simply if you just want to reply with he rocks! or any other witty one-liners. Everybody's welcome! (except Tarantino Mad

).

Please post away.

Smile

Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:00 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Nice post, not many people think about the writer when watching good movies or dramas.

This guy definitely is one of the best, and pretty much anything that he writes should be good. "Go" had an amazing script, and this guy seems to write very well for some characters, including, as you mentioned, Yosuke Kubozuka and Nagase Tomoya. I wish Kubozuka would put himself out there more! Screw his "reggae" or whatever...

Appreciate this man! It's easy to appreciate the actors, but the person that allows the actors to be the character that they are should be appreciated as well!

Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:53 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Some of my favorites are on the list of Kudou Kankuro's achievements.

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:07 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:40 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

I love it~!

Posted: Sat Sep 12, 2009 6:22 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

He is "Da Man"! First I watched "Kisarazu Cat's Eye" on one go! Then, I watched IWGP and "Tiger & Dragon". The Movie "Mayonaki no Yaji-san no Kita-san" was one of the most crazy things I ever watched. I can't call him anything but "Creative Genius". Even his acting is great; see him in "The Quiet Room". I still have to watch "Ryuusei no Kizuna", "Maiko Haan" and "Go". Way to go! Hopefully he lives another 40 years and keeps writing!