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Ichi the Killer

Original title: Koroshiya 1
  • 2001
  • 2h 9m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
58K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,543
1,441
Tadanobu Asano in Ichi the Killer (2001)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:27
1 Video
55 Photos
ActionCrimeDrama

As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has o... Read allAs sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of achieving.As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of achieving.

  • Director
    • Takashi Miike
  • Writers
    • Sakichi Sato
    • Hideo Yamamoto
  • Stars
    • Tadanobu Asano
    • Nao Ômori
    • Shin'ya Tsukamoto
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.0/10
    58K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,543
    1,441
    • Director
      • Takashi Miike
    • Writers
      • Sakichi Sato
      • Hideo Yamamoto
    • Stars
      • Tadanobu Asano
      • Nao Ômori
      • Shin'ya Tsukamoto
    • 328User reviews
    • 110Critic reviews
    • 55Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 6 wins & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    Ichi the Killer
    Trailer 1:27
    Watch Ichi the Killer

    Photos55

    Nao Ômori in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    Nao Ômori in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    Nao Ômori in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    Ichi the Killer (2001)
    Nao Ômori in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    Kiyohiko Shibukawa in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    Paulyn Sun in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    SABU and Hiroshi Kobayashi in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    SABU in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    Nao Ômori in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    Nao Ômori in Ichi the Killer (2001)
    Jun Kunimura in Ichi the Killer (2001)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tadanobu Asano
    Tadanobu Asano
    • Kakihara
    Nao Ômori
    Nao Ômori
    • Ichi
    Shin'ya Tsukamoto
    Shin'ya Tsukamoto
    • Jijii
    Paulyn Sun
    Paulyn Sun
    • Karen
    • (as Alien Sun)
    Susumu Terajima
    Susumu Terajima
    • Suzuki
    • (as Sabu)
    Shun Sugata
    Shun Sugata
    • Takayama
    Tôru Tezuka
    • Fujiwara
    Yoshiki Arizono
    • Nakazawa
    Kiyohiko Shibukawa
    • Ryu Long
    • (as Kee)
    Satoshi Niizuma
    • Inoue
    Suzuki Matsuo
    • Jirô…
    Jun Kunimura
    Jun Kunimura
    • Funaki
    SABU
    SABU
    • Kaneko
    • (as Hiroyuki Tanaka)
    Moro Morooka
    Moro Morooka
    • Coffee Shop Manager
    Hôka Kinoshita
    • Sailor's Lover
    Hiroshi Kobayashi
    • Takeshi
    Mai Gotou
    • Sailor
    • (as Mai Goto)
    Rio Aoki
    • Miyuki
    • Director
      • Takashi Miike
    • Writers
      • Sakichi Sato(screenplay)
      • Hideo Yamamoto(manga)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    5.7
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      (at around 18 mins) For the sequence based on the part in the manga during chapters 13-16 of volume 2, where a naked Susuki of the Funakigumi is tortured by being suspended from meat-hooks. Susuki's actor Susumu Terajima required twelve hours of makeup and other preparation, and then spent twelve more hours shooting the scene.
    • Goofs
      (at around 1h 30 mins) When Kakihara is attacked in the streets, protective padding is visible under his clothing. Look for it when he bends over backwards without falling over, before he removes his piercings.
    • Quotes

      Kakihara: Damn... Nobody left to kill me.

    • Crazy credits
      End credits scroll up, down, left, right, forwards and backwards.
    • Alternate versions
      The French DVD is the full uncut version
    • Connections
      Featured in The Cult of Ichi (2007)

    User reviews328

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Extreme Comic Book Violence. The film is Like a Live-Action Comic Book!
    What My title for this comment says should be a warning to some. That is why the viewer should probably be strongly warned of what this film has in it. Extreme Comic Book Violence. Before I watched this film, I knew that it would have a lot of violence, but I wasn't expecting it to reach heights greater than what I thought. I didn't think it was going to be as extreme as it is before I watched it. The film did shock me a bit.If you think films like Dead Alive, Battle Royale, Audition, Salo', and Caligula are as depraved as movies can be, be prepared to be disarmed. With that said, I will now talk about the film. The story is this. Kakihara is a bisexual sadist who enjoys doing sadistic things such as hanging people by hooks and dumping hot grease on them or pulling the flesh off of people's face's with his arms and legs. He is looking for his Yakuza boss who disappeared. Kakihara is sad because his boss used to play crazy and weird sexual games with him. Kakahara is sort of unaware of a boy named Ichi who runs around in a superhero outfit the the number 1 on it and has blades in his boots that he uses to kill evil people with in gory unrealistic fashions. Ichi is being summoned by a supposedly retired cop. From there on, the story of madness, rape, murder, and mayhem gets a little more complicated. This film, when you look past all the gallons of blood and the sadomasochism, is brilliant. It is full of humor and entertainment but that is not what makes it good. I admired it's story and it's completely risky way to tell what the adventure of all these corrupt people. The film is unafraid of shocking it's viewers or going a little bit over the top to show who the characters are. The film's style is that of a MANGA. It is very fast paced and quick in going on with the scenes. there is one scene in particular where a woman's fingers are snapped. This scene is more shocking then it sounds due to the fact that you don't realize it until it is made obvious. once it becomes obvious enough it jumps away from that scene. Not everyone will agree with me that this film is as good as it is. There are many people that see it just as a gross shocker with no purpose other then grossing us out. There is a purpose in this film though. Even if the meaning is harder then ever to decipher. But I like films that have a hard message to figure out. It makes me want to watch them more. I find this film to be a true Japanese classic that should be remembered by the few people that see it. Words cannot describe how much I love this film. ICHI THE KILLER is a true masterpiece that has a good plot, a good meaning, and a good, yet shocking, ending twist that will haunt you for days. Watch out for the gratuitous adult content though.
    helpful•7
    2
    • LLAAA4837
    • Aug 1, 2005

    FAQ2

    • What are the differences between the British BBFC 18 Version and the Uncensored Version?
    • What are the differences between the R-Rated and Unrated Version? What about the HongKong Version?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 22, 2001 (Japan)
    • Country of origin
      • Japan
    • Languages
      • Japanese
      • Cantonese
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Koroshiya 1
    • Filming locations
      • Tokyo, Japan
    • Production companies
      • Omega Project
      • Toho Company
      • Omega Micott Inc.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,400,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $20,285
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $2,750
      • Nov 12, 2017
    • Gross worldwide
      • $80,631
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 9 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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