Miss Hokusai (2015)

The life and works of Japanese artist and ukiyo-e painter Katsushika Hokusai, as seen from the eyes of his daughter, Katsushika O-Ei.

Directors:

Keiichi Hara, Stephanie Sheh

Writers:

Hinako Sugiura (comic "Sarusuberi"), Miho Maruo (screenplay)

Stars:

Yutaka Matsushige, Anne Watanabe, Erica Lindbeck

5 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Erica Lindbeck	...	O-Ei (voice)
Anne Watanabe	...	O-Ei (voice) (as An)
Richard Epcar	...	Katsushika Hokusai / Additional Voices (voice)
Yutaka Matsushige	...	Katsushika Hokusai (voice)
Gaku Hamada	...	Ikeda Zenjirô (voice)
Ezra Weisz	...	Zenjiro Ikeda (voice)
Robbie Daymond	...	Kuninao Utagawa (voice)
Kengo Kôra	...	Utagawa Kuninao (voice)
Barbara Goodson	...	Koto / Additional Voices (voice)
Jun Miho	...	Koto (voice)
Courtney Chu	...	O-Nao (voice)
Shion Shimizu	...	O-Nao (voice)
Marc Diraison	...	Hatsugoro / Additional Voices (voice)
Michitaka Tsutsui	...	Iwakubo Hatsugorô (voice)
Kumiko Asô	...	Sayogoromo (voice)

Storyline

Set in 1814, Miss Hokusai focuses on O-Ei, the daughter of famed artist Tetsuzo, better known by his pen name Hokusai, as she tries to navigate the various aspects of her life. O-Ei spends the bulk of her time assisting her divorced father who cares about his art and not much else.

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Plot Keywords:

dog | canine | man's best friend | illustrator | tatami | 

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Taglines:

A work of beauty and intellect!

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Genres:

Animation | Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including sexual situations and images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook [Japan] Official site [Japan]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

9 May 2015 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Miss Hokusai

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,524, 16 October 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$216,202, 6 November 2016

Company Credits

Production Co:

Asatsu-DK, Bandai Visual Company, Oriental Light and Magic (OLM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ukiyo-e, or "pictures of the floating world", was a popular art genre in Japan during the Edo Period (1603-1868). By using woodblock printing, depictions of folk tales, landscapes, kabuki theatre scenes and erotica, were widely spread throughout Japan.

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Goofs

The movie (or at least the subtitles) stated that Hokusai died at age 90. He actually died at the age of 88.

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Connections

Referenced in Toonami Pre-Flight: Favorite Video Games of 2016 (2016)

User Reviews

plot needs development

It's 1814 Edo, Japan. Tetsuzo is a famous painter. He lives with his daughter O-Ei. She also paints but he often critiques her work harshly. Zenjiro is a hanger-on, a former samurai who turned to painting. O-Ei hates Zenjiro's inferior work and ridicules him as Zen Zero. She often visits her blind half-sister O-Nao who lives with her mother and Tetsuzo rarely visits due to his aversion of the sick.

This evokes a time and place. It paints two great characters. The plot is episodic in nature and I would like more in terms of plot development. I love the woman haunted by O-Ei's painting. There are great bits of a story. I don't know if O-Ei's character development is enough. I am intrigued by her visit to the brothel but it comes to nothing. In the end, she marries but it's left to a postscript text. The script needs a plot development rewrite. It paints a beautiful picture but the picture doesn't really move. Does she become a great artist? Does she find true love? Does sex release her artistry? Is she gay? Does death give her art new depths? There are so many questions but this movie is reluctant to answer them.