Toma Ikuta is back as Undercover Agent Reiji Kikukawa in the manga adaptation THE MOLE SONG -HONG KONG CAPRICCIO-. Photo courtesy of Pony Canyon Inc. © 2016 Source: Pony Canyon, Inc., Toho Co., Ltd. Official Site: mogura-movie.com (Japan) Pony Canyon and Toho have provided press materials for THE MOLE SONG -HONG KONG CAPRICCIO- (???? ?????, Mogura no Uta Honkon Kyoosoo Kyoku), the sequel to director Takashi Miike`s live action adaptation of the hit manga series. The film opens in Japan on December 23rd. ? Introduction WELCOME BACK TO MOGURA WORLD!!! This bizarre story begins with Reiji Kikukawa, a patrol cop who graduates with the lowest score in police academy history. Kikukawa is given an assignment to infiltrate the world of organized crime as an undercover cop -- a “Mole.” His mission: to restore purity in an increasingly corrupt society.
Japanese theatrical poster. © 2016 The bestselling manga, Mogura no Uta by Noboru Takahashi, serialized in Big Comics Spirits Weekly, reached new heights in 2014 when it was adapted to a live action film directed by the world-renowned Takashi Miike, written by the ingenious storyteller Kankuro Kudo, and starring the multi-talented Toma Ikuta as Reiji Kikukawa. These three renegade talents gave life to the film, THE MOLE SONG -UNDERCOVER AGENT REIJI- (???? ????? REIJI, Mogura no Uta Sennuu Sosakan REIJI). Ikuta and the Miike team brilliantly created a new-age hero in Reiji Kikukawa -- a seemingly slow-witted virgin, who is in fact, a champion of justice. The outrageous scene featuring a buck-naked Reiji tied onto the hood of a speeding car that ends up running through a car wash shocked both viewers and industry critics. The passionate performances have impressed audiences in Japan, and at the Rome Film Festival in Italy. Ikuta and his co-stars made sparks fly. Riisa Naka played Reiji’s love interest, Junna, a patrol cop who takes his virginity. Yusuke Kamiji portrayed a rogue gangster sporting a full-body leopard tattoo that required eight hours every day on set to apply. Clad in a flashy butterfly-motif suit, Shinichi Tsutsumi played the ultimate “big brother” figure that any man would follow. Veterans Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Kenichi Endo, Sarutoki Minagawa and Koichi Iwaki rounded out the unconventional cast in this ultra-high paced comedy. The movie which opened on February 15, 2014 brought in 2.19 billion yen in box office revenue, and spurred “Mole Fever” among viewers in their teens and 20’s. It subsequently aired on Fuji TV’s “Friday Premium” program in January, 2016. Despite some controversial risqué scenes, the show was a huge network television hit, fueling even greater success. But a Mole never rests! In the program finale, Ikuta took viewers by surprise by announcing a sequel! Amidst the excitement, the Mole Project went deep undercover... ...Only to resurface and wreak havoc again in December 2016 with a star-studded cast! Eita joins the cast as Shinya Kabuto, the elite, anti-gang police chief who pursues Reiji with a vengeance. Tsubasa Honda plays Karen, beloved daughter of Reiji’s ultimate target, Shuho Todoroki. Model/actress Nanao plays Fu Fung, a sexy Chinese mafia assassin. Arata Furuta plays Momoji Sakuraba, a rogue yakuza with an explosive temper. The sequel was adapted from a volume of the original manga, Chinese Mafia Story, in which our undercover hero, Reiji Kikukawa, takes on an even more impossible mission which climaxes in a showdown in Hong Kong! The movie has it all -- thrills, excitement, action, sex, romance, machismo, justice and laughs! The sky-high intensity of this monster sequel surpasses its predecessor in every way! December 23. Get ready for a “blazing hot” Christmas and New Year! Don’t think. Feeeeeel!
Photo courtesy of Pony Canyon Inc. © 2016 ? Story Reiji Kikukawa is a flunky patrol cop who is fired one day, and simultaneously given a dangerous mission: to infiltrate a nefarious organized crime ring called Sukiya-kai as an undercover cop, namely, a “Mole.” Miraculously, Reiji manages to elude death multiple times, keep his identity hidden from the yakuza, and lose his virginity in the process! He fails to bring down his target, Shuho Todoroki, chairman of the Sukiya-kai, but is taken under the wing of Sukiya-kai gangster, Masaya Hiura, a.k.a. “Crazy Papillon” and becomes his “brother” in a blood pact -- which takes Reiji even deeper into the underworld! But then... An elite and righteous policeman named Shinya Kabuto becomes the new chief of the Anti-Organized Crime Unit with a mission to purify the police force and sever the ties between the police and the yakuza. Reiji, who is now “adopted” by the Sukiya-kai, is at the top of his list. Meanwhile, Shuho Todoroki hands Reiji a huge mission of his own! To bring down the evil Chinese mafia group, Senkotsuryu, and serve as the personal bodyguard of Shuho Todoroki and his beautiful virgin daughter, Karen! Reiji is surrounded by dangerous enemies -- from within the police force as well as overseas! And in the background, a dark conspiracy of national proportions threatens to rear its ugly head... The original manga’s Chinese Mafia Story explodes into life in the birth of a new Mole legend!
Shinya Kabuto (Eita), Karen Todoroki (Tsubasa Honda), Momoji Sakuraba (Arata Furuta) and Fu Fung (Nanao). © 2016 Credits Japanese Theatrical Release Date: Friday, December 23, 2016 (Nationwide Roadshow) Running Time: 128 Minutes Cast Reiji Kikukawa: Toma Ikuta Shinya Kabuto: Eita Karen Todoroki: Tsubasa Honda Momoji Sakuraba: Arata Furuta Fu Fung: Nanao Kenta Kurokawa: Yusuke Kamiji Junna Wakagi: Riisa Naka Masaya Hiura: Shinichi Tsutsumi Shuho Todoroki: Koichi Iwaki Toshio Sakami: Mitsuru Fukikoshi Doppo Fukuzumi: Sarutoki Minagawa Kazumi Akagiri: Kenichi Endo Staff Director: Takashi Miike Original Story: Noboru Takahashi Screenplay: Kankuro Kudo Producers: Juichi Uehara, Masaichi Kubo, Julie Fujishima, Minami Ichikawa, Toshiaki Okuno Executive Producer: Shinichi Ogawa Cinematographer: Nobuyasu Kita Editor: Kenji Yamashita Art Director: Yuji Hayashida Music: Koji Endo Film Production: Fuji Television Network, Shogakukan, J Storm, Toho, OLM, Inc. World Sales: Pony Canyon Inc. Distributor: Toho © 2016 "Mogura no Uta Hong Kong Capriccio" Production Committee © Noboru Takahashi ? Shogakukan
Logo courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd. © 2016 About Toho Co., Ltd.
Founded in 1932, Toho Co., Ltd. is one of the leading entertainment conglomerates in Japan. Toho is best known worldwide as the producer of the Godzilla films, as well as most of the films by the world-renowned director, Akira Kurosawa. Besides film production, Toho also distributes Japanese films (earning the highest box office receipts for decades in Japan) as well as foreign films through its subsidiary, owns first class movie theaters throughout Japan, produces legitimate plays and musicals, and has more than 100 entertainment-related subsidiaries.
About Pony Canyon Inc.
Pony Canyon has been at the forefront of Japan`s video entertainment industry. Pony Canyon also develops digital software, utilizing the latest interactive and multimedia technology. Pony Canyon is a part of the Fuji Media Holdings Inc. which is Japan`s largest and influential media conglomerate.
For more information on THE MOLE SONG films, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: