Miss Hokusai (Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai) (2016)
83%RT Audience Score: 70%
Awards & Nominations: 6 wins & 8 nominations
Miss Hokusai illuminates the life and creative legacy of its brilliant subject with a beautifully animated biopic whose absorbing visuals are matched by its narrative grace
Miss Hokusai is a visually stunning anime that tells the story of a young woman who refuses to conform to cultural norms. The animation is superb, with fine attention to period detail, and the use of modern music adds a unique touch. While some critics found the film disjointed, I found it to be a sumptuous tapestry of color, shadow, and light. It’s a beautiful exploration into the heart of an artist that will leave you feeling inspired and entertained. Plus, there’s plenty of drinking, sex, and sickness to keep things interesting!
Production Company(ies)
Les Films, du Poisson Arte France Cinéma Entre Chien et Loup
Distributor
GKIDS
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including sexual situations and images
Year of Release
2015
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 33m
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Language(s):Japanese
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Country of origin:Japan
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 14, 2016 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 7, 2017
Genre(s)
Biography/Anime
Keyword(s)
Miss Hokusai, PG-13, Biography, Anime, 1h 33m, Kumiko Aso, Gaku Hamada, Kengo Kôra, Yutaka Matsushige, Jun Miho, Shion Shimizu, directed by Keiichi Hara, written by Miho Maruo, reviewed by Matthew Lickona, Valerie Complex, Bruce DeMara, Brad Wheeler, Stephanie Merry, Steve Davis, Panos Kotzathanasis, Dan Schindel, Michael McNeely, Rachel Wagner, Alan French, starring Kumiko Aso, Gaku Hamada, Kengo Kôra, Yutaka Matsushige, Jun Miho, Shion Shimizu, produced by GKIDS, MPAA rating PG-13, box office gross $176.0K, digital distribution, digital supply chain, license keys, games distribution
Worldwide gross: $377,702
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $471,473
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,752
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 51,415
US/Canada gross: $222,670
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $277,952
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,477
US/Canada opening weekend: $24,524
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $30,613
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,366
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Gaku Hamada – Ikeda Zenjirô (Voice)
Kengo Kôra – Utagawa Kuninao (Voice)
Yutaka Matsushige – Katsushika Hokusai (Voice)
Jun Miho – Koto (Voice)
Shion Shimizu – O-Nao (Voice)
Director(s)
Keiichi Hara
Writer(s)
Miho Maruo
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
6 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (58) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (54) | Rotten (4)
The art here is rawer and more idiosyncratic than some other anime, and there is a pleasing matter-of-factness about fleshy matters – drinking, sex, sickness – even as the more abstract question of art’s practice and power is under consideration.
November 11, 2016 | Rating: 2/5
Matthew Lickona
San Diego Reader
TOP CRITIC
Visually gorgeous but doesn’t adequately capture a compelling figure.
November 3, 2016 | Rating: 6/10
Valerie Complex
Black Girl Nerds
TOP CRITIC
The animation is superb, with fine attention to period detail, and director Keiichi Hara’s use of modern music – some of it rock-infused – is apt accompaniment to a story of a young woman who lives life boldly by refusing to bend to cultural norms.
October 28, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/4
Bruce DeMara
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
This plush anime version of Hinako Sugiura’s original manga tells a tale in a poetic, episodic fashion.
October 28, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
Brad Wheeler
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Although it’s lovely to look at, the movie is disjointed and is told through a seemingly random collection of vignettes, some of which are more memorable than others.
October 27, 2016 | Rating: 2.5/4
Stephanie Merry
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
A sumptuous tapestry of color, shadow, and light.
October 27, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/5
Steve Davis
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Miss Hokusai is a highly entertaining film that excels both artistically and in terms of story.
July 26, 2020
Panos Kotzathanasis
easternKicks.com
Director Keiichi Hara shapes Miss Hokusai less as a portrait of any one person than as a portrait of a particular time and place, how we in the present relate to that time, and how art bridges the gap.
February 4, 2020
Dan Schindel
Hyperallergic
I cannot praise this film enough. It simply refuses to take the easy way out or to tell a cliché story.
February 8, 2019
Michael McNeely
The Hindu Business Line
It’s a beautiful exploration into the heart of an artist that I think you will enjoy.
February 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/5
Rachel Wagner
Rotoscopers
Through the use of stunning visuals and surprisingly effective, if not sparing, emotional beats, the film is a solid triumph.
October 10, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4
Alan French
AwardsCircuit.com
As a bit of storytelling, Miss Hokusai tells not one, but two great biographies at the same time in a remarkably captivating manner.
August 28, 2018
Andrew Parker
The Gate…
Plot
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.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The voice cast includes Kumiko Aso, Gaku Hamada, and Yutaka Matsushige.
Keiichi-Hara.jpg
