A number of people in AMP, including this author, have a soft spot for Kiyohiko Shibukawa, an actor who has proven a true chameleon in the way he jumps from one part to another, with equal success. Shibukawa, born July 2, 1974, actually started his career as a fashion model under the name Kee. He started acting in TV with “Twinkle”, in 1998, and he got his first role in cinema in Toshiaki Toyoda's “Pornostar”, with him actually accompanying the director in most of his later works, something that actually happened with the rest of the filmmakers he was casted by over the years. These include, among others, Takashi Miike, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and Eiji Uchida. Currently, his credits number 160, with the majority of them being non-protagonist roles, which, still, though do not prevent him from shining quite brightly, particularly to the more “trained” eye.
Without further ado, here are 10 of his most iconic performances, in random order, although truth be told, number one, which has him in a definite protagonist role, is the one we truly adore here on AMP
1. Lowlife Love (2015) by Eiji Uchida
It has been years since Tetsuo (Kiyohiko Shibukawa) has made his first, and still only film called “The Saw” which has become an underground hit over time. Still relying on the fame this film has given him, he spends his days talking to his friends and family about possible future projects while exploiting them as well. Even though his mother is impatient with her son's lack of ambition and the various actresses he takes home for sex, he has gathered a large number of followers around him.
“Lowlife Love” is a film about the making of films, about dreams and ambitions as well as what happens if this passion is put to the test of reality. Featuring strong performances, especially Kiyohiko Shibukawa in the lead, and a dry sense of humour in its script, “Lowlife Love” manages to hit the right tone when it comes to portraying an industry whose reality often challenges the dreams of some many of us. (Rouven Linnarz)
2. Sanka: Nomads of the Mountain (2022) by Ryohei Sasatani
Shibukawa plays Sozo, a Sanka, who is trying to survive in the mountains along with his daughter, Hana, and her grandmother, with the three eventually filling the gap Norio felt. The interactions between the four comprise of the largest part of the narrative, and benefit the most by the excellent acting, with Rairu Sugita as Norio, Kiyohiko Shibukawa as Shozo and Naru Komukai as Hana being excellent in their parts, while also highlighting their chemistry.
3. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021) by Ryusuke Hamaguchi
The second episode, “Door Wide Open” has a distinct #MeToo-“flavor” and revolves around Segawa, a college professor in his 50s who has just won the Akutagawa Award, Sasaki, a student of his who failed to graduate, and an older college student, Nao, who shares a friend-with-benefits relationship with the student. The latter, out of spite, convinces her to seduce the teacher in order to frame him in the faculty. Nao proceeds on doing so in the most seductive way possible, reading to the professor the most erotic parts of his book, but he insists on having the door to his office open, a tendency he also exhibited in his previous, heated interaction with the student.
The chemistry of Kiyohiko Shibukawa as Segawa, who gives an unusually measured but quite impactful performance, and Katsuki Mori as Tsugumi, emerges as one of the best traits in a narrative, that again, has all the protagonists speaking quite sincerely about their thoughts and feelings.
4. Kingdom 2: Far And Away (2022) by Shinsuke Sato
Kiyohiko Shibukawa gives another notable performance as Bakukoshin, a truly buffoonish general who makes one bad decision after the other, essentially setting the field for the heroic action to happen while managing to appear both comical and dramatic, in a style he definitely thrives in.
5. The Day of Destruction (2020) by Toshiaki Toyoda
A series of images of Tokyo including the infamous Diamond Princess cruise ship follow until we are back in the country, where Teppei, who has undertook training in Shugendo by head monk and herbalist Jiro, finds and saves ascetic Kenichi, who was attempting to mummify himself in self-sacrifice aimed to stop the virus spread by the monster. As the movie goes further back in time, the reasons for Kenichi's behaviour are revealed as the story focuses on his sister who died from the pandemic just before the Olympic Games. Soon a monster takes over Kenichi, and Jiro instructs Teppei to become a ritualistic wolf in order to remove it.
The acting is also on a very high level, with Toyoda managing to gather an impressive cast despite the restricted budget of the film. Kiyohiko Shibukawa heads the cast as Teppei, looking as cool as ever, but is Mahi To The People (the frontman of Geran) as Kenichi who steals the show, both with his acting and his overall appearance (particularly the hair
6. Another World (2018) by Junji Sakamoto
Junji Sakamoto's drama touches upon issues such as friendship, home and redemption, and it includes some great performances. Shibukawa plays Mitsuhiko, a man who has chosen to stay in his hometown and start an auto repair shop. It is a sensitive and emotional performance, highlighting the character of a man who needed to go a more solid road in his life, and who desperately clings on to the myth of the friendship he shared once with his two other pals.
7. Enokida Trading Post (2018) by Ken Iizuka
Kiyohiko Shibukawa is the real glue of a film that otherwise would be a bit loose at the seams. He is one of those actors – like Ryuhei Matsuda – who play themselves over and over again and we love them for that. A mix of congenital charisma and effortless cool makes him a natural leader and a great presence, and the discreet and naturalistic direction plays along with him. “Enokida Trading Post” is an affectionate, sweet and sour love-letter to second opportunities, as well as a portrait of lost souls who care for each other and it will charm audiences with its contagious positive attitude toward life despite crumbling signposts and their threatening presages. (Adriana Rosati)
8. The Chrysanthemum and the Guillotine (2018) by Takahisa Zeze
The two protagonists of this arc are the rookies in one of the sumo groups who tour the country, headed by Tamasaburo Iwaki, putting up shows in order to earn their living during the recession that followed the earthquake.
Kiyohiko Shibukawa as Tamasaburo Iwaki is great in the role of the “guardian” of these women, and metaphorically, of their rights as human beings, but Zeze makes a point of highlighting that his efforts were not enough in the particular setting
9. Room Laundering (2018) by Kenji Katagiri
We first meet punk rocker Kimihiko (the ever-smiling Kiyohiko Shibukawa) whose lack of confidence saw him slit his wrists in the bath, before ever sending his demo tape to a record label. Shibukawa is as breezy as ever in a role seemingly written for him, though death seems to have made him a little less suicidal (Andrew Thayne)
10. Punk Samurai Slash Down (2018) by Gakuryu Ishii
Gakuryu Ishii adapts the namesake novel by Ko Machida, a novel that was famously deemed (for good reason) “unfilmable”. Filled with incredulous moments and eccentric character after eccentric character, Ishii enlists Kiyohiko Shibukawa to play Egere no Konji, a legendary but not quite adept spy for chief retainer Tatewaki Naito, who is pitted against Go Ayano's con-man Junoshin Kake. Shibukawa gets to show off a far more animated and comedic side of his art than is usually on display in this one. (Rhythm Zaveri)
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