Kazoku no Hanashi (2018 Film)

Kazoku no Hanashi (Japanese: 家族のはなし), released internationally as Family Story, is a 2018 Japanese drama film directed by Takeyoshi Yamamoto. The screenplay was written by Miho Aotsuka, based on the original flip-book manga created by the comedian Tekken.

Promotional image for Kazoku no Hanashi — Promotional artwork for the film.

Plot

The film follows Takuya Kobayashi (played by Masaki Okada), a university student living in Tokyo. While his parents operate an apple farm in their rural hometown and provide him with financial support, Takuya struggles with his own path. He focuses his energy on his music, playing guitar in a band with the aspiration of making a professional debut. The story explores the tensions between his personal ambitions and his relationship with his family.

Cast

The film features an ensemble cast including:

Masaki Okada as Takuya Kobayashi
Riko Narumi as Asuka
Saburo Tokito as Kobayashi (Takuya's father)
Naomi Zaizen as Aiko Kobayashi (Takuya's mother)
Kanta Sato as Watanabe
Shinji Mizuta as Sakamoto
Daichi Kaneko as Shibata
Kenkichi Watanabe as Takuya’s former teacher
Rei Tanaka as young Takuya

Production

The film was produced by a team including Ryoko Tanabe, Yasuyuki Fukasako, Wataru Murashima, Yanghwe Yoon, Atsuya Asano, Aina Iwasaki, and Ryo Yukizane. It features cinematography by Hatasu Seki. The film was distributed by Katsu-do and released in Japan on November 23, 2018, with a total runtime of 80 minutes.