Japan’s Ultra-Top-Tier Hit ‘Samurai Timeslipper’: Director Yasuda Junichi Makes a Surprise Visit to Korea on June 22

〈Samurai Timeslipper〉 depicts the journey of an Edo-era samurai who is ‘time-slipped’ into a movie set and ends up working as a beheading specialist actor As the film was released in Japan, starting out in just one theater, word of mouth spread and showings expanded to about 380 theaters across the country, sparking a nationwide box-office boom. Not only did it set an extraordinary record of surpassing 1 billion yen in box-office receipts with a total production budget of just 26 million yen funded by a field crew of 10, but it also proved both its broad appeal and artistic merit by capturing a total of seven awards at the 48th Japan Academy Awards—Best Picture, Directing, Screenplay, and Best Actor, among others. Last year, the film made a sensation in Japan’s film industry and emerged as a hot-ticket title.

This is how Director Yasuda Junichi, who has written such an astonishing box-office legend, will visit Korea to mark the film’s domestic release and share a special time directly with audiences. The director will not only express his gratitude to Korean audiences who love movies, but also candidly share behind-the-scenes stories about how the work came to be, on-set filming episodes, and local Japanese box-office tales. During the visit, a total of three audience talks (GV) are scheduled. First, on Monday, June 22, at 2 p.m., after the screening at Monoplex at Rise, a GV will be held. On the same day at 7 p.m., after the screening at Seoul Art Cinema, another GV will be arranged. Then on Tuesday, June 23, at 1 p.m., at the Seoul Film Center, a GV will also take place after the screening, allowing the director to continue the special exchange with even more audiences. In particular, this GV will be a meaningful occasion where Director Yasuda Junichi—who created a new box-office legend in Japan’s film world—will personally tell a variety of stories about the film. In Korea, audiences and movie fans who had been waiting for 〈Samurai Timeslipper〉, which was introduced through the 51st Seoul Independent Film Festival and received enthusiastic praise, are expected to stay highly interested.

As news of Director Yasuda Junichi’s GV visit to Korea further boosts expectations, the ultra-anticipated title 〈Samurai Timeslipper〉 will open in theaters nationwide on June 24, promising to deliver laughs and heartfelt emotion.