Jiro (Akira Kobayashi) has just returned from France to open a French
restaurant in Ginza, when the car of politician Ipponyari (Toranosuke
Ogawa) crashes into his shop ... and Jiro is so persistent in demanding
reimbursement from the arrogant politician but at the same time immune to
a local gang's attempts to "help" him that he truly impresses
Ipponyari who thus sees to it personally that his place is rebuilt better
than ever before and he also gets the right clientele. Jiro claims to be
a born single, so he can't admit even to himself that he's secretly in
love with Hideko (Ruriko Asaoka), even though she quite obviously loves
him back - but she's promised to another man in marriage, just because
that man's father (Masao Mishima) wants to take over her parents'
business. Meanwhile, Jiro and Hideko's good friend Toshiko (Ikuko
Chichiro) is desparate because the man (Kyosuke Aihara) she's in love with
and who has impregnated her has ditched her. It's only eventually that
that man and the man Hideko is promised to in marriage are the same guy -
so he has to figure out a plan that will prevent the wedding and thus make
everybody (except for the father of the groom that is) happy ... Now
I'd be hard pressed to call Tokyo Mighty Guy a classic of Japanese
cinema or a hidden gem, it's basically a romantic comedy with some yakuza
motives thrown in and even a few musical numbers, that's first and
foremost another showcase for its star Akira Kobayashi - and if you bear
that in mind, are prepared to see Tokyo Mighty Guy as a document of
its time and are willing to essentially just be entertained ... you very
probably will be, the film's light-footed in its approach, at times
actually really funny and with plenty of heart to spare, and it's just
irresistible for its vintage coolness, maybe today more so than back in
the day!
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