The Kiyosu Conference (2013)

Today I'll review a movie where Nobunaga is barely showed and he leaves a lot to be desidered anyway, but can be considered an interesting watch, as it's focused on the events right after Nobunaga's death and shows a good number of Nobunaga's relatives.
Of course the whole thing is very dramatized so it can't be considered historically accurate, and on top of it it's a comedy movie nonetheless, but it's been a really fun watch and I recommend it to you, in case you're curious to get to see more about characters who are usually pretty much ignored on the other dramas focusing on our Nobunaga.
The director of this sparkling movie, and the author of the novel on which it is based, is Mitani Koki, used to jidaigeki movies as he had the chance to direct the taiga drama "Shinsengumi!" (2004).

He sported a good direction and a nice eye for scenography-- The outside scenes are simply breathtaking for their purity of colours, and you can spot some really nice framing everywhere in the movie.

But let me give you my two cents on this movie's Nobunaga.
The movie starts with the incident of Honnoji. We're shown again a bit of Nobunaga during a flashback about the Kyoto parade of 1581.
Nobunaga here is pretty much a mere caricature, even if it must be noted that in the short fight at Honnoji, he's shown submitting an armoured ashigaru on a one on one fight!



The actor is Sasai Eisuke, and it's a pity that he got so little screentime (or maybe it's a good thing, given this Nobunaga's portrayal)!

The stars of the movie are actually Shibata Katsuie (Yakusho Koji) and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, here still going by the name "Hashiba Tokichiro" (Oizumi Yo):
The complete exact opposites, two of Nobunaga's senior retainers, have to decide what to do with the Oda Clan, now that head and heir have been erased.
From here starts this hilarious, smart and fun "war", showing plots, intrigues and plot twists, wisely seasoned with a laugh or two.

I loved the character of Shibata Katsuie and how he was portrayed by Yakusho-san!

It's a tragic portrayal, after all: Katsuie is too loyal, too honest, too "genuine" to survive the rise of Hideyoshi, he's part of that "old world" that Nobunaga was part of, a world for "lions" rather than for "foxes", to use the words of Machiavelli-- Yet, I couldn't help but sympathize for him during the whole movie, hoping for a further turn of events...

Besides the other great actors (both Kohinata Fumiyo [Niwa Nagahide] and Asano Tadanobu [Maeda Toshiie] are worth a special mention for their great work, for their vivid portraits as loyal friends devoured by doubts), I'd love to spend a word on the sons of Nobunaga and his other relatives, that here are granted a good deal of screentime.

The frigid Nobutaka (Bando Minosuke) is portrayed as the "honor student" of the team: picked and supported by Katsuie and Nagahide, he looks like the best pick, even if the boy is completely lacking charisma and attitude, something that would prove fatal for his election.

Nobukatsu (Tsumabuki Satoshi), the second son of Nobunaga, is portrayed like a moron, and even if at a certain point you wish that it's actually the "otsuke legacy" showing off, in the next scenes you realize that, no, he's not faking it.

--To be honest I always pictured Nobukatsu as angry and impatient, I wonder if portraying him as a complete idiot isn't a bit unjust against him...

Nobutada (Nakamura Kankuro), the first son of Nobunaga, his heir and the actual head of the clan at the time of Nobunaga's death, is obviously the best guy ever.


Dignified, affectionated, loyal, ponderous... He's probably the only one who could shut Mitsuhide up graciously.
A bit too much of a perfect man, but considering how little screentime he has, I can let it slide.

Yet, my favourite of the Oda team, is the eccentric Nobukane (Iseya Yusuke), Nobunaga's brother!

Vain, self-centered, eccentric, with a glamorous soft spot for Western stuff (but still owner of a sharp mind), he's portrayed like an exagerated version of Nobunaga and he's really refreshing to see!
--Yet, I was made to realize that in this movie Nobukane was probably switched with Nagamasa, another little brother of Nobunaga-- And my hype disappeared.

Closing the circle, Nobunaga's vengeful sister, Oichi (Suzuki Kyoka) and a character that we rarely get to see, that Matsu (Gouriki Ayame) hailing from the Takeda Clan, who was promised in marriage to Nobutada when the two were still kids. In the end the two won't marry as their engagement was broken once hostilities started between the two clans, but in this version she was married to Nobutada and the little Sanposhi (Tsushima Miu) was her treasured son:

Despite the magnificent presence of Nene (Nakatani Miki), played with such skills to turn her into the best female character of this movie instantly, these two ladies managed to grab my heart for their original depiction of historical personalities usually left dumb and wordless besides the usual stereotypes-- But to truly savour the true wickedness of a woman, you'll have to wait for the final minutes of the movie!
Long story short, an insignificant Nobunaga but a truly enjoyable movie, passing with flying colours!