Fish Story (2009)

Fish Story is a 2009 Japanese movie directed by Yoshihiro Nakamura and based on a novel by Kotaro Isaka which was originally serialized in Shosetsu Shincho literary magazine in 2005.

The film illustrates the connections between people that would normally go unnoticed by weaving an intricate tale in which a relatively unknown song from a failed 1970s punk rock band eventually saves the world.

Movie info

Original title: フィッシュストーリー
Release date: March 20, 2009
Directed by: Yoshihiro Nakamura
Written by: Tamio Hayashi (screenplay)
Kotaro Isaka (novel)
Distributed by: Showgate

Region 1 NTSC DVD (English subtitles)
Label: Pathfinder Home Entertainment (US)
Out: Dec 27, 2011
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Region 2 PAL DVD (English subtitles)
Label: Third Window Films (UK)
Out: Jul 26, 2010
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Plot

In 1975, a punk rock band called Gekirin went largely unnoticed by the public because they formed too early to be part of the wave of punk bands which would gain popularity only a few years later. After recording a song called “Fish Story”, they disbanded with little fanfare.

In 2012, a large comet threatens to wipe out all life on earth.

Over the span of the film, it’s eventually revealed how seemingly unrelated events from 1982 and 2009 eventually lead to Gekirin’s song determining the fate of humanity.

Featured Cast

Actor		Role
	Atsushi Ito	Shigeki, bass player and leader of Gekirin (1975)
	Kengo Kora	Goro, Gekirin lead vocalist (1975)
	Mikako Tabe	Asami, girl involved in seajacking (2009)
	Gaku Hamada	Masashi, timid college student (1982)
	Mirai Moriyama	The cook / Champion of Justice (2009)
	Nao Omori	Record store manager (2012) / Okazaki (1975)
	Kenjiro Ishimaru	Taniguchi (2009, 2012)
	Toshimitsu Okawauchi	Ryoji, Gekirin guitarist (1975)
	Kiyohiko Shibukawa	Tetsuya, Gekirin drummer (1975)
	Hidekazu Mashima	Tani, record producer (1975)
	Noriko Eguchi	Namiko, Shigeki's girlfriend (1975)
	Nobuhiro Yamashita	Club manager (1975)
	Takashi Yamanaka	Kentaro, Masashi's friend (1982, 1999)
	Kazuki Namioka	Satoru, Masashi's friend (1982, 1999)
	Mai Takahashi	Haruko, female college student with premonition (1982)
	Youki Kato	Yuki, Haruko's friend (1982)
	Yoshiko Inoue	Aya, Haruko's friend (1982)
	Kenichi Takito	Rapist (1982)
	Eiko Otani	Woman of destiny (1982)
	Makoto Ashikawa	Suzuki, seajacking prisoner (1999 / 2009)
	Isao Nonaka	Tanaka, seajacking prisoner (1999 / 2009)
	Kei Tamura	Kind young man, ferry passenger (2009)
	Koichi Ueda	Elderly ferry passenger (2009)
	Reiko Kusamura	Elderly ferry passenger (2009)
	Matomu Onda	Customer (2012)
	Atsuro Kanai	Announcer (2012)
	Yuji Nakamura	Publishing company president (1953)
	Shinzen Okada	Man who's not mixed race (1953)
	Maiko Asano	Okazaki's aunt (1953)

Latest news

CONTEST: Win tickets to see "Fish Story" at NYAFF 2009

Nippon Cinema has 3 pairs of passes to give away for screenings of Yoshihiro Nakamura's "Fish Story" at this year's New York Asian Film Festival (June 19 – July 5). See this link for my review or...

8 years ago
Review: Fish Story

When one first hears the plot summary of Yoshihiro Nakamura’s Fish Story, which basically boils down to a certain song by a failed mid-70s punk rock band eventually saving the human race from...

8 years ago
"Fish Story" rocks the spacetime continuum

Here’s a plot that sort of defies normal explanation. In Yoshihiro Nakamura’s Fish Story, an unsuccessful punk band on the verge of breaking up records a song in 1975, one year before the debut...

9 years ago