Asakusa Kid

Take (Yuya Yagira) is a young man who has left his Japanese small town for Tokyo hoping to become a performer of some kind. He's THE ASAKUSA KID of the title, a lad with no talent or skill to speak of, just a flicker of vague desire, who lands a job as the elevator boy and janitor for a strip club. Despite the seedy setting, the club is owned by Fukami (Yo Oizumi), a stern yet revered comedian who performs in skits with his crew of disciples between the strip acts. The audience is sparse and the revenues dwindling. Take bows and quivers in the presence of Fukami, an abrasive man who ends every sentences with "you fool!" or "you bastard!" But at Take's request, he offers tap dance lessons and catches the kid practicing relentlessly at every free moment. As he notices Take's will and determination, Fukami drops harsh instructives about the nature of good comedy and the entertainer's responsibilities. His standards are so high that he even chides the audience for laughing at bad jokes. Eventually he gives Take a shot in a comedy skit and tells the others that he believes Take will "make it" and become a "star." When Take leaves Fukami to try and do just that, the master is angry and bereft, but oddly supportive as well. Soon after, the theater closes under financial pressure. Fukami falls on hard times, takes a regular job, and turns to drink while Take's star rises.