ROBO-G (2011)

Production companies: Altamira Pictures, Dentsu, Fuji Television Network, Toho Company
International sales: Pony Canyon Inc., www.ponycanyon.co.jp
Cinematography: Katsumi Yanagijima

CAST & CREW

Editor: Ryuji Miyajima
Main cast: Shinjiro Igarashi, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Gaku Hamada, Junya Kawashima, Shogo Kawai, Emi Wakui, Tomoko Tabata

REVIEW
When three workers at Kimura Electrical (played by small Gaku Hamada, tall Junya Kawashima and chunky Shogo Kawai) fail in their bid to build a robot for the company, they decide to advertise for someone to ‘act’ in a supposed Mascot Suit Show, and fit them into their New Shiokaze robot metal suit.

They find that 73 year-old Mr Suzuki (Igarashi) is only one who will fit the suit, but to their bemusement he proves such a hit at the 13th annual Robo Exposition that they have to keep him on for presentations around Japan. But they hadn’t reckoned on the determination of robot loving science student Sasaki Yoko (Yuriko Yoshitaka, playing her role for shrill schoolgirl laughs) who gradually learns the truth about the deception.

Robo-G is constantly entertaining without ever being radical or defiantly original, with Shinjiro Igarashi perfect as the curmudgeonly old man who finds a new lease of life.