Despite the actor’s reservations, the nearly three-hour-long Kokuho has become Japan’s top-grossing live-action film.
Despite the actor’s reservations, the nearly three-hour-long Kokuho has become Japan’s top-grossing live-action film.
by Andrew WebsterFeb 18, 2026, 5:45 PM UTCAndrew Webster is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
A three-hour-long period drama about kabuki, a centuries-old form of Japanese theater, doesn’t exactly sound like box office gold. But that’s exactly what happened with Kokuho. Director Lee Sang-il’s adaptation of the Shuichi Yoshida novel of the same name