Rabudo gan

Kensaku Watanabe's third feature-length film, Loved Gun is an awesome work, full of emotions, passion and precision. Lives of a hit man and a young girl meet at the crossroads of quests, conflicts, and traumas. Motives of revenge and sorrow supply a perfect setting for a chain of events led by the past scores. Hayamada, the restless hit man whose parents were murdered when he was small kid is hired by the young and emotionally damaged Miyuki. Miyuki asks Hayamada to kill her father's lover. However, Hayamada has his own scores to settle, as well. Hayamada's foster dad is also a well experienced hit man Maruyama. Throughout the movie, we get to know him and his apprentice Taneda, too.

Not only the story telling, but also casting is excellent. Masatoshi Nagase who once collaborated with Watanabe in Pistol Opera plays Hayamada. His performance in Loved Gun is as impressing as his portrayal of Ryosuke in Umi wa miteita (The Sea Is Watching). Aoi Miyazaki's portrayal of Miyuki is exceptional. She is so young and so talented that it is easy to say her future as an artist will be very bright. Ittoku Kishibe who plays Hayamada's foster dad has a familiar face. Many people will recognize the veteran actor from Kitano's Zatoichi. Hirofumi Arai appears as the young gangster Taneda and fulfills his position as a rising star. All of these actors accomplish their difficult tasks in the best way. So here comes an outstanding movie that is worth deep consideration.