, also called Torasan and a Paper Balloon in some regions, is a 1981 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Mikiko Otonashi as his love interest or "Madonna". (official site) Tora-san's Promise is the twenty-eighth entry in the popular, long-running Otoko wa Tsurai yo series.
Synopsis Tora-san returns to his family's home to attend an elementary school class reunion. After he embarrasses himself by getting drunk and insulting all his ex-classmates, he resumes his travels. In Kyushu he meets an outspoken 18-year-old girl who becomes enamored of Tora-san and follows him around. One of Tora-san's old friends is terminally ill and makes Tora-san promise him to marry his wife once he is gone.
Cast Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Chieko Baisho as Sakura Mikiko Otonashi as Mitsue Kuratomi Kayoko Kishimoto as Aiko Odajima Shimojo Masami as Kuruma Tatsuzō Chieko Misaki as Tsune Kuruma (Torajiro's aunt) Hiroshi Inuzuka as Shigeru Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa Takeo Chii as Kenkichi Odajima Hidetaka Yoshioka as Mitsuo Suwa Hisao Dazai as Boss (Umetarō Katsura)
Critical appraisal Stuart Galbraith IV writes that Tora-san's Promise is a middle-quality entry in the Otoko wa Tsurai yo series, though the series has a high standard. The German-language site molodezhnaja gives Tora-san's Promise three and a half out of five stars.
Availability Tora-san's Promise was released theatrically on December 28, 1981. In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1986 and 1996, and in DVD format in 2002 and 2008.
References
Bibliography English
German
Japanese
External links Tora-san's Promise at www.tora-san.jp (official site)