Movies Featuring Itoi
by: Echoes on 9/29/2020
Itoi is mostly known for all of his works in the gaming industry, most notably working on the MOTHER series and his own fishing game (Itoi’s No.1 Bass Fishing). However, most likely are unaware of his appearances in several different pieces of film, which is possibly the most interesting thing about Mr. Shigesato Itoi. Aside from his writing, he’s pretty solid as an actor himself, and it’s clear he is a man that just wants to tell a good story whether as the writer or actor. Below you’ll see a few of his works in action.
Norwegian Wood (2012)
Toru Watanabe is a young man who lives in Tokyo during the 1960s. His life is drastically changed after losing one of his friends Kizuki to suicide. Looking for an outlet, Toru enrolls into university in Tokyo. He meets with Kizuki’s ex-girlfriend Naoko, and a bond beings to grow. Naoko is very deeply torn over Kizuki’s death which develops into depression.
On Naoko’s 20th birthday, Toru has relations with her. Not long after, Naoko leaves the world behind and submits herself into a sanitarium in a forest like area in Kyoto. Toru continues his studies and meets another attractive girl, a collogue known as Midori. In Toru’s mind, Midori is everything Naoko can’t be, energetic, confident, and beautiful. The story develops into a complicated love triangle between two women, where he must choose between his past and his future.
Shigesato Itoi plays as the University Professor.
Tsuki ni Shizumu (2002)
Miss Minamo is a patient who has been submitted into a mental institution. She keeps having the same dream over and over about a small lake with a giant bright moon shining down on it. Minamo claims she sees herself in a boat on the lake, and her eyes were filled with tears of blood as the lake would slowly sink to the bottom of the lake. The moon to would become red and she’d continue to hear a voice calling her, Kagari… Kagari…
Shigesato Itoi, playing as the doctor is to deduce her dreams and assess the situation with therapy. Questioning her why she’s afraid to sleep, and what the dreams might be about. Tsuki ni Shizumu is one of the first of a mini-movie planned series by Ayumi Hamasaki. Her single, Voyage was the basis of the theme for this short movie. The film is approximately 40 minutes long and was released on both DVD & VHS format in 2002.
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
In 1958 Japan, professor Tatsuo Kusakabe along with his two daughters Mei & Satsuki, move to a house closer to their mother’s hospital who is still recovering from an illness. Small creatures known as suswatari inhabit the house. Eventually, the girl Mei befriends a larger spirit who identifies as Totoro. Over many attempts, Mei tries to show her family Totoro’s tree which struggles to appear in front of them. The movie tackles very strong vibes of Animism, at least according to Eriko Ogihara-Schuck. Totoro has extreme animalistic traits and has a kami like status within his surroundings, being referred as “mori no nushi” or “master of the forest.”
In this clip, Shigesato Itoi plays as the father “Tatsuo Kusakabe. When dubbed in English, Greg Snegoff was the actor for the 1989/1993 releases and then replaced by Tim Daly in Walt Disney’s Home Entertainment release in 2005.
There are other movies that Shigesato Itoi played in, but due to limited popularity and very little researched information, there’s not much known at the moment about them. Eventually, we’d like to cover them but at this time they’re not as important as the ones above. Below are their titles and release years.
My Soul is Slashed (1991)
Guys Who Never Learn (1987)
Scrap: A Love Story (1984)
