Key Cast The Frightening and Threatening Figure of Tomoyasu HOTEI as Rannosuke Kazamatsuri Sooner or later Japan*s most famous guitar player was destined for this kind of role, if only because his slashing guitar style has so much in common with a sword swinging samurai. The violence, tension@and solidarity of Hotei*s brilliant performance perfectly complement the improvised musical score that punctuates Samurai Fiction. Tomoyasu HOTEI (Musician / Guitarist) Born 1962 in Japan. >From 1979 to 1988 Hotei was lead guitarist of BO*WY, one of Japan's most popular rock bands. Hotei was featured as special guest at the David Bowie Tokyo Concert in 1996. Michael Keiman, asked Hotei to perform at the closing ceremony of the Atlanta Olympic Games 1996. "Psychopath" 1997 sold 800,000 discs Hotei became a solo performer after a hundred thousand fans gathered at BO*WY*s 1988 LAST GIG at the Tokyo Dome. "Supersonic Generation" 1998, "Kamen Hotei Guitar Concerto" 1998 Music Video "Thrill", "Last Scene", "Circus", "H" Pacifist swordsman Hanbei Unlike other typical historical movies, Samurai Fiction is set in an undetermined place in an undetermined age. The opening sequences which have three boyish adventurers setting out to hunt for the villain Kazamatsuri, is heavily reminiscent of "new cinema" or "road" movies. In contrast to their youthful passion, the message conveyed by Hanbei Mizoguchi is one of anti-violence and pacifism. Hanbei (Morio Kazama,) plays the pivotal role of a master swordsman who has forsworn violence. Sex in a Bottle Mari Natsuki excels in the sultry role of Okatsu. Full frontal nudity is not needed to express the pure sex of temptress, Okatsu. A simple and compelling close-up of Okatsu*s mouth, a stream of smoke escaping with a hiss as her eyelids rise in invitation, is all that is needed to excite most men. Pure and innocent Koharu Koharu (Tamaki Ogawa) daughter of Hanbei Mizoguchi, falls in love with the young hero, Heishiro. Unlike many actresses of her age Ogawa has no need to ride exaggerated trends. Her pure and gentle nature say far more than excesses ever could. Heishiro's bloody nose "I put a blood cap in my nostril and waited for the director*s *Action!*. As soon as the camera started rolling, the blood flowed. Director Nakano stopped and complained there was too much blood. So we shot and re-shot the scene until we finally got it right. It took two days!" Comical relief by bumbling Ninja, Kei Tani Every samurai drama has a scene where the lord summons his Ninja who drops down out of the ceiling and gives a resounding "Hai!" to his master. The Ninja in Samurai Fiction, played by Kei Tani, is nearing retirement age, so he creaks a little. Fans of the "Crazy Cats" will revel in the exquisite timing and comical buffoonery that Tani brings to the part..