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Good Morning, Sleeping Lion

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Good Morning, Sleeping Lion
Kanjiグッドモーニング、眠れる獅子
Revised HepburnGood Morning, Nemureru Shishi
Directed byKoichi Sakamoto
Written by
  • Yoshiyuki Mitsumasu
Produced by
  • Hideaki Tsukada
  • Masayuki Meguro
Starring
Production
companies
  • I-Cast
  • Toei Video
  • Toei Channel[1]
Distributed byHikari TV
Release date
Running time
86 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Good Morning, Sleeping Lion (Japanese: グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子, Hepburn: Good Morning, Nemureru Shishi) is a 2022 web film, starring Seiji Takaiwa and Miho Watanabe and directed by Koichi Sakamoto. It was released on Hikari TV Channel on April 23, 2022. The film is the first starring role of Takaiwa, best known for his work as the suit actor for the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series. Several previous Kamen Rider lead actors also appear as main antagonists.[2][1]

Plot

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Remi Watanuki is an unpopular Japanese idol who aspires to become an actress. However, the childhood trauma of being abandoned by her father has made her unable to cry, instead resorting to laughter as a defense mechanism, which severely limits her acting range. Unbeknownst to her, her father Tsukasa was actually a mercenary and has died in an unnamed war. Her manager, Kazuma Kujo, fought alongside Tsukasa in the war and was asked by him in his final moments to give her his bracelet as a keepsake and to help her achieve her dream. Kujo blackmails a film producer into inviting her to an audition for a role in a famed director's upcoming film. Despite her condition, Remi passes the early stages of the audition.

One day, Remi is harassed by several thugs. Kujo comes to her aid wearing a Kamen Rider mask to conceal his identity, and a young man named Ryosuke helps her escape. Kujo learns from his friend Charlie, a fellow former mercenary who now runs a pub, that they are members of a gang called Grim Reapers, a group of adrenaline junkies who seek thrills primarily through violence. The day before the final audition, Remi becomes frustrated about her condition and gets into an argument with Kujo in front of the event hall where she holds her live shows. Ryosuke appears, claiming to have wanted to watch her show, and persuades Remi to go somewhere with him. It turns out that Ryosuke is actually a leader of Grim Reapers nicknamed "Heart" and he takes Remi to their hideout to present to his brother "Spade" Naoto, her fan who has been banned from her shows due to his stalking behavior. Remi is then restrained at the hideout.

On the final audition day, Kujo learns of Ryosuke's true identity from Charlie and invades the office of a yakuza group at war with the Grim Reapers in order to find out their hideout location. After being cornered by the yakuza's strongest fighter, Kujo awakens his dormant full fighting power and manages to defeat the thugs and get the hideout location from the yakuza leader. He assaults the hideout and incapacitates Spade, and knowing that they wouldn't make it back in time for the audition, sets up the equipment for a remote audition. Remi proceeds with the audition while Kujo fights off the Grim Reapers members, including Heart and the other two leaders, Diamond and Club. During the acting section of the audition, Spade regains consciousness and attempts to stab Kujo, which he willingly takes in an attempt to get Remi to overcome her condition. He defeats Spade and his plan turns out to be successful, as Remi becomes able to cry again. He gives Remi the bracelet, which image of a sleeping lion becomes a symbol of her awakening from her "curse". Remi completes the audition while Kujo fights Heart, who confronts him again to avenge his brother. Kujo defeats Heart and collapses from his injuries.

In the epilogue, Remi did not get the main role, but the director has taken a liking to her and given her a prominent supporting role instead. Kujo survives his injuries, has quit his job as her manager and watches Remi on television at the pub with Charlie.

Cast

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Production

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Good Morning, Sleeping Lion was first announced on January 17, 2022, as the first starring role of Seiji Takaiwa, best known for his work as suit actor in the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai franchises since 1988, which earned him the nickname "Mr. Heisei Kamen Rider".[6][7][8] He was first approached for the role in late 2021 by Toei producer Hideaki Tsukada [ja], who wanted to put him in a starring role.[9]

On January 26, it was announced that Miho Watanabe would appear as the female lead, and four actors who portrayed the human form of Kamen Riders would also appear as the antagonists: Takayuki Tsubaki (Kamen Rider Blade), Masahiro Inoue (Kamen Rider Decade), Shun Nishime (Kamen Rider Ghost), and Gaku Sano (Kamen Rider Gaim).[10] Watanabe would also perform the theme song, "Hitoribocchi no Kakumei" (ひとりぼっちの革命, lit. 'Lonely Revolution'), which is also her character's song in-universe.[11]

Miyuki Nishijima, who has appeared in several Super Sentai series, is also a choreographer and instructed Takaiwa and Watanabe for their dance scenes.[12] Kōji Nakamura, known as the leading suit actor for the Heisei-era Ultraman series, would appear as the yakuza group's strongest fighter.[5]

Takaiwa commented that the fighting styles were more realistic than in his previous works, combining combat and self-defense and incorporating elements of Wing Chun, aikido, and submission wrestling, and as he was already in his fifties, he also asked the action directors to adjust the scenes accordingly. Takaiwa also described his on-set relationship with Watanabe as "like father and daughter" as she is the same age as his son, who also appears in the film as a Grim Reapers thug.[13] On doing the wotagei scene, he commented that it was "more difficult" than the fight scenes.[9] Meanwhile, Tsubaki commented that he wanted to return Takaiwa's favor by taking part in the film, and he and Sano were excited to engage in fight scenes against him.[14]

Release

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Good Morning, Sleeping Lion was first released on the Hikari TV Channel on April 23, 2022. As of July 11, it has received an average audience rating of 4.5/5 from 542 Hikari TV subscribers.[15] The film was released theatrically in Thailand on November 17[16][17] and the Blu-ray home media was released on December 21, 2022.[18]

Sequel

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A sequel has been announced for release in spring of 2023,[19] co-starring AKB48 member Yui Oguri as a food truck proprietress.[20] Good Morning, Sleeping Lion 2 released on April 12, 2023 on Hikari TV Channel and starred notable tokusatsu actors Kane Kosugi, Kento Handa, Toshiki Kashu, and Masayuki Deai.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b "伝説のスーツアクター・高岩成二主演 痛快無比・唯一無二の衝撃作!『グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子』". プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES. Retrieved 2022-07-13.
  2. ^ "高岩成二×渡邉美穂（日向坂46）： 『グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子』インタビュー - SCREEN ONLINE（スクリーンオンライン）". screenonline.jp. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "『グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子』公式サイト - CAST&STAFF". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
  4. ^ "高岩成二＆横山一敏、JAE同期トークで和気あいあい 顔出し初共演は「ドキドキ」". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2023-01-01.
  5. ^ a b @Sleepinglion423 (March 11, 2022). "ウルトラマン"平成三部作"と呼ばれるシリーズで主役のスーツアクターを務められたあの方が…まさかの顔出しで #高岩さん と直接対決!!" [The main suit actor in the "Heisei Trilogy" of Ultraman series... is going to face Takaiwa-san in a direct confrontation!] (Tweet) (in Japanese) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ ""ミスター平成仮面ライダー"高岩成二、初の顔出し主演作は「素のままで」 ヲタ芸も生披露（オリコン）" ["Mr. Heisei Kamen Rider" Seiji Takaiwa, first starring role with his face shown, "Just the way I am", also performs wotagei live]. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  7. ^ "ニュース｜仮面ライダーゼロワン｜テレビ朝日". www.tv-asahi.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  8. ^ "伝説のスーツアクター・高岩成二主演 痛快無比・唯一無二の衝撃作!『グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子』". プレスリリース・ニュースリリース配信シェアNo.1｜PR TIMES. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
  9. ^ a b "ミスター平成ライダー高岩成二、主演作で新たな挑戦「まったくやったことのない格闘スタイル」 (1)". マイナビニュース (in Japanese). 2022-04-25. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  10. ^ "『グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子』公式サイト - NEWS". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  11. ^ "【動画】日向坂46渡邉美穂が歌う劇中歌初披露 売れないアイドル熱演！ 高岩成二主演「グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子」本予告". MAiDiGiTV(マイデジTV) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-04-28.
  12. ^ @myk_nsjm (March 18, 2022). "⁡伝説のスーツアクター #高岩成二 さん とヒロインの #渡邉美穂 さんのダンス指導をさせて頂きました。⁡⁡" [I had the pleasure of teaching dance to legendary suit actor Seiji Takaiwa and heroine Miho Watanabe.] (in Japanese) – via Instagram.
  13. ^ @iwamotoshinta (April 17, 2022). "【グッドモーニング眠れる獅子】4月23日よりひかりTVにて、放送・配信です!!!!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子："ミスター平成仮面ライダー"高岩成二主演ドラマに4人の"ライダー俳優" 椿隆之、井上正大、西銘駿、佐野岳集結". MANTANWEB（まんたんウェブ） (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  15. ^ "【独占】グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子". www.hikaritv.net (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2022-07-11.
  16. ^ "รวมลิสต์ภาพยนตร์เข้าฉายประจำเดือนพฤศจิกายน 2022 อัปเดตพร้อมรีวิว". TrueID (in Thai). Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  17. ^ Pisanjamrone, Wutti. "สิงห์เฒ่าสุดเก๋า ผจญโอตะสุดเกรียน (Good morning-Sleeping Lion)". เดลินิวส์ (in Thai). Retrieved 2022-12-25.
  18. ^ "「グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子」特集 | 東映ビデオオフィシャルサイト". 東映ビデオ株式会社 (in Japanese). 2022-09-02. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
  19. ^ "高岩成二『グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子』続編決定 "伝説のスーツアクター"が初の顔出し主演で話題". ORICON NEWS. Retrieved 2022-10-01.
  20. ^ "AKB48小栗有以「グッドモーニング、眠れる獅子２」ヒロインに決定 "プロの料理人"に - モデルプレス". モデルプレス - ライフスタイル・ファッションエンタメニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  21. ^ https://natalie.mu/eiga/news/515529
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