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Cast
Yoshiko Sakuma
as Anju (voice)
Isuzu Yamada
as Yashio (voice)
Shigeko Arai
as Cast
Harue Tone
as Kikuno (voice)
Kinya Kitaoji
as Cast
Jo Mizuki
as Saburô, second son (voice)
Morio Kazama
as Young Zushiômaru (voice)
Jun Usami
as Judge Iwamoto (voice)
So Yamamura
as Fujiwara No Morozane (voice)
Mikijiro Hira
as Jirô, eldest son (voice)
Movie Info & Details
Release Year1961
Runtime1h 23m
LanguageJapanese
CertificationNR
GenresHistory, Animation, Family
Votes12
DirectorTaiji Yabushita, Yugo Serikawa
WritersSumie Tanaka, Taiji Yabushita, Yugo Serikawa
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.3 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsThe Orphan Brother
About The Orphan Brother
After their father quarrels with local military men, Anju and Zushio are forced to flee, but they are captured and sold into slavery. When their mother dies, they are sold to Sansho the Bailiff, a cruel man who subjects them to hideous torments. While Anju falls into a lake and is transformed into a swan, Zushio escapes and after being adopted to a nobleman grows to a young man. He will then fight to defeat the evil Dayu and free all the slaves.
Directed by Taiji Yabushita, Yugo Serikawa, The Orphan Brother leans on a strong ensemble — Yoshiko Sakuma, Isuzu Yamada, Shigeko Arai — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about history titles of 1961.
Read More on the Blog
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