You are here:

Ask This of Rikyu

Name: Ask This of Rikyu
Director: Mitsutoshi Tanaka
Released: 2013
Duration: 124 min

Representation Score

3.7/10

Limited

2013

Director

Mitsutoshi Tanaka

Runtime

124 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a disciplined historical drama that prioritizes aesthetic precision and philosophical conflict over contemporary identity politics. It functions as a character study of how personal conviction survives within a rigid, patriarchal power structure. While the work does not actively disrupt conventional social hierarchies or prioritize diverse representation, it succeeds in exploring the friction between individual ability to act and the weight of traditional institutions. The narrative remains deeply rooted in its specific historical context.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Ask This of Rikyu have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on the rigid social structures of the Sengoku period. It explores deep emotional bonds through the tea ceremony but does not depict non-straight or non-cisgender identities.

How does Ask This of Rikyu portray gender?

Fair

Power is concentrated in male figures like Sen no Rikyu and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The narrative is driven by male political conflict, with little evidence of female characters having high political influence.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Ask This of Rikyu?

Fair

Set in Japan, the film depicts a culturally homogeneous society. It maintains historical realism without using race-bending or multicultural blending as a storytelling tool.

How does Ask This of Rikyu represent religion and culture?

Fair

The story explores the tension between individual aesthetic philosophy and state authority. It portrays the conflict between personal truth and institutional power through the lens of historical inevitability.

Does Ask This of Rikyu include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the inclusion or portrayal of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

Sophisticated portrayal of the friction between individual ability to act and institutional power.
Meticulous aesthetic world-building and narrative structure.
Deeply character-driven exploration of personal conviction and mortality.

Limited or Absent

Lack of representation for non-straight or non-cisgender identities or same-sex romantic pairings.
Limited presence of female characters with high political influence.
Absence of diverse perspectives regarding disability or multiculturalism.

Official Synopsis

Sen no Rikyu (Ebizo Ichikawa) is the son of a fish shop owner. Sen no Rikyu then studies tea and eventually becomes one of the primary influences upon the Japanese tea ceremony. With his elegant esthetics, Sen no Rikyu is favored by the most powerful man in Japan Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Nao Omori) and becomes one of his closest advisors. Due to conflicts, Toyotomi Hideyoshi then orders Sen no Rikyu to commit seppuku (suicide). Director Mitsutoshi Tanaka's adaptation of Kenichi Yamamoto's award-winning novel of the same name received the Best Artistic Contribution Award at the 37th Montréal World Film Festival, the Best Director Award at the 2014 Osaka Cinema Festival, the 30th Fumiko Yamaji Cultural Award and the 37th Japan Academy Film Prize in nine categories, including Best Art Direction, Excellent Film and Excellent Actor.

How are these scores produced? →