Origin of The Series
Preceding the first theatrical film of Otoko wa tsurai yo, a teledrama version was broadcast from 1968 to 1969. It was originally titled "Gukei (or "Gukyō")-Kenmai" (愚兄賢妹), meaning "Goofy Brother and Wise Sister." The name comes from the final subtitle of Naite tamaruka (泣いてたまるか). (The star of Naite tamaruka is also Atsumi Kiyoshi.)
Kobayashi Shun'ichi renamed the show Otoko wa Tsurai yo. In the final episode of the TV series, Torajirō dies of a snakebite. This denouement made the audience angry and a film version of Otoko wa Tsurai yo followed.
Initially, Shochiku, the distributing agency, was not enthusiastic about the film's prospects but Yōji Yamada's persuasiveness ultimately prevailed. The film series went on to become a huge success with films released every summer and New Years. The series has occupying a large position within the realm of Japanese pop culture psyche. With the exception of Morikawa Shin, the supporting cast of the television version did not reprise their roles in the film series - though Sato Gajiro appears in most of the films as "Gen-chan", Nagayama Aiko is the Madonna in the 6th film and Hisashi Igawa is her suitor.
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