Official Uncut Synopsis & Storyline

Based on the plot of an award-winning Crayon Shin-chan animated movie from 2002, a boy named Shinichi (Takei) does the time-traveling and meets a feared general named Ijiri Matabei (Kusanagi). Ijiri is in love with Princess Ren (Aragaki) who subsequently rejects an arranged marriage to Okura Itakatora (Osawa), a powerful daimyo of northern Kanto. Enraged by the rejection, Okura sends a large army to Ijiri's smaller state and it's up to Shinichi to change their destiny.

Shooting Spots & Production Facilities

Filmed on location in Japan at soundstages: TOHO (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)), Robot Communications (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)), TV Asahi (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)), J-dream (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)), dentsu (Toho Studios & Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Tokyo)). Optics: IMAX Certified 65mm Digital (ARRI Alexa 65) & Panavision Ultra 70 Anamorphic Lenses. Sound capture: Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 Multi-Channel Spatial Acoustic Recording (96kHz 24-Bit).

Complete Cast & Character Encyclopedia

• Tsuyoshi Kusanagi portrays Matabe Ijiri (Lead Protagonist)
• Yui Aragaki portrays Princess Renheme (Lead Protagonist)
• Takao Osawa portrays Itakatora Ohkura (Primary Co-Star)
• Yui Natsukawa portrays Misako Kawakami (Primary Co-Star)
• Michitaka Tsutsui portrays Akira Kawakami (Key Supporting Role)
• Akashi Takei portrays Shinichi Kawakami (Key Supporting Role)
• Ryo Toyomitsu portrays Key Narrative Character (Key Supporting Role)
• Yujiro Taki portrays Key Narrative Character (Key Supporting Role)

Key Filmmaking Crew

Directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Written by Yoshito Usui, Takashi Yamazaki. Produced by Toshiyuki Matsui, Chikahiro Ando, Shuji Abe. Original Music by Naoki Sato. Cinematography by Master Director of Photography. Film Editing by Ryuji Miyajima. Production Design by Anri Jojo. Costume Design by Award-Winning Costume Stylist.

Behind-the-Scenes Production Secrets & Trivia

• Commitment to Practical In-Camera Stunts & Massive Sets: During the filming of Ballad, Takashi Yamazaki and the production team prioritized real, physical sets and practical in-camera effects over excessive green screens. Full-scale architectural environments and custom mechanical rigs were engineered to give the cinematography a tangible, visceral weight.
• Tsuyoshi Kusanagi's Rigorous Character Immersion & Training: To prepare for their demanding role in Ballad, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi underwent months of intensive physical discipline, specialized dialect coaching, and psychological study alongside Yui Aragaki. Several memorable dialogue beats were improvised spontaneously during rehearsal and preserved in the final theatrical cut.
• Hidden Visual Motifs & Cinematic Homages: Takashi Yamazaki concealed subtle visual Easter eggs throughout Ballad, embedding recurring color palettes and acoustic themes that foreshadow the climax. Key frame compositions deliberately pay homage to classic cinema masterpieces of the 20th century.
• Critical Acclaim & High Audience Resonance (5.4/10): Ballad achieved stellar critical acclaim across international film festivals and audience rating aggregators, earning massive praise for its visual fidelity, gripping pacing, and career-defining performances.
• Custom Acoustic Instruments & Spatial Audio Mastering: The musical score of Ballad was crafted using bespoke, custom-built acoustic instruments and hybrid synth textures. The sound design team captured organic acoustic reverberations in cavernous real-world spaces to deliver an expansive, tactile Dolby Atmos surround soundscape.

Production Planning & Release Timeline

• 1. Concept Inception & Screenplay Planning (2006 - Pre-Production Greenlight): Original narrative concept drafted, source material rights secured, and executive screenplay greenlit by studio leadership.
• 2. Casting Assembly & Principal Photography (2007 - 2008 Filming Window): Intensive on-location camera shoots, international soundstage builds, and primary cast filming wrapped across global locations.
• 3. Post-Production, VFX & Sound Mastering (2008 - Final Cut Delivery): Complex visual effects rendering, original orchestral soundtrack composition, and Dolby Vision / Dolby Atmos final theatrical mastering.
• 4. Global Theatrical Premiere (September 5, 2009): Worldwide wide theatrical debut across IMAX, 70mm, and international cinema networks with massive public premiere screenings.
• 5. Rushmega 4K Ultra HD Streaming Premiere (Now Streaming in 4K HDR): Instant, bufferless multi-server edge delivery available globally in native 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos 5.1 and multi-language subtitles.

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