It is pretty well known that Miike will take on just about any project offered to him. In 2001 (according to IMDb) he made at least 6 films including ICHI THE KILLER, VISITOR Q, & THE HAPPINESS OF THE KATAKURIS, which I liked very very much, and KUMAMOTO MONOGATARI. (I am a BIG FAN of Miike's! I have 22 of his dvds.) I was particularly interested in seeing KUMAMOTO MONOGATARI cuz it is supposedly a 'period piece'. I was very interested to see his take on the 'historical drama'. What an utter disappointment it turned out to be! It is one of the tackiest, cheesiest movies I think I have ever seen. The costumes are look like they were made by grade school mothers in small town Nebraska for the 4th grade pageant. The acting was on a par with the costumes. As were the sets and SFX. And as best as I could tell, this trash aesthetic served absolutely no legitimate end of any kind. If you are a fan of Miike's, do not walk but RUNNNNN away from this piece of crap as fast as you can!!!! OK to give credit where credit is do: there is a little fluffy white puppy in it that is truly magical! But believe me, watching any of the rest of the movie to see it is a price too great to pay!