Lee Sang-il’s Kokuho — a nearly three-hour period drama about the cloistered world of traditional kabuki theater — has defied all reasonable expectations to become Japan’s top-grossing domestic live-action film of all time.

The Sony-backed feature, produced by Aniplex in association with Myriagon Studio and distributed by Toho, has earned more than ¥17.37 billion ($111 million) since its June release in Japan, surpassing the ¥17.35 billion record held for 22 years by crime-comedy Bayside Shakedown 2 (2003).

The film has drawn over 12 million admissions — a feat that few would have predicted for such an artistically demanding work. But the film premiered to rave reviews in the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival in May, and it has been earning effusive admirers an

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