Giants and Toys
Director: Yasuzô Masumura
Actors: Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Hitomi Nozoe, Hideo Takamatsu
PlotThe story focuses on three rival candy companies vying for market dominance through aggressive marketing campaigns. Nishi, an ambitious young executive at one of the firms, is tasked with creating a sensational advertising strategy to outshine the competitors. He discovers Kyoko, a vivacious and naive factory girl with a unique charm, and transforms her into the face of their campaign. As Kyoko rises to stardom, Nishi becomes increasingly entangled in the pressures of corporate expectations and the personal ambition driving his actions. Kyoko herself must navigate the overwhelming demands of sudden celebrity and the ethical ambiguities that come with it.
As the campaign unfolds, internal politics and alliances within the company become more intense, causing conflicts that call into question the integrity of the business world they inhabit. Nishi finds himself caught between the relentless demands of his superiors and his own moral compass, leading to a series of decisions with far-reaching consequences. Meanwhile, Kyoko struggles to maintain her sense of self amid the growing chaos and manipulation surrounding her newfound fame. The narrative examines themes of ambition, exploitation, and the dehumanizing effects of cutthroat competition in a satirical yet incisive manner, highlighting the often overlooked personal costs behind corporate success.
Writers: Takeshi Kaikô, Yoshio Shirasaka
Release Date: 22 Jun 1958
Runtime: 95 min
Rating: N/A
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Home Video Reviews
"Giants and Toys," a dark satire on Japan's post-war recovery, offers a prescient critique of fame, fortune, and Western business influence, backed by solid technical merits and exceptional supplementary material.
Read our review of Giants and Toys Blu-ray 巨人と玩具 Kyojin to gangu to find out more