| The Calamari Wrestler /Ika resuraa | |
| Starring: | Miho Shiraishi Osamu Nishimura Akira Nogami Yoshihiro Takayama |
| Director: | Minoru Kawasaki |
| Producer: | Shuntaro Kanai |
| Distributor: | Klock Worx Co. |
| Editing: | Minoru Kawasaki |
| Cinematography: | Minoru Kawasaki |
| Runtime: | 95 minutes |
| Country: | Japan |
| Language: | English Japanese |
| Studio: | Imagica Corp. |
is a 2004 Japanese film by director Minoru Kawasaki,[1] starring Kana Ishida and Osamu Nishimura.[2]
The plot revolves around a professional wrestler who, after developing a terminal illness, becomes a giant squid-like creature (Osamu Nishimura). As a giant squid, he must battle to reclaim his former life both inside and outside the ring.
Jeannett Catsoulis of The New York Times described the film as goofy and bizarre "yet surprisingly coherent" with "a good-natured charm." Catsoulis commented on the themes of the film noting a "convincing parallel between the anxieties of post-World War II Japan and what the film calls the "utter chaos" of the country today."[3]