Asakusa Kid

 is a Japanese biographical drama film directed and written by Gekidan Hitori and starring Yo Oizumi and Yuya Yagira. It is a nostalgic drama based on "Beat", Takeshi Kitano's 1992 memoir. It was released on Netflix on December 9, 2021.

Summary
"Before he hit it big, Takeshi Kitano got his start apprenticing with comedy legend Fukami of Asakusa. But as his star rises, his mentor's declines."

- Official Netflix synopsis

Based on Takeshi Kitano’s memoir, Netflix Film Asakusa Kid is based on the true and moving tale of the living legend, in a tale of dreams, failures, love and loyalty of Kitano with his mentor Senzaburo Fukami.

Legendary comedian and auteur Takeshi Kitano is known in Japan and around the world, but lesser known are his mentor and his friends who helped him reach such heights. Studying under Senzaburo Fukami, a largely forgotten comedian who once mastered the stage, and with help from his fellows, he starts to carve out his own path to stardom, only to discover too late the price of his fame and success -- the people who helped get him there. Set in mid-1960s Asakusa, a somewhat seedy part of Tokyo, Kitano dropped out of college in search of something better, and took a job at the Asakusa Furansu-za theater known as a hall of fame for strip shows and comedy, where he soon became an apprentice of the legendary comedian Senzaburo Fukami. Fukami was the comedy master behind other famous comedians such as Hachiro Azuma and Kinichi Hagimoto, who disavowed television and only believed in the live stage. Kitano worked hard under Fukami to polish his craft and achieve his dream of becoming a successful comedian. However, as home television became ever more popular, live comedy gradually fell out of favor.

Cast and Characters

 * Yo Oizumi as Senzaburo Fukami
 * Yuya Yagira as young Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi)
 * Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi) as himself
 * Mugi Kadowaki as Chiharu
 * Nobuyuki Tsuchiya as Beat Kiyoshi
 * Ayumu Nakajima
 * Yūsuke Furusawa
 * Nana Komaki
 * Yōko Ōshima
 * Hiroyuki Onoue as Hachiro Azuma
 * Morio Kazama as Jun Tayama
 * Honami Suzuki as Mari