A 70-year-old 'Electricity Monster' rewires an entire nation's future from the ashes of war.
Matsunaga Yasuzaemon was a man called “Electricity Monster”. The post-war recovery and high economic growth serve as the basis for him to achieve the breakup and privatisation of the electricity business. As a follower of Fukuzawa Yukichi, he inherited the spirit of independence, self-respect and the people. He rose up alone from the ruins of the war. It was the fight of an unconventional, stubborn old man over 70 with an indomitable will. Minister of Trade and Industry Ikeda Hayato admired Matsunaga like a father while Prime Ministers Yoshida Shigeru and Konoe Fumimaro, Shirasu Jiro (Takagawa Yuya) and others were in awe of his unfathomable passion.
Acting
Kotaro Yoshida's granite-faced determination carries every scene.
Direction
Makes utility privatisation somehow feel like a heist movie.
Director
Takeshi Shibata
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Matsunaga's real 1951 breakup of the nine regional electric companies still shapes Japan's energy market today—this is literally infrastructure origin story.
Director Takeshi Shibata spent years in documentary television; this was his rare dramatic feature, shot on a shoestring with mostly stage actors.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
JP
