The Legend & Butterfly

With two neighbouring kingdom's set for war, their kings decide that the best way forward is for the son of one - "Oda" (Takuya Kimura) to marry the daughter of the other - "Nohime" (Haruka Ayase). Neither are very keen on this arrangement but patrimonial loyalty and all that... An early shoulder massage illustrates really early on that these two are not a marriage made in heaven. Indeed, she proves considerably more adept than him at just about everything and is also unafraid of speaking her mind in front of his nobles - and women, well that just wasn't done! What now ensues does have an element of predictability to it, but this period of 16th century Japanese history is fraught with intrigues, political machinations, duplicity and ambition - and over the next 2¾ hours we have a decently paced unravelling of a generation of dynastic ambitions and manoeuvring that looks good and holds the attention well. Ayase takes the acting plaudits - she delivers well; and the others contribute adequately as the story advances. For me, it was the focus on the internecine society of love and honour your lord whilst you figure out ways to stab him in the back that worked well here. Loads of CGI - well it is 2023, after all, but the costumier and armourer's arts are well represented and the combat scenes spare us the worst excesses of repetition. It's a long slot of your day to commit to on the television, and I wonder if it would look better on a cinema screen, but if it's a genre in which you've an interest, then this is well worth a watch.

Historically this is probably not possible. An enduring love between Oda Nobunaga and Nohime. The costumes are 10/10. OST is 9/10. The prancing and laughing westerners could be eliminated they look stupid.

But Takuya Kimura's acting of multidimensional Nobunaga is praise worthy. His chemistry with Haruka Ayase is bittersweet. The scene when Nobunaga has to bite on his dagger scabbard to hold his tears when seeing Nohime leave tugged on my heart strings. This is an excellent movie. I just wished there would be more emotional depth between those two since they have so much chemistry.

Akechi Mitsuhide is well played. I am surprised at how young the actor was. Overall this is a movie I would recommend to people who enjoy Sengoku era inspired movies.

21st century has infiltrated the Japanese movie makers. This show focuses on the relationship between the Husband and Wife. And not surprising the Wife is a 21st century western wife with a sharp tongue and attitude, dressed in period costume. The Husband, you guessed it, is a fool and she saves him from death, which now days is credential for any "Independent woman" in a movie, forgetting that this is supposed to be 1500th. So no historical authenticity here, another show to distort history. There are plenty of better movies on this era and plot. Not worth watching.

The characters of two dimensional and the plot is fictional and not based on historical records. Do not recommend it.

What can I say?, this is a really good movie!, it has every element of a good story along with some kick butt samurai action and humor and romance, it is a story of fate, it is like the story of Arjuna who had to do what he had to do and be a warrior, it is a story of my best friend who became a special forces medic and who's choices I always questioned but he was he is a kind of hero in his own way and these heroes fall prey themselves to the violence their predilections put them in and who knows if there's any virtue in their actions, except of course their very intention in the first place however good it may be, this is a damn fine movie don't let anybody dissuade you from watching all 2 hours and 48 minutes of it, one of the best of its genre.

Although I've seen various actors portray Oda Nobunaga before, this is the first film where they've depicted Nohime as even more formidable than Nobunaga himself. Especially in their brief close combat scenes, shortly after getting married, Nohime confronts Nobunaga with a sword, and later, even in their prosperity, she powerfully reminds him of his misguided path. Aya Ueto's portrayal exudes unwavering strength, while Takuya Kimura's character evolves from hesitation to determined success and ultimately to a supremely confident ruler. Their expressions are truly on point. Although the story revisits familiar themes, the dialogue design leading up to the Battle of Okehazama really emphasizes the advantages of the enemy, making us ponder where we should apply our strengths now.