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SABU

SABU

Actor, Director, Writer

Born November 18, 1964 in Wakayama, Japan

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Biography

Sabu (サブ, Sabu, born November 18, 1964) is the pseudonym of Japanese actor and director Hiroyuki Tanaka.

Born in Wakayama Prefecture, Sabu studied at an Osaka fashion school before deciding to go to Tokyo to become a professional musician. It was suggested he try acting and in 1986 he made his film debut in Sorobanzuku. He earned his first starring role in the 1991 World Apartment Horror, a live-action film directed by Katsuhiro Ōtomo of Akira fame. Working from a script he wrote himself, he made his directorial debut with the 1996 Dangan Runner, a film that set his early style of "quirky action-comedies propelled by characters who hurtle headlong though squirming narratives steered more by the forces of incidence and coincidence than the actions of the protagonists themselves." Shin'ichi Tsutsumi played the lead in Sabu's first five films. Blessing Bell, starring Susumu Terajima (who has played minor roles in nearly all of Sabu's films), was a turn away from his kinetic, parodic, and black comedy narratives, and earned the NETPAC Award at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival. Later films featured the J-pop band V6. In 2009, he directed The Crab Cannery Ship, a modern adaptation of a classic of Japanese proletarian literature written by Takiji Kobayashi.

He has continued to work as an actor, such as in Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer (2001).

His film Chasuke's Journey was selected to be screened in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.

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15 wins and 14 nominations

SABU Photos

SABU Videos

World Apartment Horror - Trailer (subtitled version)

Filmography

Actor

23

Type

Year

Silence Feature Film2016Samurai #1

Eigakan TV Series2009Self

Sakuran Feature Film2006Patron

Genki no gensen TV Series2005Self

Cinemaholic TV Series2004Self

Hoshi ni negai wo Poster

Hoshi ni negai wo Feature Film2003

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Poster

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Feature Film2003Patron

Ichi the Killer Poster

Ichi the Killer Feature Film2001Kaneko

Unlucky Monkey Poster

Unlucky Monkey Feature Film1998Bank Robber

Postman Blues Poster

Postman Blues Feature Film1997Kurokawa

Don't Look Up Poster

Don't Look Up Feature Film1996Sekikawa

Non-Stop Poster

Non-Stop Feature Film1996

Suit Yourself or Shoot Yourself: The Gamble Poster

Suit Yourself or Shoot Yourself: The Gamble TV Movie1996

Shinjuku Triad Society Poster

Shinjuku Triad Society Feature Film1995

800 Two Lap Runners Poster

800 Two Lap Runners Feature Film1994Kyoichi Nakazawa

Kiriko Feature Film1994

Raiden Feature Film1994

Zeiram 2 Poster

Zeiram 2 Feature Film1994Fujikuro

Kuma-chan Poster

Kuma-chan Feature Film1993

Sailor Moon Poster

Sailor Moon TV Series1992TV Executive #2

Ushio & Tora Poster

Ushio & Tora TV Series1992Student

Wârudo apâtomento horâ Poster

Wârudo apâtomento horâ Feature Film1991Ita

For Business Poster

For Business Feature Film1986Sabu

Director

24

Type

Year

Under Your Bed Poster

Under Your Bed Feature Film2023

Jam: The Drama Poster

Jam: The Drama Mini-Series2021

Kinô yori akaku, ashita yori aoku: Cinema Fighters Project Poster

Kinô yori akaku, ashita yori aoku: Cinema Fighters Project Feature Film2021

My Blood & Bones in a Flowing Galaxy Poster

My Blood & Bones in a Flowing Galaxy Feature Film2020

Dancing Mary Poster

Dancing Mary Feature Film2019

Jam Feature Film2018

Mr. Long Poster

Mr. Long Feature Film2017

Happiness Poster

Happiness Feature Film2016

Chasuke's Journey Poster

Chasuke's Journey Feature Film2015

Panic In Poster

Panic In Mini-Series2015

Miss Zombie Poster

Miss Zombie Feature Film2013

Bunny Drop Poster

Bunny Drop Feature Film2011

Trouble Man Poster

Trouble Man TV Series2010

Kanikôsen Poster

Kanikôsen Feature Film2009

Dead Run Poster

Dead Run Feature Film2005

Hold Up Down Poster

Hold Up Down Feature Film2005

A1012K Short Film2003

Hâdo rakku hîrô Poster

Hâdo rakku hîrô Feature Film2003

Blessing Bell Poster

Blessing Bell Feature Film2002

Doraibu Feature Film2002

Monday Feature Film2000

Unlucky Monkey Poster

Unlucky Monkey Feature Film1998

Postman Blues Poster

Postman Blues Feature Film1997

Non-Stop Poster

Non-Stop Feature Film1996

Writer

21

Type

Year

Under Your Bed Poster

Under Your Bed Feature Film2023

Jam: The Drama Poster

Jam: The Drama Mini-Series2021

My Blood & Bones in a Flowing Galaxy Poster

My Blood & Bones in a Flowing Galaxy Feature Film2020

Dancing Mary Poster

Dancing Mary Feature Film2019

Jam Feature Film2018

Mr. Long Poster

Mr. Long Feature Film2017

Happiness Poster

Happiness Feature Film2016

Chasuke's Journey Poster

Chasuke's Journey Feature Film2015

Miss Zombie Poster

Miss Zombie Feature Film2013

Bunny Drop Poster

Bunny Drop Feature Film2011

Trouble Man Poster

Trouble Man TV Series2010

Kanikôsen Poster

Kanikôsen Feature Film2009

Dead Run Poster

Dead Run Feature Film2005

Hold Up Down Poster

Hold Up Down Feature Film2005

Hâdo rakku hîrô Poster

Hâdo rakku hîrô Feature Film2003

Blessing Bell Poster

Blessing Bell Feature Film2002

Doraibu Feature Film2002

Monday Feature Film2000

Unlucky Monkey Poster

Unlucky Monkey Feature Film1998

Postman Blues Poster

Postman Blues Feature Film1997

Non-Stop Poster

Non-Stop Feature Film1996

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