Tora's Pure Love
Introduction  a.k.a. '''''Torasan Meets his School-Mates''''' ''and'' '''''Tora-san's Heart of Gold''''' is a 1976 Japanese comedy film directed by Yoji Yamada. It stars Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), and Machiko Kyō as his love interest or "Madonna". ''Tora's Pure Love'' is the eighteenth entry in the popular, long-running ''Otoko wa Tsurai yo'' series, and was Machiko Kyō's penultimate film appearance.
Plot When Tora-san's infatuation with his nephew's school teacher causes family turmoil, he leaves on his travels again. When he returns, he falls in love with the teacher's mother, who has a terminal illness.
Cast * Kiyoshi Atsumi as Torajirō* Chieko Baisho as Sakura* Machiko Kyō as Aya Yagyū* Fumi Dan as Masako Yagyū* Masami Shimojō as Kuruma Tatsuzō* Chieko Misaki as Tsune Kuruma (Torajiro's aunt)* Gin Maeda as Hiroshi Suwa* Hayato Nakamura as Mitsuo Suwa* Hisao Dazai as Boss (Umetarō Katsura)* Gajirō Satō as Genkō* Chishū Ryū as Gozen-sama* Yoshio Yoshida as Chairman* Mari Okamoto as Sayuri Ōzora
Critical appraisal ''Tora's Pure Love'' was the sixth top-grossing Japanese film of 1976.However, Stuart Galbraith IV writes that the film is disappointing in comparison with the previous ''Tora-san's Sunrise and Sunset'' (also 1976), more sentimental and less well-plotted than the earlier film. Galbraith judges ''Tora's Pure Love'' nevertheless to be funny, and enjoyable for the scenes between series star Kiyoshi Atsumi and actress Machiko Kyō in one of her last appearances. The German-language site molodezhnaja gives ''Tora's Pure Love'' three and a half out of five stars.
Availability ''Tora's Pure Love'' was released theatrically on December 25, 1976.In Japan, the film was released on videotape in 1996, and in DVD format in 1999 and 2008.
References
Bibliography ===English===* * * * ===German===* ===Japanese===* * * *
External links *  ''Tora's Pure Love''  at www.tora-san.jp (official site)