Kick-Heart

Kick-Heart

Year: 2013

Runtime: 13 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Masaaki Yuasa

ComedyRomanceAnimation

A love story between two people that each have a secret to hide. One a pro-wrestler, the other a Nun. Losing never felt so good.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Kick-Heart yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – Kick-Heart (2013)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Kick-Heart (2013). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Wrestling Arena, Run-down Orphanage

Set inside a pulsating wrestling arena and its tense backstage corridors, the film blends flamboyant spectacle with personal stakes. The Boss keeps a tight grip on outcomes, shaping the drama for the crowd and his own interests. Off the ring, a dilapidated orphanage anchors the story, where a compassionate nun and a group of children bring gravity to the spectacle.

🎪 Arena 🏚️ Run-down 👥 Crowded

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:37

Main Characters – Kick-Heart (2013)

Meet the key characters of Kick-Heart (2013), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Masked Man M (Tatsuhisa Suzuki)

A flamboyant, highly skilled wrestler who thrives on showmanship and crowd energy. Beneath the mask, he grapples with personal consequences and grows attached to the orphanage and its kids, forcing him to choose between ego and responsibility.

🔥 Charismatic 🥊 Skilled 🎭 Showman

Devil Chicken (Shinobu Matsumoto)

A bold, agile fighter who partners with Masked Man M to create dynamic, high-energy exchanges. Their chemistry drives the match's momentum and adds a mischievous edge to the ring dynamics.

🐔 Agile ⚡ Dynamic

Lady S (Takako Honda)

A formidable fighter known for brutal, precise strikes that test Masked Man M’s limits. Her performance hides a strategic mind and a ruthless willingness to win, pushing the narrative toward a dramatic reversal.

⚡ Dominant 🥋 Precise

Boss (Mitsuaki Kanuka)

A stern, controlling figure who looms over the dressing room and steers outcomes with a personal stake in the show’s direction. His influence drives the conflict between spectacle and responsibility.

🗝️ Powerful 🗡️ Calculating

New Ace (Yuhko Kaida)

An up-and-coming fighter adding fresh energy to the arena, representing the evolving dynamics of the competition and the shifting power balance backstage.

✨ Rising 🎯 Ambitious

Mage-chan (Cocoro Kikuchi)

A quirky, magical presence in the arena world, bringing a whimsical, otherworldly vibe to the proceedings and punctuating the film’s surreal humor.

🪄 Enchanted 🌟 Whimsical

Posse (Kyoko Chikiri)

A loyal member of the entourage providing support and shaping backstage politics, aiding in the choreography of alliances and rivalries.

🧭 Strategic 👫 Loyal

Announcer (Yoshihisa Kawahara)

The voice of the arena, setting the tempo of matches and guiding the crowd’s reactions, effectively shaping the spectacle.

🎙️ Vocal 🗣️ Present

Sister (Makiko Nitta)

A nun connected to the orphanage, offering warmth and support to the children, and grounding the story in care and community.

🙏 Compassionate 🕊️ Nurturing

Romeo Maki

The man beneath the mask who runs the orphanage and becomes a catalyst for the prize’s use to heal the home. His actions link the ring’s drama to tangible aid.

🕵️ Resourceful 🤝 Compassionate

Sister Juliet (Lady S)

A novice nun whose calm presence masks a deeper connection to the arena’s world; the twist reveals she is the very fighter she’s been opposing.

🧭 Secretive 🗝️ Transformative

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:37

Major Themes – Kick-Heart (2013)

Explore the central themes of Kick-Heart (2013), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕊️ Redemption

The ring becomes a path to redemption rather than mere victory. Prize money is used to repair the neglected orphanage, tying sport to real-world good. The twist that Sister Juliet is Lady S deepens the emotional arc, showing how personal redemption can influence the future of the children. The crowd’s cheers reflect a collective hope that lives can be mended.

🎭 Performance & Identity

The line between mask and self blurs as the characters perform for the audience and for each other. The backstage exchanges reveal how much of what we see is construction, even as genuine feelings emerge. The reveal that Sister Juliet is Lady S ties performance to personal identity and duty. The story uses wrestling fantasy to probe what people owe to those who depend on them.

🤝 Community & Sacrifice

The children become a moral compass, pleading for Masked Man M to resist surrender and fight for something larger than himself. The Boss’s manipulation contrasts with the selfless act of donating prize money to repair the home. The climax binds the arena’s spectacle to the orphanage’s restitution, signaling that sacrifice can catalyze real change in a community.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 09:37

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Explore Movie Threads

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Unlikely Romance Movies Like Kick-Heart

Lives collide when hidden identities lead to surprising and heartfelt connections.If you loved the quirky secret romance in Kick-Heart, you'll enjoy these movies. They feature characters with hidden lives who find love in unexpected places, blending unconventional worlds with heartwarming, humorous stories.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows characters who maintain a public facade that contrasts sharply with their private passions or responsibilities. The central conflict arises from the need to keep these worlds separate, but the plot forces a collision, often leading to comedic misunderstandings and, ultimately, a tender resolution where the secret is revealed to positive effect.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared focus on the tension and comedy of secret identities, the charm of unlikely pairs, and the uplifting resolution that comes from embracing one's true self. They blend romance with a specific, often quirky, subculture or setting.

Energetic Animated Movies Similar to Kick-Heart

Fast-paced, visually inventive animations full of playful humor and heart.Fans of the fast-paced, whimsical animation style of Kick-Heart will find more to love here. Discover animated films with energetic pacing, playful humor, and a vibrant visual style that tells heartwarming stories with a unique flair.

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Narrative Summary

These stories unfold quickly, using the flexibility of animation to create exaggerated action, rapid-fire jokes, and whimsical scenarios. The emotional journey is straightforward but effective, using the animated medium to enhance feelings of joy, excitement, and tenderness without becoming overly complex or heavy.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups films based on their shared medium and a specific tonal mix: the combination of fast pacing, light emotional weight, playful absurdity, and a consistently upbeat, whimsical mood. They are defined by their energetic execution and their ability to be both funny and heartwarming.

Unlock the Full Story of Kick-Heart

Don't stop at just watching — explore Kick-Heart in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Kick-Heart is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Kick-Heart Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Kick-Heart, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Kick-Heart Summary

Kick-Heart Timeline

Track the full timeline of Kick-Heart with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Kick-Heart Timeline

Kick-Heart Spoiler-Free Summary

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Kick-Heart Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Kick-Heart

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Kick-Heart: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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