Sabu

Sabu

Year: 2002

Runtime: 122 mins

Language: Japanese

Director: Takashi Miike

DramaAction

When a young man is sent to a prison workhouse for a crime he did not commit his friend on the outside must find evidence to clear his name.

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Timeline & Setting – Sabu (2002)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Sabu (2002). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Edo period

Set in the Edo period of Japan, the story centers on a rigid feudal hierarchy, strict social norms, and the apparatus of punishment. Orphanages and workhouses reflect the era's harsh realities, while legal processes and petitions reveal a patchwork justice system. Recurring floods and weather also shape survival and community risk, amplifying the stakes for the characters. The time frame amplifies themes of loyalty, revenge, and the costs of personal choices within a tightly controlled society.

Location

Kobunecho orphanage, Watabun Bank, Ishikawa Island workhouse, Denmacho, Kitamachi court, Nobuko's geisha house

The film unfolds across a network of Edo-period locations that reflect a rigid social order. The Kobunecho orphanage serves as the starting point for Eiji, Sabu, and Nobuko, highlighting poverty and abandonment. The Watabun Bank and Ishikawa Island workhouse expose the economic and punitive mechanisms shaping their fates. Denmacho and Kitamachi court scenes reveal the legal pressures and power dynamics, while Nobuko's geisha house illustrates the commodified paths available to women in this society.

🏯 Historical 🗺️ Edo-era 🧱 Social disparity

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:07

Main Characters – Sabu (2002)

Meet the key characters of Sabu (2002), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Eiji (Tatsuya Fujiwara)

Quiet, determined, and loyal, Eiji endures betrayal and hardship after being framed for theft. He suppresses self-defense and channels pain into a relentless pursuit of revenge, while clinging to his love for Osue. A man of resolve, his limp marks the cost of his journey and the stubborn hope that justice will prevail.

🎭 Protagonist 🚶‍♂️ Injured 🗡️ Vengeful

Sabu (Satoshi Tsumabuki)

Sabu is a lively, resourceful friend whose actions mix affection with risk. He alternates between supporting Eiji and making choices that complicate outcomes, sometimes shading the truth to protect himself or pursue his aims. His presence injects momentum and tension, driving the story’s twists.

🤝 Loyal 🪙 Schemer 🧩 Complex

Onobu (Tomoko Tabata)

Onobu appears as a supportive figure within the group, offering friendship and stability in a harsh environment. She represents the networks that keep relationships alive despite social and economic pressures.

👥 Friend 🗺️ Connector

Osue (Kazue Fukiishi)

Osue is torn between love and social expectations, becoming a pivotal figure who navigates loyalty and deception. Her choices—betraying Sabu to influence outcomes and later confessing the truth—show the emotional costs of romance and ambition in a constrained society.

💘 Love 🕊️ Mercy 🧭 Moral Dilemma

Giichi (Ken'ichi Endô)

Known as the Grass Snake, Giichi is a violent new prisoner who threatens Eiji. His aggression underscores the brutality of the environment and the precarious balance of power within the workhouse and prison system.

🗡️ Villain 🐍 Threat 🧱 Enforcer

Toku (Yoji Tanaka)

A pimp at the geisha house who embodies exploitation and control. He represents how personal desire intersects with financial power, shaping Nobuko’s and Osue’s situations within the social framework.

💼 Power 🕰️ Exploitation

Ryojiro Kojima (Tatsuo Yamada)

The strict head guard who manages punishment and later influences Eiji’s case at Denmacho and Kitamachi court. He embodies institutional rigidity, balancing authority with moments that hint at mercy when faced with collective action by prisoners.

👮 Authority ⚖️ Final arbiter

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:07

Major Themes – Sabu (2002)

Explore the central themes of Sabu (2002), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🗡️ Revenge

Eiji’s wrongful framing sparks a lifelong quest for vengeance that drives his choices. The pursuit tests loyalties and blurs lines between justice and cruelty. The narrative shows how revenge can consume time, energy, and relationships, often producing unintended consequences. Yet the story also probes whether revenge can ever restore what was lost or simply perpetuate the cycle of harm.

⚖️ Justice

The inmates’ petition to reopen Eiji’s case highlights a counter-narrative to official punishment. The film exposes flaws in the system, where leverage and mercy sometimes shape outcomes as much as law. Characters chase personal notions of justice, often clashing with formal procedures. The ending implies that justice is imperfect and earned through persistence, sacrifice, and accountability.

🤝 Friendship & Loyalty

Friendships between Eiji, Sabu, and Osue anchor the story amidst hardship and danger. Loyalty is tested by conflicting desires and schemes, yet bonds persist as sources of strength during crises. The trio’s interactions reveal how trust can both heal and complicate outcomes under pressure. The narrative ultimately weighs forgiveness against accountability, suggesting loyalty seeks the well-being of loved ones even when imperfect.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:07

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Sabu Summary

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Sabu Summary

Sabu Timeline

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Sabu Timeline

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More About Sabu

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