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Okada is great. The rest of the performances aren't bad. When it's playing, the music is very catchy. The subject matter is interesting, the realism, the costumes, the language... everything fits. But then there's the thing that bothers me about all of Takita's movies – the guy just doesn't know when to quit, to the point that I sometimes feel like I'm sliding on a slide of boredom – up, down, up, down. I've had the same problem with all of his films: completely overlong running time that makes you lose interest in finishing the film. Fortunately, with The Samurai Astronomer the personality of the main character, especially at the beginning, is very cheerful, and so I was in a pleasant mood and my interest lasted quite a long time (compared to other Takita films); but even so, it didn't last until the end. I've spent this week embracing Takita's films, and I can now say with a clear conscience that (for me) he's a mediocre director, and his films reflect that. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if you fall in love with his films, not to mention The Samurai Astronomer. A better 3 stars. (17.03.2015)