'Donju'

Kankuro Kudo was once hailed as the boy wonder of Japanese show business, first as a scriptwriter for hit TV shows ("Ikebukuro West Gate Park" in 2000, and "Kisarazu Cats Eye" in 2002) and then hit films ("Go," "Ping Pong," "Zebraman"). In 2005, he released his first film as a director: "Mayonaka no Yajisan Kitasan" ("Yaji and Kita: The Midnight Pilgrims"), a madcap period comedy that was widely screened abroad.

Now 38, Kudo has also long been active as an actor, lending his gawky comic presence to "Kiraware Matsuko no Issho" ("Memories of Matsuko," 2006) and "Quiet Room ni Yokoso" ("Welcome to the Quiet Room," 2007), among others.

His first artistic home, however, was the theater. In 1991, he joined Matsuo Suzuki's Otona Keikaku (Adult Plan) comic theater troupe, which with he is still associated.