The Champion
勝利者
Synopsis
Eikichi Yamashiro, who is a former contender for the boxing title, works as a manager at a Club Champion owned by his fiancé Natsuko’s father. He lost a title match five years ago as he was besotted by Natsuko, but Eikichi actually cannot give up the dream of the championship. One day, he meets Shuntaro Fuma, who is a punk kid but a promising boxer, and realizes the dream that he himself could never fulfill. Then, they together start to train with the aim of the title. Mari Shiraki is an up-and-coming ballerina under the patronage of Eikichi as well. Eikichi forbids Shuntaro and Mari to be romantically involved with someone during their training, however, they start to go on a date.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Tatsuya Mihashi
Eikichi Yamashiro
Yōko Minamida
Natsuko Miyagawa
Yūjirō Ishihara
Shuntaro Fuma
Mie Kitahara
Mari Shiraki
Taiji Tonoyama
Pote-chan
Jushiro Kobayashi
Tōru Abe
Shinzo Takaoka
Joe Shishido
Boxer Ishiyama
Masao Shimizu
Keisuke Miyagawa
Noriko Katsura
Yottan
Hisae Urashima
Rose Minami
Yoko Takeuchi
Keiko Tama
Op-chan
Zenji Yamada
Coach Yamamoto
Hiroshi Ogino
Johnny Minami
Seijiro Takano
Club Manager
Kazuo Kinugasa
Coach Yoshida
Hyōe Enoki
Boxer Akagi
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Umetsugu Inoue
- Screenplay & Story
- Umetsugu Inoue, Toshio Masuda
- Original Score
- Taichiro Kosugi
- Original Title
- 勝利者
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 37m
- Production Studios
- Nikkatsu Corporation
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Umetsugu Inoue
Umetsugu Inoue, Toshio Masuda, Toru Kino, Isamu Onoda
Taichiro Kosugi
Kazumi Iwasa
Shizuo Sakagami
Department Leadership Roster
Umetsugu Inoue
Writer
Umetsugu Inoue
Screenplay
Toshio Masuda
Screenplay
Isamu Onoda
Writer
Shizuo Sakagami
Producer
Umetsugu Inoue
Director
Kazumi Iwasa
Director of Photography
Taichiro Kosugi
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Champion.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Champion.
Nikkatsu
Films produced or released by Nikkatsu, from Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Nikkatsu
Films produced by Nikkatsu, from Wikidata production-company data.
Similar Titles to The Champion
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.0
4.9
2.0
6.6
6.2
7.6
6.6
6.9
7.1
More Like The Champion
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Champion
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Champion about?
Eikichi Yamashiro, who is a former contender for the boxing title, works as a manager at a Club Champion owned by his fiancé Natsuko’s father. He lost a title match five years ago as he was besotted by Natsuko, but Eikichi actually cannot give up the dream of the championship. One day, he meets Shuntaro Fuma, who is a punk kid but a promising boxer, and realizes the dream that he himself could never fulfill. Then, they together start to train with the aim of the title. Mari Shiraki is an up-and-coming ballerina under the patronage of Eikichi as well. Eikichi forbids Shuntaro and Mari to be romantically involved with someone during their training, however, they start to go on a date.
Who directed The Champion?
The Champion was directed by Umetsugu Inoue.
Who stars in The Champion?
The principal cast of The Champion includes Tatsuya Mihashi, Yōko Minamida, Yūjirō Ishihara, Mie Kitahara, Taiji Tonoyama.
When was The Champion released and how long is it?
The Champion was released in 1957 with a total runtime of 1h 37m.
Who composed the musical score for The Champion?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Champion was composed by Taichiro Kosugi.