NEWS

Having wowed global audiences with the Netflix hit Yu Yu Hakusho, producer Akira Morii of THE SEVEN has teamed up again with actors Takumi Kitamura and Go Ayano on THE SEVEN’s first theatrical release: BAKA’s Identity (A Fool’s Identity). Rising young star Yuta Hayashi fills out the powerful ensemble cast to bring the must-see story of our time to the big screen.
 Adapted by Japan Academy Award-winning screenwriter Kosuke Mukai based on Jun Nishio’s 2019 prize-winning novel of the same name, BAKA’s Identity is directed by Koto Nagata, known for her complex human dramas. An exhilarating chase thriller, it explores the dark underbelly of modern Japan and its devastating impact on the lives of three young men caught up in its web.
 BAKA’s Identity opens in Japanese movie theaters on Friday October 24 and is distributed by THE SEVEN and Showgate.

Takuya (Takumi Kitamura) and Mamoru (Yuta Hayashi) are two young men from disadvantaged backgrounds who’ve been sucked into Japan’s criminal underworld. Their job involves posing as women on social media to exploit isolated men and sell their personal identities. When they’re not working, they’re just ordinary friends who like hanging out together and sometimes letting loose. But when Takuya turns to Kajitani (Go Ayano)—a big brother figure who introduced him to the world of underground crime—to help him and Mamoru escape, they discover it isn’t so simple.

BAKA’s Identity is the 2019 debut novel from Jun Nishio, whose semi-autobiographical A Child of Multi-level Marketing created a sensation in the Japanese publishing world. Directed by Koto Nagata, a protégée of Shunji Iwai, the film’s powerful ensemble cast consists of Takumi Kitamura, Go Ayano, and Yuta Hayashi in an exhilarating chase thriller about three disadvantaged young men entangled in Japan’s underground crime world. Unfolding over three intense days, the story is told from each character’s singular point of view in a suspenseful, multi-layered narrative. Despite its value as pure entertainment, the film incorporates deeply relatable societal themes, such as youth poverty, the influence of global pressures on Japan, and the country’s dark underworld economy.

 Takumi Kitamura (Let Me Eat Your Pancreas and Tokyo Revengers) stars as Takuya, a young man who poses as a woman on social media to exploit isolated men and sell their personal identities. He brings sensitivity and intensity to the role of a criminal who, despite his actions, still evinces concern for his victims. Reflecting on the project and on working with his co-stars, Kitamura commented: “It felt like a relay of emotion across three generations. From Go to me, and from me to Yuta, whose performance as Mamoru is key to the story. It absolutely needs to be experienced on the big screen.”

 Go Ayano (Let’s Go Karaoke! and Netflix’s Tokyo Swindlers) plays Kajitani, an underworld veteran and mentor to Takuya, whom he introduced to illegal identity trading. But the disillusioned Kajitani’s softer side comes through in the kindness he shows his girlfriend and in his concern for Takuya. Speaking about the fresh, new perspective that the film offers, Ayano praised his co-stars and the director: “Kitamura’s performance is brilliant in its subtlety, and Hayashi is a breath of fresh air. Koto Nagata brings out their best from start to finish.” For fans he added: “This is a story about people who have lost all hope, people who have had their hope taken away, and people who make their own hope. It’s one film you won’t want to miss.”

 Yuta Hayashi—a promising young actor known for his roles in the Netflix hit Invisible Us and the 2024 film HAPPYEND—plays Mamoru, a youth with a complicated home life who is starved for parental love. At the invitation of Takuya—whom he regards as an older brother—he casually enters the world of crime, lured by the promise of easy money. Reflecting on what he learned from his role in the film, Hayashi said: “So many people gave Mamoru a place to belong during the making of this film. Wanting to do for others what someone once did for you is what gives life meaning. That’s what this film taught me.”

Speaking about the film adaptation of her book, author Jun Nishio commented: “Now, thanks to Koto Nagata, the film’s director, many people will get to meet the characters that I have created—seeing them brought to the big screen still feels like something out of a dream.” She added this message for fans: “I hope audiences will come to see for themselves this story about the choices made by these young men, as they waver between good and evil, desire and despair.”

Nagata, for her part, said she was drawn to the project after reading the novel. “In recent years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the extreme poverty and crime young people in Japan are experiencing. I’d been searching for a story that captures that, and when I encountered Jun’s novel, I thought, ‘This is it!’” Proud of the way the film turned out, she added, “This was a passion project for me, one that lays bare Japan’s social realities while delivering genuine entertainment.”

Producer Akira Morii spoke about the young people depicted in the film and the social issues they face in today’s Japan: “Their lives and struggles take place out of sight from the rest of us. But they’re right there beside us. It could happen to you, or to someone in your family.” Looking ahead to the release of the film, he commented: “I hope people will watch it with an open mind and embrace it warmly.”

The newly released visual shows the film’s three main characters—Takuya, Mamoru, and Kajitani—standing together smiling, arms around each other, set against the neon-lit backdrop of Shinjuku’s Kabukicho district. This touching scene captures a fleeting, everyday moment—one that gives no hint of the dark underworld they inhabit.

The project footage includes behind-the-scenes glimpses of the production, along with interviews of stars Takumi Kitamura, Go Ayano, and Yuta Hayashi speaking about their roles and what the film means to them. This powerful video encapsulates the production team’s mission to convey the reality of today’s Japan to the world.

Please stay tuned for future updates!

■ Takumi Kitamura (as Takuya Matsumoto)
“This is a film about men who have lost everything and who still choose to live. It felt like a relay of emotion across three generations. From Go to me, and from me to Yuta, whose performance as Mamoru is key to the story. It absolutely needs to be experienced on the big screen.”

■ Go Ayano (as Kenshi Kajitani)
“Do these young men have names? Do they have identities? At what age did they have to start fending for themselves? Kitamura’s performance is brilliant in its subtlety, and Hayashi is a breath of fresh air. Koto Nagata brings out their best from start to finish. This is a story about people who have lost all hope, people who have had their hope taken away, and people who make their own hope. It’s one film you won’t want to miss.”

■ Yuta Hayashi (as Mamoru Kakizaki)
“My character, Mamoru, is a person who, if someone says, ‘Eat up,’ he feels like they’re saying ‘Live!’ If they say, ‘You’ll be okay,’ he really begins to feel okay. So many people gave Mamoru a place to belong during the making of this film. Wanting to do for others what someone once did for you is what gives life meaning. That’s what this film taught me. I hope lots of people will see it.”

■ Koto Nagata (Director)
“In recent years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the extreme poverty and crime young people in Japan are experiencing. I’d been searching for a story that captures that, and when I encountered Jun’s novel, I thought, ‘This is it! This is my first film centered on male characters, and I had the good fortune to work with amazing actors. Kitamura has an authenticity that’s grounded in experience, and his screen presence takes one’s breath away. Ayano put everything he had into his performance and brings incredible depth to the story. And Hayashi moved me with the naturalness and subtlety of his emotions. This was a passion project for me, one that lays bare Japan’s social realities while delivering genuine entertainment.”

■ Jun Nishio (Original author)
“People cannot choose the identity they’re born with. But what if identities could be bought and sold? This story, my debut novel, explores the dark underbelly of modern society and people caught up in it. Now, thanks to Koto Nagata, the film’s director, many people will get to meet the characters that I created in solitude in my room—seeing them brought to the screen still feels like something out of a dream. I hope audiences will come to see for themselves this story about the choices made by these young men, as they waver between good and evil, desire and despair. The characters that come to life on the big screen are far more captivating than the ones I created in my imagination!”

■ Tatsuo Sugai (THE SEVEN President)
BAKA’s Identity is the first theatrical film that THE SEVEN has been involved in from planning and production to distribution. This film takes a different approach to the high-end productions that we have been known for, but we are confident that it is a theme that we should be bringing to the world now more than ever. Through this challenge, we hope that it will open up new possibilities for future productions. We would be happy if as many people as possible could see this film and feel something from it.

■ Akira Morii (Producer and THE SEVEN CCO)
“These young men were left behind—by their parents, by society, by everyone. Simply by surviving they’ve been drawn into the dark undercurrents of society. Who is to blame? Where did things go wrong? Their lives and struggles take place out of sight from the rest of us. But they’re right there beside us. It could happen to you, or to someone in your family. In this harsh, unforgiving world, the only thing these young men want is a bit of ordinary happiness. I hope people will watch it with an open mind and embrace it warmly. I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to bring this outstanding novel to the screen with such a wonderful cast, director, and crew.”

About the Film
Starring Takumi Kitamura, Yuta Hayashi, Go Ayano
Producer: Akira Morii
Director: Koto Nagata
Screenplay: Kosuke Mukai
Based on the novel BAKA’s Identity by Jun Nishio (Tokuma Bunko)
Production: BAKA’s Identity Film Partners
Executive Producer: THE SEVEN
Distributor: THE SEVEN / Showgate
©2025 BAKA’s Identity Film Partners

Official Website: orokamono-movie.jp
Official X: ＠orokamono_1024