Kitano Takeshi’s ‘melancholic nationalism’ and the role of Koreans in the Outrage trilogy1

Abstract

This article will examine the way in which Koreans are mobilized in Kitano Takeshi’s Outrage series and how their representations may be related to Kitano’s vision of Japan. In order to do so, the article first places the Outrage trilogy in the context of Kitano’s other films as well as previous representations of Koreans in Japanese yakuza (gangster) films in general. The article then continues to explore the role of Korean characters in Outrage Beyond and Coda and discusses the way in which the seemingly progressive transnational bonding and Korean representation may confirm Kitano’s romantic nationalism or what I would call ‘melancholic nationalism’.