History Film / Kikujiro

* HeroOfAnotherStory: An interesting variation. Although Kikujiro is a deuteragonist in the film, the story is primarily about Masao's journey to find his mother. Kikujiro hints several times that his situation was/is not so different from Masao's; when he finds out that Masao has an absentee mother, he remarks to himself, "Just like me...", and, late in the film, he randomly decides to take a visit to a nearby nursing home where it turns out his mother is a patient (and is apparently a cold and unfriendly woman, walking away when another woman tries to sit down and chat with her) - when a nurse offers to bring her out to the common area for a visit, Kikujiro declines and leaves. This all hints to an interesting and troubled backstory to Kikujiro that would explain a lot about how he wound up where he is in life.

* TheGamblingAddict: Kikujiro begins the film with enough money to pay for his and Masao's travel, but his first stop is at a racetrack where he blows all of his cash gambling on the races. This winds up being the driving force of the plot, as it forces the two to beg, borrow, and steal their way across the country, rather than just hopping on a train.

* {{Yakuza}}: At the funfair, Kikujiro is beaten up by a group of yakuza. Kikujiro himself is probably a retired yakuza, since he sports a large tattoo in the back like them.

* JerkToNiceGuyPlot: In the beginning, Kikujiro is a jerkass who bullies everybody. When his wife asks him to go with Masao to look for Masao's mother, he does not care about the boy and his search. Instead, he takes Masao to track cycling races. Progressively, he gets closer to Masao and takes care of him. In the end, he suggests going on another journey with Masao.

* AllBikersAreHellsAngels: {{Averted|Trope}}. The two bikers are bullied by Kikujiro and they are really [[NiceGuy nice guys]] who do everything they can to cheer Masao up.

* ParentalSubstitute: Kikujiro is a father figure for Masao whose father is dead. At some point, Kikujiro even suggests that he could marry Masao's mother and become Masao's father. In the end, Masao calls him uncle (he called him mister previously).

* BadassAndChildDuo: Kikujiro is a retired yakuza. He bullies every person he meets. He meets Masao, who has no father and whose mother lives far away, progressively gets closer to him and decides to help him to find his mother. {{Subverted|Trope}} because Kikujiro is not a OneManArmy: when four yakuza attack him, they knock him out.

* ParentalAbandonment: Masao has no father. His mother lives far away and he is raised by his grandmother.
* ParentalSubstitute: Kikujiro is a father figure for Masao who has no father. At some point, Kikujiro even suggests that he could marry Masao's mother and become Masao's father. In the end, Masao calls him uncle (he called him mister previously).

* SecretOtherFamily: Masao and Kikujiro discovers that Masao's mother [[spoiler:has a husband and a daughter and lives with them in Toyohashi]], whereas Masao's grandmother told she was single and worked hard to support Masao.

* {{Hypocrite}}: Kikujiro criticize a biker for stealing a watermelon, whereas he himself stole many things previously (including a taxi, for example). Moreover, he eats the watermelon.

* ParentalSubstitute: Kikujiro is a father figure for Masao who has no father. At some point, Kikujiro even suggests that he could marry Masao's mother and become Masao's father. In the end, Masao calls him uncle.

* DirtyOldMan: A elderly pedophile tries to molest Masao. Fortunately, Kikujiro arrives just in time to protect him and he beats the pedophile up.

* LyingToProtectYourFeelings: Kikujiro tells Masao that his mother has moved and does not live any more at the address that Masao found, even if Kikujiro and Masao saw her and her new family.

* SecretOtherFamily: Masao and Kikujiro discovers that Masao's mother [[spoiler:is married, has a daughter and lives with them in Toyohashi]], whereas Masao's grandmother told she worked hard to support Masao.