History YMMV / Kagemusha

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: The reason why Kurosawa had to approach Lucas and Coppola in the first place was because Toho was terrified of Kurosawa's production costs and refused to fully fund the project. As it turned out, Kagemusha ended up doing very good in the box office, both domestic and abroad, making about ''six'' times it's production budget, and succeeding in resurrecting Kurosawa's career.

* {{Narm}}: When Oda Nobunaga goes to fight, he sees European Catholic priests[[note]]A case of TruthInTelevision; [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] has [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Roman_Catholicism_in_Japan more on the subject]][[/note]] give him their blessing. Nobunaga, being a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oda_Nobunaga#Culture patron of the Jesuit priests in Japan at the time]], smirks, raises a triumphant first, and cries out, ‘Amen!’ with the inflection of a boastful samurai.

* TearJerker: [[spoiler:The eponymous character getting kicked out of the castle, and being heartbroken at the thought of never seeing his ‘grandson’ he learned to care so deeply for. Then he sees that grandson during Shingen's funeral procession. ''Then'' he sees the clan he’s become so close to getting wiped out, and tries to charge at the enemy himself as a final act of loyalty, getting shot multiple times. As he's dying, he tries to reach the banner of Shingen he sees being swept down the river, and ends up a pathetic corpse floating in the water.]]

* TearJerker: [[spoiler:The eponymous character getting kicked out of the castle, and being heartbroken at the thought of never seeing his ‘grandson’ he learned to care so deeply for. Then he sees that grandson during Shingen's funeral procession. ''Then'' he sees the clan he’s become so close to getting wiped out, and tries to charge at the enemy himself as a final act of loyalty... predictably becoming a CurbStompBattle. As he's dying, he tries to reach the banner of Shingen he sees floating down the river...]]

* {{Narm}}: When Oda Nobunaga goes to fight, he sees a European Catholic priests[[note]]A case of TruthInTelevision; [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] has [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Roman_Catholicism_in_Japan more on the subject]][[/note]] giving him his blessing. Nobunaga, being a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oda_Nobunaga#Culture patron of the Jesuit priests in Japan at the time]], smirks, raises a triumphant first, and cries out, ‘Amen!’ with the inflection of a boastful samurai.

* TearJerker: [[spoiler:The eponymous character getting kicked out of the castle, and being heartbroken at the thought of never seeing his ‘grandson’ he learned to care so deeply for. Then he sees the clan he’s become so close to getting wiped out, and tries to charge at the enemy himself as a final act of loyalty... predictably becoming a CurbStompBattle.]]

* ReplacementScrappy: How Shingen's warlords viewed Katsuyori in his overblown belief that he is a better leader than Shingen himself. [[CurbStompBattle All of these turned out well-founded in the disastrous Battle of Nagashino]].
** RealitySubtext: Subverted, in a sense, on what happened on set. Originally, the role of Shingen and the ''kagemusha'' was to be played by Shintaro Katsu, a boiseterous comedic actor who has already portrayed badass, gruff and tragic characters (like the assassin Okada Izo in ''Tenchu!'' and ''{{Zatoichi}}''). However, Katsu managed to [[EpicFail anger Kurosawa at first day of shooting]] and thus left the production. Tatsuya Nakadai was thus taken in to replace him. Critics would later on say Nakadai's interpretation of the role (both of the ''kagemusha'' and the late Shingen) lent it a somber, grave mien that worked better than if Kurosawa continued with Katsu.

** RealitySubtext: Subverted, in a sense, on what happened on set. Originally, the role of Shingen and the ''kagemusha'' was to be played by Shintaro Katsu, a boiseterous comedic actor (who has already portrayed both gruff and tragic characters like the assassin Okada Izo in ''Tenchu!''). However, Katsu managed to [[EpicFail anger Kurosawa at first day of shooting]] and thus left the production. Tatsuya Nakadai was thus taken in to replace him. Critics would later on say Nakadai's interpretation of the role (both of the ''kagemusha'' and the late Shingen) lent it a somber, grave mien that worked better than if Kurosawa continued with Katsu.

** RealitySubtext: It has been a source of debate among sources and critics, but Tatsuya Nakadai's performance as Shingen has been criticized in the past as merely reproducing ToshiroMifune's acting in other previous Kurosawa's films. (It doesn't help that Shingen's image [[ShoutOut looks a lot like an elderly Washizu]] from ''ThroneOfBlood''.) Apparently, the role of Shingen and the ''kagemusha'' were indeed written with Mifune in mind, but at the time of production Kurosawa and Mifune were on bad terms. Other critics, however, dismiss this and say Nakadai's interpretation of the role was far more dynamic (and all the more heart-wrenching) than [[WhatCouldHaveBeen if Mifune had the part]].