About

Known credits:
68
Birthday:
1964-11-18
Place of birth:
Wakayama, Japan
Website:
N/A

SABU

Overview

Sabu (サブ, Sabu, born November 18, 1964) is the pseudonym of Japanese actor and director Hiroyuki Tanaka.

Born in Wakayama Prefecture, Sabu studied at an Osaka fashion school before deciding to go to Tokyo to become a professional musician. It was suggested he try acting and in 1986 he made his film debut in Sorobanzuku. He earned his first starring role in the 1991 World Apartment Horror, a live-action film directed by Katsuhiro Ōtomo of Akira fame. Working from a script he wrote himself, he made his directorial debut with the 1996 Dangan Runner, a film that set his early style of "quirky action-comedies propelled by characters who hurtle headlong though squirming narratives steered more by the forces of incidence and coincidence than the actions of the protagonists themselves." Shin'ichi Tsutsumi played the lead in Sabu's first five films. Blessing Bell, starring Susumu Terajima (who has played minor roles in nearly all of Sabu's films), was a turn away from his kinetic, parodic, and black comedy narratives, and earned the NETPAC Award at the 2003 Berlin Film Festival. Later films featured the J-pop band V6. In 2009, he directed The Crab Cannery Ship, a modern adaptation of a classic of Japanese proletarian literature written by Takiji Kobayashi.

He has continued to work as an actor, such as in Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer (2001).

His film Chasuke's Journey was selected to be screened in the main competition section of the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.

Known for

Acting
2016 Silence Actor Samurai #1 69
Fair
2006 Sakuran Actor Patron 59
Average
2003 Josee, the Tiger and the Fish Actor 59
Average
2001 Ichi the Killer Actor Kaneko 66
Fair
1998 Unlucky Monkey Actor Bank Robber 59
Average
1997 Postman Blues Actor Kurokawa 59
Average
1996 Dangan Runner Actor Assassin 59
Average
1996 Don't Look Up Actor Sekikawa 59
Average
1996 Suit Yourself or Shoot Yourself: The Gamble Actor 58
Average
1995 Shinjuku Triad Society Actor Shusuke Shimada 59
Average
1995 Suit Yourself or Shoot Yourself!! The Escape Actor Domoto 58
Average
1995 Suit Yourself or Shoot Yourself!! The Heist Actor Domoto 58
Average
1994 Zëiram 2 Actor Fujikuro (as Sabu) 58
Average
1994 Kiriko Actor 59
Average
1994 800 Two Lap Runners Actor Kyoichi Nakazawa 58
Average
1994 Warrior's Justice 2: Full Battle Actor N/A
N/A
1993 Kuma-chan Actor N/A
N/A
1992 A Legend of Turmoil Actor 59
Average
1991 Savage City: Angel Whisper Actor 59
Average
1991 World Apartment Horror Actor Ita 59
Average

Directing
2023 Under Your Bed Directing Director 58
Average
2021 Jam: The Drama Directing Director 69
Fair
2021 My Blood and Bones in a Flowing Galaxy Directing Director 59
Average
2019 Dancing Mary Directing Director 58
Average
2018 Jam Directing Director 59
Average
2017 Mr. Long Directing Director 60
Fair
2017 Happiness Directing Director 58
Average
2015 Chasuke's Journey Directing Director 58
Average
2013 Miss ZOMBIE Directing Director 58
Average
2011 Bunny Drop Directing Director 60
Fair
2010 Trouble Man Directing Director N/A
N/A
2010 Trouble Man Directing Director N/A
N/A
2009 Kanikôsen Directing Director 59
Average
2005 Dead Run Directing Director 58
Average
2005 Hold Up Down Directing Director 59
Average
2003 A1012K Directing Director 59
Average
2003 Hard Luck Hero Directing Director 59
Average
2002 Blessing Bell Directing Director 59
Average
2002 Drive Directing Director 59
Average
2000 Monday Directing Director 59
Average
1998 Unlucky Monkey Directing Director 59
Average
1997 Postman Blues Directing Director 59
Average
1996 Dangan Runner Directing Director 59
Average
Redder Than Yesterday, Bluer Than Tomorrow: Cinema Fighters Project Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
2021 Jam: The Drama Writing Teleplay 69
Fair
2021 My Blood and Bones in a Flowing Galaxy Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2019 Dancing Mary Writing Writer 58
Average
2018 Jam Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2017 Mr. Long Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
2017 Happiness Writing Screenplay 58
Average
2015 Chasuke's Journey Writing Screenplay 58
Average
2013 Miss ZOMBIE Writing Writer 58
Average
2011 Bunny Drop Writing Screenplay 60
Fair
2010 Trouble Man Writing Screenplay N/A
N/A
2009 Kanikôsen Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2005 Dead Run Writing Screenplay 58
Average
2005 Hold Up Down Writing Writer 59
Average
2003 Hard Luck Hero Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2002 Blessing Bell Writing Writer 59
Average
2002 Drive Writing Screenplay 59
Average
2000 Monday Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1998 Unlucky Monkey Writing Writer 59
Average
1997 Postman Blues Writing Writer 59
Average
1996 Dangan Runner Writing Screenplay 59
Average

Editing
2021 Jam: The Drama Editing Editor 69
Fair
2021 My Blood and Bones in a Flowing Galaxy Editing Editor 59
Average
2019 Dancing Mary Editing Editor 58
Average
2018 Jam Editing Editor 59
Average