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Eijirō Tōno

Eijirō Tōno

11 films on Best Blurays4 in 4K7 in HD

Eijirō Tōno photo

Eijirō Tōno (東野英治郎 Tōno Eijirō, 17 September 1907 – 8 September 1994) was a Japanese actor who, in a career lasting more than 50 years, appeared in over 400 television shows, nearly 250 films and numerous stage productions. He is best known in the West for his roles in films by Akira Kurosawa, such as Seven Samurai (1954) and Yojimbo (1961), and films by Yasujirō Ozu, such as Tokyo Story (1953) and An Autumn Afternoon (1962). He also appeared in Kill! by Kihachi Okamoto and Tora! Tora! Tora!, a depiction of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. His final film was Juzo Itami's A-ge-man (Tales of a Golden Geisha) in 1990. Tōno also starred as the title character in the long-running television jidaigeki series Mito Kōmon from 1969 to 1983. In the early years of his career he acted under the name of Katsuji Honjo (本庄克二).

Biography from TMDB

Leading role · Director: Isao Takahata

Best English-Friendly:

US OOP Discotek Blu-ray

Best Video:

4K restoration semi-regularly airing on Toei Channel in Japan

Runner-up: Japan Studio Ghibli "The Collected Works of Isao Takahata" Blu-ray Box Set

Supporting role · Director: Yasujirō Ozu

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2020 BFI Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2005 Raro DVD

Supporting role · Director: Yasujirō Ozu

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Carlotta Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Carlotta Blu-ray slightly better encoding than Criterion

Best Audio:

Shochiku DVD

Supporting role · Director: Akira Kurosawa

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray, caps

As with other Kurosawa 4K's, Criterion has a less processed master than Toho and BFI.

Best Audio:

Criterion NTSC DVD

Audio Notes:

Criterion NTSC DVD overall. The 4K restoration's track is denoised and sounds muffled, but has a few of moments where it edges out in detail

Audio analysis between the Criterion 4K Blu-ray, BFI Blu-ray and Toho 4K Blu-ray

Supporting role · Director: Akira Kurosawa

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

BFI 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2015 Star Media Blu-ray/2019 BFI Player WEB-DL

Supporting role · Director: Masahiro Shinoda

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2024 France Carlotta Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2024 France Carlotta Blu-ray is newer restoration than Criterion. Germany Rapid Eye Movies Blu-ray probably the same.

Small role · Director: Yasujirō Ozu

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Carlotta

Video Notes:

Carlotta and Criterion have new resto, Carlotta slightly better encode

Best Audio:

2009 Australia Madman DVD

Audio Notes:

(Tartan/Raro/Shochiku probably the same)

Small role · Director: Akira Kurosawa

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

BFI UK Blu-ray

Small role · Director: Akira Kurosawa

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

France Carlotta

Video Notes:

France Carlotta > Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps: https://slow.pics/c/s7AfL3XW

Grain is sharper/clearer on the new Carlotta/Criterion 4K; BFI's grain resolves slightly worse and more so in motion, being a standard Blu-ray; The Toho 4K's grain is softer, probably DNR'd.

Best Audio:

Toho 1993 LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

BFI Player used to have the same mastering available to stream in 2019.

Small role · Director: Akira Kurosawa

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray or BFI 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

No clear winner, Criterion SDR 4K Blu-ray has better defined grain and is cleaned-up more thoroughly. But looks grayer and flatter in daytime scenes. BFI 4K Blu-ray's HDR/DV is better in contrast but the grading can be debatable.

Best Audio:

BFI Streaming

Additional Info:

The subtitles of Criterion  and BFI are translated differently. See BR forum.

Small role · Director: Masaki Kobayashi

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray > Arrow Blu-ray > Japan Blu-ray

Both Arrow and Japan Blu-ray seem to suffer from the Quicktime Gamma Bug

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