Rohan au Louvre

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It draws the viewer into the world of the abyss... It's the ultimate in suspense. (観る者を深淵なる世界へと誘う、極上サスペンス, Mirumono o shin'ennaru sekai e to izanau, gokujō sasupensu.)

Rohan au Louvre (岸辺露伴 ルーヴルへ行く, Kishibe Rohan Rūvuru e Iku, lit. Rohan Kishibe Goes to the Louvre), titled Rohan at the Louvre in its English release, is a live-action movie adaptation of the one-shot Rohan au Louvre, based on the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan TV drama series by NHK.

It was officially announced on January 4, 2023 and released in Japanese theaters on May 26, 2023.[2] According to Issey Takahashi, the movie functions as the ninth episode of the TV drama.[2] However, an actual ninth episode would release in the following year.

The film released digitally worldwide exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on September 22, 2023. It was also screened in Toronto, Canada at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre on October 5, 2023.[3]

The film releases on Blu-ray and DVD in Japan on July 26, 2024.[1]

Synopsis

Rohan Kishibe, a manga artist with a special ability, once heard a rumor in his youth about a Black Painting from a woman he had a crush on. It was not only the blackest, but the most evil painting in the world.

Time passes, and in the process of writing a new work, Rohan learns that the painting is held at the Louvre Museum. He thus visits France for a viewing, and for a faint yearning he once had. However, strangely enough, even the museum staff was unaware of the existence of the Black Painting, and its storage location in the database was Warehouse Z-13, an underground warehouse that should have been empty.

There, Rohan comes face-to-face with the horrifying events caused by the Black Painting...

Summary

The story begins with Rohan Kishibe, a famous manga artist, resting in the alcove of his office. He has a vision of a woman in black standing on a field of grass, which rekindles his interest in a long-forgotten subject.

Maurice Legrand's Black Painting

Rohan Kishibe the manga artist.

Some time later, Rohan visits an antique shop managed by a pair of men. The senior clerk hesitantly asks what Rohan wants to which the manga artist answers he's doing research for his work. The older man enthusiatically tries to sell him a replica of an antique Momoyama period bowl, stating that it looks just like an original and that even a manga artist can afford it. The junior clerk who was reading a catalogue at his counter recognizes Rohan as a famous manga artist and tries to warn his colleague. However, Rohan is already vexed and begins a rant. Offended, Rohan asks if the clerk really thinks he or any expert artist couldn't tell the difference between a fake and a genuine article and declares that what he needs is reality that he can use to tell his stories. Surprised, the clerks head towards the back of the shop to show him a real article, but then Rohan asks to know more about a certain fencing operation. The clerks, clearly guilty, try to shoo Rohan, but then Rohan uses a special ability to turn them into books: Heaven's Door. With Heaven's Door, Rohan Kishibe is able to read into people like books and learn about their history and their thoughts. Plus, if he writes an order on someone's page, they cannot defy the command. Rohan uses the chance to command the clerks to respect the art they sell, although he doesn't bother to call the police on their operation. Rohan then spots the catalogue the younger clerk was reading and sees a pitch black painting that will be auctioned. Rohan takes an interest in the painting and decides to participate in the auction.

Rohan and his editor Kyoka Izumi.

The day of the auction, Rohan meets with his editor, a merry young woman named Kyoka Izumi. Izumi has facilitated Rohan's admission into the auction and reports back to Rohan, amazed that anyone can actually participate and not just rich people. She mentions that she had to reveal his identity to get an admission, Rohan being an admired artist himself and that he'll have to have three autographs ready ; this naturally annoys Rohan who doesn't want to distribute autographs. Izumi also shows Rohan the bidding paddle (which she mispronouncces as "bidding pedal") that they will use. When Izumi asks Rohan what he is interesting in the auction, Rohan shows her the catalogue of items to be auctioned off, pointing to a pitch black painting named "Noire" by an obscure French artist named Maurice Legrand. Izumi is somewhat disappointed there aren't paintings from famous artists like Van Gogh though Rohan points out it would make the news. Rohan suggests Izumi goes home, not wanting her with him, but she wants to experience the auction alongside Rohan because she is managing a website promoting Rohan's work and thus she wants to use the experience to write a research diary for him online. Rohan resigns himself to her presence and goes to the auction.

A black painting being auctioned.

Rohan and Izumi attend the auction and see how attendants and even clerks on the phone bid by raising their paddles. When the "Noire" painting comes up, the bid starts at 200,000 yen and Rohan bids. Soon, a pair of men try to outbid Rohan and start a bidding contest. Soon, they have to bid large sums but Rohan finally tops his competitor by bidding 1,500,000 yen and acquires the painting.

Rohan is working on pigments, showing a stick of gamboge for yellow pigment.

Rohan and Izumi head back towards the manga artist's house. Still excited by the bidding, Izumi asks why Rohan is interested in the painting, to which Rohan answers he's interested in the black color of the painting. Back in his office, Izumi discovers that the room is filled with all sorts of items, plants, and even an aquarium housing squids. Rohan explains that these are all sources of pigments. For instance, he has a disc of red cotton whose pigment was collected from crushed cochineals, or a stick of gamboge used for yellow pigment. Rohan is looking into the compatibility between the pigments and his manuscript papers to create colored pages. He had hoped to study the black pigment of the painting by Legrand, but he is disappointed.


Rohan asks Izumi if she knows about the blackest color in the world. As she is ignorant about the subject, Rohan shows her and example of a very black color such as the feathers from a bird of paradise that nearly completely absorbs light. However, Rohan is sure that even this is not the blackest color, and he mentions a black painting created by a certain Nizaemon Yamamura, an obscure painter from 250 years ago. Incidentally, Rohan spots a spider roaming on the board of his window and sees a vision of the woman in black telling him something unheard. Izumi asks him who told him about Yamamura and Rohan answers that he doesn't remember.

The thief victim of a nefarious black liquid.

Suddenly, Rohan sees a man trying to sneak into Rohan's property and opens up a gate from his window. He runs out of the office and tries to check on the iron gate, finding of the men from the auction who tried to outbid him. Thankfully, he's been turned into a book. However, there is a second man who sneaks behind Rohan and steals the Maurice Legrand painting, running into the forest bordering Rohan's house. He tears the paper behind the frame and seems disapppointed to find nothing here. However, a black liquid oozes from the back of the painting. When the man touches it, he begins to see spiders covering him. In a panic, the thief tries to take off his coat. Suddenly, the thief also hears a car approaching at high speed. Fearful, he runs off.

"This is the black I saw at the Louvre. remorse"

Moments later, Rohan and Izumi find the painting left on the ground. They notice some words written in French on the back of the canvas which Izumi translate as "This is the black seen at the Louvre. remorse". Incidentally, the second man flees after spying on them. Back into the office, the duo ponder on the meaning of the message. They make a connection between this and the black painting Rohan mentioned earlier, and thus Rohan decides to visit the Louvre museum in Paris. One of the thiefs reports back to an unknown contact, saying that he wants out of the operation and confirming that there was nothing behind the painting. Meanwhile, the second thief who had touched the black liquid finds himself run over by an unseen car, and dies in the forest.

At her office, Izumi gazes at a photography and dreams of going to Paris. Meanwhile, Rohan sees the woman in black again and tries to sketch her. He finally reminisces his youth during which he met said woman.

A Young Rohan and Nanase

A teenage Rohan Kishibe.

When Rohan was a mere teenage aspiring mangaka, he moved into his grandmother's inn. His grandfather had passed away that year and his grandmother began to empty the house of all furnitures and unneeded items, selling some to antique dealers. At the same time, she wanted to rent some room. Apart from the one dealer visiting the grandmother, the inn was nearly empty and Rohan hoped to take advantage of the peace to focus on his drawing. One evening, Rohan surprised a woman undressed in the changing. Although he hurriedly apologized and shut the room, Rohan noted that he was going into the right changing room for men but that the signs that his grandmother had placed were confusing. Flustered by the experience, Rohan soon became attracted to that pretty woman who was residing with him and his grandmother. In the narration, Rohan adds that her name was Nanase.

Rohan meeting the mysterious Nanase.

One day as Rohan was sketching in the garden, he saw Nanase hanging clothes in her room and tried to sketch her. Nanase suddenly disappeared only to reappear behind Rohan, asking if he was looking for her. Wondering if he was peeping, Nanase looked at his sketchbook and asked if he was drawing manga. Upset and after fumbling his rant, Rohan explained himself and said that his editor had asked him to draw cuter girls to make a series that would sell. Although he felt insulted, Rohan felt compelled to listen to the advice of a professional. Rohan apologized to Nanase for drawing her without her consent as part of his training. Interested in Rohan, Nanase asked to see his work later.

Nanase talking about Nizaemon's evil painting.

One night, Nanase actually invited Rohan in her room go look at his drawings. Still shy, Rohan remained at the door but Nanase insisted on him coming inside. Agitated, Rohan tried to delay his viewing of his art, saying it was already late, but Nanase assured him that she didn't want to criticize but just look at his art he drew with his heart and soul. Rohan insisted, because it was unfinished work and he didn't want to show it. Nanase thus changed subject. She turned off the lights, only letting a small lamp lit. It is then that she asked if Rohan ever heard of the blackest painting in the world. She described this painting, painted with such black that it didn't reflect light and was unseeable. According to her, it was the blackest and evilest painting ever, created 250 years ago by Nizaemon Yamamura. Yamamura had used the perfect black pigment extracted from a sacred tree. Rohan asked where the painting was, and she answered that it was in the Louvre. Finally, Nanase wondered what the blackest black would reflect, and warned Rohan not to approach the painting. Suddenly, a spider came out of Nanase's hand, and she hurriedly excused herself, telling Rohan to leave and even snapping at him when he lingered. Later that night, Rohan heard Nanase seemingly leave the inn and she indeed disappeared from the house.

Rohan embracing Nanase.

Rohan continued to work on his manuscript, though his mind was still preoccupied. Incidentally, Yoshio Kawadori, the antique dealer whom his grandmother had asked to organize the storage had gone missing but Rohan dismissed the issue, stating that since he had found a buyer for her stuff, the buyer would come pick up what he had bought anyway. As he finished his drawing, Rohan finally heard Nanase come back. When he barged into her room, Nanase tearfully embraced him. At that point, Rohan didn't know what was happening with Nanase, but he swore to protect her and held her in his arms. Staring to turn her into a book with Heaven's Door, Rohan suddenly showed restraint and decided not to pry further.

Inexplicably, Nanase angrily tears Rohan's manuscript featuring her.

At this point, Nanase noticed Rohan's manuscript and saw that Rohan had drawn a beautiful girl in black. Asking if it was her, she became angry when Rohan added that the black of the drawing wasn't perfected yet. She became mad at Rohan for drawing her and stabbed the manuscript with a pair of scissors. Rohan was shocked. Nanase apologized and told him something unheard, before she left for good. Rohan asked his grandmother where Nanase went, but she actually doesn't remember anyone by this name. The grandmother changed the subject and told Rohan to give a painting in the storage to a foreign buyer who would come soon. On the radio, there were news of Kawadori found dead in a junkyard, seemingly drowned where despite the lack of water sources in the area. Rohan gave the painting to the buyer, who left in a hurry. Rohan continued his life, wondering whether Nanase really existed as she appeared as suddenly as she left. Nonetheless, Rohan continued to see her as a woman in black standing on a field of grass and telling him something he couldn't hear.

In the present, Rohan wonders why these memories resurfaced with the black painting of Maurice Legrand and is sure that it isn't mere curiosity that is leading him to the Louvre and to the blackest painting stored within.

Rohan at the Louvre

At the Louvre's Cultural Mediation Department, M. Jacques Blanc checks on his subordinate Emma Noguchi. She is to serve as the interpreter and guide to Rohan Kishibe. Blanc worries about Emma's state of mind, moreso because she is handling a prestigious visitor, but she assures him that she is up to the task. She hasn't had the time to prepare the answers to some of the questions that Izumi sent to them via email, thus Blanc tells Emma to welcome Rohan and Izumi while he handles the email himself. After Emma leaves, Blanc looks at Izumi's email and actually recognizes the name "Nizaemon Yamamura".

Rohan and Kyoka in Paris.

At the same time, Rohan and Izumi are taking a bus tour through Paris. Izumi is enjoying herself and takes pictures of Rohan for the online diary, to his annoyance. An old French lady asks Rohan where are the Champs-Elysées in French, to which Rohan tells her they are there right now in fluent French. This also impresses Izumi. They eventually meet with Emma, with whom Izumi shares her fascination of Parisian lifestyle and how she always dreamt of visiting Paris. At Rohan's insistence since he is focused on his research, Emma leads them to the Louvre instead of the hotel. At the Napoleon courtyard which serves as the main entrance to the Louvre, Izumi asks Emma to take a picture of her. On their way down to the main hall, two young men recognize Rohan and ask him for an autograph. Rohan criticizes their casual clothing when visiting the museum but still gives them autographs, one being even drawn on the back of one of the fans' jacket.

Rohan and the Mona Lisa.

In the museum proper, Izumi and Rohan are able to admire the artworks but also the opulent interior. Rohan takes the time to admire the Mona Lisa. Izumi sees a painting reproducing a painting and inquires about it. Emma answers that artists are allowed to reproduce paintings inside the Louvre as the museum has focused on the development of art and culture. Emma adds that Maurice Legrand was actually an artist specialized in reproduction. Rohan and Izumi suspect that he may have seen the black painting and tried to reproduce it, but there is officially no Japanese painting at the Louvre. Still, there is still a possibility that the painting is in storage. For several years, the Louvre has been moving its stored items to a new storage center to protect them from flooding. During this project, the workers even rediscovered over 1,000 works of art from a 20th century collection donated to the museum resting in the basement storage, with over 100 Eastern artworks.

Ryunosuke Tatsumi appears.

The conversation is interrupted by a man quoting Van Gogh's praise of Japanese artists to Rohan. Emma thus presents Ryunosuke Tatsumi to Rohan and Izumi and explains that he is one of the researchers hired by the Louvre to handle the Eastern artworks. Tatsumi says that he's seen the cover of one of Rohan's manga and immediately became a fan, explaining his eagerness to meet the manga artist. Seemingly flattered, Rohan shakes hands with Tatsumi.

One of the curators of the Louvre victim of the cursed painting.

As they walk through the Louvre, Tatsumi says that he was well acquainted with Maurice Legrand who was exceptional at reproduction before he died in an accident. Suddenly, they hear someone shouting in the museum. It is Jacques Blanc who is running in fear and shouting for help. Talking to some unseen entity, Jacques finally falls from a balcony down the Escalier Daru, shocking everybody. Before he falls unconscious, Blanc manages to whisper the words "spider" and "black hair".

Later, out of the Louvre, Rohan and Izumi discuss the incident. Thankfully, M. Blanc is alive. They wonder why he would seemingly jump down a balcony and mention the words he whispered. Izumi makes a link with Maurice Legrand's painting whose impasto recreates the image of a spider web and of long flowing hair, though the link remains uncertain. Rohan brings up the sentence written at the back of Legrand's painting and Izumi figures out that it means that Legrand saw something remorseful at the Louvre. Meanwhile, one of Emma's colleagues informs her that M. Blanc recognized the name of Nizaemon Yamamura.

The Black Painting

Emma calls Rohan and Izumi that night so they come to the museum. She reveals that there is a painting by Nizaemon in warehouse Z-13 situated beneath the museum though it is strange since it has been abandoned for 20 years. Nonetheless, Blanc may have seen something there. Rohan asks to go see warehouse Z-13 which Emma accepts. On their way, they meet with Ryunosuke Tatsumi again, who has heard what happened and requests to come with the group. The group then meets with two firefighters, Hugo and Nicolas, who will guide them through the old and maze-like ancient corridors of the reserve. Emma explains that the Louvre always has firefighters on hand to evacuate the artworks in case of danger. As they have the keys to all doors within the Louvre, they will also open the way. The firefighters request that the group put anything that could damage artworks in a bag, from cellphones to pens.


With this done, the group descends into the depths of the Louvre. Emma receives a message from her colleague who informs her that M. Blanc heard of Nizaemon from Gaucher Bigotte, a former curator of the Louvre who worked here twenty-some years ago but disappeared. Rohan actually recognizes the man to whom he gave a painting. Even more intrigued, Rohan follows the group into dark stone tunnels, where they have to navigate with a flashlight.

The group discover a Vermeer.

The group descends a staircase into a large dark and deserted storeroom. Rohan spots something on the ground and picks it up. One of the firefighter then notices a painting laying there, which Rohan identifies as a Vermeer. Emma adds that this unknown Vermeer was found in the lost collection but that it should have been moved to the new storage center. Izumi ends up suggesting it may be fake. Tatsumi agrees that it must be fake and tells one of the firefighters to dispose of it, but Rohan stops him. The manga artist declares this painting to be the original. As a fellow artist, he feels the authenticity of the artwork and guarantees it is the genuine article. When Emma asks what went to the storage center instead, Rohan shows a paintbrush handle engraved with Maurice Legrand's name that he's found there, suggesting that Legrand forged a painting.

Tatsumi outed as an art thief.

Tatsumi is shocked and declares that it must be impossible because all reproductions are required to be 20% bigger than the original and that Legrand wouldn't have been allowed to reproduce the hidden pieces, all the moreso since this Vermeer wasn't known to the public. Rohan insists and figures that Legrand may have been using this storage room to discreetly forge artworks. Rohan thus openly comes up with a plot in which Legrand has been part of an art forgery operation. Legrand would reproduce the lost artworks in the abandoned Z-13 storage room, hand the copies over to be moved, and then smuggle the originals overseas hidden behind the canvas of his own paintings, which would be bought for cheap. Izumi and Emma find it a bit farfetched that a lone individual without clearance would be able to do this, but Rohan suggest that he may have had inside help from people who would be free to roam around the museum, for instance, firefighters, or even a curator. Pointing his flashlight at Hugo, Nicolas and Tatsumi, Rohan all but accuses them to be art thieves. Rohan reveals that he never trusted Tatsumi, as he clearly wasn't a fan of his work and yet took the time to follow him closely. Tatsumi plays dumb.

The black painting's curse killing a firefighter.

At this moment, Nicolas, one of the firefighters, screams in panic, pointing at something and asking why there would be a soldiers here. Nicolas collapse and when his partner Hugo comes to check on him, Nicolas has been riddled with bullet holes. Angry and believing that Rohan has something to do with Nicolas's death, Hugo tries to attack Rohan and also reveals in his rage that he was in collusion with the art thieves in Japan. Tatsumi is definitely unmasked and asks if Rohan came to undo him, but Rohan declares that he was only after the black painting. Tatsumi adds that indeed, Maurice saw something here that drove him mad. It is at this moment that the group sees a dark shape at the end of the storage.

Rohan discovers the black painting.

Suddenly, Tatsumi calls out to Maurice and struggle against an unseen attacker who strangles him. Remembering the advice against the evil painting, Rohan tells Izumi to go away. Likewise, Emma falls under the spell of the painting and she calls out to her son Pierre, expressing her regret at not having been able to prevent her child from drowning in a pond. Somehow, Emma gets soaked and she vomits great quantities of water. Rohan has to cover Emma's face and orders Izumi to evacuate her. In his dying breath, Tatsumi expresses his regret at using Legrand. Finally, the firefighter Hugo sees someone approaching him and recognizes a victim who died at a fire caused by his grandfather. Rohan thus finally understands that the absolute black reflects the past sins. Suddenly, Hugo is set on fire. Rohan figures out that the black painting comes its victim to be attacked by specters of the past who reflect their sins and remorse. Moreover, even the sins of their ancestor can come to attack them, which explains M. Blanc's accident. Rohan imagines that Maurice Legrand must have been tormented by guilt at forging a Vermeer and the black painting in Z-13 showed him his remorse, driving him mad. In his madness, Legrand tried to reproduce the black painting as he was dying. Maurice died while being interrogated by Tatsumi who had been searching for the original Vermeer.

Rohan attacked by Nizaemon's spirit.

At is at this point that Rohan realizes that he's also being attacked by the painting. Seeing his hands turn black, Rohan becomes unnerved. He takes a good look at the painting, which turns out to be a sinister portrait of Nanase. It is then that a specter appears in the room, a man holding an axe whose face is hidden by their long hair. Rohan recognizes Nizaemon, who rushes at him with an axe. Rohan tries to use Heaven's Door on Nizaemon but the dead are beyond Rohan's power to influence and thus Rohan is powerless to stop Nizaemon.

Rohan makes himself forget everything to escape the curse.

As Nizaemon is about to strike and Rohan approaches death, Nanase's spirit comes to Rohan's help. She holds Nizaemon back for a moment and tells Rohan to "forget everything". He understands the hint and writes on himself to erase all memories. Confused, Rohan stumbles out of the storage room. To regain his memories, Rohan had also written on himself to rub himself off the command and thus he is able to regain his memories. Still under the shock, Rohan hurriedly leaves the tunnels. Meanwhile, the fire that burnt Hugo spreads and destroys the black painting.

The black painting destroyed.

Out of the Louvre, Emma is still recovering from her near death experience. Izumi tries to assuage Emma's guilt over her son's passing and tries to reason that he just wanted to see her mother. Izumi reveals that she dreamt of going to Paris to somewhat walk in her deceased father's footsteps, showing how she reproduced a photo of her father in front of the Louvre. Emma embraces Izumi out of grief.


Later, Izumi and Rohan discuss the aftermath of the accident. It is said that there must have been kind of gas building up here that caused hallucinations, which Rohan leans on to let Izumi assume there was nothing supernatural. Izumi mentions that the artworks of the Louvre can be seen online for free and she comments that they will probably be never forgotten this way. As they take a last look at the Louvre, Rohan mentions a painting by Monet which was found as recently as 2016 at the Louvre which was yet not listed anywhere. Rohan comments that it seems the Louvre is a museum that even people cannot handle. Izumi offhandedly comments that the lady on the painting at the storage room was beautiful. Rohan is amazed that somehow Izumi had no regret in her heart and thus was not attacked by the painting. With that, Rohan returns to Japan.

Nizaemon's Story

Later in Japan, Rohan finds a forgotten grave. In there, he meets with Nanase's spirit. She apologizes for involving Rohan in her plan to stop the evil painting. Rohan couldn't bring himself to read in Nanase at that time, but she allows him to do so in the present. Thus, Rohan reads into Nanase's biography.

Nanase and Nizaemon were happily married.

Nanase was Nizaemon's beloved wife. Nizaemon was the heir of the Yamamura clan, a prestigious clan of painter. Nizaemon loved his wife and notably her long dark hair. He was also open-minded and loved to paint using different styles, even using Western influence. He was severely reprimanded by his father but he wouldn't reject his art of which he was so proud and thus he was cast out of the Yamamura clan. Nizaemon and Nanase began to live a humbler yet still happy life, and Nizaemon took to work on trying to perfectly depict Nanase's black hair. But, he was unsatisfied by the color black. Unfortunately, Nanase also fell ill. They sadly didn't have the resource to cure her without help. Swallowing his pride, Nizaemon begged his father to be allowed back into the clan, and his father agreed on the condition that he painted something better than he ever did. Nizaemon began to work on his masterpiece relentlessly, barely eating and sleeping. For her part, Nanase began to go to shrines to pray for the gods' help.

Nizaemon growing obsessed with creating a masterpiece with the greatest black pigment.

It is then, at the foot of a sacred tree, that she found a black sap oozing from the trunk. She collected it and showed it to Nizaemon, who immediately found the pigment to be the best black he could think of. Seeing the happiness of her husband, Nanase decided to collect the sap for him but soon began to regret it as Nizaemon was also becoming obsessed with the pigment. Moreover, Nizaemon's jealous brother denounced him to the magistrate. Officers were sent to arrest Nizaemon and during the arrest, one of them beat Nanase. Also weakened by her illness, she succumbed on the spot.


The painting was completed in vain, as Nanase and Nizaemon died before or immediately after its completion, and it became cursed.

Enraged, Nizaemon freed himself, stabbed the officer who killed Nanase, and using an axe, somehow escaped arrest. Overcome by grief and rage, Nizaemon came at the sacred tree and felled it with his axe, collecting the sap within to finish his black painting. As soon as he finished, Nizaemon succumbed next to Nanase. The sap became spider-like creatures and absorbed Nizaemon's grudge, cursing the painting. Nanase's spirit was also bound to the artwork. Since then, Nanase's portrait has been the evilest painting imaginable.

Rohan is grateful for Nanase.

Now freed, Nanase explains that she wanted to stop Nizaemon's curse and apologizes for involving Rohan. However, he doesn't hold a grudge against her and says he treasures the memories he has of her. Nanase smiles at Rohan before disappearing. Rohan notes that Nanase's maiden name was Kishibe, making her his ancestor.

Epilogue

Rohan inexplicably discovers his old manuscript intact.

Back at Rohan's office, Rohan is warming up for his day of work. Izumi barges in with a new pigment source, roasted newt, but finds that Rohan has disposed of every pigment in his office as he's changed his mind. Izumi complains and then takes a peek at a sketch of Nanase. Before she can pry further, Rohan rudely throws her out of the house, giving her the roasted newt back. Cursing at him, Izumi is eagerly awaiting his new fully-colored chapter and decided to name Rohan's research diary "Rohan at the Louvre".

Rohan resumes his warm-up, but is interrupted again by a rustling noise. Looking into the alcove next to his office, Rohan finds his old manuscript featuring Nanase by an open window, intact. Puzzled and pensive, Rohan carefully puts the manuscript away and resumes his warm-up before starting to work.

Cast and Crew

Actors and Actresses

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Miscellaneous

Production

Filming ended in Japan in Fall 2022 and continued in Paris, France. The film was shot on location at the Louvre Museum, the Pont des Arts, the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, the Pont Alexandre III Bridge, and the Place du Carrousel. It is unusual for a film to be permitted to be shot at the Louvre, and this is the second Japanese film to be shot there since All-Round Appraiser Q: The Eyes of Mona Lisa, which was released in 2014.[2] Other filming locations include Hôtel Lutetia, a café situated on the Île Saint-Louis; the Jardins du Trocadéro in Paris; the town of Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture; and the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama. Rohan's Grandmother's ryokan at which Rohan meets Nanase is the Mukaitaki ryokan in the town of Aizuwakamatsu.[6]

The soundtrack was composed by Naruyoshi Kikuchi. Kikuchi specifies that the staff for the recording of the soundtrack has been tripled compared to the TV Drama. The main theme has been reworked, with claves being added to the original music for instance. Percussion instruments were favored for the production of the soundtrack, including Javanese and Balinese gamelans, but instruments such as the shamisen were also used.[7] Some of the tracks were also composed using AI technology, according to Kikuchi.

Kento Nagao personally drew some of the sketches seen on the young Rohan's sketchbook.[8]

The Japanese painter Fukui Ouka, who specializes in western-style oil paintings, has created several works for the film.[9]

Reception

During the first weekend of its release, the movie generated ¥314,736,080 in revenues.[10] After a month, the movie generated ¥1,000,000,000 in revenues with an estimated minimum of 720,000 viewers.[11][12] In April 2024, they announced that the film was a massive success with over 900,000 attendees and more than 1.25 billion yen in box office revenue.[1]

Production Comments

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Link to this section Rohan Kishibe: Issey Takahashi
TranslationTranscript
It has now been three years since I was first given the chance to play the character of Rohan Kishibe. Whether it be in a drama or in a movie, every time I am allowed to play Rohan Kishibe is an extremely special event in my life.

As I write this comment for the reveal, I am currently on-site in Paris. Ever since the first season of the drama, I have had an incredible Japanese team around me working hard to bring Rohan Kishibe to life. In addition to the Japanese filming crew here, we have been joined for the past few days by a local French team so professional and sincere that it feels like we've worked together on all three seasons. I am truly witnessing the creation of a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
During the filming of the first season, I spoke to director Kazutaka about adapting Rohan au Louvre, only seeing it as a pipe dream. I said to him then, "Someday, I hope we can actually start shooting in Paris." And now, actually standing on the paved streets of Paris, I don't feel the slightest bit uncomfortable being Rohan, which I believe is due to the outstanding staff work supporting me. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful that, despite being in a foreign country, nothing about playing Rohan has changed.
The Japanese part of the work, which was produced in parallel with the third season of the drama, plays just as important of a role as the French part we're shooting right now. Topics such as bloodlines, inheritance, and the past play key roles in any work related to JoJo, and those topics will be explored in this work as well. One must inevitably face those things in order to exist in the present, and time can be both kind and cruel to everyone. Rohan is no exception: in this work, he too must interrogate his own existence.
This work is conceptually part of the live-action Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan drama, and the story functions as its ninth episode. If you've followed the drama series so far, you'll naturally enjoy the movie, but I think people who don't know anything about what Rohan's been up to in his own series will enjoy it, too.

I hope everyone who comes to the theater will enjoy this very unique work.

[Translated by User:HudgynS]

岸辺露伴という人間を演じさせていただいてから、3年目に入りました。
劇場版や映画版と銘打たない今作においても、岸辺露伴を演じ続けさせていただけていることは、僕の人生にとって非常に特異な出来事です。

今はパリの現場でこの情報解禁コメントを書いています。 周りにはドラマの第一期から岸辺露伴を作ってきた素晴らしい日本のチームが居ます。そこに日本の映画チーム、加えてここ数日は極めてプロフェッショナルで真摯な、これまで第一期二期三期を共に作ってきたかと錯覚する様なフランス現地のチームが合流し、唯一の作品が出来上がっていくのを目の当たりにしています。

第一期の撮影時、演出の一貴さんと、あくまで夢の話として『岸辺露伴 ルーヴルへ行く』の話をしていました。 いつか実際に、パリで撮影が出来たら、と。 そして今、パリ市街の石畳の上、露伴として立っている自分に違和感を覚えていないのは、間違いなく、卓越したスタッフワークに支えられているからだと思います。異国においてもこれまでと何も変わらずに露伴で居られる事を、心から感謝しています。

今撮影しているフランスパートだけではなく、既に撮影を終えている日本パートも作品全体の重要な部分を担っています。 ジョジョの全作品においても大事な要素である血脈、受け継がれるもの、過去、が今作においても語られます。 それらと向き合うことは、今自分が存在していることに繋がります。 時間は誰にとっても優しくも残酷にもなりますが、例外なく今作の露伴にも、その存在を問いかけてきます。

今作は実写ドラマである『岸辺露伴は動かない』シリーズと地続きであり、シリーズ九話目とも言える物語になります。これ迄ドラマシリーズを観てくださった方はもちろん、独立した一つの作品としても、これまでの露伴の足跡をご存知ない方にも楽しんで頂ける映画作品になっていると思います。

劇場に足を運んでくださる皆さんにおかれましては、非常にユニーク(奇妙、特異、唯一)なこの作品を楽しんで頂ければと思っています。

Link to this section Kyoka Izumi: Marie Iitoyo
TranslationTranscript
The third season of the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan drama has just finished airing... To tell the truth, we've been working on filming this movie the whole time! Just as I mentioned in one of my lines in the last episode of the drama, Rohan-sensei finally goes to the Louvre! And as his editor, I'll be going to Paris with him!

I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude toward the wonderful team that has always supported us, but also toward the new staff members who have joined us this time around and allowed us to perform in this wonderful new environment! Once we began shooting with the local staff team in France, I managed to overcome the language barrier between us and savor the excitement of helping bring a project of this scale to life. It's going to be an unforgettable experience, trust me.

It makes me so happy that another new episode is being added to this work, which everyone's been looking forward to for a long time! Rohan-sensei and Kyoka face the mysteries hidden within the distant Louvre Museum, along with the past itself! I hope you all enjoy this work just as much as the last one!

[Translated by User:HudgynS]

「岸辺露伴は動かない」第三期ドラマは放送終了したばかりですが…実は映画の撮影も密かに進行していました!今期ドラマのラスト、私の台詞にもありましたが露伴先生が遂にルーヴルへ!私も担当編集として、パリに行けることになりました!

今回も引き続き、素敵ないつものチームに支えていただきながら新しいスタッフさんにも加わって頂き、より一層心強く、素晴らしい環境のもと、お芝居をさせていただけていることを心から感謝しています!フランスの現地スタッフさん達との撮影では言葉の壁を越えて、大きな規模の作品作りが出来ている幸せを噛み締めていました。忘れられない経験になりそうです。

ここまで長く皆さんに楽しみにしていただける作品に、また新しいエピソードが加わることをとても嬉しく思っています!露伴先生と京香が、遠く離れたルーヴル美術館に隠された謎と、過去に向き合います!是非これまで通り、楽しんで頂けたらと思っています!

Link to this section Nanase: Fumino Kimura
TranslationTranscript
This is my first time working with the Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan team, but the teamwork of those who have been working on the series so far was quite comfortable, and I could feel their passionate desire to make each and every scene into a complete work of art.
The original story has a lot of dedicated fans, both in Japan and abroad, so I felt a lot of pressure. Thanks to the support of the cast and staff, though, I think I was able to rise to the challenge of approaching this work in a method, role, and perspective that I can't say I've experienced before. I look forward to seeing this movie as much as all of the fans awaiting its release, if only to see how the scenes I didn't appear in were filmed!

[Translated by User:HudgynS]

「岸辺露伴」チームには初めての参加になりますが、これまでシリーズを作り上げてきた皆さんのチームワークにはとても余裕があって、ひとつひとつのシーンを総合芸術として作り上げる!という熱い思いがとても伝わる現場でした。
原作がありそして国内外に熱烈なファンの方々がいる物語なのでプレッシャーも大きかったですが、そんな最高のスタッフキャストの皆さんに支えて頂き、お芝居の方法も役柄も世界観も、これまでの経験とは全く違うアプローチの挑戦が叶ったように思います。そして、自分が出演した以外の撮影もどのようにされていたのか、完成を心待ちにされている方々と同じ気持ちで映画を観ることを、楽しみにしています!

Link to this section Rohan Kishibe (Young): Kento Nagao
TranslationTranscript
I was quite surprised to be offered this role. As a fan of the series, I enjoyed both the original work and the drama version in which Issey Takahashi played the leading role, so I was very happy to be able to enter this world.

I thought up a lot of details based on each and every panel of Rohan Kishibe's past from the original work, and director Watanabe and I discussed it all while working on the film. With such a wonderful staff team supporting us, we had a lot of fun during filming.

I'd like to say something simple to wrap this up... Please come see us in the theater! I hope you all enjoy this wonderful world of ours.

[Translated by User:HudgynS]

お話を頂いた時は驚きが大きかったです。原作はもちろん高橋一生さんが演じるドラマ版も視聴者として楽しませて頂いてましたのでこの世界に自分が入ることができ、とても嬉しく思います。

原作に登場する露伴先生の過去の一コマ一コマを頼りにたくさん想像して監督の渡辺さんともお話ししながら作っていきました。素敵なスタッフの皆様にもたくさん支えていただき楽しく撮影させていただきました。

最後に、シンプルに言います。是非劇場に足を運んでください!

この素晴らしい世界を楽しんでいただけたらと思います。

Link to this section Ryunosuke Tatsumi: Masanobu Ando
TranslationTranscript
I am very happy to be able to participate in the popular Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan series. I simply can't wait to start filming in Paris! I'm confident that I'll be able to deliver my work to you in the best condition possible. Please look forward to seeing me in the world of Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan.

[Translated by User:HudgynS]

人気シリーズ企画の岸辺露伴作品に参加が出来てとても嬉しく思います

Parisでの撮影が楽しみでしかたありません
必ず皆さんに最高の状態で作品を届けられると確信しています

岸辺世界の僕を楽しみに待っていて下さい

Link to this section Emma Noguchi: Minami
TranslationTranscript
When I was a child, I used to steal my older brother's manga. Alone and scared, I would read the world of Hirohiko Araki. I would awake with a jolt whenever those images appeared in my dreams.

Time passed, and one day I found Rohan au Louvre at a local bookstore. I picked up the book and, despite my apprehension, began turning its pages... Before long, I was drawn into the profoundly mysterious story and became captivated by it. Every detail of the work felt inspired, and it was at that moment I knew I had become an adult.
And now, I am playing a part in this story. I still can't believe it. The costumes and sets truly do reflect Rohan's world. I had such a delightful time on the set, and I could feel the trust that Mr. Takahashi, Ms. Iitoyo, Mr. Watanabe, and the staff around them had built up over the years. It really was an exciting experience.

I eagerly await the day when this beautiful and mysterious story, so distinct from the manga, will play out before your eyes.

[Translated by User:HudgynS]

子供の頃、兄の漫画を盗み読みしては一人で怖がっていた、荒木飛呂彦氏の世界。イメージが夢に出てきては、飛び起きていた。

時が経ち、近所の本屋さんで見つけた「岸辺露伴 ルーヴルへ行く」。恐る恐る手に取り、ページをめくった。摩訶不思議な物語に吸い込まれ、虜となった。 細部までが芸術的に感じられ、自分が大人になった事を確認できた瞬間でもあった。

今、私はこの物語の一人を演じている。未だに信じられない。衣装も、セットも、正に露伴ワールド。高橋さん、飯豊さん、渡辺監督、そして現場スタッフさんたちの信頼関係の築き上げを肌で感じ、幸せな撮影日々を過ごした。本当に楽しかった。

漫画とは一味違う、美しく、妖しいお話が、皆さんの眼に届く日を心待ちにしています。

Link to this section Kazutaka Watanabe, Director
TranslationTranscript
The city of Paris seen in the movie The Conformist is decadent and dismal. It's not a city of flowers where people celebrate life, but rather a dark city filled with the stench of death and perversion. Ever since the project started three years ago, the visuals, artistic scenery, and costume design of Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan have taken heavy inspiration from that movie.

When I visited Paris to begin shooting, I found a beautiful but cold world draped with thick and heavy clouds on the verge of falling, where the freezing-cold rain kept pouring down, just like in The Conformist. And now, Rohan Kishibe is standing there.

It's an odd feeling, a mix of déjà vu and exhilaration. But there is not a hint of sentimentality. Rohan is supposed to be there, and there he is. Filming begins as usual.

[Translated by User:HudgynS]

映画「暗殺の森」で描かれるパリは退廃的で陰鬱だ。人々が生を謳歌する「花の都」ではなく、死と倒錯の匂いが充満した「黒い街」。3年前にプロジェクトが始まって以来、「岸辺露伴は動かない」の映像ルック、美術設定、扮装表現は、常にこの映画から有形無形の大きな刺激を受けてきた。

撮影で訪れたパリは「暗殺の森」と同様、今にも落ちてきそうな厚くて重い雲に覆われ、凍てつく雨が降り続く、美しくも冷たい世界だった。 そこに今、岸辺露伴が立っている。

既視感と高揚感が入り混じる不思議な感覚。しかし感傷はない。
露伴は当たり前のように、そこにいる。いつものように、撮影は始まる。

Link to this section Yasuko Kobayashi, Screenwriter
TranslationTranscript
When I first heard that Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan was going to be made into a live-action series, I didn't have the slightest clue that it would also become a movie. Also, as the series went on and we selected the original works to be adapted, au Louvre was never included in our list of candidates. A two-piece story that unrealistic is now being brought to life.
This is one of the rare stories that focuses on Rohan himself. By all means, I hope you enjoy it in the theater.

[Translated by User:HudgynS]

初めて『岸辺露伴は動かない』を実写化するとお聞きした時、映画になるという想像はカケラもしていませんでした。またシリーズが回を重ねる度に皆で挙げていた原作候補に、この『ルーヴルへ行く』が入ることはありませんでした。そんなダブルでリアリティのない話が実現します。
珍しく露伴自身がフォーカスされた物語です。ぜひ映画館で楽しんで頂ければと思います。

Soundtrack

Credits

Staff
Director (ディレクター)
Kazutaka Watanabe
Writer (シリーズ構成)
Character Design (キャラクターデザイン)
Music (音楽)
Production Company (制作プロダクション)
Distribution Company (配給会社)

Manga/Film Differences

  • Removed Rohan mentioning the meaning of the kanji in his name.
  • Removed Rohan's narration to the readers in the beginning, instead adding a scene of Rohan dreaming about Nanase.
  • Added a scene of Rohan seeing a black spider in his room after the dream.
  • Added a scene of Rohan visiting an antique shop to research about the clerks who were selling counterfeits. Rohan sees a catalog of an auction with a painting drawn entirely in black.
  • Replaced Josuke Higashikata, Okuyasu Nijimura, and Koichi Hirose with Kyoka Izumi. Kyoka says Rohan looks like the Mona Lisa rather than Okuyasu.
  • Added a scene of Rohan and Kyoka at a hotel before participating in the auction for the painting.
  • Nizaemon Yamamura's painting is not named "Under the Moon" in the film and is only referred to as the "Black Painting".
  • Added a painter called Maurice Legrand who saw Nizaemon's Black Painting and painted his own imitation called "Noire".
  • Added an auction scene where Rohan and Kyoka compete against Watabe and Kawai, winning the painting in the end.
  • Added Rohan's house being messy because he was researching various ancient pigments, wanting to use them for his manga.
  • Added Watabe and Kawai attempting to steal Noire from Rohan's house.
  • Added Rohan's grandmother getting rid of and selling most of her possessions, as if she was preparing for her death.
  • Changed Nanase's appearance at the inn. Rohan's grandmother seemingly does not know that she exists, implying that only Rohan saw her ghost. Removed the conversation where his grandma tells him about her and added a scene where Rohan asks about her but she doesn't know.
  • Removed the story of Nanase getting divorced soon. Her "Fujikura" last name is not mentioned.
  • Changed the location of the Black Painting. Instead of a landowner from Nanase's hometown finding it in his barn and then selling it to a curator in the Louvre, it is in Rohan's grandmother's storehouse. However, Nanase's ghost mentions to Rohan that it is in the Louvre before it gets there.
  • Removed Nanase getting a phone call when kicking Rohan out of her room. They see a black spider instead when Nanase tells him to leave.
  • Removed Rohan seeing Nanase run away from the inn while presumably talking to her "husband" on the phone. Instead, he hears her footsteps leaving.
  • Added an antique dealer named Yoshio Kawadori, who was killed by the Black Painting when he was supposed to arrange the storehouse of Rohan's grandmother.
  • Added Rohan's grandmother listening to the radio with Kai Harada on the news.
  • Replaced the Louvre Curator who retrieved the Black Painting with Gaucher. Gaucher was killed at that time after transporting the painting to the Louvre.
  • Added Kyoka traveling to France with Rohan, where she takes lots of photos to make a travelogue for Rohan.
  • Added a surname for Gaucher (Bigotte), a first name for Noguchi (Emma), and full names for the firefighters (Nicolas Thomas and Hugo Renard).
  • Added a scene with Emma before she meets with Rohan. She is absent-minded at work due to Pierre's death.
  • Added Jacques Blanc as Emma's boss and Marie as her coworker. Jacques reminds her of her meeting with Rohan.
  • Replaced Gaucher's manga role with Ryunosuke Tatsumi as the curator who goes to Z-13 with Rohan and the others.
  • Added a scene of Jacques witnessing the Black Painting and jumping off the second floor railing.
  • Added Kyoka going to Z-13 with Rohan.
  • Changed the firefighters to be criminals working in a theft group with Watabe, Kawai, and Maurice Legrand. Ryunosuke Tatsumi is their leader.
  • Changed Z-13's door lock being stuck to opening easily with the keys of the firefighters.
  • Added a scene of Nicolas knocking off a painting from the wall, which was an unpublished painting from Johannes Vermeer. This makes Rohan and Emma suspicious since it should have been sent to the Louvre's newly constructed storage center already.
  • Added an argument between Rohan and Tatsumi after Rohan correctly theorizes about their theft group.
  • Changed the order of the firefighters' deaths. Nicolas is killed first by a soldier rather than Hugo's sudden death.
  • Added Hugo becoming violent and suspecting Rohan and the others after Nicolas dies.
  • Added Tatsumi being strangled by an illusion of Maurice's ghost unlike how Gaucher was killed by a car.
  • Changed Emma being killed by drowning. She starts drowning, but Rohan saves her by putting his coat on top of her so she can no longer see the painting and then has Kyoka escort her out of the building.
  • Added Hugo lighting himself on fire due to his grandfather's actions in the past.
  • Removed Rohan seeing the illusion of his grandmother and grandfather's ghosts.
  • Changed the samurai that Rohan uses Heaven's Door on to be Nizaemon instead. Nizaemon attacks Rohan with his axe.
  • Changed Nanase saying "Forgive me" to her telling him "Forget everything".
  • Removed the painting having a thorough scientific examination before being burned. It's implied that it burned due to the fire from Hugo's lighter.
  • Added Kyoka consoling Emma and showing the photo of her father in front of the Louvre Pyramid, who passed away when Kyoka was young.
  • Added the paramedics claiming that they hallucinated because of the gas accumulation in the warehouse.
  • Added Kyoka and Rohan discussing the incident at a café, where Rohan is shocked that Kyoka did not see any hallucinations from the painting.
  • Expanded on Nizaemon and Nanase's backstory. The Yamamura family served as official painters but Nizaemon was disowned after his marriage with Nanase for painting in other styles for commoners. They moved to a corner in the temple where Nizaemon would sell his paintings to merchants.
  • Changed Nizaemon being the only one to be aware of the black pigment's existence. Nanase discovers it first until Nizaemon follows her.
  • Added Nizaemon having a brother named Samanosuke Yamamura, who reports him to the magistrate's office for collecting the black sap.
  • Changed Nizaemon being executed for chopping down the tree. He is punished for merely touching it. Added Nanase attempting to stop the officials but they attack her.
  • Added Nizaemon murdering the officials with an axe before chopping down the tree.
  • Added Nizaemon dying alongside Nanase after his final painting.
  • Added Rohan reading the ghost of Nanase's memories with Heaven's Door before she says her final goodbyes.
  • Added Kyoka visiting Rohan's house back in Japan. He decides not to draw with the ancient pigments anymore. Rohan's next story is a full-color manuscript of Pink Dark Boy inspired by what he saw at the Louvre. Kyoka titles the travelogue as "Rohan Kishibe Goes to the Louvre".

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