The 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, with a magnitude 7.9, killed nearly 150,000, and the chaos of post-quake Japan brought about a surge of ultra-nationalism and militarism. In the following decades, socialists, anarchists, defenders of human rights and Korean immigrants were falsely crucified and violated. Ironically, from this chaos emerged lady sumo wrestlers who gained popularity on their nationwide circuit. In the film The Chrysanthemum and the Guillotine, a young lady joins the sumo team and struggles through the confusion and frustrations of daily life, while forming genuine camaraderie with fellow wrestlers and falling in love with an anarchist. Those who remember Zeze Takahisa from his days making pink films will be pleasantly surprised with this period drama, set at a time when humanity and dignity were sacrificed for power and authority. The conflict of Kiku (meaning ‘chrysanthemum’ in Japanese) and her friends, the common people who were not afraid to stand up for what they believed in, may have been forgotten by history, but the spirit of their resistance remains valid today. (Karen Park)