Koki Mitani, the screenwriter and Mamoru Hoshi, the director meet to create an original comic film Just like all the other Koki Mitani′s dramas, most of the story in University of Laughs unfolds in one single space. We know very well that the scenarist prefers his setting to be one single space. Now our eyes are focused on how the new director unravels the story in that space. In Tokyo, in the middle of the World War II in 1940, the authorities were reinforcing censorship on comedies as the country was at war. Hajime Tsubaki, of a theatrical group called University of Laughs, visits a film censor to get permission for his new play. A stubborn censor, Mutsuo Sakisaka, flatly dismisses the play at first. But he is soon moved by the passionate Hajime and slowly falls into the fascinating theatrical world. When the two finally understand each other fully, they face an unexpected parting. The greatest charm of the film is, of course, the laughter. That is why we can see this comic film as a dedication to Sakae Kikuya, the most famous comic writer during wartime. The fine story came from Koki Mitani but it was Mamoru Hoshi who successfully pulled off the comic acting from Koji Yakusho. (Kim Ji-Seok)