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Shūe Matsubayashi

Shūe Matsubayashi

Director · Died August 15, 2009, aged 89 · Sakurae, Shimane, Japan

Shūe Matsubayashi (松林 宗恵, Matsubayashi Shūe, sometimes rendered as Shuei Matsubayashi) (born July 7, 1920 - August 15, 2009, Shimane Prefecture, Japan) was a Japanese film director. He is best known for films in the comedy and war genres. He was also an ordained Shin Buddhist priest. His final work as director was in the 1992 film Shorishatachi.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 7, 1920
Died
August 15, 2009 (aged 89)
From
Sakurae, Shimane, Japan
Works as
Director
Titles
8 on MovieCove · 63 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 2% in 30 days

What are Shūe Matsubayashi's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
57%
Morality
23%
Bonds
7%
Society
6%
Power
4%
Ideas
3%
Survival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty4 titles, browse their movies with this themeMortality2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 2 · Serious 1 · Dark 4

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 2

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 2 · Intense 5

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 4 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Thrilling
5
Tense
4
Melancholic
3
Dread
2
Elegiac
3
Other
3

How their films linger

Fun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy5
  • Bittersweet1
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Shūe Matsubayashi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 8 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Shūe Matsubayashi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

63 credits, 8 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Godzilla vs. Destoroyah(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Golf Before Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Director

  • Godzilla 1985(1985)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Oddball Nippon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Director

  • The Imperial Navy(1981)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The War in Space(1977)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Prophecies of Nostradamus(1974)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Godzilla vs. Gigan(1972)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Return of Ultraman(1971)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • Five Gents and a Kuniang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • Five Gents Fly to Taiwan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • 5 Gents Fly to Kyushu Part II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • 5 Gents Fly to Kyushu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Five Gents and a Chinese Merchant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Five Gents and Karate Grandpa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Director

  • Ghost Story of Two Travelers at Tenamonya (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Five Gents Prefer Geisha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Comic Storyteller — The Great Burglar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Discover Japan with the 5 Gents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Tenamonya Tôkaidô (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • Five Gents on the Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • A Company President's Life Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • President's Ninja Trick Book Part II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Five Gents' Trick Book (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Money Is Most Important (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Hello, Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • 3 Gents in the Snow Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Hail the 3 Gents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Director

  • Aloha 3 Gents (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • 3 Gents In Hawaii (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • Attack Squadron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director

  • Atragon(1963)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Shin kitsune to tanuki (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • Shimizu Port Salaryman Part II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • Shimizu Port Salaryman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Director

  • The Last War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • Playboy President: Part II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • Playboy President (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Director

  • Master Fencer Sees the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • The Storm of the Pacific (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • Modern Salaryman: Bushido Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director

  • The Doom of Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Submarine I-57 Will Not Surrender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Mariko's Autobiography: Flowing Constellation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • Diary of a Company President: Peaceful Period (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Director

  • The College Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • Diary of an Elegant Hot Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • The Third President (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • Assistant President (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • The Blue Mountains Part 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director

  • The Blue Mountains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director

  • The Shadow Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director

  • Price of Beauty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Director

  • Engagement Ring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • A Brother and His Sister (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • Where's Paradise? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Director

  • Troupers of Asakusa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • Farewell, Innocence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • The Sacrifice of the Human Torpedoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Director

  • Hana to hatō (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Director

  • Night in Hawaii (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director

  • Dimple of Tokyo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Director

  • Anata mo watashi mo o toshigoro (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 57 titles, 56 of them dated from 1952 to 1987.

Biggest box office

Godzilla 1985 (1985)

$4.1M worldwide

Highest rated

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

Midcredits 86th

Most popular right now

Return of Ultraman (1971)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing57 of 57: 57 only directing, 0 with another role

By decade

1950s21 · crew1960s29 · crew1970s3 · crew1980s3 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Shūe Matsubayashi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 47th percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 43rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

43rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 8 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th1
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

4 of their 8 titles are Mixed.

  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · director

Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974)

72nd percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director

Return of Ultraman (1971)

Midcredits 90th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 58/100 and the pacing 37/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Shūe Matsubayashi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Shūe Matsubayashi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Tomoyuki Tanaka shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles