Masayuki Suo (周防 正行, Suo Masayuki; born October 29, 1956) is a Japanese film director. He is best known for his two Japan Academy Prize-winning films, Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992) and Shall We Dance? (1996).
Biography from TMDB.
- October 29, 1956 (69)
- Tokyo, Japan
- Director and writer
- 7 on MovieCove · 32 credits in all
What are Masayuki Suō's films like?
Across their 5 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 4
Light 3 · Serious 0 · Dark 1
Grounded 3 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0
Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 1
Steady 4 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 1 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 2
Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0
A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 1
Resolved 4 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy3
- Ambiguous2
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 Masayuki Suō's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 4 of their 7 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on MUBI (3).
Subscription and free streaming for Masayuki Suō'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
32 credits, 7 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows
Talking the Pictures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
Lady Maiko (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)
The Terminal Trust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Tamiyo Kusakari’s Last “Giselle” (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
Dancing Chaplin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
I Just Didn't Do It(2006)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Shall We Dance?(2004)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Give It All (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)
Tokyo Fair Weather (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)
Shall We Dance?(1996)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
119 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)
The Tomb & the Divorce (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Abnormal People: Three Legendary Rainbow Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)
Sumo Do, Sumo Don't(1992)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Catastrophe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)
Fancy Dance(1989)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
The Making of "A Taxing Woman's Return" (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
The Making of "A Taxing Woman" (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)
Abnormal Family (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Sukyanti dōru: nugitate no kaori (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)
Kandagawa Pervert Wars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)
Wolf: Running Is Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Lustful Office Lady Commits Crime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)
Onna kyōshi o hagu (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Craving Pleasure: Attack a Virgin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Attacked Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Female Teacher: Chains and Bondage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Vinyl Book Woman: Close Up Naked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Bondage and Cage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)
Ijôna yubi: Yamete! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)
Career shape
A full career of 31 titles from 1980 to 2026.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do Masayuki Suō's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 6; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 88th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up3
- 50th to 74th4
Shape of the crowd
4 of their 7 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved1
- Crowd Pleaser4
- Mixed2
Reviewers score the atmosphere 75/100 and the pacing 57/100 in their films, across 3 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 Masayuki Suō work with?
People who share at least 2 of Masayuki Suō's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Yoshikazu Suo shares the most, 5.
Actors
- Naoto TakenakaShared titles: Watch Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (2022), Shall We Dance? (1996), Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992), Fancy Dance (1989)See all 4 shared titles with Naoto Takenaka
- Hiromasa TaguchiShared titles: Shall We Dance? (1996), Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992), Fancy Dance (1989)See all 3 shared titles with Hiromasa Taguchi
- Misa ShimizuShared titles: Watch Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (2022), Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992)See all 2 shared titles with Misa Shimizu
- Kōji YakushoShared titles: I Just Didn't Do It (2006), Shall We Dance? (1996)See all 2 shared titles with Kōji Yakusho
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Yoshikazu SuoShared titles: Watch Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (2022), I Just Didn't Do It (2006), Shall We Dance? (1996), Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992), Fancy Dance (1989)See all 5 shared titles with Yoshikazu Suo
- Jun'ichi KikuchiShared titles: I Just Didn't Do It (2006), Shall We Dance? (1996), Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992), Fancy Dance (1989)See all 4 shared titles with Jun'ichi Kikuchi
- Naoki KayanoShared titles: I Just Didn't Do It (2006), Shall We Dance? (1996), Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992)See all 3 shared titles with Naoki Kayano
Producers
- Shôji MasuiShared titles: Watch Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (2022), I Just Didn't Do It (2006), Shall We Dance? (1996), Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992), Fancy Dance (1989)See all 5 shared titles with Shôji Masui
- Hiroshi YamamotoShared titles: Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992), Fancy Dance (1989)See all 2 shared titles with Hiroshi Yamamoto