‘Kokuho’ sets up an epic backstage clash amid the highly lacquered world of kabuki theater

In 1964 Nagasaki, young Kikuo, a 14-year-old performer, catches the eye of Hanjiro, a famous kabuki actor, during a New Year’s celebration. When Kikuo’s father, a yakuza boss, is killed, Hanjiro takes him in and begins to train him – along with his own son, Shunsuke – in the art of kabuki. They learn to become “onnagata,” male actors who specialize in playing female roles. As they train in Osaka, enduring Hanjiro’s strict methods, the shy and gentle Kikuo and Shunsuke form a close bond and strive to become graceful, skilled performers.

Stephen Colbert, Trump and the clash over the FCC equal time rule

Stephen Colbert claimed his network, CBS, blocked him from broadcasting an interview, possibly to avoid upsetting the Trump administration. CBS has refuted this claim. Instead, Colbert released the interview with the Texas state legislator on YouTube, a platform not subject to the same regulations as traditional television.