TIGER

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TIGER

LGBT - Completed 2025

A 35-year-old gay masseuse finds himself pushed to the edge as his escalating clash with his sister over property ownership blurs the line between right and wrong.

- Year of production
- 2025
- Genres
- LGBT
- Countries
- JAPAN
- Languages
- JAPANESE
- Duration
- 125 mn
- Synopsis
- In modern-day Tokyo, Taiga, a 35-year-old gay man, navigates a life that hasn't unfolded as he hoped. Juggling auditions for the gay porn industry and freelance masseuse gigs, his days blend into lonely nights seeking casual connections through clubs, gay bathhouses, and dating apps.
  Everything changes when his older sister, Minami, calls with news of their father’s declining health —colon cancer. Returning to his family home, Taiga is confronted with his bedridden father’s wish to divide the family property: their house and a dental clinic. But when Minami argues that Taiga, as a gay man without children, doesn’t deserve an equal share, old wounds reopen. Worse, she wields his secret—his father still doesn’t know he’s gay—threatening to expose him if he doesn’t back down.
  Stuck between duty and fear, Taiga bonds with Minami’s young daughter, Kaede, filling a void he didn’t know he had. A chance encounter with an old high school flame rekindles bittersweet memories, while strangers at the park mistake him for Kaede’s father—a role he secretly cherishes. But Minami’s resentment grows, and when Taiga lands a breakthrough role in gay porn, she retaliates by revealing his sexuality to their father, who shuts him out completely.
  Desperate for a family, Taiga attends a seminar on "friendship marriages," where gay men and lesbian women partner to raise children. He applies and matches with Mira Ahmadi, a half-Iranian, half-Japanese writer, setting a meeting date.
  Just as Taiga lands his first major gay porn role—publicized in magazines—Minami’s husband exposes his career to the family. In retaliation, Minami reveals Taiga’s sexuality to their father, who disowns him. Devastated, Taiga impulsively takes Kaede to Tokyo, treating her to a day at an amusement park before guilt overwhelms him. Returning home, he’s met with violence from his brother-in-law and his father’s cold rejection. Renouncing his claim to the family property, Taiga leaves for good—heart shattered by Kaede’s final, unanswered cry for him.
  Back in Tokyo, he meets Mira, their conversation circling the complexities of queer parenthood. But Taiga remains adrift. The film closes on a poignant note: Taiga on the set of a porn shoot, having achieved professional success but at the cost of everything else.
  "Tiger" is a raw, emotional exploration of identity, family, and the sacrifices we make to belong— or to break free.