Therefore, even through HONDA joined the company before YAMAMOTO's two other apprentices, Kurosawa (who debuted as a movie director with "Sugata Sanshiro" in 1943) and Taniguchi (who debuted as a movie director with "Ginrei no hate" in 1947), his debut as director and promotion to full director was significantly later with "Aoi Shinju" (The Blue Pearl) in 1952.
そのため、本来は山本門下の3人のうち最も先輩だったにもかかわらず黒澤（1943年『姿三四郎(映画)』で初監督）、谷口（1947年『銀嶺の果て』）に対して1952年、『青い真珠』で初監督と監督昇進が大幅に遅れた。