Initially, Shochiku, the distributing agency, was not enthusiastic about the film's prospects but Yōji Yamada's persuasiveness ultimately prevailed. The film series went on to become a huge success with films released every summer and New Years. The series has occupying a large position within the realm of Japanese pop culture psyche. With the exception of Morikawa Shin, the supporting cast of the television version did not reprise their roles in the film series – though Sato Gajiro appears in most of the films as "Gen-chan", Nagayama Aiko is the Madonna in the 6th film and Hisashi Igawa is her suitor.