Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler

July 9, 2010 — Zack Davisson

3.0 out of 5 stars The Slave beats the Emperor, because he has nothing to lose

Japan has a lot of words for their layabout population of 20-30 year olds who aren’t up to anything useful. “Freeter” is an old term left over from the Bubble Era that was basically a shortened form of “Freeloader” meaning those who chose not to work even though there were plenty of jobs available. “NEET” is a more modern term, meaning “Not in Employment, Education or Training” meaning those who have no job or goals, and just kind of drift though life aimlessly. “Parasite Single” is the latest term, talking about those who are old enough to know better (30+) but are still unmarried, jobless and ambitionless.

In “Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler,” (Japanese title “Kaiji: Jinsei gyakuten gemu” or “Kaiji: The Turn-your-Life-Around Game”) all of these people get tagged with a single word: Loser.

The story begins with Kaiji (Fujiwara Tatsuya, Light Yagami from Death Note) being confronted by an attractive older woman named Endo (Amami Yuki, Inugami) who has come to collect a debt. Because Kaiji co-signed a loan years ago for a friend, he is now responsible for paying back the loan. Far beyond Kaiji’s means, Endo gives him two options. Work of the debt for the next ten years, or join some other losers on the gambling boat Espoir for a chance to win enough money to clear the debt entirely and become rich in the process.

The Espoir boat turns out to be a scam led by Okata Kazutaka (Veteran actor Sato Kei, Kwaidan) to create a debt-slave labor force to build an underground city and new society for which he will be king. Those who lose on the Espoir find their debts increased by the millions, and are soon chain-ganged underground digging in tunnels. Even down below, Okata attempts to increase their debts by offering them beer and tasty snacks to comfort them in their labor, but the purchase of which only lengthens their stay.

The only way out of the slave camps is to gamble your life in a further series of games, which lead to even deadlier consequences for those who take the challenge. But a man with nothing to lose and everything to win might just be willing to take that chance, and such a man is Kaiji.

Based on the long-running manga series “Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji” (Japanese title “Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji”) by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, “Kaiji: The Ultimate Gamble” tackles Japan’s pressing social issue of these parasite singles in a unique and interesting way, by pitting them against each other in various contests for the entertainment of the wealthy classes. Dangling the promise of easy wealth before them, these perpetual losers are manipulated and toyed with, and only one of them is able to see how they are being used like slaves and has the audacity to attempt to break free.

To be honest, “Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler” is not a very good movie. I wouldn’t call it a bad flick, but neither is it good. It falls pretty firmly into the realm of “so-so.”

The mix of social issues with action sequences, while interesting, comes off as clumsy and forced. While Director Sato Toya goes for the same allegorical feel that was so successful in Battle Royale, it just doesn’t work here. Sato is mainly a television director and probably used to having more time to build out his story. Unfortunately, attempting to squish the multi-volume story of “Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji” into a two-hour timeframe means that too much is lost or rendered into short sound bites. There is no real distillation of the core story.

There is almost no background or setting for “Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler.” Is this modern Japan or some alternate reality? We don’t know. Who is the ultra-rich Okata Kazutaka, and why does he want to build an underground kingdom? Never explained. Why does Kaiji choose the exact moment of standing on a thin, electrified iron beam suspended twenty-two stories above the ground, in the rain, to deliver a monologue on changing your life? I don’t know, but I certainly wouldn’t have stood up there. And speaking of which, don’t any police forces notice an enormous amount of missing men between the ages of 20-30, not to mention an occasional rain of bodies from two of the tallest buildings in town?

Plot holes you could drive a fleet of buses through.

The manga has a lot more back story for these characters, and too much has been changed in the film. Okata Kazutaka in the manga is a man who has become so rich that he is endlessly bored and gets thrills from pitting the refuse of society against each other in gambling matches. Kaiji is much more cunning in the manga, being a savvy gambler who takes risks and wins, but always finds himself in the position where he needs to throw the metaphorical dice again. Endo is male in the manga, but changed to female in the movie to create some sexual tension, which is one of the few changes that I thought worked well.

Other things that worked well were the gambling matches themselves. Sato took three of the gambling matches from the first series of the comic, the “Restricted Rock, Paper, Scissors,” “The Human Derby” (here called “The Brave Man Road”) and “The E-Card,” The games are clever, and get the viewer thinking about strategies to win. Even thought the “underground kingdom” made no sense, I think it was interesting how Okata tricked the workers into believing they were responsible for their own slavery, thus ensuring no revolt. There were clever bits here and there that keeps the film from being a total loss.

A big part of the advertising is that it “Reunites the cast from “Death Note”,” and it does for a little bit. Matsuyama Kennichi (L from “Death Note”) pops in and out fairly quickly as one of Kaiji’s work-mates underground and a co-contestant on the Brave Man Road. That was one of the highlights of the film, but it isn’t like Matsuyama and Fujiwara have that much screen time together. And even then, both actors’ performances are well below par. Fujiwara in particular seems to have trouble controlling his volume, and simply over-reacts to everything or simply screams at it.

“Death Note” and later productions like “20th Century Boy” really raised the bar for manga-to-film adaptations, and “Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler” just did not clear that bar.

Posted in Japanese Film. Tags: , . Leave a Comment »

Ultimate Samurai Miyamoto Musashi

June 24, 2010 — Zack Davisson

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally released in the US!!!

Ultimate Samurai Miyamoto Musashi (5pc) (Coll)

Ask an American samurai-film fan about legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi (The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi) on film, and they will probably think of Inagaki Hiroshi’s Samurai Trilogy staring Mifune Toshiro. Ask the same thing to a Japanese samurai-film fan, and they will most likely think of this series, the five-film series by Uchida Tomo and staring Nakamura Kinnosuke (Portrait of Hell). Both are adaptations of Yoshikawa Eiji’s famous novel Musashi, but in Japan the Uchida/Nakamura version is by far the more famous.

While I love the Mifune Toshiro, in Inagaki’s trilogy it is hard to separate the actor from the role, and it is much more “Mifune as Musashi” than Nakamura’s performance here. Over the five films, Nakamura develops the character of Musashi from the wild beast of his youth to the sage warrior who duels on Ganryu island. Nakamura was a kabuki actor who transferred over to film, and his acting style is more nuanced than Mifune’s energetic performance.

Uchida’s “Miyamoto Musashi” follows Yoshikawa’s novel faithfully, from Takezo and Matahachi’s survival at the Battle of Sekigahara, to Takezo returning alone to their home villiage and romance with Matahachi’s fiancé Otsu. After three years of study, the wild Takezo is transformed into the educated warrior Miyamoto Musashi and sets out to test himself against the great fighters of Japan. Lurking in the background is Sasaki Kojiro, who watches Musashi’s development as a sword fighter and who waits patiently for Musashi to refine his craft until the two face off at there famous duel at Ganryu Island.

This set contains all five films in Uchida’s Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi – The wild youth of Takezo, who would become Musashi, and his relationship with Otsu, the former fiancé of this best friend Matahatchi, and who would be the love of Musashi’s life

Duel at Hannya Hill – After devoting three years to study, Musashi’s first test of his new skills is against the swordsmen of the Yoshioka Dojo and the spearmen of Hozo’in Temple.

Birth of the Nito-ryu Style – Musashi’s next target is a duel with the famous sword master Yagyu Sekishusai, which leads to the creation of Musashi’s renowned two-sword technique.

Duel at Ichijyo-Temple – Musashi’s ongoing fued with the Yoshioka Dojo comes to a conclusion when he must face off against all seventy-three of its members.

Duel at Ganryu Island – Finally, the most famous duel in Japanese history plays out again on screen as Musashi stands against Sasaki Kojiro and his massive sword, the Drying Pole.

Animeigo has put out a beautiful collection of these five important films. (Although I have come to the conclusion that Animeigo can’t help but put out a beautiful collection, because their standards are so high!). The five films are packed in space-saving slim cases, and extras include commentary by Stuart Galbraith IV (The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune) on the first film, and program notes and trailers for all films.

Posted in Animeigo, Japanese Film, Samurai. Tags: , , . 1 Comment »

20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope

June 22, 2010 — Zack Davisson

4.0 out of 5 stars A Savior will Arise

20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope

I enjoyed the first installment of 20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End, but I wasn’t totally thrilled with it. I thought it was a well-done adaptation of one of Japan’s greatest modern manga, but the whole thing left something to be desired and I rank it below Death Note in terms of manga-adaptations.

It wasn’t until part two, “20th Century Boys 2: The Last Hope,” that I was hanging on the edge of my seat and wishing desperately that I had part three to through into the DVD player and finish off the story. This second installment of the trilogy fixes most of the problems I had with the first film and really takes off running from the set-up of “Beginning of the End.”

The first film ended with the explosion of a giant bomb in Tokyo, the death of Endo Kenji (Karasawa Toshiaki, Casshern) and a few other of the club members, and the completion of the rise to power of the mysterious Friend. The “Book of Prophecy” had been fulfilled, and the heroes had lost their bid to save the world.

Part two begins fifteen years after the events of Tokyo, and Friend’s control of Japan is absolute. His propaganda machine has established Endo Kenji as a reviled terrorist and as the target of a county’s hate. In true 1984 style, Friend is everywhere and events have been re-written to suit his agenda. The only one who knows the truth of the events is Endo Kanna (newcommer Airi Taira), Kenji’s niece now all grown up going to school and working at a ramen shop when not negotiating a peace treaty between local Thai and Triad ganglords. This puts her in the path of Detective Chono (Naohito Fujiki, “Platonic Sex”), grandson of the legendary detective Cho-san, and together they uncover more about Friend’s plans, and soon realize that they can trust no one. Kanna’s quest for the truth leads her to one of Friend’s re-education camps, where one of the secrets is revealed to her, and she finds the remainder of Kenji’s group of club members, still fighting Friend.

There was a lot going on in “The Last Hope,” with new characters appearing and disappearing, yet in a way that did not muddle the main storyline. There are still the cameos by various stars, but they fit in a more logical way, such as comedian/transvestite Ken Maeda’s portrayal of Mariah, a scared transvestite hiding out with her friend Brittany (Hirofumi Araki) who has learned a terrible secret about friend. A discovery is also made of a “New Book of Prophecy” that was written, but who wrote it and what is the continuation of the story is the mystery Kanna and her fellow revolutionaries hunt for.

Airi Taira as Kanna was a real stand-out in “The Last Hope.” She handles the action, comedy and drama equally well, and is incredibly cute to boot. At some stage, she gets saddled with a sidekick Kyoko (Haruka Kinami) who plays a stereotypical whining and useless Japanese schoolgirl, the opposite of the capable Kanna. Kyoko is pure comic relief, and it must be said that she has her moments. Toyokawa Etsushi (Hula Girls), still tears the screen apart as “Otcho.” Toyokawa clearly plays the “Wolverine”-type character in the group, and when the shogun decides it is time to kick some ass and take some names then you know it is time to lean back and grab the popcorn because the screen is going to get very cool very quickly.

The only complaint I had about “The Last Hope” is also a major spoiler, so here is the time to stop reading if you don’t want to know the ending. Friend’s whole plan revolves around faking his own death, then rising from the grave again as a holy figure. It’s a good plan, and everyone buys into it but…Friend’s face is covered by a mask the entire time. I couldn’t figure out why at least one world leader didn’t stand up and say “Hey! How do we know it is the real Friend that got killed, and not just some patsy in a Friend mask?” But that never happened. You really have to suspend your disbelief to make the climax of the film work.

Posted in Japanese Film. Tags: , . Leave a Comment »

20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End

May 10, 2010 — Zack Davisson

4.0 out of 5 stars Are you my Friend?

20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End

The three-film live-action adaptation of Urasawa Naoki’s (Yawara!, Monster) “20th Century Boys” (Japanese title: “Honkaku Kagaku Boken Manga: Nijuseki Shonen” or “An Actual, Scientific Adventure Comic: 20th Century Boys”) is one of the most expensive in Japanese film history, with an overall budget of 6 billion yen and a cast of 300 people. Sometimes referred to as the Watchmen of Japanese comics, obvious care and attention was taken when adapting the series to the big screen.

This first film in the series, called “Beginning of the End” (a direct translation of the Japanese “Owari no Hajimari”) covers volumes 1-5 of the original comic series, and shows the life of a group of misfit boys (and one girl!) who had a secret club in elementary school where they played together. The children also worked on a science fiction adventure story, dubbed the “Book of Prophecy,” that foretold the destruction of the world by a super villain and the emergence of the club members as a super hero team that would unite to defeat the evil. Now, grown up and middle aged, the members of the club run into each other at a class reunion, and ask each other questions about a mysterious new religious cult that has been gaining in popularity, lead by a mysterious figure known only as “Friend.” The symbol of the cult, the eyeball inside a pointing hand, is the exact same symbol that the group used for their childhood secret club, and it seems like somehow the events written in the “Book of Prophecy” are coming true.

Like the comic book, “20the Century Boys: Beginning of the End” moves backwards and forwards in time when telling the story, starting with Endo Kenji (Karasawa Toshiaki, Casshern) as a failed rockstar who now works at a convenience store with his mother and cares for his sister’s infant child Kanna. When new members of the group appear, the story flips back to the childhood club, introducing each in tern and slowly leaking clues as to the identity of “Friend” and the events of the “Book of Prophecy.” The club members know that the “Book of Prophecy” ends with a stereotypical Giant Robot attack on Tokyo, and they all wonder just how much ability does “Friend” have to realize the story they wrote as kids.

I think calling “20th Century Boys” the “Watchmen” of Japanese comics is fitting in that neither movie lived up to the promise of the original material, but were good in their own right. If I had never read “Watchmen,” I probably would have loved the flick and those who haven’t read “20th Century Boys” stand a greater chance of loving it. Director Tsutsumi Yukihiko (Happily Ever After) didn’t take too many chances straying from the source material, and as we have seen many times when directors try to simply re-create a beloved comic on film it can lack the energy and pacing demanded by a film. The flash-back/flash-forward sequences work well to create tension in the storyline, but sometimes it also just muddles everything into confusion.

Actor Toyokawa Etsushi (Hula Girls), playing club member “Otcho, steals most of his scenes playing the lone wolf and dangerous member of the group who runs a business rescuing captive Japanese business men who are being blackmailed for their “exploits” in poorer Asian countries. Toyokawa is a great tough guy, and brings some realism to the fight scenes. Takako Tokiwa (Brave Story) playing the only female member of the club Yukiji is a little bit wasted as comic relief, and the romantic tension between her and Kenji never really feels authentic.

The whole “Cast of 300″ kind of worked against “20th Century Boys,” as there are too many famous faces popping in for cameos and then disappearing. If you are not really familiar with Japanese actors this won’t be a problem, but having Takenaka Naoto (Ping Pong) pop up for a few seconds to flash his trademark grin just comes off as distracting and takes me out of the storyline. (Seriously, I love the guy but it seems like it is almost illegal to make a Japanese film without giving Takenaka Naoto at least a bit part anymore…)

The big budget, however, was well-spent. Staying true to Urasawa’s claim of an “Actual, Scientific Adventure Comic” the way they deal with the Giant Robot attack is fantastic. It is not all science, however, such as when Friend appears at the end astride Okamoto Taro’s “Tower of the Sun” from the Expo Commemoration Park in Osaka. I have to admit, this scene gave me an extra thrill as I lived in Osaka for many years and have stood before that bizarre sculpture many, many times (I even have a miniature version that I bought sitting on a shelf at home). I would always comment how the tower looked like it would come to life and do battle with Godzilla, so it was very cool to see that almost happen on film.

There has been some confusion as to what exactly happens at the end, and you have to remember that this is a three-volume series so don’t expect to get a complete story here, but all I can say is hold on and wait for the next film. Not that everything will be explained totally, but it does make more sense overall.

While I think the “20th Century Boys” comic is superior, overall I didn’t enjoy this movie adaptation as much as I enjoyed both Death Note and “Death Note II: The Last Name.” Both of those movies knew when to deviate from the comic to tell a story that worked well for film, and unfortunately that didn’t happen as much with “20th Century Boys.” While still an excellent movie, “20th Century Boys” just ever so slightly misses the mark.

Posted in Japanese Film, Uncategorized. Tags: , . 1 Comment »

Battle League Horumo

March 23, 2010 — Zack Davisson

Battle League Horumo (Ws Dub Sub Ac3 Dol Ecoa)

5.0 out of 5 stars Fierce Oni Battle! Fight!

“Battle League Horumo” (“Kamogawa horumo” or “Duck River Horumo”) is just a brilliant little film. Based on the popular fantasy novel of the same name, the film combines the bizarre, outrageous antics and high energy that I love in Japanese comedy with authentic folklore and solid acting with an all-star cast.

Anyone who has spent some time in Japan has encountered some strange festival in the summer, with people in period costumes performing some millennium-old dance-ritual in order to gain the blessings of the kami spirits. “Battle League Horumo” asks the question, “What if those gods were real, but you just couldn’t see them?”

The story begins when freshmen student Akira Abe (Takayuki Yamada, known the world over as Train Man) begins his first year at the prestigious Kyoto University. Abe has been studying hard at cram school for two years, but has finally made it. He soon finds himself recruited by a club, the Azure Dragons, who protest a little too much that they are just a “normal club doing normal things.” The club president Makoto Sugawara (YoshiYoshi Arakawa from Ping Pong, Kamikaze Girls) soon reveals that there is nothing “normal” about the Azure Dragons at all. They are, in fact, a secret club that participates in a thousand-year old ritual known as Horumo, where each member controls an army of “oni” spirits that battle with other spirits in order to please the gods with the spectacle.

Abe’s finds it hard to take this seriously, and would quit the club if it were not for the presence of Kyoko Sawara (Sei Ashina, “Kamui”), a girl with a perfect nose who infatuates Abe immediately. So blinded by Sawara is Abe that he cannot see the rivalry of Alpha-male clubmate Mitsuru Ashiya (Takuya Ishida, The Samurai I Loved) or the attentions of nerd girl Fumi Kusunoki (Chiaki Kuriyama, Gogo Yubari from Kill Bill – Volume One). Finding himself sucked into the club, Abe trains in earnest with his oni army yet he fights more to impress Sawara than to please the gods, something that will lead to devastating consequences. The gods of Japan are not pleased when their pleasures are interrupted by petty mortal concerns.

Aside from the story, a big part of the draw of “Battle League Horumo” is going to be the “oni” themselves. While far from the traditional oni of Japanese folklore, these little spirits have more in common with the Mogwai from Gremlins. They are fully 3D rendered animation, done by Studio Gonzo who is well known for their CGI work on series like Last Exile and Blue Submarine, No. 6. They aren’t the most realistic computer animated characters ever, but they aren’t supposed to be and their cuteness is just right for the tone of the film. The oni battles themselves are hilarious, as the members of the clubs control the oni through a series of commands in the “oni language” combined with a sequence of gestures and hip-thrusts.

Another draw for this flick is the cast, and there are so many familiar faces and a lot of them playing against type. Chiaki Kuriyama in particular is usually positioned as a total sex symbol in tight-fitting costumes like in The Great Yokai War, but instead she is dressed in boy’s clothes with square-rimmed glasses and a big wig that makes her look like 80s sitcom actor Ouki Bondo. Takayuki Yamada is still a lovable loser like he was in “Train Man,” but he gets to be a little cooler here even though he is clearly not top dog.

Although it is billed as an Action/Comedy, the emphasis is far more on the comedy than the action. Much of the antics are typical Japanese over-the-top physical comedy, like all the boys getting naked and performing a choreographed pop routine at the shrine in order to gain the god’s favor, or when league member Koichi Takamura is forced to wear a giant samurai topknot as punishment for his cowardice in the oni battle.

The Abe/Sawara/Ashiya love triangle could have come straight from a John Hughs film, with the rich macho jerk mistreating his beautiful girlfriend, only to get comeuppance when a poor but sensitive guy steals her away. However, that isn’t quite the way things resolve here much to my surprise and delight.

All in all a fantastic film that I completely enjoyed. Highly recommended.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Shoujyo – An Adolescent

March 4, 2010 — Zack Davisson

3.0 out of 5 stars So-so vanity film

Shoujyo – An Adolescent

Directing his first and only feature film, Japanese movie star Eiji Okuda made an unabashed vanity film. He cast himself as the ultimate man’s man, a former gangster, complete with full yakuza tattoo, who reformed and has become a small-town police officer. Of course, beneath his brusque exterior beats a heart of gold, shown by how he spends his free time taking care of a local teenage retarded boy. He is a man so completely dripping with sex-appeal that he can’t even return a missing dog without the happy owner insisting that he come in for a little afternoon delight. This poor guy is so tired out by refreshing the housewives that he tries to have a quiet rest and a beer in a local bar. Ah, but even it is too much for the ladies, as a cute 15-year-old jr. high school girl soon plops down at his table and introduces herself with the line “Hey Mister! You up for some sex?” Its a hard life indeed.

“Shoujyo – An Adolescent” is ostensibly based on a short story by Mikihiko Renjo, but it plays off as more of a soft-core “Lolita” clone. The story line is full of coincidences. Okuda soon begins a relationship with the 15-year old Yoko (played by 22-year old Mayu Ozawa), and finds that she is the brother of his little retarded pal. On top of that, Yoko’s grandfather is the one that gave him his tattoo many years ago. Yoko’s mother, of course, demands sex from Okuda when she uncovers the relationship with her daughter, and Okuda willingly sacrifices himself, soon bedding both mother and daughter. None of the characters are even slightly realistic, with Yoko being little more than a fanciful image of youthful beauty and a middle-aged man’s wish fulfillment.

The only redeeming feature of “Shoujyou” is that it is well-filmed. The story is shallow, but the pictures are pretty and so are the girls that Okuda trysts with. As a soft-core pink film with a lolita theme, there are certainly worse movies out there. Just don’t set your expectations too high.

Posted in Japanese Film, Yakuza. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Love*Com The Movie

February 13, 2010 — Zack Davisson

3.0 out of 5 stars Beanstalk and Shorty

Risa Koizumi is too tall for a girl. Atsushi Otani is too short for a boy. You know the rest. Hijinks ensue.

Well, OK, it may not actually be that simple, but that is pretty much the gist of Love*Com (Which is a shortened form of “Lovely Complex”, which doesn’t have any real meaning besides being bad Japanese-English). Based on a popular shojo manga, this is just a light and fluffy formula-romance comedy pairing two oddballs who are perfect only for each other. The film follows the style of the manga, with sudden flights of anime-inspired fantasy interspersed with reality, and that is its saving grace, and where most of the charm comes in.

Formula films depend a lot on the abilities of their actors to save the day, and the cast of “Love*Com” does OK. Most of them, including the leads, are pretty much inexperienced as actors, but that doesn’t hurt them too much. Model Ema Fujisawa playing Risa is cute in an odd sort of way, and fits the role perfectly. Teppei Koike, a singer and “idol” is a little too cool as Atsushi, and it is hard to buy that he has a hard time finding a girlfriend. The film is absolutely peppered with cameos by popular Japanese comedians, but that probably won’t mean much to too many Americans. Shizuyo Yamazaki (Sayuri from “Hula Girls”) is funny as Risa’s older sister, a giant girl in her own right but who managed to hook herself a man.

The films keeps up a good pace, but then fizzles near the end. A problem with some manga adaptations, they tried to fit too much of the popular story in, and just when things should have been coming to their happy conclusion, a new rival steps in and the film drags. You know what the eventual conclusion is going to be, and if the director had compacted the storyline a bit more, maybe thrown in some subplots with the other characters, it would have been a charming piece of film fluff, good for fans of the manga series and for anyone in the mood for this type of formula flick. As it is….things just go on too long, even at barely over an hour and a half.

For this kind of light comedy, the DVD is actually surprisingly good, with interviews, fake music videos and a parody short film. They did a good job padding out the content, and the US release actually has more bonus materials than the Japanese release.

Posted in Japanese Film. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Maid’s Secret

February 12, 2010 — Zack Davisson

 

3.0 out of 5 stars Maid vs. Dominatrix

“Maid’s Secret” (A direct translation of Japanese title “Maido no Himitsu”) is another in ADV Films’ line of Japanese V-Cinema softcore pink films. And if you know enough about the genre to know what “V-Cinema softcore pink film” means than you pretty much know what to expect.

Is there a story? Of course there is! Two girls, Harumi and Misuzu, are after the same boy Keita. He is of the indecisive nature, but promises to make his decision after he returns from grad school in a year. The two girls have a year to prepare themselves and to become the type of girl they think Keita would want. Harumi decides to become the ultimate submissive, saving herself sexually and learning how to serve men while working at a maid café. Misuzu decides that Keita would prefer an experienced gal, and works as a professional dominatrix and building her skills as a dominator. Before the year is up, Misuzu discovers that Harumi has secretly met with Keita, and gets her revenge by having her slaves kidnap and rape Harumi while videotaping it, thus ruining Harumi’s plans of presenting herself to Keita as a pure and innocent virgin.

All and all it isn’t much of a story, but stories aren’t why you would buy a film called “Maid’s Secret” in the first place.

The two leads, Harumi (Momose Emiru) and Misuzu (Hirasawa Rinako) spend just as much of their time undressed as dressed, and when they are in clothes it is usually in something interesting. The contrast between the innocent maid and the experienced dominatrix is nice, with a little something for everyone. Hirasawa Rinako is a veteran of the pink film industry, and is definitely the more attractive of the two. Momose Emiru is a bit on the homely side, to be perfectly honest. Not really to my tastes.

The action here is all strictly softcore, and tame even for a pink film. All tops and no bottoms. Shirts get unbuttoned by the underwear never comes off, although hands do go inside the underwear which is always a nice treat. The sex scenes are a bit boring to be honest, except for Misuzu’s turn with a modified, oversized teddy bear that is a stand-in for her fantasies about Keita. Only the two main girls get naked, which is disappointing as some of the supporting cast at the maid café where quite cute.

The production values are what you would for this kind of V-Cinema release. Shot on digital video with about two sets and three costumes, there wasn’t a lot of money put into making this film look nice. “Maid’s Secret” is seventy-eight minutes long, and in Japanese with English subtitles.

If you are into the maid look then there might be something in “Maid’s Secret” for you. I can’t say I was disappointed, because my expectations were pretty low to begin with and this film just about met them. Another star added for Hirasawa Rinako’s teddy bear scene, although I would personally just rather watch The Glamorous Life of Sachiko Hanai again than this film.

Posted in Japanese Film. Tags: , , . Leave a Comment »

Train Man : Densha Otoko

January 22, 2010 — Zack Davisson

5.0 out of 5 stars Train Man and Hermes – A Love Story

Based on a true story, “Densha Otoku (literally translated as “Train Man”)” is the kind of romance that could only happen in Japan. Partly due to the ubiquitous nature of 2-channel, a country-encompassing internet chat board that puts things like MySpace and YouTube to shame. Partly due to the otaku, a style of unsocial misfit that could only be cultured in the group-based society of Japan.

I should say ostensibly based on a true story. Although the real Train Man and Hermes have never been identified, the origin of the phenomenon is a fact. What is known for sure is that, a poster known as Densha Otoku started a thread on 2-channel telling about how he helped a woman on a train who was being harassed by some drunk salaryman. In gratitude, she sent him a set of teacups from Hermes department store, which would be the equivalent of Saks Fifth Avenue or Harrods in London. Thinking that the value of the gift is far greater than the service he performed, Densha Otoku sought advice from his fellow otakus on 2-channel on what to do. And the legend was born.

There have been many adaptations of the popular story, starting with a book that reproduced the 2-channel posts, then a comic book and a TV series. This movie, starring Takayuki Yamada and Miki Nakatani, presents the whole story and does an excellent job showing the fairy tale nature of the romance. Densha Otoku is not a bad guy, just socially awkward and someone who never really learned how to relate to women. His moment of bravery is nothing daring, and he is no hero, but the small gesture of protection is just what is needed at just the right moment. Miki Nakatani, a mid-level pop star in Japan, is perfect as Hermes,. She is not a great beauty, just a sweet woman who seems to have had her share of bad luck with men, and is willing to give a nice guy a chance.

Aside from the two leads, much of real charm of “Densha Otoku” are the 2-channelers themselves. Swept up completely in the story, they swarm the fashionable districts of Tokyo, studying up on English tea and fashionable places to buy suits and go to dinner, all so they can give the best advice to our wayward hero. Showing the isolated nature of modern Japan, a husband and wife are both equally involved in the internet events, all though neither one realizes that their partner is also online. Hiding under the masks of screen names, so many modern Japanese people lead secret lives on 2-channel, and it took the story of Train Man and Hermes to break them out of their shells and get them back into the living world.

I’m glad to see “Densha Otoku” get an English-language DVD release. This is a film that I had admired for some time, and it was always a shame that I couldn’t share it with my non-Japanese speaking friends and family.

Posted in Japanese Film. Tags: , . Leave a Comment »

Onimasa

January 22, 2010 — Zack Davisson

4.0 out of 5 stars An truly epic Japanese gangster film

Onimasa is a man who believes in his own legend. An oyabun-boss of a local yakuza group, he likes to see himself as an honorable and “chivalrous man” instead of the brutal, egomaniacal thug that he really his. Onimasa believes in the code of “outlaw hero,” and manages to lie to himself about the nobility of his own actions even as he buys young daughters from poor local merchants and then sells them into prostitution, or works as the strong-arm for a boss even more powerful than himself.

An intricate and multi-layered film, “Onimasa” (“Kiryuin Hanako no shogai” or “The Life and Times of Kiryuin Hanako”) was the second yakuza collaboration between director Gosha Hideo (The Geisha) and that legend of Japanese cinema Nakadai Tatsuya (Harakiri). Their first collaboration, The Wolves, was an unqualified success and it seemed only natural to put the two powerhouses back together for a follow-up in the genre.

Whereas “The Wolves” was a personal, almost Shakespearian tale of revenge, “Onimasa” is an epic sprawl, spanning the years from 1918 and up to the 1940s. The influence of 70s-era mafia films (and cheesy music) is palatable, as Gosha attempted to emulate the generational aspect of those stories as well as the balance between admiration and repulsion one has for the characters.

The story begins when Onimasa, the preferred nickname of local gangster boss Kiryuin Masagoro, comes to a local merchant who desires his protection but has no money to offer. The merchant has a surplus of children, and offers one of his sons to the ganglord. Onimasa takes the son, but also decides to grab a daughter while he is there, and snatches the young Matsue from the family because he likes her looks. The decision proves to be a wise one, for as the son is a weak and fragile boy who does not long last in Onimasa’s household, Matsue proves to be strong-willed and able-bodied, and thrives in the dangerous environment.

The story follows both Onimasa and Matsue through the years, as Matsue struggles to come out of under the fist of Onimasa’s wife, (Iwashita Shima, Double Suicide) and the various concubines who see Matsue as a brat and a potential threat to their positions. Onimasa continues to work his will as he may, still seeing himself as something of a hero to the local populace who quake in fear at the sight of him, and trying to balance his worldview with the commands of the Big Boss Uichi Suda (another Japanese legendary actor, Tanba Tetsuro, Under the Flag of the Rising Sun) who cares nothing for honor or chivalry, only for profits.

Onimasa’s worldview comes to a crisis when he meets Tsujihara Tokubei, an idealistic student who supports the working man, and would rather die than betray his ethics. Tokubei forces Onimasa to come to terms with his own evil nature, and the fact that Onimasa is not the hero of the common people that he likes to believe. Of course, it is only a matter of time before Tokubei catches the eye of the now-grown Matsue (Natsume Masako, Antarctica), something that Onimasa likes not at all, no matter how fond he is of the brave young man.

And that is only brushing the surface, without getting into details of Onimasa’s beautiful, spoiled and stupid daughter Hanako who is actually the character the film is named after (“The Life and Times of Kiryuin Hanako”) yet who plays a relatively minor role. Along with that is Onimasu’s long-standing grudge with a rival oyabun, and far, far too many plot points to be jammed into a synopsis.

For all its grand intent, “Onimasa” is not as good a film as the more focused Gosha/ Nakadai film “The Wolves.” Gosha plays around with too many elements here, swinging somewhat wildly back and forth, almost unable to decide for himself if Onimasa is hero or villain. Nakadai plays it both ways, and thus Onimasa comes off as both a powerful and a weak character, difficult to get to know.

The sexuality of “Onimasa” is almost jarring as well, incorporating elements from the Pink Film genre that I was unaccustomed to seeing in a Gosha film. Onimasa is a unrepentant sexual being, taking who he wants when he wants, caring nothing for the opinion of the woman. His intentions towards his adopted daughter Matsue are unclear from the very beginning, until an explosive scene makes it all too clear.

The film carries Gosha’s signature style, of a long slow burn leading up to an explosive finish, but two and a half hours the burn is too long, twisting down too many roads and following too many characters that by the time of the final showdown it comes off as more of a whimper than a bang. The lengthy epic of a gangster’s life was done better later with Sai Yoichi’s Blood And Bones.

Which is not to say that “Onimasa” is bad. Even a weaker Gosha/Nakadai film is still worth watching, and there are elements here that are beautiful and brutal. Probably the best moment is when a grown-up Matsue shouts at an attacker, “I am the daughter of Onimasa! Don’t fuck with me!” This is a classic line of Japanese film, one repeated over and over by schoolgirls with a bad attitude.

Posted in Animeigo, Japanese Film, Jidai Geki, Yakuza. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »
« Older posts