Ah, the folly of youth. So goes the theme of this year's Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme. Yes, serving as an introduction to Japanese
film this year is a selection of films about those often overlooked in film
humans: young adults. With eleven films on offer, I ventured to a modest three
of them (that's 27%), somehow choosing the ones that featured young men that
are unable to get laid.
Otakus in Love (Koi no Mon)
You always get those films that essentially feel like a bit of a laugh
for a group of film-makers to get together and make, and probably get a bit
drunk. 'Otakus in Love' is one such film. Written and directed by Suzuki
Matsuo(you know him; the one who played the twins in 'Ichi the Killer') and
based on a manga, it also features 'Ichi the Killer star and director Tsukamoto
Shinya in a supporting role and 'chi the Killer director Miike Takashi in a
fairly non-existent role.
To say this film is silly would be accurate: Aoki is a young otaku
seeking employment, often failing, trying to fund his bizarrely confused dreams
of being a manga artist. At another failed job attempt he meets Koino, a fellow
otaku and failed manga artist who finds his strange ways hotter than hot. But,
being nerds, their falling in love is fraught with confusion as to what they
should be doing, in an on-off relationship, which obviously wins in the end -it
is a rom-com after all.
There is nothing particularly impressive on display here, nothing to
set the world on fire or win any awards. It is stupid fun made by a group of
people that have collaborated in the past, featuring cameos and in-jokes that
are more for the makers rather than the consumers. But the story does enough in
terms of laughs and entertainment to succeed. 'Otakus in Love' shows a part of Japanese
youth: that of writers of fan-manga and cosplay, though probably tells us more
about the lives of the film-makers rather than Japanese youth itself.
Love Strikes (Moteki)
'Love Strikes' was introduced at the programme by director Hitoshi Ohne
and lead actor Mirai Moriyama. On the first day of the London Tube strike, this
lead to hilarious anecdotes of having to run from a bus from Brixton to make
the film start (which was subsequently delayed). For some reason, the version
screened had had someone fiddling with the contrast settings on it, with
moments of the film looking like the result of some appalling make-up work.
Ohne acknowledged this and urged the audience to use its imagination in
enjoying the film.
'Love Strikes' is a film that certainly has a lot of imagination. Like
96.4% of contemporary Japanese films, it's based on a manga, though the film
version takes it to another level. Fujimoto is a 'second virgin' working at an
online pop culture magazine, a source of much politically incorrect humour for
his work colleagues. On meeting a fellow music nerd, a female one, on Twitter -
regularly referenced throughout the film - he then hits a period of moteki: a
purple patch with women. But, in his desperation to be with his first love,
Miyuki, he finds that success with women brings him problems he has no idea how
to handle, leading to more pain, frustration and angst than being hapless with
women ever did. But, being another rom-com (aren't all films about youth?!),
all works out fine in the end.
With music an important element in the film, director Ohne throws in
various emotional musical numbers, directed as karaoke routines, complete with
introductions and sing-a-long lyrics. All this provides much hilarity.
Interestingly, one of the highlights of the film is the closing credits, based
on the social networking sites often referenced throughout. At times, the
realism in 'Love Strikes' is strong, showing the stresses and strains that
social media and mobile communications put on young people in love, with
Fujimoto often becoming obsessive over the most trivial of things. (Though with
Fujimoto's character being thirty-one years old, it's difficult to know how
youthful this really is.) However, all this angst seems to be written off with
the happy ending, which detracts a little from some of the film's more serious
points. Though with its various pop culture references and cameos by leading
J-Pop stars, such as everyone's favourites Perfume, 'Love Strikes' proved to be 'big in Japan'.
The Story of Yonosuke (Yokomichi Yonosuke)
You know that weird bloke you went to uni with? You know the one? It
was me. Well, this is what Yoshida Shuichi clearly had in mind when he wrote
the novel 'Yokomichi Yonosuke'. Seemingly semi-autobiographical, it tells the story
of Yonosuke, a hilariously-named student from Nagasaki, arriving in Tokyo in
the late Eighties to start university. A seeming odd-ball, played by a
different-haired Kengo Kora, in his own unique way, Yonosuke touches (not in a
bad way) everyone that he meets, with the various young students he comes
across (not in a bad way) shown to be later reminiscing about their friend from university a
decade and a half later.
Telling the story on one's life can take a long time, and 'The Story of
Yonosuke' is a long film and seems to start slowly. But unfolding like chapters
in a book, switching between the past and the present, the film is broken up
enough into digestible chunks that mean it doesn't drag or bore, something that
would have harmed and otherwise good film. But luckily, it doesn't, and 'The
Story of Yonosuke' is a strong piece about nostalgia.
Watched a decade after graduating from university, one can definitely
relate to the characters looking back at their old friend - one probably not
seen for many years - with Yonosuke a recognisable individual which one would meet
at a seat of learning, but would be left on with memories of years later. What
did happen to that weird bloke? He's writing this.
The purpose of the Japan Touring Film Programme is to serve as an introduction
to Japanese cinema, though probably often finds itself preaching to the
converted. But, while quite a specific selection viewed, one thing that came
across is that despite being on the other side of the planet and doing things
in their own, unique way, die jungen of Japan face the same obstacles as us
over here in the U-of-K: turning masturbation into sex, of course.
Hey you: do you live in Belfast, Bristol, Dundee, Edinburgh, Newcastle
(I have), Nottingham or Sheffield? Yes? You poor piss-stick. But the Japan
Foundation Touring Film Programme is heading your poor, depressing way.
