The Movie 'Asia's Unique Country': Shinzo Abe and Kyubey, Nursing Care and Dark Sex Work. R18+ or rather, almost banned from broadcast.
* * *
This is a casual review that may contain spoilers.
If anything, it is intended for those who have already seen the film. Please be aware of this.
* * *
I like Kenji Yamauchi
I am a fan of Kenji Yamauchi, the director and screenwriter of this film.
It was only later that I learned he was the director of the 'Shirato Family' series, the dog father in the SoftBank commercials; at first, it was'I Like My Friend's Dad'(2015).
It was also through this film that I discovered Yukino Kishii at the same time I discovered Kenji Yamauchi.
After that, I went back and watched'Mitsuko Delinquency'(2011) on video.
'At the Terrace'(2016), I got autographs from Kami Hiraiwa, Takashi Okabe, and Kenji Iwaya at the stage greeting.
I have also seen one stage play by the theater company 'Shiroyagi no Kai,' led by Kenji Yamauchi, titled 'Self-Introduction Reader: Re-run.'
I wrote about that in the past in my review of'Dawn of the Couple'(2021).
That said, I have seen all of his feature films. Finally, the only theater showing this one in Tokyo is likely Pole Pole Higashi-Nakano.
It is quite a political film, even though the trailer claims, 'This is not a political film.' (laughs).
It is rated 'R18+,' but the reason isn't just the erotica. It's almost banned from broadcast (laughs).
Well, it's different from what is generally called a political film, though.
Watching this film, I realized that I feel I have a similar ideology to Kenji Yamauchi. Maybe that's why I like him.
A country that doesn't want to talk about politics and sex
Following 'Dawn of the Couple,' it is billed as a 'pure social-issue serious comedy,' but man, is it a comedy? I laughed out loud, though.
I will post the synopsis for reference.
Yoko, who lives in Tokyo with her husband and cares for her father-in-law, hates a certain politician. Due to a certain incident, she has recently started doing something unsavory at home. Her husband hasn't noticed. However, the housewife next door seems to have noticed.
In a sense, this might be a series continuing from 'Dawn of the Couple.'
A counter-punch to the Japanese people who don't want to talk about politics and sex.
To put it a bit more clearly, it is a story that worries about the future of Japan, which has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To put its principles and arguments simply, I think it means:
'Japan is no longer a developed country'
'It's fine for Japan to be a unique country in Asia'
I, too, have thought for a long time that we should forget about being an economic superpower or 'Japan as Number One' and aim to be 'Only One.'
Also, rather than being about Shinzo Abe, I think this is about the fact that the world is not built on the simplistic thinking that 'if you defeat someone, the world will be saved.'
That is fundamentally connected to the fact that pointing out a neighbor's illegal sex work won't change the world.
It's a story that makes you think about everything from politics to the sex industry, and it's worth talking about, but I also wonder if it's okay as a film.
Since my ideology happened to align with it, I accepted it as a 'pure social-issue dark comedy,' but for some people, it would likely be an offensive film.
As a result, Japanese people, who prefer to avoid making waves, become reluctant to talk about politics and sex.
(Viewed at Pole Pole Higashi-Nakano on 2025.07.27 ★★★☆☆)