Stunning movie with an alternative angle on the Yakuza world.

[Light synopsis spoilers in the final paragraph]

The first in what would be come a long running series of theatrical and later video releases. It's easy to see why this film was a big hit.

The film is utterly stunning and carefully filmed. I'm don't usually think about camera angles and settings when watching movies but this film used such interesting and picturesque framing again and again I couldn't not notice. One scene in particular with two leads talking alone on a boat all filmed in one shot with no cuts as the scenery passes behind them through the window was utterly breathtaking and the angle really created this sense of intimacy and tension. I could go on and on about the use of interesting framing from the hair salon mirror framing the reflections of actors speaking to the scene in front of a giant aquarium tank backdrop.

The acting was incredible and the lead actress Iwashita Shima absolutely dominated the movie. She had this captivating aura and fantastic wardrobe and I found myself hanging off every word. and in every scene she was in. Rino Katase who plays her sister also did really well, especially as I've read she was rather nervous filming this role next to Iwashita. Everyone was convincing in their roles.

The story for the most part was very good. It managed to capture an alluring side to the criminal world but also deeply rooted in a sense of realism that it is gritty, violenct and death happens. I thought it was an interesting take to see the side from the wives point of view, many with husbands in jail or just trying their best to support them. I also liked the choice to not show alot of the happenings between the men and keep it as exposition and keep the focus around the women and what they are doing while the story is happening.



[Light spoilers already in the synopsis]
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I'd rate the film higher but without saying too much, I just could not get on board with the relationship between the younger sister and her love interest which is outlined in the synopsis which I won't go over here. I just could not swallow the plausibility or buy her devotion to him after what he did to her. Suspending my disbelief for the rest of the movie and just going along with it and the film is brilliant but even as the credits rolled I just couldn't forget the problematic way their relationship started. Shame really because this could have easily been dealt with in a more convincing and different way and still had the same storyline. I would have much preferred a sort of star crossed lovers scenario which would have still given the same results.

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Sometimes clumsily paced, but groundbreaking, suspense drama with an unforgettable soundtrack.

Apparently made at the time when the laws were changing and the topic of stalking was becoming a hot topic. This along with "Stalker Sasou Onna" both aired in 1997. I've only seen this one so far and I thoroughly enjoyed it although I think viewing it in 2024 it may sometimes seem a little bit ridiculous or over the top and also the characters reactions and responses are occasionally unbelievable but I think it was trying to push a more extreme situation to emphasis and explore the idea of what a stalker is and just how little legal protection there was to counter it at the time. There is a real sense in this drama of just "what can you do?" when you have exhausted your options. Where do you go from there? When is the line of breaking the law considered crossed, and how can your prove anything?

Watanabe Atsuro (in what I gather is a role that helped make him famous) plays the stalker and he gives an unforgettable star quality performance that is both disturbing and nuanced. Ranging from extreme emotion to just downright creepy. He somehow manages to play a very charming attractive character in one moment but then an ultimately ugly pitiful character the next. It's very conflicting as a viewer to feel sympathy one minute then repulse the next. There were some truly unsettling but subtle scenes that were so wonderfully acted that reminded me of the movie One Hour Photo (which had yet to be made at the time). I think the quality of this drama really is down to his performance and could have been very mediocre otherwise.

Takaoka Saki as the female lead also holds her own. She plays the purer at first 1 dimensional naive role very well but as the show goes on I enjoyed watching her gain her strength and she became much more layered and convincing. I enjoyed watching her grow through the series. She also does alot of the "right things" (which is something I appreciate in good writing).

If I had any criticism of the characters or story it was the younger sister. I found her character infuriatingly stupid and felt very much a vehicle to progress plot and cause problems than anything genuine. While she did improve as the story went on but it was a weak part of the series and I think the story would been better overall without her involvement.

On the same note, the series in general has a bit off a lull in the middle section and I found myself starting to lost interest as the pace dragged. However it soon shifted into it's final arc and i found myself binging the last few episodes as it became incredibly exciting. I think the show would have bene better cutting 1 or 2 episodes out completely.

The other highlight of the show was the soundtrack. Composed by Sakamoto Ryuichi the theme motif is utterly gorgeous and plays off the often distressing visuals in the drama in an odd juxtaposition that really works. There is real constant melancholy in this show and the song really embodies this sound of a sound of toxic unhealthy "love" full of unreasonable obsession and anguish, but also sympathetic and pitiful. The main song will stay with you long after the show ends.

Anyway, if you want a good suspense thriller with lots of intense acting moments with good music then this is for you.

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Disappointing mediocre story with flat characters but a talented lead actress.

On paper the premise of this drama sounded great. I love a good femme fatale or revenge story but it just didn't do anything particularly new or exciting.

The main problem is that the story just really never goes anywhere shocking or particularly interesting and the ending felt very flat. The characters are very underdeveloped and some I'm barely sure why there were even included as they don't really contribute much. It's all a bit of a shame because the lead actress plays her role fantastically and with better writing this could have really been something special. I really wasn't a fan of the writing in general. It was full of smug sort of random exposition to make a cheap call back later. Lead makes a random out of nowhere long info dump upon seeing some bats flying, "oh look bats. Did you know that bats will put their lives at risk to save other members of their group" etc. 15 minutes later this is being called back. It's just lazy and forced.

Most episodes were short and episodic focusing around revenge on a particular individual. But this tended to lean into characters being introduced briefly for one episode and then left underdeveloped or forgotten about after. The reasons and motivations for revenge on many felt unearned and excessive. Overall it had a sort of caricature feeling about revenge. I realised after it was based on a manga and it showed. I gather the manga was still being written at the time and presume the drama did it's own thing. While watching it, it did have the vibe of a manga sort of story. I'm not sure this translated well into a short live action mini series.

All that said, the music used in the episodes was actually really really good and made so many thrilling scenes that much better.
It wasn't especially awful but there are many many better options to watch instead.

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I really wanted to like this more than I did

This short movie started off actually really really well. Filmed as a found footage reconstruction documentary, the first half has a very authentic presentation with numerous interviews and behind the scenes footage of producing a new song for the fictitious singer and idol, Emi Kato played by Emi Sato (and idol of the time herself). These things do sort of help you get immersed and feel like this is really happening.

I really liked the production values and everyone came across very natural and like real people. Sometimes even stumbling over their words which may even have been intentional and only added to the idea of it being a bad take that hadn't been edited yet. Upon further reading it seems quite a few known faces of the time are in the documentary playing themselves in interviews which is a nice touch.

All of this worked really well to set up a potentially creepy horror movie. Unfortunately it really just goes nowhere and the climax pay off is very boring and rushed in the end. The plot is poorly explained and it's a shame because there were the bones of an interesting plotline that could have been developed much more. I think there was just no enough characterization built yet to really care much about the cast. One particular "revelation" at the end also just feels so out the left field and makes little sense or adds much.

It's worth watching because its short and the first 30 minutes are actually really cool and successfully capture the music industry in 1988. The music and the atmosphere of the movie is really enjoyable. As a horror movie it's not as easy to recommend. While I commend its originality and trying to go for this really authentic presentation, I think with 30 minutes more the run time and a better developed mystery story could have made this so much better.

Side note - the final 4-5 minutes post credits of a famous movie critic (playing themself) rambling on about Hollywood are totally insane and nothing really much to do with the film. However, I've no idea why they bothered to waste precious run time on that when they could have had more of the actual films plot. Bizarre. The final minute also features Naoto Takenaka in a gag real and doing something very strange but again unrelated to the movie. A gag I guess...but waste of film. Interestingly they have used this image on both the front and back of the movie box. Maybe as a draw as his role is very small and basically only his voice?

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A fairly decent sequel to the Tomie series

I really liked the previous theatrical Tomie movie. It actually was much better than I was expecting, so I really went into this not knowing what to expect. While I don't think its anywhere near as good as the original, it is still a solid movie in it's own right. It managed to keep some of that slower burning tension that the original head as the character of Tomie is being introduced.

Hosho Mai does a good job playing Tomie. She feels a bit different this time around and much colder and more sultry but in this movie it works. The film does a good job of maintaining a serious tone without resorting to body horror visual gags that I think the later series is known for and without saying much about the story it was a compelling mystery that had a satisfying ending.

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Bit of a confused target audience but watchable.

I'm not really sure who this movie was aimed at. It's sort of looks like a horror movie (but its not really) and also sort of a school bullying and coming of age drama movie. I feel like it could appeal to a younger audience (of the age the cast are) but some beats and scenes are just a bit too dark to be appropriate.

The film is dominated by a cast of children and unfortunately most of them are not particularly good actors so you have to take it with a pinch of salt. I'm a big fan of Otsuka Nene who is rather young here playing the teacher and I don't think even she is doing that great in this movie and feels rather subdued.

The entire film just sort of plods along and never really hits any highs and the the ending feels a bit forced just to add some sort of tension and a way to have a conclusion. It's not bad per say but just feels a bit disjointed. I think it probably works best as a young adult creepy movie and perhaps that was the point but the elementary school setting seems a bit of an odd choice.

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Timeless classic of the genre.

Brilliant slow burning suspense horror that builds up to a satisfying climax. It's not particularly scary in the jumpscare sense but the entire movie has this sense of urgency and dread. Reminds me more of a thriller with horror elements as the mystery unfolds against the ticking clock.

The choice to change the lead from the novel to female was probably a smart move and Matsushima Nanako is fantastic in the role. Her desperation and intense performance really propels the movie in a way I'm not sure would have worked without her.

The film locations and music all create a really atmospheric experience and there isn't much else to say that probably hasn't been said a hundred times. Great movie.

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An interesting beginning but descends into bizarre nonsense.

I'm becoming a huge fan of the lead actress Momoi Kaori and found this randomly online. Suspense + Mamoi Kaori sounds like a good time to me. For the most part it is. But don't expect a very coherent or logical story.

The show starts off quite well with a woman finding her self in odd circumstances and trying to help a boy be reunited with his father who is a gambler and shows little interest in wanting to be a good father.

Kaori plays a good role as this strong female character as she tries to get involved in their problems. But that's sort of where it ends. The 2nd half she seems to just change completely into this weak woman with a sort of change in relationship that feels incredibly unearned and silly and I just didn't understand the character anymore. The ending arc is utterly bizarre, and high dysfunctional and left me bewildered as to what the writers were even trying to say.

I gather this is based on a short story in a book and perhaps that's why it had that sort of air of an open ended twist ending but it just didn't work for me as almost a movie length TV special I had got invested in. In the end it's a pretty miserable story about miserable people.

All that said, Momoi Kaori chews the scenery as she always does and it's enjoyable for that reason at least.

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A splatter slasher with a bit more cinematic substance that I expected.

I remember seeing the trailer for this movie many years ago on a dvd for another movie I owned and I always thought it was one of those straight to video nasty types. (The movie is fairly well known for one scene in the opening.) I assumed it wasn't the sort of thing I wanted to watch, but what always stayed with me was the music in the trailer and years later after being on an 80s Japanese media kick, I came back to this movie. and I'm glad I did. It is a far more polished movie than I assumed from the trailer and has some real substance in production values. All that said, it is not for the squeamish either.

The premise involves the lead reporter investigating the source of a disturbing video tape in hopes of getting a good scoop for her failing TV show and she is one of the better leads in a horror movie I've seen. The lead actress was just fantastic. I loved her makeup and wardrobe and she just dominated the screen with charisma. I could watch her all day she just exudes this 80s coolness. I also liked that she was a strong lead and made very smart logical choices in the context of being in a horror story. (Rare for this era). In fairness the majority of the cast reacted with a realistic and natural responses too. I liked this sort of more grounded sensible writing,

The other real star of this movie though was production. The soundtrack was fantastic and if you like 1980s vibes this is a big one. The sense of sadness and dread in some parts and tension in others was really well captures. I don't think I've noticed or thought about a horror track this much since Halloween. The film also uses some really nice camera shots. I'm not a film student but even I was noticing "what an interesting shot this is." I particularly remember one long wide shot filmed on the rooftops, it really wasn't what I was expecting from this genre.

The movie is not perfect though and without saying too much, personally I think the story holds it back somewhat from being up there with some of the classic greats of the genre. In the end it was a bit silly and is probably better when it's not analyzed too much. It's by no means terrible though and if you can suspend your disbelief and just come along for the ride, its a very functional and satisfying horror movie. I had a good time and would watch again.

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Terrible, pointless adaptation that is painfully acted.

A movie in 3 parts. I gather this was originally 3 short episodes spliced together to make a movie and it shows. There's very little coherence or point in the 3 stories being together as they don't come together at all. Just 3 seperate incidents involving the girl called Tomie. The first story set in high school has some of the worst acting I've in a long time. I actually stopped watching the movie after this story because it was dreadful and returned to it later just to say I finished it.

The actress playing Tomie gives a 2 note performance that is either high voiced cute and annoying or mocking snarly but still annoying with little variation. She reminds me of a cliche hostess faking it in some bad tv drama. I gather the actress was a gravure idol so can't really expect much given the presumed target audience of the movie. But I just didn't buy why any men would like her that much or find her appealing (other than looks?). Her dialogue was very silly and lacked any of the nuance or subtle persuasion and manipulation from the superior original movie. Essentially she is just a caricature and we watch the same premise play out three times. Tomie seduces a man very easily and bad stuff happens.

The move is hammy, camp and silly and mostly overacted. If you like that sort of thing it might appeal for a laugh, and her "seductive" dance in the 2nd story gave me some laughs, but it is very much a straight to video forgettable romp. It's not even gory enough to be entertaining in that way either. It's kinda just sterile and very very pedestrian. Do yourself a favor and watch the far better theatrical movie instead.

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Slow burning, mood horror that surprised my expectations.

Much better I was expecting. I knew the premise and that it was a manga adaptation with many many sequels (of presumably diminishing returns in quality). I already had a bias that this was going to be a very silly horror with cheap thrills but actually I thought it was rather arty and slow in pace. Perhaps that may turn of some but for me it was a real mood movie. The soundtrack was really wonderful and unnerving and eerie with a sense of foreboding and melancholy as the film became progressively darker.

If you're looking for a scary or gory horror flick then you will be disappointed. I think that was where the series went in later installments. Instead this movie is a creepy, slow burning movie about manipulation, obsession, lust and control. I also think the choice to keep Tomie very downplayed and not on screen for a large part of the movie was really smart. It created alot of tension and mystery about the character and even when she is in shot she is often obscured from view. Kanno Miho is excellently cast as Tomie and after watching two other actresses play her since this movie, she has not been beaten. To be honest I'd say the movie is worth it alone for anyone who is a fan of her.

Recommend.

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