Important Ryuichi Hiroki - Japan's Hidden Gem

[sitenoise]

Ryuichi Hiroki - Awesome Dude

This fucking guy was born on New Year's Day.



I don't have anything to write about him at this time. I'm starting the thread as a guilt trip inducing reminder that I must write something soon. He's been pumping out 2-3 films every year of this century, give or take. I've seen nineteen of his films! I don't know for sure but I imagine it's the most I've seen from a single director.

Of the nineteen films I've seen from him I've given only one a 5/5 star rating (which, obviously, would translate to 9.31337/10). It's a sweet little film shot on DV and pumped out in a couple weeks--Tokyo Trash Baby (2000)--which is "an understated look at a lonely woman who goes through the garbage of a neighbor she is obsessed with looking for mementos". I think it was released on the same day as another of his films--I Am an S+M Writer (2000). Who does that?

The beauty of Hiroki is that he is a naturally gifted film maker who just makes movies. He never sets out to make a masterpiece. In the 1980s and 90s he made mostly softcore and porn. 2000 was the turning point for him towards the mainstream, but he continues to make sexually charged, sex-infused films alongside some of the sweetest Pure Love films you can imagine.

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More later.

 

[sitenoise]

What prompted me to try and embarrass myself into sounding the Love Alarm for Ryuichi Hiroki is ... I'm stuck in that limbo of having to wait (what could be years) for subtitles. Of the three films he released in 2017, the one I'm least interested in is the only one available with English subtitles. It's called:

Policeman and Me (P to JK) [2017]. It sounds like one of those only-from-Japan creepies about love between an adult and a high school student. I bet dollars to donuts Hiroki makes it into an adorable Pure Love story that doesn't creep any one out. Or maybe not. Here's the synopsis from AsianWiki:

Kako Motoya (Tao Tsuchiya) is in the first year of high school. She has yet to have a boyfriend yet. One day, she pretends she's a university student and takes part in a group blind date. There, she meets 23-years-old Kota Sagano (Kazuya Kamenashi). Kako and Kota get along well and become attracted to each other. Later, Kota learns that Kako is a high school student and his attitude towards Kako changes. In fact, Kota is police officer. Even though he likes her, he knows he can't date her. Then, Kako is injured while protecting Kota. Kota decides to accept Kako for who she is. He asks Kako to marry him, because that's the only way he can be with her as a police officer.

Based on manga series "P to JK" by Maki Miyoshi (first published December 13, 2012 in Japanese shojo manga magazine Bessatsu Friend).

The one I really want to watch--picked by Kinema Junpo as #7 of the year, and by Mark Schilling as #2 best film of the year -- is:

Side Job (Kanojo no jinsei wa machigaijanai) Her Life is Not at Fault [2017]. This is one of his sex-charged films, I think:

Miyuki (Kumi Takiuchi) works at the Fukushima City Hall. She lost her mother to 2011 tsunami and now lives with her father (Ken Mitsuishi) at a temporary house. On the weekends, Miyuki travels to Shibuya, Tokyo by express bus and works there as a prostitute.

1. Based on the novel “Kanojo no Jinsei wa Machigai Janai” by Ryuichi Hiroki (published August, 2015 by Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publishers inc.), which is Director Ryuichi Hiroki’s first published novel. Setting for the movie & novel is in Ryuichi Hiroki's hometown of Fukushima, Japan

It is a powerful story of survivors, who are all trying to find their own silver linings in life.

And finaly, and I guess what really really prompted me to cry out this love in the center of the world, I just got wind of his latest 2017 release:
Miracles of the Namiya General Store (Namiya zakkaten no kiseki) [2017]. It looks like something along the lines of Il Mare/The Lake House:

In 2012, Atsuya (Ryosuke Yamada) and his 2 childhood friends do something bad and run into an old general store. They decide to stay there until the morning. Late into the night, Atsuya sees a letter in the mailbox. The letter is addressed to the Namiya General Store and the letter was written by someone to consult about worries. Incredibly, the letter was written 32 years ago. The mailbox is somehow connected to the year 1980. Atsuya and his friends decide to write a reply and place their letter in the mailbox.

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[sitenoise]

I want to start dropping some notes about all the films I've seen by Hiroki but can't decide if I should do it chronologically according to the film's release date, or chronologically in the order in which I watched them, or in order of how I rated them--best to worst (I do think he's made a bad film or two). I'm leaning towards the order in which I watched them because the watching of a certain film sort of prompted where I went next.

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[sitenoise]

For anyone who is interested in following along:

Hiroki's Film Page @ LetterboxD
Hiroki's Film Page @ IMDb

AsianWiki's list:

• It's Boring Here, Pick Me Up | Koko wa Taikutsu Mukae ni Kite (2018)
• Marmalade Boy (2018)
• The Many Faces of Ito | Ito-kun A to E (2018)
• Side Job | Kanojo no Jinsei wa Machigai Janai (2017)
• The Miracles of the Namiya General Store | Namiya Zakkaten no Kiseki (2017)
• Policeman and Me | P to JK (2017)
• Natsumi's Firefly | Natsumi no Hotaru (2016)
• Wolf Girl and Black Prince | Okami Shojo to Kuro Oji (2016)
• Strobe Edge | Sutorobo Ejji (2015)
• Her Granddaughter | Otoko no Isshou (2015)
• Kabukicho Love Hotel | Sayonara Kabukicho (2015)
• Crying 100 Times -Every Raindrop Falls | 100 Kai Naku Koto (2013)
• Yellow Elephant | Kiroi Jou (2013)
• Nobody's Perfect | Daijobu 3 Kumi (2013)
• River (2012)
• The Egoists | Keibetsu (2011)
• The Lightning Tree | Raiou (2010)
• April Bride | Yomei Ikkagetsu no Hanayome (2009)
• New Type: Just For Your Love (2008)
• Your Friends | Kimi no Tomodachi (2008)
• Bakushi (2007)
• M (2007)
• Last Words | Koi suru nichiyobi watashi. Koishita (2007)
• Love on Sunday (2006)
• Female ("Taiyô no mieru basho made Segment") (2005)
• It's Only Talk (2005)
• Yokan (2005)
• L'amant (2004)
• Girlfriend: Someone Please Stop the World (2004)
• Kikansha sensei (2004)
• Vibrator (2003)
• Cops vs Cops short film (2003)
• Barber's Sorrow (2002)
• Labyrinth of Leg Fetishism) (2001)
• Tokyo Trash Baby (2000)
• I Am an S and M Writer (2000)
• The Night the Angel Turned Away (1999)
• On a Brighter Day (1999)
• Green | Midori (1996)

 

[sitenoise]

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[sitenoise]

Did I mention that my Volleyball Forum, InsideVolleyCountry, crashed and burned, so I'm kind of homeless. May have to start watching more movies again.

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[clayton-12]

I think I recall liking Her Granddaughter more than you. The only other one I've seen is Sayonara Kabukicho, which I also liked.

 

[sitenoise]

I think everyone liked Her Granddaughter a little more than me. I am, on principle, against films that, as I wrote back then, "I simply cannot get into a film where a guy with zero redeeming qualities wins the heart of a beautiful, intelligent woman."

Sayonara Kabukicho is a very close second for me behind Tokyo Trash Baby. I bet if I re-watched them both today their ranking would flip.

 

[plsletitrain]

Wow....

I haven't seen anything from him and I did a fast rundown of his filmography and some of the synopsis you listed and I'm leaning towards "bookmarking him for posterity".

But I still have a lot of exploring to do, i.e. watch the trailers and read the synopsis of his never-ending list of movies so I'm giving him a try.

 

[plsletitrain]

I see he has a film entitled "M" too. What's with you and the letter M? I'll call you Mr. M from now on. Hehe.

 

[clayton-12]

I simply cannot get into a film where a guy with zero redeeming qualities wins the heart of a beautiful, intelligent woman

I like to live in hope ...

 

[sitenoise]

I like to live in hope ...

 

[sitenoise]

I see he has a film entitled "M" too. What's with you and the letter M? I'll call you Mr. M from now on. Hehe.

That one is one of his weird sex flicks. I, me ... I actually thought this M went a little far into exploitation/abuse territory, but it's a powerful film 6.4117/10

 

[sitenoise]

Tokyo Trash Baby (Tokyo gomi onna) [2000] • Japan
Directed by Ryuichi Hiroki​

Miyuki (Mami Nakamura) is a girl in love with her upstairs neighbor, a musician. Instead of trying to meet him she is content with stealing his garbage and foraging through it to find things that will give her insight into his personality. She collects many things like empty cereal boxes, cigarette butts, love letters, musical scores; she discards a used condom, and creates a shrine to her love in her apartment. The story falls a little flat after she does eventually meet the guy face to face, but Miyuki is still fun to spend time with. As are a few peripheral characters in the film.

Tomorowo Taguchi plays the manager at a cafe where Miyuki works and is typical Taguchi-odd, but doesn't have much impact on the story. Kô Shibasaki plays co-worker, Kyoko, whose screen time is devoted exclusively to telling Miyuki stories of her sexual conquests, dreams and dilemmas ... and bumming smokes. Masahiro Toda plays a customer trying desperately to get Miyuki to go out with him but he's too boring to make an impact on her. His attempts at realizing love are face to face, but his loneliness prevents him from catching a clue. Both characters serve as juxtaposition to Miyuki and highlight my favorite theme of the film: loneliness. Kyoko has a very active social life but seems unfulfilled and lost. Miyuki (contrary to most observations on the film) isn't lonely. She is content and happy with her life. That's what makes her interesting. She controls her life, not her outside observers. Director Hiroki gives her the respect she deserves.

Mami Nakamura's performance makes this one a big winner. She's engaging, endearing, amusing, and sympathetic from start to finish. That's what it takes for a small film like this to succeed, a film which says: "Here's an offbeat character, do you like her? Does she draw you into her life, entertain you, and invite you to wonder what will happen to her?" It takes a clever script and a good performance. Tokyo Trash Baby delivers on both accounts. It's part of the Love Cinema series of six straight-to-video releases which also includes Takashi Miike's Visitor Q. It's a low-budget affair shot on Digital Video. It uses all natural lighting and sometimes the glare from an open window distracts but never gets in the way. It's a testament to the strength of the story and performance that technical limitations do not derail the project at all.

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[plsletitrain]

I love your review! I'll watch this.

In case I don't find a copy, can I make a shameless request again????

Edit: Its there on my convenience store.

 

[sitenoise]

I love your review!View attachment 6688 I'll watch this.

In case I don't find a copy, can I make a shameless request again???? View attachment 6687

Edit: Its there on my convenience store.

This one might be a little slow for you. Look for Kabukicho Love Hotel, maybe. Or Vibrartor--which is the one that made him famous. I was trying to think of which one I might recommend for you. Still not sure, but those two are his "most popularly" regarded.

Here's my list in rated order, mostly: https://letterboxd.com/sitenoise/list/ryuichi-hiroki-japanese-gem/

 

[plsletitrain]

Thanks! I'll start with Kabukicho (its also there, thankfully) then move to Tokyo Trash Baby. Vibrator--man, the title sounds erm.......... wholesome??? I wonder how will my friends react if I tell them "Hey I just watched Vibrator!!!" Its not on my convenience store so if I like the first two, I might bother you with a copy of Vibrator. I still have to check though if the director appeals to me. I'll decide after I watch the first two.

 

[sitenoise]

Keep in mind that this guy makes films like that Pancreas movie, sitenoise movies, and sex movies. His sex movies are his best, I think, because they have the best characters. He started his career in porn and softcore.

Kabukicho is a sex movie, and by sex movie I mean they center on a woman where sexuality is a large part of what occupies them. Almost all his movies are about a woman. Kabukicho is probably the most "ensemble" type movie he's ever made.

More or less this is how I would break them down (of the ones I've seen):

Sex movies: Vibrator, M, I Am an S&M Writer, L'amant, Girlfriend: Someone Please Stop the World (kind of--it's also a sitenoise movie)
Sitenoise movies: River, Yellow Elephant, Tokyo Trash Baby
Pure Love: Strobe Edge, Love on Sunday I & II, Wolf Girl & Black Prince, April Bride, Your Friends, New Type, Policeman and Me

 

[plsletitrain]

Thanks for the heads-up. I was about to start exploring on him already but was distracted over some things so I'll start watching his works in the coming days. I'm not at all against sitenoise movies as long as I can see there's a light at the end of the tunnel, some redeeming factors I also can't pinpoint. I'm all for pure love movies but the sex movies quite intrigue me. Are they clean or should I start another "Porn vs. art material" thread again. That's one aspect I quite want to engage in a discussion on, but I haven't seen the right amount of films to be able to come up with a thesis.

Just the other day I watched Paolo B.'s latest movie (I'll write the review later) and there was one scene where I hit the buzzer. There's a scene where the lead girl, very beautiful and sexy, was in slo-mo shown sipping water from coconut, projected sexily, and she made a facial maneuver of someone who's licking a lollipop (or something like that) and while I believe the men are screaming "More! More!", I said its foul. I know I'm a grumpy old man, but the scene didn't call for it. Anyway, enough of the rambling. What I'm trying to say is, I'd like to dissect these sex movies if these scenes really are called for or are just made to pleasure the viewer.

 

[sitenoise]

Wow

I just re-watched Kabukichô Love Hotel. It is such a brilliant fists-pumping-in-the-air "Oh no don't shoot hey great shot" 10/10 of a film I'm speechless.

Oh wait, no I'm not.

Don't shoot:
The number of coincidental plot points Hiroki crams into the film is beyond eye-rolling.
If you introduce your characters by them giving a three minute expository sob story of their whole life, you're doing it wrong.

Great shot:
Hiroki makes you feel real empathy for FIFTEEN unbelievable characters.
The flick is filled with great actors/actresses and Hiroki gives the money shot to the J-pop girl from AKB48 who can't act her way out of a paper bag and she nails it.