Tokyo Pop

I really enjoyed this movie. The characters are real and likeable and the story is entertaining. The script is excellent and the exchanges between the Japanese and gaijin characters genuinely amusing and realistic. I loved the way the hero (Hiro) was always several beats behind in his responses to English. Anyone who has spent some time in Japan and has an interest in the Japanese music scene will find a lot to take delight in here. And the occasional desperation of a gaijin, feeling lost and alien in Japan, is cleverly portrayed. The people who made this movie really knew what they were on about, from the Japanese and the gaijin point of view.

The two lead actors are very believable and the other cast members are all excellent. The band scenes and the portrayals of the varied types of musicians are great fun.

I had never heard of this movie before I watched it and it was a revelation to find something so amusing and true about a place and a music that I love. Thank you to these film makers!

Hello! My name is Paula, I live in Argentina, and I've always had this odd fascination about this film, since I was a teenager actually, and I the last song performed by Carrie Hamilton was so enchanting! It is called "Never Forget", but I can't find it anywhere! and nobody seems to be interested in this film, or the movie soundtrack. Please contact me if you can provide me with some info. paula155@hotmail.com is my email address. I really don't get how this movie is so mysterious and has no fans clubs, forums, or things like that. It was really disappointing when I knew about Carrie's death. She was so young, and talented, her voice was an inspiration.

Tokyo Pop has been in my collection since it came out...I could not locate it anywhere..and bribed the video store owner into selling me her copy. This was not too difficult..she said it was never rented..except by me. The movie hooked me in the first scene..just Carrie Hamilton herself, visually. The rest of the movie followed suit..a feast of cultures for the eyes and ears, and a romantic quality as well...though bittersweet.

I loved the music from beginning to end..especially Hiro's Song. Even the instrumentals played during the sad parts were worthy of me taping..what I'd give to find the soundtrack. I particularly love Carrie's vocals..in Do You Believe In Magic...she gives it everything she's got. I was heartbroken to discover that she's passed away at 38 from cancer...awww.

A woman goes to Japan and ends up joining a band with a man she stars dating. They inadvertently become famous singing Do you believe in Magic and he falls in love with her. But she realizes that she doesn't belong and has to decide her fate.

This is a great look at late 80s Japan with loads of scenery and culture BUT it's also a cute little rom-com (ish) about music and following your own path. In a way it's similar to Lost in Translation (but obviously pre-dating that) in tone, but has a more bittersweet vibe. DEfinitely an overlooked movie that deserves more attention as it's cute and lighthearted.

I have never been to Japan -- the closest I've ever been to Japan has been the Sanrio store in my local mall during the time period when this film was made -- but I was once a young woman caught up in the post punk music scene and the character of Wendy (Carrie Hamilton) was very familiar to me. This film takes us to 1988 Japan through her eyes and is very effective at conveying her sense of isolation in a foreign land. Watching the movie 36 years after it was made still feels totally fresh, totally timeless. Our current fascination with K-pop gives us some familiarity with the Asian hit-making machinery and now there is not only one Sanrio store in my local mall but four! I highly recommend this movie to any of my young fellow shoppers. The creative force was also involved in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the titles are Keith Haring's work. "Tokyo Pop" is an entertaining cultural artifact that, in this sparkling preservation, is an undiscovered gem. A rare treasure by a woman director that deserves more recognition.