Ai no shinsekai

"A New Love in Tokyo" (1994), also known as "Tokyo Decadence 2," directed by Ryu Murakami, is a provocative and unflinching exploration of the lives of two sex workers in Tokyo's seedy underbelly. The film follows Rei (Miho Nikaido), an S&M dominatrix, and Ayumi (Yuriko Ishida), a call girl, as they navigate the complexities of their professions and personal lives.

The film's strength lies in its raw and unapologetic portrayal of the sex industry, shedding light on the harsh realities and power dynamics that govern this world. Murakami's direction is unflinching, capturing the gritty and often uncomfortable details with a voyeuristic lens that both captivates and unsettles the viewer.

Miho Nikaido's performance as Rei is a standout, delivering a nuanced and compelling portrayal of a woman who finds empowerment in her dominatrix persona while grappling with her own vulnerabilities. Her scenes with clients are intense and boundary-pushing, yet never feel gratuitous or exploitative. Yuriko Ishida as Ayumi brings a contrasting softness to the narrative, portraying the struggles and emotional toll of a call girl with subtlety and depth.

However, the film's pacing is uneven. Some scenes drag on unnecessarily, while others feel rushed and underdeveloped. The parallel storylines of Rei and Ayumi don't always mesh seamlessly, leaving the narrative feeling disjointed at times. This lack of cohesion can be jarring and detracts from the overall impact of the film.

Additionally, while the film aims to explore the complexities of sex work, it sometimes falls into the trap of sensationalism, relying too heavily on shock value rather than nuanced character development. This approach can overshadow the more profound aspects of the story, making it difficult for the audience to fully engage with the characters' journeys.

Despite its flaws, "A New Love in Tokyo" remains a thought-provoking and daring exploration of a taboo subject matter. Murakami's unflinching gaze and the strong performances from the lead actresses make it a compelling, if imperfect, addition to the canon of Japanese erotic cinema. It's a film that pushes boundaries and provokes discussion, even if it doesn't always hit the mark.

I enjoyed this a lot, although it is a little uneven and could have been trimmed a bit. Nevertheless and particularly if you are a fan of photographer extraordinaire, Nobuyoshi Araki, this is most watchable. I see Araki is credited with the story, if not the script and the film does seem to reflect the photographers interests. The man himself appears snapping away gleefully as the wondrous Sawa Suzuki, cracks her whip. Throughout this free flowing movie the b/w photos of Araki punctuate the various scenes and on occasion this is almost a film based around those stills. On the one hand there is a sex agency for which several girls offer various services, including SM from the aforementioned lovely Sawa. On the other is an aspiring acting group both practising their art and rehearsing for a forthcoming production. There is much cross over and we see various 'actors' in their real life jobs, including call girl and police man, often practising their lines as they go about their work. This is not a Tokyo and Shibuya district in particular that anyone who has not visited will be aware of and yet I can confirm that this is a fantastic swirling and impressionistic vision of that part of that fantastic city. There is plenty of flesh and SM on show but also more tender moments and comedy. The very extent of the mix might be too much for some but provided you don't mind edgy cinema, surely there is something here for everyone. And what a fantastic ending.

Yet another one of those sex report movies. This time we deal with Japanese call girls who please all kind of desires. If you expect to see all actors denuding you are wrong. This feature seems to follow really more the ambition of being a report than just offering teenie sex. >

Nobuyoshi Araki is one of Japan's leading photographers. His photos woven throughout the film were a highlight to me.

Sawa Suzuki was Rei, an aspiring actress who made money as a dominatrix while she worked on getting parts. Beats waiting tables, I would imagine.

Reiko Kataoka is Ayumi, who pretends to be an underage prostitute (the middle aged men like that) to save money to get married to her boyfriend, who is trying to get into medical school (he doesn't know what she does).

Rei and Ayumi become friends, so we experience their lives outside of work. It is not a picture of Japan that is familiar. They could be girls out for a good time in any major city. In fact, you could call them BFFs and look upon this as a chick flick were it not for the sex. I would guess that females aged 18-29 would give it the highest ratings.

Not being overly familiar with domination, I found that part very interesting. That businessmen and even Yakuza could subject themselves to humiliation to reduce stress was fascinating.

This movie really follows four lives. But it's only two people. The first is professionally a dominatrix and the second her personal life including being an actress at an amateur theatre. The third is a call girl with the fourth being her personal life and relationship. All four come together along with others including the theatre troop and other characters.

This movie's claim to fame (even listed in IMDB trivia) is that it was the first Japanese film to show full, unpixilated frontal female nudity. Well, it isn't actually. There is quite a bit of nudity but not always presented when or how you might expect. One of the screenwriters is famed photographer Nobuyoshi Araki and he took black & white nude pictures of one character which are shown throughout the film. The nudity is not IMO the reason for watching this film.

This really explores the lives in depth of the two female characters and their dual lives. It has some funny moments especially one scene yet this is not a comedy. It shows their professional lives, both the good and bad. Plus the complexities of their personal lives. And their professional and personal lives sometimes cross.

The cast is excellent and the two female leads are outstanding. The direction is brilliant. Every scene seems to lead to the next. Normally I am very good at predicting things and in a movie but not in this film at all. Should say that although this film was made in 1994 it does not feel dated at all.

I rated this a 9 out of 10. Not sure why I deducted one point. Probably because it is not Casablanca. Tho I just enjoyed this film for the second time in several years and will enjoy it again another time. If you're expectations are for a softcore movie you might be disappointed. Instead if you seek a character study that hits all the points, this is the film for you.