▲ Japanese national superstar Takayuki Yamada , and up-and-coming starlette Misato Morita, who portray director Toru Muranishi and porn star Kaoru Kuroki, are the soul of the movie. They have naked and bold scenes in the drama
Adapted from the biography of legendary Japanese porn director Toru Muranishi, “The Naked Director” available on Netflix in August this year has made a buzz after its debut online. Throughout 8 episodes of season 1, the main character Toru Muranishi, whom Japanese national star Takayuki Yamada portrays, demonstrated the “awakening” from a regular and honest English learning material salesman to a porn grandmaster, and his twisted part of life. Netflix has already officially announced the filming of season 2 under fans’ eager anticipation.
Netflix productions have already become quality guarantee in the hearts of fans. The production of this drama is also a very high level. The acting, the story and the filming are all extraordinary. The evolution of the Japanese porn industry in the 80s is precisely presented and also showed the younger audience 1980s Japan: the popular hairstyles, outfits, TV shows, and the somewhat mysterious Kabukicho streets.
Pixelated or not? The fight for porn liberation
How is a porn film made? The filming process is presented in great detail and excellent cinematography in the drama many times. In addition to satisfying the audience’s curiosity, it also gives prominence to one of the themes in the drama: the struggle between “legal regulation” and “porn liberation”.
Toru Muranishi almost ignores rules and realizes his ideal creations without consideration of other’s opinions. In pursuit of a real and “not pixelated” life, He has never wavered even after in jail several times. David against Goliath is indeed a wonderful story.
Back to today in 2019, even general games, movies, novels, and other public entertainment are still facing similar issues. There seems to be no end to the struggle between “social order and morals” and the “freedom of expression by creators”. However, what is even greater about this drama is that important characters such as the policeman Takei, the industry tycoon Ikezawa, and the gangster Furuya, display the hidden power structure behind.
▲ The three people who seem like they have nothing in common: director Toru Muranishi (center), his younger brother (left), and the company president, have gone through thick and thin to create a porn empire that shocked the world
The never ending search for the real self
As an art unitverstity student who goes into Kabukicho alone, Kaoru Kuroki declares that she wants to be in a porn film; this is how Kaoru Kuroki debuts in the show. Her apperance is like a rich girl , but she says something close to the bone and insisted on never shaving her armpits. All these shocking behaviors appear to be that most real to human and self from the view of Muranishi and Kuoki.
It is inevitable in life that we pretend in work or in our social life, but will there ever be a moment when we truly let go of our pretense? What is the so-called real self? We may get some inspiration from these two unique people.
▲ The up-and-coming starlet Misato Morita who plays Kaoru Kuroki has given outstanding bold performances in the show and shown the voice of searching herself
At the end of “Heisei” today, let’s take a look back at the ending of “Showa”
The finale of season 1 concludes at the end of the Showa period. It connects the vivid characters in the drama to the change of the time. Many characters have mumbled “Time is different.”
Heisei has concluded at this moment and the brand new Reiwa has come. We reminisce the Naked Director at that time on the screen and think that he may be limited to this moment as well. So who is pushing the so called time to move forward? If everything comes from mutual influence, then who is truly “the one who changes the world”? What do you think?
▲”The Naked Director”, the well-known image of Toru Muranishi in the minds of the Japanese people is him wearing only underwear and carrying a camera for a POV filming angle
▲Trailer