The Naked Director (2019-2021) [Drama Review]

The Naked Director; or, The World is Yours
     People have seen my asshole, but I’m not embarrassed. To be human is to live as who you really are. In other words, adult videos show humanity itself.
This week’s review is going to be a bit different. First off, I have to explain that I am not a fervent fan of pornography. Obviously, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so I am not going to shun anyone who is into that type of stuff, but to me, this is not a form of “entertainment” at all. Still, I could not resist the temptation to check out The Naked Director as soon as I heard about Netflix’s release of the second season at the end of June, 2021. The aspect which attracted me so much to this drama is not the NSFW content, but rather the historical outline of a forbidden branch of Japanese cinema. This is my review of The Naked Director.

Release Info

Directed by: Masaharu Take, Eiji Uchida, Hayato Kawai Starring: Takayuki Yamada, Shinnosuke Mitsushima

Language: Japanese Original Title: 全裸監督 No. of eps.: 16 (two seasons)

Synopsis
Hokkaido, 1980. Toru Muranishi (Takayuki Yamada) is a typical salaryman who lives in an ordinary home together with his mother, wife, and two children. In order to avoid being fired by his company, he learns from the best co-worker the art of salesmanship. When things finally start going in the right direction for Toru, he discovers that his wife is cheating on him. On top of that, his company went bust. Frustrated and depressed, Toru accidentally gets himself entangled in the adult industry. From illegal audio tapes through uncensored magazines to feature-length movies, Toru embarks on a journey to break the conservative boundaries and become the Showa era’s “King of Porn”.

Nice Desu Ne!!!

The very first piece of information which you get from Netflix trailers is that this drama is actually based on real events. Yes, Toru Muranishi is a real guy and what you see on the screen happened in reality. The writers team mainly relied on the non-fiction book Zenra Kantoku Muranishi Toru Den by Nobuhiro Motohashi, and I have to say that the attention to detail in this drama is impressive. We get interview/reality show clips recreated to a t, and you can cross-check that with YouTube. This emphasis on truthfulness makes the story of Toru Muranishi all the more insane for the viewers.

I think the best way to describe this drama is to call it a crossover between Scarface (1983) and Boogie Nights (1997). Obviously, Toru is not Tony Montana and NSFW scenes are not included just for the sake of explicitness. Instead, the drama essentially shows us the rise and fall of one man within a society which is so secretive about its approach towards sexuality.

Season 1 presents us with Toru’s ascension to stardom as he battles a JAV industry mogul (Ryo Ishibashi), yakuza mobster (Jun Kunimura), and a corrupt police officer (Lily Franky). Yet, this season also focuses on another character: a shy girl Megumi (Misato Morita) who eventually becomes Kaoru Kuroki, the undisputable legend of adult movies who cements Toru’s reputation as a naked director.

Interestingly, season 2 tones down the explicit sequences but ramps up the action aspect (chases, shootouts, yakuza confrontations, etc.). Toru becomes obsessed with the idea of satellite television which eventually becomes his undoing. In this series, he is a sort of a douchebag, a Don Quixote-like character with delusions of grandeur. Yet, the supporting characters come into the spotlight with their gripping arcs: Toshi (Shinnosuke Mitsushima) falls in love with a yakuza lady, Kawada (Tetsuji Tamayama) regains faith in himself, whereas Kaoru Kuroki (Misato Morita) finally discovers her true identity.

To be honest, apart from the wonderful narrative, I have to praise the crazy awesome production design which is filled with late 80s/early 90s aesthetics. In addition, the music score composed by Taisei Iwasaki is absolutely epic. From the main theme through incidental music to the usage of popular English songs, I couldn’t help but feel constantly excited. The editing is yet another thing not to be forgotten. At times, the drama has the production quality of a big budget motion picture.

With regard to performances, the cast is just top notch across the board. Takayuki Yamada steals the show as Toru Muranishi. Misato Morita is brilliant as Kaoru Kuroki, and Shinnosuke Mitsushima heartbreakingly awesome as Toshi. My personal favourite character is Junko the make-up artist, wonderfully played by Sairi Ito. I also appreciate that veteran actors and actresses appear in supporting roles.

Recommendations
Evidently, The Naked Director is a drama for mature audiences. If the adult theme does not put you off, then give this show a chance. Its ultimate message is that no matter how many times you lose, there’s always hope for a better tomorrow. Toru Muranishi himself reiterates this in an excellent interview he gave recently. I know it is wishful thinking, but I would love to see the third season exploring Toru’s misadventures with the DVD market in the 2000s. Overall score: 8/10

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