Pure Japanese (2022) [Film Review]

Pure Japanese; or, Bilateral Frenzy
     Raised right paws beckon fortune, raised left paws beckon people. Both paws raised means beckoning both.
On the basis of the film’s title, you probably expect me to say something like “Here comes the latest showfest of quirkiness from Japan”. Well, I am not going to say it. Indeed, Daishi Matsunaga’s Pure Japanese gives off the vibe of being an homage to Takashi Miike’s style of filmmaking with the violence factor cranked up to the max. However, the film is actually a thoughtful examination of cultural hybridity and modern issues which are plaguing Japan.

Release Info

Directed by: Daishi Matsunaga Starring: Dean Fujioka, Aju Makita, Tetsu Watanabe

Language: Japanese Original Title: ピュア・ジャパニーズ Runtime: 87 min

Synopsis
Daisuke Tateishi (Dean Fujioka) works as an “action actor” in a historical theme park. He ended up doing this job because of a traumatic accident from the past, which forced him to leave the United States. Meanwhile, a local politician (Tetsuya Bessho) harasses an old farmer Ryuzo (Tetsu Watanabe) and his granddaughter Auymi (Aju Makita) because he wants to get their land. Daisuke steps into action and protects Ayumi. However, conflict with the yakuza evokes within him the insatiable desire for violence, something which he tried to suppress for a long time.

True Grit
I have to say that I am not a die-hard fan of Dean Fujioka but even to me it is evident that Pure Japanese was a passion project for the actor. In the press booklet, Fujioka says that his personal experience of living in-between Japan and the United States served as a source of inspiration: “What does it mean to be a Japanese in the society today? Is it the blood? Nationality? If Japanese language is the OS to control the mind and action of those who speak, maybe our lives are just a vehicle for that OS.”

Indeed, the movie strives to elaborate upon the theme of Japanese identity. Screenwriter Tatsuo Kobayashi provides us with an all too familiar storyline centering on a lonely warrior who reluctantly has to save the day (see numerous flicks of such kind with Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme) and recognisable tropes (a high school girl with a gun, ninjas, and deadly yakuza); however, the main protagonist is not given some magical MacGuffin which allows him to embrace his distinct nationality. Rather than that, the actual MacGuffin (a medical test called “Pure Japanese'') forces him to question the concept of kokutai.

In my opinion, this was a very clever approach. The movie obviously takes cues from Quentin Taratino, Takeshi Kitano, and the aforementioned Takashi Miike, but it is not just an action flick. It tries to emphasise an anti-globalist/anti-political stance of Yukio Mishima, especially in the bloody third act, and even references the famous writer.

That being said, the plotline is at times quite predictable, but smooth editing and cinematography compensate for this shortcoming. The music score is quite catchy, but it can be heard only during the film’s most important moments.

With regard to performances, Dean Fujioka is 100% in Sho Kosugi mode, which (given the context of the film) is a compliment. Aju Makita is a great addition as a damsel in distress. It was also great to see J-Drama veterans like Tetsu Watanabe and Kyusaku Shimada in the supporting roles.

Recommendations
If you are looking for an unconventional but not too out-of-the-ordinary revenge story, then I do recommend Pure Japanese. The movie is now officially out on Amazon Prime Video. My thanks go to the Copacetic PR agency for reaching out to me about the film. For more information, you can also visit the official movie site. If you can’t have enough of Dean Fujioka, then please do know that he recently released a new single.Overall score: 8/10

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