Okay! Madam (2020) [Film Review]

Okay! Madam; or, National Lampoon’s Airborne Vacation
     We have to go on this trip!
It has been a while, but I am getting back into Korean movies again. I am not sure if this is a long term thing or a passing mood, but I decided to check out some Korean comedies. My obvious first pick became Lee Chul Ha’s Okay! Madam from 2020. I admit that the movie would have totally missed my radar had it not been for a recommendation post made by my friend @penel over at MyDramaList.

Release Info

Directed by: Lee Chul Ha Starring: Uhm Jung Hwa, Park Sung Woong, Jung Soo Bin

Language: Korean Original Title: 오케이 마담 Runtime: 100 min

Synopsis
Mi Young (Uhm Jung Hwa) and Suk Hwan (Park Sung Woong) are a middle-class family. She runs a shop at a traditional market, and he is a technology wizard who fixes computers. All of a sudden, it turns out that they win a trip to Hawaii. The couple together with their daughter (Jung Soo Bin) board an exclusive plane. Nevertheless, family happiness is quickly disrupted when a group of terrorists takes over the plane. The assailants are looking for a former spy from North Korea who is allegedly on board. Mi Young and Suk Hwan step into action to save their daughter and the rest of the hostages.

High Anxiety
When I saw @penel’s feed post for the first time, I thought to myself, “Oh cool, it's a plane movie!” It was only later when I realised that Okay! Madam is also a comedy. Indeed, it is very hard to make a successful comedy set on board of an aircraft. However, there are a few noticeable examples, such as Airplane! (1980) and Happy Flight (2008).

Okay! Madam is a very light-hearted and briskly paced fun entertainment. It even manages to conjure up a few plot twists along the way. Consequently, I am very grateful I checked out the film without paying attention to the plot synopsis or watching a spoiler-charged theatrical trailer. I suggest you do this as well in order to get full enjoyment out of the movie.

I realise that some demanding viewers may be put off by the film’s low production value. Evidently, it was made on a tight budget, which can be seen in many CGI shots of a plane in distress, whereas all the interior shots were shot in studio conditions. Still again, the greatest advantage of the movie is the script and great performances of the leads.

Speaking about performances, Uhm Jung Hwa is having such a field day in this movie! I mainly know the actress from her dramatic endeavours, but in Okay! Madam she clearly demonstrates her comic abilities. Park Sung Woong is also funny as the geeky husband. Lee Sang Yoon makes a standard appearance as your ordinary Mr Tough Guy, but he does well with his role. The rest of the supporting appearances are fine, but do not particularly stand out.

Recommendations
Even though the film is a Korean production, it makes me wonder if the title is actually a witty reference to Corey Yuen's action-packed Yes, Madam! (1985) which jettisoned Michelle Yeon into stardom. All in all, I greatly enjoyed Okay! Madam. The movie is available on numerous streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime. Overall score: 8/10

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Samjin Company English Class (2020) [Film Review]

Samjin Company English Class; or, Girl Power!
     Do you know why office workers can’t be detectives? We have neither time nor authority.
I think I would not have discovered this film if it had not been for a recommendation from my wonderful friend from MDL, Yuanwei. Samjin Company English Class is a 2020 comedy drama directed by Lee Jong Pil and Lee Jung Beom. It is yet another motion picture (see Office Royale: Hell’s Garden and Shomuni franchise) focusing on the challenging plight of hardworking office ladies.

Release Info

Directed by: Lee Jong Pil, Lee Jung Beom Starring: Go Ah Sung, Esom, Park Hye Soo

Language: Korean Original Title: 삼진그룹 영어토익반 Runtime: 110 min

Synopsis
South Korea, 1995. This is a time of major economic growth for the country. Companies are expanding to international markets and Windows has become a leading operating system across the globe. We follow three office ladies: Lee Ja Young (Go Ah Sung), Jeong Yoo Na (Esom), and Sim Bo Ram (Park Hye Soo) who are forced to do petty tasks at Samjin Corporation. Nevertheless, the three friends are ambitious and resourceful. They want to climb up the career ladder. As a result, they sign up to TOEIC-level English class. One day, Lee Ja Young accidentally discovers that there is a spill of a toxic substance known as Phenol from the Samjin factory. The office ladies begin their private investigation in the course of which they uncover a corporate conspiracy.

English is easy
I have to say that Samjin Company English Class feels very much like a spiritual companion piece to Shomuni (1998). The narrative structure is the same: OLs with vibrant personalities are basically the underdogs, and they oppose their white-collar superiors; the time setting fits perfectly: the 1990s; and even their company uniforms look very similar. Needless to say, these are the basic ingredients which make this movie entertaining, and even better than the reboot season of Shomuni from 2013.

I very much appreciated that the main heroines are not hateful or toxic towards each other, but from beginning to the end, they had each other’s back and were really engaged in doing their own investigation/corporate espionage. What is more, each character utilised her personal skill to get the job done. At first, I thought that the English class with this introverted, yet a bit impatient teacher (totally me, by the way) was just a comic-relief gimmick, but it actually served a purpose in the context of the film! In consequence, I very much value the message coming from this movie. That is: If you want to achieve something, you need to better yourself and never give up.

The ending was, in general, satisfying but a bit convoluted. In order to understand what is going on, you need to have a good idea of how big corporations actually work. Initially, I thought that there would be a hostile takeover, but actually, the baddies lowered the value of a company and tried to merge it with another one. I hope I understood this correctly. I sucked at a Business English course at my university. In addition, I don’t think that what I just wrote is a spoiler because there are many plot twists in the finale.

Speaking about performances, I love all the main actresses so much! Esom in particular won me over with her elegant and confident demeanour. Go Ah Sung is adorable as the office lady who wants to make a difference. Sim Bo Ram is extremely funny as a reserved maths genius who constantly looks for a fish called Rambo(!). Kim Jong Soo has a great supporting part as Sim Bo Ram’s mentor and friend. It is also nice to see Bae Hae Seon in a small role as a copywriter. As for David McInnis (who did very well as the CEO), casting foreign actors as baddies in Korean productions gradually becomes a clichéd trope. Please someone do something about this.

Recommendations
Samjin Company English Class is worth your attention mainly due to great performances, wonderful retrowave music score, top-notch production design, and cinematography filled with warm colours. The end credits constitute a separate, little artwork as well! So yes, you can’t go wrong with these office ladies. I am hoping that there is a chance for a sequel.

Overall score: 8/10

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Citizen Kitano (2020) [Documentary Review]

Citizen Kitano; or, A Tribute to the Auteur!
     I intentionally shoot action to make the audience feel real pain. I have never and I will never shoot violence as if it’s some kind of action video game.
It goes without saying that Takeshi Kitano gained widespread international attention in the 1990s, but French occupation with the Japanese director should be categorised as a separate phenomenon. Apart from releasing Kitano’s productions on the European market, France would also translate his books and collections of essays. Yves Montmayeur’s 2020 documentary called Citizen Kitano is yet another proof of how much the Japanese legend is revered there. Let’s see together how it holds up.

Release Info

Directed by: Yves Montmayeur Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Katsumi Yanagijima, Kayoko Kishimoto

Language: French, Japanese Runtime: 52 min

From Street Kid to TV Star
I was lucky enough to catch the documentary on the Canal+ channel in my country. The documentary lasts slightly over 50 minutes, so it is not a lot of time to cover Kitano’s rich cinematic legacy, but Citizen Kitano manages to get through the major points in a succinct way.

We start off with Kitano’s childhood. Where he came from and what his background was. These memoirs are accompanied by animation clips as well as old photos. Then, we move on to his stage endeavours as ‘Beat’ Takeshi and a career on Television in the 1980s. This part of the documentary includes a lot of previously unknown archive footage from Kitano’s reality shows. What is more, the narration is accompanied by insightful interviews from Kitano himself as well as actress Kayoko Kishimoto, director of photography Katsumi Yanagijima, and journalist Michel Temman.

The interviews are undoubtedly the best part of the documentary as they present the fans with new information on the elusive figure of Kitano; however, the director’s “pretentious” (for lack of a better word) narration is unforgivable. It seems as if Yves Montmayeur relentlessly tries to frame Takeshi, with the usage of inventive adjectives and comparisons, as a kind of an underdog battling the disbelievers who fail to recognise his creative talent. Indeed, Kitano had a hard time transitioning from the realm of TV to cinema, and his movies did not sell well in Japan, but it does not mean by default that the whole public perceived him as an misunderstood outcast.

The part of the documentary which covers Kitano’s movies also leaves a bit to be desired. Montmayeur focuses primarily on Kitano’s popular yakuza flicks, such as Violent Cop (1989), Sonatine (1993), and Hana Bi (1997) as well as the director’s intertextual pieces like Takeshis (2005) and Glory to the Filmmaker! (2007). However, Kitano’s sensitive side reflected in A Scene at a Sea (1991), Kikujiro (1999), Dolls (2002), and Achilles and a Tortoise (2008) is barely scratched.

Still, I admire that the documentary shows off Kitano’s activity as a painter and modern commentator on the political and social issues in Japan. We even get a short interview with the Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, who describes her encounter with Kitano dressed up as Donald Trump.

Arguably, the most interesting and heart-warming statements come from Kayoko Kishimoto who has collaborated with Kitano since the 1980s. The actress really manages to capture the multifaceted image of the director who is either hated or loved by cinemagoers.

Recommendations
All things considered, if you are a die-hard fan of Takeshi Kitano, you probably will not get a lot of new info out of this documentary. Still, it is worth checking it out for the interviews and archive footage. Dear Netflix, I am still waiting for the live-action movie inspired by Kitano’s life. Don’t disappoint me!

Overall score: 7/10

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Tezuka's Barbara (2020) [Film Review]

Tezuka’s Barbara; or, Deadly Temptation
     A woman like the city's excrement from the millions of people that it consumed and digested. That was Barbara.
As the title of the film suggests, Tezuka's Barbara is a live-action adaptation of a manga created by the legendary artist Osamu Tezuka. The movie was conceived by his son, Macoto Tezuka, in order to celebrate the mangaka's 90th anniversary of birth. Barbara remains one of Tezuka's most serious works, exploring the themes of creativity, infatuation, occultism, violence, and obsession.

Release Info

Directed by: Macoto Tezuka Starring: Fumi Nikado, Goro Inagaki, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Eri Watanabe, Minami

Language: Japanese Original Title: ばるぼら Runtime: 100 min

Synopsis
While leaving the Tokyo subway, a famous novelist Yosuke Mikura (Goro Inagaki) notices a drunk woman lying on the ground and citing poetry. Her name is Barbara (Fumi Nikado). Mikura takes in a vagrant woman, but they do not get along with each other. However, Mikura is repeatedly saved by Barbara whenever something strange and dangerous happens to him. The woman becomes his muse. As he is writing a novel about Barbara, Mikura distances himself from his friends and colleagues. He intends to marry mysterious Barbara but supernatural forces get in the way...

Manga Femme Fatale
I admit that I had not read the original manga prior to seeing the film, so I am unable to provide a comparative analysis between the source material and its adaptation. However, from what I have found out on sites devoted to Osamu Tezuka, it becomes apparent that the movie encapsulates the essence of the manga in a very effective way.

We see an insecure writer slowly sliding into madness because of the titular Barbara. Just who exactly is she? An angel or a demon? A real woman or a figment of imagination? She saves the writer from falling prey to jealousy, egoism, and greed, but at what cost? Yosuke loses his grip on reality as he engages in a passionate relationship with a woman who changed the course of his life.

Indeed, the movie has a distinct arthouse feeling thanks to top notch production design, jazz-like music score, and drop dead gorgeous cinematography provided by none other than Christopher Doyle (the director of photography who worked on such amazing films as Chungking Express (1994), In the Mood for Love (2000), and Hero (2002)). Needless to say, the technical aspects are the primary advantages of Tezuka’s Barbara.

With regard to the screenplay by Hisako Kurosawa, the story is very ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations. Evidently, due to its strong focus on adult themes, the movie is not for everybody. At times, it strives to match the explicit edginess of Park Chan Wook’s The Handmaiden (2016), but the final result is not that spectacular as in the case of the Korean picture.

In terms of performances, Goro Inagaki and Fumi Nikado are amazing in the leading roles. They made me feel really immersed in the surreal reality of Tezuka’s Barbara. In addition, the viewers can also notice Kiyohiko Shibukawa and Eri Watanabe in supporting roles.

Recommendations
If you want to experience a sensual, arthouse spectacle, then shut the blinds, turn on dim lights, and play Tezuka’s Barbara. Make sure to grab the Third Window Films release which comes out at the end of June! It’s an All Region release in dual format (DVD as well as Blu-Ray) that contains the following bonus features: a look at behind the scenes, interviews with Macoto Tezuka and Christopher Doyle, interviews with Goro Inagaki and Fumi Nikado, deleted scenes, alternative ending. My thanks go to the distributor for sharing the screener.Overall score: 7/10

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The Confidence Man JP: Princess (2020) [Film Review]

The Confidence Man JP: Princess; or, Anything Goes in Malaysia

     What you see isn’t always real. What’s real? What’s fake? Was Princess Diana’s death really an accident? Did Cinderella drop her glass slipper on purpose? Princess Kaguya demanded treasure from the rich, then vanished to the moon. Was she a scammer too? Welcome to the world of confidence men!
After checking out the first Confidence Man JP theatrical movie from 2019, I had low expectations for the sequel. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised because Princess is a brilliant and ridiculously entertaining film that does justice to the whole franchise.

Release Info

Directed by: Ryo Tanaka Starring: Masami Nagasawa, Masahiro Higashide, Fumiyo Kohinata, Shinya Kote

Language: Japanese Original Title: コンフィデンスマンJP プリンセス編 Runtime: 124 min

Synopsis
Two years after their ordeal in Hong Kong, Dako (Masami Nagasawa), Boku-chan (Masahiro HIgashide), and Richard (Fumiyo Kohinata) join forces again in order to trick the Fu family from Langkawi, Malaysia. After the death of Richard Fu (Kinya Kitaoji), the head of the family, his three spoiled children are left out of the will because everything is to be inherited by a certain Michelle Fu, an illegitimate daughter who is missing. The team takes advantage of this situation by introducing their own “Michelle Fu” played by Kokkuri (Nagisa Sekimizu), a daughter of Dako’s old friend.

Slipping Through My Fingers
Evidently, director Ryo Tanaka and Ryota Kosawa have learned their lesson from the first film and turned Princess into a truly cinematic experience. This motion picture is funny, exciting, suspenseful, and, above all, touching. However, in order to fully enjoy it, you need to at least check out the first episode of the drama, SP feature, and the first movie. In the universe of The Confidence Man JP, everything is interconnected and thus many familiar faces make brief appearances as well as contribute to the storyline with their own mini-subplots.

Nevertheless, returning characters are not the core of this picture. The Confidence Man JP: Princess feels with its light-hearted style, exotic locations, vibrant costumes, and lavish production design like Mamma Mia! (2008), but without ABBA songs. Instead, we get the usual magic from our favourite hustlers, sprinkled with a heart-warming message about believing in oneself and never giving up.

In terms of performances, the entirety of the main cast gave their very best. Apart from brilliant performances of Masami Nagasawa, Masahiro Higaside, and Fumiyo Kohinata, I particularly liked the return of Haruma Miura and Yuko Takeuchi. May their souls rest in peace. Nagisa Sekimizu also had wonderful onscreen chemistry with Masami (their scenes are the best!). In addition, Vivian Hsu and Kyohei Shibata were absolutely amazing in supporting roles. Especially Shibata as the family’s caretaker won me over. This guy would make an amazing Alfred in a Batman movie.

What is more, keep an eye out on small but extremely hilarious appearances of Mari Hamada, Kenichi Takito, Kinya Kitaoji, Dewi Soekarno, and GACKT! I also think it’s also not much of a spoiler to say that Yosuke Eguchi reprises his role as Akaboshi. At first, I thought the subplot with Akaboshi is just flogging a dead horse at this point in the franchise, but his short confrontation with the confidence team actually works very well in Princess.

Last but not least, I have to praise the effort of the cast in terms of handling multilingual dialogue. It is great fun to hear Masami, Masahiro, and Fumiyo communicating in Japanese, English, and Malay. Also, Vivian Hsu handled her English dialogue like a boss.

Recommendations
All things considered, The Confidence Man JP: Princess delivers on all fronts. It is everything I wanted it to be and so much more! FujiTV advertised the film as the final entry in the series, but I need at least six more movies! I strongly hope that they will get round to making the third part sometime soon. In my book, Princess is easily one of the best productions of 2020.Overall score: 9/10

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Leap (2020) [Film Review]

Leap; or, Comrades Can Jump

     Look at the court. You are the youngest and you have the strongest attack. I called you up to the national team when you were 18. Everything I've put you through, all leads up to today.
China relentlessly keeps churning out blockbuster pictures inspired by true events for a few good years now. Peter Chan’s production from 2020 is no exception from this trend, yet it manages to accomplish much more than recent state-approved movies made for the sole purpose of glorifying the might of the People’s Republic of China. Better warm yourselves up because we are taking a look at Leap.

Release Info

Directed by: Peter Chan Starring: Gong Li, Huang Bo, Bai Lang, Wu Gang, Peng Yuchang

Language: Mandarin Original Title: 奪冠 Runtime: 134 min

Synopsis
The film tells the story of how the Chinese National Women's Volleyball Team developed and entered the hallmarks of sports history. Throughout the period of 40 years, we see various generations of sports women pushing their efforts to the limits in order to win the Olympic championships. We follow the character of Lang Ping who was originally a member of the team in the early 1980s. After retiring from active sportsmanship, she became a coach, training various teams abroad, including the American one. After the shocking defeat of China at the 2008 Olympics, Lang Ping assumes the position of the head coach of the China national team. Sport enthusiasts and experts are not too hopeful about the team’s success at the approaching 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro…

  Crown Players
Leap was originally supposed to premiere to celebrate the Chinese New Year at the beginning of 2020, but it was pushed back to Fall because of the raging pandemic. In my opinion, the release delay works in the movie’s favour. Its motivational tone and zero-to-hero story arc is exactly what we the viewers need for 2021.

The beginning of the film might be slightly confusing at first. We start off with the match at the 2008 Olympics and the set up suggests that we are in for some kind of epic anime-like duel of fates between the coaches, Lang Ping (Gong Li) and Cheng Zhong He (Huang Bo). However, a lengthy flashback rushes to unravel the true story behind the protagonists. The journey begins in the 1980s when the up-and-coming volleyball players are training in spartan conditions under the watchful eye of the head coach Yuan Wei Min (Wu Gang). The trainer is just as merciless as Mickey from Rocky movies as he makes the team shed blood, sweat, and tears on the court while reminding them that they fight for the glory of China. At the same time, we see the formation of friendship between the team’s helper, young Cheng Zhong He (Peng Yuchang), and a young player, Lang Ping (played by Bai Lang, real Lang Ping’s daughter- picture above).

Initially, I thought that the introductory part of the film is a bit of a generic remix of sports drama tropes. However, when the second act kicked in, everything started making sense. Leap is not about being the champ all the time, but about conflicting approaches towards sports. The authority suits obviously demand results, but Lang Ping, after years of experience in the field, thinks that being the best is not the point. Giving all the effort during the challenge, regardless of the outcome, is what matters the most.

Leap may be the story about the team of underdogs; however, it also presents a wonderful friendship between Lang Ping and Cheng Zhong He that stands the test of time. It is so rare nowadays to see a fellow colleague in a professional field who is so supportive of your actions!

The movie also goes at lengths with regard to historical accuracy, providing the viewers with four most important events for the Chinese National Women's Volleyball Team: the practice match with the Jiangsu team (1980), the World Cup final game with Japan (1981), the Beijing Olympics (2008), and the quarterfinals in the Rio Olympics (2016). The last match is especially significant because the filmmakers brought on board real female players from that time. Yes, you see in the film real participants of that event, not actors. Interestingly, there was always an acting coach who aided the athletes during the shooting.

With regard to performances, Gong Li is magnificent as always. The role of Lang Ping, the true heroine of Chinese sports, is quite a breakaway from Gong Li’s standard drama roles, but the actress gives a flawless performance. I also greatly enjoyed Hung Bo as Cheng Zhong He. I guess everyone would like to have such a kind-hearted guy as their P.E. teacher. It was also interesting to see Bai Lang “portraying” her own mother.

Recommendations
All things considered, Leap is an enjoyable biographical sports film. It may not be as awesome as my all-time fave Hoosiers (1986), but it is really high up there. If you look for a decent motivational tale, then this is the movie for you. Wait till the end credits and you will be rewarded with some real footage of the national women’s team in action.
Overall score: 8/10

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Immigrant Experience and American Dreams: Interview with Bishrel Mashbat

 

When thinking about Mongolian films and artists, one can realise that such a topic is not extremely popular in mainstream culture. This does not mean; however, that this country does not have passionate filmmakers determined to communicate their voices to international audiences. For this interview, I sit down to talk with Bishrel Mashbat, the director of a 2018 movie In the Land of Lost Angels.

 

 

Is In the Land of Lost Angels your feature film debut? How did your career unfold prior to this movie?
Yes, it is my feature debut. Before this, I have spent many years editing documentaries and tv shows. I was doing various gigs really, anything I could get my hands on while trying to get a film made unsuccessfully.

 
How did the idea of making In the Land of Lost Angels come about?
Mainly I wanted to show Mongolians to the world. When I say I am Mongolian, most people have no clue of who we are. I wanted to show people how we looked, acted, walked, and talked like, albeit in a fiction setting. Furthermore, I wanted to make an Asian American film that is tonally different than what was out there. Lighthearted, comedic, or melodramatic films tend to dominate most Asian American Cinema. I wanted our film to feel different on a granular level. I wanted it to have a different texture.

 

 

The movie evidently deals with a popular theme of kidnapping. Did you draw inspirations from other popular films with similar story patterns, such as High and Low (1963) or Ransom (1996)?
Nope. I am not sure if I watched them before. Although our film deals with the topic of kidnapping, it meant something different to me, at least. One could also approach the kidnapping from an allegorical angle. 

 
I noticed on the cast and crew listing that a couple of actors share your surname. Could you tell us a bit more about the casting process?
My brother, Iveel Mashbat, plays Orgil's character. There are not a lot of Mongolian American actors out there, so pragmaticism might have played a role there. He also was a child actor, so the roots were there. My wife also appears briefly in the film.

 

 

How did you get American actors on board?
Most of them are my personal friends and fellow filmmakers. However, to answer your question directly: it took a lot of beers.

 
Have you been in any way inspired by Mongolian artists while making In the Land of Lost Angels?
Not particularly. Maybe rap artists. I used to drive a lot at night while writing the script, blasting Mongolian rap music in my car.

 

 

What was the reaction of the Mongolian diaspora in America upon seeing the movie?
Mongolian Americans responded very well. They have been championing this project since its inception. If they read this, I would like to thank every one of them.

 
Do you have any piece of advice for aspiring filmmakers from minority communities?
Being someone from a minority community, one might feel like they have a tougher hill to climb, but the flip side is that you bring a unique point-of-view and life experience. That will set you apart. Write what you know. Write a lot.

 

 

What are your future plans? Are you already working on a new motion picture?
Right before this crazy pandemic happened, I was filming my second feature. I was lucky enough to have my footage in the can before the lockdown happened. Consequently, I have spent most of the lockdown working on the post of my second film titled Beloved.

 
If you are interested in Bishrel's work, please refer to his official website. In the Last of Lost Angels can be viewed on Amazon Prime. Thank you for reading!

 

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Godzilla and Heroine (2020) [Documentary Review]

Godzilla and Heroine; or, Tokusatsu Mon Amour
     My work with Godzilla has reached an end.
As soon as I heard that NHK television released a new Godzilla documentary in late December, 2020, I knew I had to check it out. This new look at behind the scenes focuses on the theme of female thespians who had the honour of gracing the screen alongside the legendary King of the Monsters.

Release Info

Directed by: Takeshi Yagi Starring: Kumi MIzuno, Yumiko Shaku, Keiko Mari, Megumi Odaka

Language: Japanese Original Title: ゴジラとヒロイン Runtime: 90 min

In spite of my less-than-rudimentary knowledge of Japanese, I was able to grasp the gist of the documentary. The whole thing plays like a variety show, hosted by three people: Shiro Sano (who appeared as a scientist in Godzilla 2000), comedian Tsukaji Muha pretending to be a lab doctor, and actress Megumi Han playing an android. The three hosts begin the show by explaining the concepts of “Tokusatsu” and “Kaiju” and establishing different kinds of heroines.

At this point, the documentary slightly diverges from its title because it covers a wide range of actresses who appeared not only in Godzilla movies but also in other Tokusatsu productions of the Showa era (for example, the hosts show snippets from such films as The Mysterians (1957), The Three Treasures (1959), Matango (1963), Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965), and many more). As a result, the documentary transforms into a love letter to all the actresses who played in Japanese monster movies before these pictures became too-cool-for-school across the globe.

Apart from extensive retrospectives, the documentary also provides a look at previously unknown footage from the making of Tokusatsu films. In addition, the figure of Godzilla producer Tomoyuki Tanaka is outlined in detail.

With regard to special guests, the NHK studio is visited by Kumi Mizuno who reminiscences about her time on Godzilla films, and Yumiko Shaku who shows up in her full Kiryu Squadron uniform from Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) movie. Interestingly, she is very lively and energetic while interacting with the hosts (but her character in the movies was very serious and pessimistic). In addition, former Godzilla producer/Toho president Shogo Tomiyama also appears and has a conversation with the hosts and other guests.

The documentary also features pre-recorded interviews with two other actresses, Keiko Mari and Megumi Odaka. The first actress discusses her role in Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971), whereas Megumi Odaka goes over the story arc of her character, as presented in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).

Apart from these treats, Shino Sano provides a lecture-like talk about the development of Tokusatsu heroines over the years. To be honest, I would have appreciated these interjections more had it not been for the fact that Godzilla and Heroine does not treat itself seriously, constantly falling into the convention of a variety shows, because the viewers need to be entertained. As a result, we see Shiro Sano is some kind of a bar with loud music (as if he is about to promote Suntory whisky like Bill Murray) and Tsukaji Muha trying to re-enact the famous heroine screams.

I think that the documentary would have worked better if it had been a straightforward retrospective on all of the Godzilla heroines, something similar to Maryam d’Abo’s Bond Girls Are Forever (2002). In this documentary, a former Bond girl tracks down and interviews fellow beauties who appeared alongside Agent 007.

Recommendations
If you are an incurable Godzilla fan, then the documentary is definitely for you. However, you may not get any new information out of this viewing experience. All in all, it’s great that Godzilla’s heroines are still being remembered in the world of today. My respect goes to all the actresses, especially Momoko Kochi (picture above) who had the privilege of playing the first female character in a Godzilla movie.

Overall score: 7/10

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