For those who have kept up with this site throughout the years, it is no secret that I’ve been a fan of the pinky violence genre. These are very special films, but unfortunately in the West there is not a great deal of information out there. With a couple of years worth of studying, researching, and fact-checking with my good friend Mikko, one of the most knowledgeable guys I’ve ever met in regards to Japanese film, I finally finished the next episode of my Weird Cinema documentary series. The Wild World of Pinky Violence details the rise of pinku eiga all the way to the demise of Toei’s pinky violence genre. The video runs a little long, 61 minutes, but if you have the time we certainly appreciate you taking the time to check out this labor of love.
Yuki Kazamatsuri, Ayako Ohta, Hiroko Fuji, and Tatsuya Hamaguchi.
The Plot: Yuki (Sakiko Kurata) is a young woman living in the big city and working as a school teacher. She hasn’t always been in this situation though, as she used to be a teacher in a small mining town called Akita. It was during this era of her life where she first met young Sueko. Unfortunately, it was also during this period where something awful happened to her, and since then she has tried to put it behind her. Living now in the big city of Tokyo, Yuki is surprised one day to hear from Sueko. It seems that Sueko has been busted for prostitution, among other charges. Sueko is a free-wheeling young woman who does what she wants, and as this young girl comes into her life, Yuki is reminded of the dark times she had in Akita. It was in Akita where she was attacked by a masked assailant, and the man she blamed for the crime also happened to be Sueko’s father. As it turns out, Sueko’s father may not have been the guilty party after all.
Eri Anzai, Rima Aono, Kazuyo Ezaki, and Maki Kawamura
The Plot: In a small coastal Japanese village, the mayor finds himself in a bit of a pickle. The town is missing any sort of allure or draw to outsiders, and the entire community is suffering because of it. In the past, there was once a team of female divers that regularly drew the attention of the outside world due to their very risque clothing. Unfortunately, the only diver left is well into her middle-age years. So, the mayor and the dive team send Nobuo, a charming young man who is apparently able to grab the attention of any female he makes a play for, into the big city in order to draw a handful of women back to their small town. The girls are all young, perky, and easily persuaded into taking this wacky job. Soon enough, a love triangle develops around Nobuo, and a local perverted monk makes a play for one of the girls. Crazy hijinks ensue.
The Plot: Asami is an office lady. This is of course a rather mundane work life, and unfortunately Asami’s social life doesn’t quite make up for it. Her on-again/off-again boss/boyfriend doesn’t seem to have a great deal of affection for her, yet she seems to have feelings for him. At the office, she keeps her eyes on Komako, the oldest girl on her floor, who has a reputation for sleeping with many of her male coworkers. Komako just wants to be loved, but she finds that within this male-dominated world, she is continually used and cast aside. When Asami finally has a sit-down conversation with Komako, she discovers that the woman is supposed to be celebrating her birthday the following day, so Asami invites her to her home to have dinner with she and her father. On this same day, Asami meets a very peculiar man walking down the street. He appears to be mentally slow, however, the strange young man comes close to attacking Asami, but he ultimately listens to her demands. As strange as it is, Asami and the young man become fast friends. Meanwhile, Komako is also becoming fast friends with Asami’s father. Asami ultimately finds herself torn between the affection that she has felt reciprocated with this stranger, and the feelings that she still has for her boss.
The Plot:Fairy in a Cage takes place during the heightened period that came near the end of the second World War. Kimiko Shimishiza (Naomi Tani) is a very pretty housewife who is married to a famous jeweler within Japan. Perhaps feeling that his time in power is soon to be over, or simply overdosing on this power, Judge Murayama has taken his position as chief of the secret police to some very deranged levels. Murayama is a sadist and gets off on torturing women, and when he sees Kimiko – he can not help himself. He searches for any potential reason to imprison the young homemaker. Eventually, he does find a link between Kimiko and a student who has produced anti-government propaganda, and faster than you can say “misogyny,” Judge Murayama has Kimiko stripped nude and hanging upside down in his basement. What follows is a degrading trip into psychosis. Kimiko’s only hope for survival is the end of the war, or a break in rank within this tight-knit family of military leaders.
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