Movies
Thorns of Love is a classic love triangle that deals with more serious themes in a fun and playful way. The plot isn't too exciting, but the performances are strong and the presentation is lush. There's also a nice balance between drama, romance, and lighter thriller elements. Add some interesting twists that shed a different light on each of the characters and you have a lovely little film that shines a new light on Jojo's career.
I Want to Be Killed by a High School Girl
A film that screams book (or manga) adaptation. The presentation is pleasant, but the story takes too much precedence and the constant voice-overs mixed with the convoluted plot make it difficult to get truly invested in the film. It betrays the film's more commercial goals. If the plot sounds a bit odd, is because it is. There's a proper explanation for all of it of course, but it's not that convincing and the many subplots detract from the main story. The performances aren't too great, but the cinematography is lovely and the contemporary score is a nice touch. It's a perfectly fine film, I just wish a better director could've handled it.Read all
I'm slowly discovering the work of Hideo Jôjô, and so far I like what I'm seeing. He seems to like tackling darker and/or slightly taboo subjects, but he does so in a very agreeable way. Love Nonetheless contrasts a "forbidden love" with a more traditional relationship, and the winner is clear. The performances are strong, the presentation is cozy and warm, and the dissimilarities between the two storylines are telling. Some will feel uncomfortable, but that is exactly the point of this film. I like movies that don't mind challenging traditional rules, something I'm sure I have in common with the director.Read all
A goofy mix of comedy and crime elements, padded to fit the pinku mould. The pinku scenes don't feel quite as out of place compared to some of the other films in the genre, but the structure is obvious and despite Jojo's valiant attempts, it still bears many of the weaknesses of its genre peers. The comedy is over-the-top, but that makes the setup rather amusing. It's all a bit lowbrow and the crime elements are superfluous, but considering the short runtime and the slick pacing, the film remains entertaining from start to finish. Jolly fun, but still miles removed from Jojo's recent work.Read all
Confessions: The Secrets of Machiko Matsuoka
A slightly more narrative-driven film than I expected, with some pretty dark themes. It's still a pinku at heart, but those scenes are pushed to the second half and they're framed pretty well within the plot. It's still a far stretch from Jojo's recent work, but you can feel that he had ambition beyond the pinku scene. The performances aren't the greatest and the setup of the drama is a little flaky, but the build-up to the finale is proper and these final scenes are quite effective. It's also a pretty short film, certainly not the worst of its kind, but if you have little interest in Jojo's oeuvre there isn't any big incentive to go out of your way to watch it.Read all
After my recent Hideo Jojo discoveries, I figured it was time to dive into his back catalog. I wasn't expecting too much, Jojo is one of those guys who started out by making pinku films, and that's exactly what you're getting here. Mixed with a tiny bit of horror, but hardly enough to turn this into a solid film. The setup is decent and the siren mythology could've made for a decent horror, but Jojo is a bit too occupied with other things. The pinku scenes are bland, the performances are bad and the cinematography isn't all that. It's short and there are a few memorable moments, but this is nothing like his more recent work.Read all