Topless

An early drama by Eiji Uchida. Uchida is no doubt an interesting director, but also someone who would need awhile to rise above his low budget roots. Topless has its charm and the potential is clear for all to see, at the same time it could've use a little extra polish to better bring out the core drama.

Natsuko is a free-spirited girl who lives with her friend Koji. Natsuko is openly gay and doesn't really mind what the world thinks of that, but not everybody finds it so easy to deal with. Her girlfriend breaks up with Natsuko to go and live with a guy, meanwhile she helps out a young girl looking for her mom.

The performances are decent and the drama is nice enough, but Uchida leans a little too much on the LGBT angle. It's simply not as revolutionary as he seems to think it is. The cinematography is rather plain too and the film's structure lacks a little coherence. It's definitely a worthwhile watch, just not a stand-out film.