This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray. The limited edition slipcover was limited to 2,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.
Named after Yasujiro Ozu’s custom-made, tatami-level, crab-like tripod, Kani is a new home video label dedicated to leveling the gaze and furthering the understanding of Asian cinema in North America. Focused on genre-defying films, Kani aims to expand the canon, bolster up-and-coming filmmakers and reintroduce repertory classics in context. Vinegar Syndrome’s sister company, OCN Distribution, is thrilled to be representing this diverse and unique home video line!
Ayumi (Reiko Kataoka) juggles between her work as a call-girl and a life with a boyfriend unable to get into college. Soon, she meets Rei (Sawa Suzuki), a seasoned dominatrix aspiring to become a theatre actor, who spends her free time rehearsing with a troupe that blurring the line between the stage and the bedroom. At the terminus of the Japanese Bubble era, brilliantly evoked here by neon-lit streets and chic interiors, both women bring us into their nocturnal orbit: a life dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure, camaraderie and the joys of hanging out in the thriving, horny districts of Shinjuku and Shibuya.
Marketed in some territories as a sequel to Ryu Murakami’s moody Tokyo Decadence (1992), Banmei Takahashi’s A New Love in Tokyo unfolds as its tonal opposite: less a somber sexploitation film than an unexpectedly sex-positive workplace comedy ripe for rediscovery. Based on a book of essays by Kei Shimamoto that brings the reader into a bustling erotic underworld, the film is also notable for featuring cult photographer Nobuyoshi Araki as one of its key collaborator. A glimpse into a bygone era of Japanese eroticism, A New Love in Tokyo provided pinku, V-cinema and Director’s Company veteran Banmei Takahashi (Door, Door II) with a bridge towards a broader range of human experience and pathos.
directed by: Banmei Takahashi
starring: Reiko Kataoka, Sawa Suzuki
1994 / 115 min / 1.85:1 / Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0
Additional info:
Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 10 reviews.
Review topics: [].
"A New Love in Tokyo is a quiet, bittersweet look at loneliness, desire, and people trying to connect in a city that feels both alive and emotionally distant. It has an honest, lived-in quality that makes the drama feel less polished but more human, like you are watching real people stumble through love and disappointment."
"Kani can do no wrong! Slice of life story about a dominatrix who wants to be an actress, and her best friend, a call girl who wants to be married to a doctor. Most of the story takes place at night, both on the job and off, where they traverse Tokyo as fun 20-somethings in between all manner of other consenting-adult behavior. It's almost 2 hours long, so a slice-of-life can wear thin, but when the pace started to lag for me about halfway through the filmmakers re-engaged me pretty quickly with different scenarios and a storyline that does build a bit. The main actresses are both amazing, particularly the dominatrix (Sawa Suzuki). Special note goes out to the cinematographer as well, who creates one of the lushest, most creatively lit city-nightscapes (and leather dungeons) I've seen in a film recently. Lots of nudity also for those inclined. I loved this one."
"An interesting blend of drama, romance, and exploitation-era filmmaking."
"Surprisingly good blind buy!"
"Never saw Tokyo Decadence. Think there's a connection between the two but unsure. Anyway, even without seeing the first one still was a great time."
"Great tale of 2 sex workers in Tokyo. Must watch for fans of the genre! 4/5 stars!"
"An incredible sex-positive comedy from the director behind the underrated Door."
"A film about friendship, about relationships, and about S&M."
"Makes a great pairing with My Name Ain't Suzie"
"Great!"
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