Shot entirely in one scruffy room, this is a Japanese comedy set behind the scenes of the porn film industry. At the centre of the action is Kyoko, the makeup artist who is the calm centre of a chaotic day of shooting. She ministers to the needs, both visual and emotional, of the women performers, keeps the technicians in line and holds back pressures from the director. A constant stream of characters pass in and out of the room sharing their various states of anxiety, torpor, and excitement, demanding attention or seeking solace. Kyoko is both mother hen and foreman, a sympathetic ear, but remaining the professional who is being paid to help kep things moving.
Played very much for laughs, and successfully so, there is little mention of the darker side of the industry. A couple of the women complain of unnecessarily rough treatment during their scenes, but most love their job and are happy to continue in the business for as long as they are considered employable. One talks of plans to transition into the 'mature' market when the time is right.
Several members of the cast are real life porn stars, which might explain why some of the acting felt amateurish. At 86 minutes it certainly isn't a long film, yet I left feeling it would have benefited from losing ten to fifteen of those minutes as I was losing interest before the end. Funny, but ultimately dissatisfying.
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