Akaihane

I’m actually pretty suprised Sakuran hasn’t been on my radar somewhat sooner (it was released in Japanese cinemas at the end of Feburary) due to those involved with the film. As a NANA fan, I’ve been listening to quite a lot of Anna Tsuchiya’s (the star of the movie) music; and lately, after picking up the anime Hataraki Man, have been researching its author/illustrator, Moyoco Anno, who also wrote the manga this movie is based upon.

Watch the trailer on You Tube / Visit the Official Website

I actually ended up discovering both the film and manga through a random scanalation post on a LJ community. I downloaded the scans without even noticing Anno’s (creator of such works as Happy Mania, Hataraki Man and Sugar Sugar Rune, and wife of the infamous Hideaki) name, though once I opened the files, instantly recognised her style.

The story revolves around a rebellious peasant girl, sold to a brothel in Edo, and her rise to the position of oiran (a role that is very often mixed up with that of the geisha in the West, even in the case of the novel ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’). As the seasons pass, and she falls in love, she begins to feel more intently the lack of freedom she truly has.

Yoshiwara of Edo was a man’s heaven, but a woman’s hell: all was sakuran.

It’s very obvious that the director, Mika Ninagawa, is a photographer by trade, and a damn successful one to boot. Many of her motifs, such as goldfish and a strong sense of fashion are evident in the design and visual flare of the movie. And the vibrancy of the colours suit the extravagant and excessive lifestyle of the exclusive oiran.

Another familar face for me is Shiina Ringo who takes over as music director for the film. Shiina is well known for her complex and archaic lyrics, and her tendancy to combine classical Japanese sounds and rock music together to produce an unique flavour mesh perfectly with the film’s mix of modern and historical styles. The song used in the movie’s trailer is Yume no Ato by Shiina’s band, Tokyo Jihen.

Going back to Ai Yazawa’s works for a moment, those familiar with live-action adaptions of her manga will recognise Hiroki Narimiya (who portrayed Nobu in both NANA movies, and Tomoki in Kagen no tsuki/Last Quarter) as Soujiro here, the main love interest.

The movie has already attracted international interest, and was officially entered into the Berlinale Special section of the 57th Berlin International Film Festival. So although there may not be much of a chance of a release outside of Asian, there is always hope. I’ll certainly be keeping my eyes open for an opportunity to check it out.