ADN-628 - Substitute Angel Kudo Yura

I bought it immediately after seeing the title and the actress's face. I genuinely think it's a masterpiece, easily in my top 3 purchases ever. It's perfect as a drama. I thought the sample video spoiled everything, but you really need to watch the whole thing to understand the story. Yura appears before the husband grieving his wife's death, pretending to be possessed by her, but it's actually an act – a conspiracy with the deceased wife. And then there's what happens to Yura and the husband… that's the gist of it. The husband's love, the deceased wife's love, and Yura's love (?), and finally, what will become of their future love – that's what you'll be watching for. If you like drama, you absolutely won't regret buying this. I didn't even know Yura Kudo was such a beautiful and talented actress, but I looked up her past work and found out she was in that (Yura Kudo) Attackers trilogy. I didn't like the trilogy because it was a sad story about a girl, but this film made me realize how amazing Yura Kudo is and I became a fan. I'll be keeping an eye on her in the future. I've been rambling about my own feelings, but the content feels like a serious, slightly melancholic erotic scene, and I didn't find it particularly sleazy. I think that's because of the acting, particularly the line 'Please sell the house' in the opening scene, which is a foreshadowing that gets paid off later in the film. Thanks for reading my long review.

The script, the acting... everything was top tier. I was completely engrossed. As expected, it's amazing.

Honestly, it's a bit of a mixed bag. It feels like a very female-focused piece, but there's this lingering dissatisfaction, like something's missing. I think the lack of dialogue during the scenes is a bit of a drawback. It just comes across as… well, just doing it. Though, I suppose that could be a realistic portrayal. As a guy, even if I imagined Yura as Yukiko and held her, I wanted to hear Kyosuke's thoughts and feelings. The director seems to really prioritize the female perspective. I wonder if it's a female director? The final message from Yukiko about living in the present is good, but it feels a little tacked on. If the director *is* a woman, I wonder how well it will resonate in the AV market, which is largely watched by men. Maybe having a male assistant director or supervisor would be a good idea. A certain woman's name just popped into my head, but I'm going to keep that to myself for now. That's all.

I thought the packaging implied a story about a dead wife's soul possessing a young girl to reaffirm their love, but it was a pleasant surprise in the best way. The scenario really relies on the actors' performances. Drama fans will definitely enjoy this. However, the actress mispronounced the other actor's name several times throughout. If not for that, it would've been a solid 5 stars.

To be honest, I was a little hesitant about the husband, who genuinely loved his wife, being so quick to have sex. I thought, 'Even if she says 'I'm Yukiko,' she looks different, won't his heart ache?' But the way they talked about 'memories' and reminisced, and the depiction of him feeling 'something connected to Yukiko' despite his doubts… it's hard to understand, but I could see how someone might feel that way. Yura Kudo's acting in this film is phenomenal! Outside of the sex scenes, it honestly felt like I was just watching a drama♪ Nakada Ippei's performance as the male lead was also excellent. At the end, when Yura is leaving and turns back, the scene plays in slow motion, and it completely stole my heart… her lovely and endearing smile was so beautiful. I haven't seen direction like that in a long time. Not just a sexy actress, but compared to other Japanese actresses, Yura Kudo's smile was just breathtaking!