ECB-044 - Reunion with an Estranged Best Friend, Unleashing Lesbian Instincts on Camera

I don't think other works by Azusa Kirihara and Leona Kanzaki are bad, so I had some expectations, but this was a bit of a letdown. The premise is that these two close friends reunite in front of the camera for the first time in six months for a 'shoot.' While that setup is fine, the way they emphasize it as if it's 'real' or try to make it look like a genuine fight gives it a documentary vibe. It might have been better if they had just focused on their professionalism as actresses, acting as if those personal feelings didn't exist once the cameras started rolling. I'm not looking for personal drama or emotions in an AV.

They're giggling and making a ruckus, laughing and messing around while getting intimate. Both of them are talented actresses, so it's a waste—if they had just been directed to act a bit more seriously, it could have been a great production.

Perhaps because I had high expectations for this pairing, I was left with a rather disappointing impression. It depends on how you look at it, but the first half feels like it's filled with endless, sloppy acts that are hard to justify as a 'documentary.' For example, if they're going to spend nearly 30 minutes together only for one to leave saying they don't want to do it, that part should have been edited down, and the awkward tension after they return drags on for too long. I'm not the type who wants to watch scenes like that, so I wish they had glossed over the reunion and the subsequent friction like a flashback. Furthermore, the zoom-in/zoom-out work was incredibly sloppy and hard to watch, and it was frustrating and gross to see so many scenes of spitting, especially with such great actresses. If you like rough, aggressive lesbian content, this is for you; if you're looking for a 'best friends' lesbian dynamic, stay away. That's why I think the reviews are so polarized. [10-point scale] Overall 5, Picture Quality 6, Editing 4, Actresses 7 (the work fails to bring out their best), [Data] 127 minutes, 16:9 aspect ratio.

As a documentary-style piece, I think it works well. There's no staging, so the flow and development are unpredictable. (Honestly, the emotional states of both are quite complex.) 'You want to do it because you like him, right? Then just do what you want.' 'That doesn't convey how I feel,' says Leona sternly. 'I didn't think you'd want to do it...' says Azusa, looking confused. Leona went there to clear things up, remembering how they were before they grew apart. 'All's well that ends well.' It seems they met up again in the summer (as private friends, as revealed on their blog), so it must have been genuine.

Azusa Kirihara and Leona Kanzaki used to report on their outings, like drinking or shopping together, on their blogs. One day, a post appeared on Leona's blog fiercely criticizing someone without naming them. It was easy to guess from the content that the person was Azusa. After that, all mentions of each other disappeared from both their blogs. When Leona stopped in the middle of their scene and left the room, my eyes were glued to Azusa. I felt sorry for her and thought she must have been deeply hurt. I had always thought Azusa was just a tease, but I never realized she was such a devoted person. Leona claims she backed off because she's straight, but that contradicts what she wrote in her blog, and I don't think it's something that would cause someone to hold a grudge for over half a year. That wasn't the real cause; she's just deflecting the issue.