HET-301 - Erotic Couple at the Ironworks

I bought this for Saki. The unknown co-star, Yuko Hasegawa, is completely overshadowed by her. Since the theme is an erotic couple in a small factory, maybe it couldn't be helped, but I wish Yuko had more screen time beyond just the sex scenes. Watching this, I realized Saki is truly in a league of her own when playing a nympho. As others have noted, her acting skills are limited, but once she hits 'ero-mode,' she shines, and her ability to play a 'nympho' so naturally is incredible. The word 'obscene' must have been invented for her. Casting her to portray the eroticism of everyday life in a small town was a brilliant move.

Set in a small ironworks in the Kanto region, this is a human drama centered on sex, directed by the visionary Gunji Kawasaki. The protagonist, Kenzo Yamagata, runs the local ironworks as its second-generation owner. He had been living a life filled with sex with his beloved middle-aged wife, Noriko (Saki Yamamoto), but his world is turned upside down when a major client goes bankrupt. Meanwhile, Miyazaki, a former employee at Kenzo's shop, begins living in the now-closed factory with his fiancée (Yuko Hasegawa), with whom he had promised a future. As if to shake off their anxiety about what lies ahead, the two lose themselves in sex within the empty factory. Around the same time, struggling to make ends meet, Noriko decides to stand on the 'street corners at night' as a prostitute. The sight of Saki, with her 'plump and flabby' body, making her 'street debut' for the sake of her family is both sorrowful and, in a strange way, endearing.

No matter how good the actors are, if the story is this terrible, it's just a lost cause. I had high hopes because of Saki Yamamoto, but... they really phoned this one in. Kawasaki productions are always hit or miss, so be warned. It's such a waste of Saki Yamamoto, though. Her acting is incredibly stiff, but she's top-tier when it comes to playing a promiscuous, erotic mature woman. Since she doesn't have many solo works, this was a rare gem—what a shame!