I had already heard of the NETFLIX drama series The Naked Director, but when I first saw the promotional picture for the movie, featuring a cherubic Yamada Takayuki clad only in underwear and holding a camera, I initially dismissed it as some wacky avant garde film about some nutty director in a zany movie. But then my friend Jas told me it was solid drama and I should check it out!
The synopsis said it was the true story of an AV director named Toru Muranishi who revolutionized the JAV industry in the 80's leading a path to the current AV we have today. Noting it was a rated R flick, Jas summed up, "I figured I'd check it out. If I was good, awesome. If not, at least I got to see boobs." LOL!
Well,what he got was a story that totally captivated him: you got not only the story of Toru's rise as a director in the field, but a schooling of the entire AV industry in general!
I told him I'd give it a try, and sure enough, this was one SUPER interesting flick!
Jas had mentioned to me that both Kimiko Yo and actress Koyuki appeared in the drama so I expected to see them, but what caught me totally off guard was when the character of Kaoru Kuroki appeared, and I realized she was played by Misato Morita, the actress who stole the show for me in the Marie Iitoyo drama “Papakatsu” a few months back!
Kaoru Kuroki was and is a famous AV star who became famous first as the muse for the eccentric Muranashi, (with a full crop of armpit hair which she refused to shave and in fact became her trademark), and then later as an outspoken commentator on the subject of sex and society. And Misato was going to be playing this character?! Oh MAN, I HAD to see this!!!
The drama is divided into two parts, with Toru’s climb from harried salesman to budding AV auteur on one side, and the story of Megumi, the mild mannered girl who would become the fiery Kaoru Kuroki, on the other.
When we first meet up with Megumi, we see that she has been raised under a dominating and rigid mother (Koyuki) with a cleanliness and conservative obsession, where everyone must be prim and proper, polite and demure.
Of course the subject of sex is never brought up and so Megumi has grown up with severely repressed emotions, struggling with sexual curiosity growing inside her, and the more pressure her mother puts on her, the more her urges fight to get out!
To relieve herself, she finds herself spending her school days lifting her skirt to flash her underwear at guys, feeling the liberating glow of exhibitionism.
It seems she can live this sordid secret life as a pure daughter but when she is caught by her mother masturbating in the shower, she realizes she cannot go on living with her in this repressed environment.
One night she has followed along with her classmates to a club, and though she finds the situation boring, she happens to see two people quarreling. It is a girl whom appears to be an adult star yelling at a guy, saying “I’ve never heard of director Toru Muranishi before and I’ll never be in one of your AV movies! She tears up his business card and the two leave, but Megumi’s interest is piqued! And spying the torn up card on the floor, the first seeds of expressing her sexual desires out in film are planted in her mind!
After a particular nasty blow-up with her mother, Megumi leaves the house and, with the taped-together business card in hand, goes off in search of this Toru Muranishi.
Her searching leads her to a seedy part of town where she is introduced to Toru and his crew. They think she’s here for a stylist or secretary job, and are flabbergasted when the demure girl says she actually wants to appear as an ACTRESS in the films!
The crew are stunned to think such a pure and refined looking girl would want to be in an AV flick, but Toru decides to give her a chance.
"What do you want in a man?" Toru asks, to which Megumi replies after a minute, "Someone who'll make me feel safe." And then adding, "Someone who'd give me a hug when I needed it."
And with that, Toru walks over and embraces her. For a girl who's been living in a cold world without love, this is just what she needed, and she breaks down in his arms.
With her trust fully in his hands, he asks her what her favorite color is. And when she says it is black, he christens her "Kaoru Kuroki" "This will be your professional name", he says, and she smiles and accepts it gratefully.
There IS one caveat she has, one she is nervous to make but must do so. She doesn't want to shave her armpit hair, saying "It is part of who I am".
The crew who are listening don't think that it is a good idea and advise she shave...
But Toru tells her it is beautiful and she can certainly do whatever she wants.
With that settled, it is time for Megumi/Kaoru's very first shoot, and realizing how special she is, Toru takes it upon HIMSELF to be the actor to introduce her into the wild world of JAV first hand! And then, the the crew ready, Kaoru and Toru make the video that will propel both the actress and director into the famous entities we now know them as!
Such a thrilling sight watching the shy and unassuming young girl blossom into this confident, outspoken and OH SO SEXY, vibrant lady!
Holy TOLEDO was Misato HOT in this one! You all knew how much I was drooling after her from her appearances in Papakatsu, but to see her as this wild, ribald gal all done up in satin and lace drove me insane!!
And SAVVY! The real Kaoru Kuroki became as famous as Dr. Ruth Westheimer in Japan for her outspoken views on the repression and hang-ups the Japanese have on nudity and sex, and Misato shines in her portrayal, she’s so cool!!!
Well, this is the part where I usually say that I’m curious to see what Misato’s going to do next, and indeed I do, but WOW, I’m not sure she’s ever do a role as juicy as this one!!!
This role was the one that all others must be judged on!!!
... since that swimming mural has long since been repainted with a newer picture...
