is a

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese ''

pink film in its broadest sense includes almost any Japanese theatrical film that includes nudity (hence 'pink') or deals with sexual content. This encompasses everything from dramas to action thrillers and exploitation film features. The Western equiv ...

'' directed by

Banmei Takahashi (or Tomoaki Takahashi) is a Japanese film director. Takahashi started his career in the pink film industry, making his directorial debut in 1972 with ''Escaped Rapist Criminal''. Due to a disagreement with his producer, Takahashi quit the film i ...

Synopsis

An older yakuza man falls in love with Seru, a high school girl. When he is put in prison, Seru begins working as a prostitute to earn money for the gangster's parole. During her yakuza lover's incarceration, Seru gains a new, young boyfriend. The yakuza discovers the new boyfriend after he is released from prison. Realizing that she will have a better life with her new boyfriend who is not associated with the yakuza, he sacrifices his love for Seru and gives her up.

Cast

* Cecile Gōda (豪田路世留) as Seru * Satoshi Miyata (宮田諭) as Seru's younger boyfriend *

Shirō Shimomoto is a Japanese '' pink film'' actor and director from Osaka, Japan. He has been called "one of the most individual actors" in the world of pink film. Life and career Shimomoto was born in Osaka, Japan on August 14, 1948. He started his career as ...

(下元史郎) as yakuza in love with Seru * Naomi Oka (丘なおみ) * Maria Satsuki (五月マリア) * Ren Ōsugi (大杉漣)

Background and critical appraisal

Along with

Mamoru Watanabe was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his work in the '' pink film'' genre. Along with directors Genji Nakamura and Banmei Takahashi, Watanabe was known as one of the "Three Pillars of Pink". Life and career Early l ...

and

Genji Nakamura Genji may refer to: *Genji (era), an era in Japanese history (1864–65) *Hikaru Genji, the main character of the 11th-century Japanese text ''The Tale of Genji'' *Genji, an alternative name for the Minamoto clan *Genji (woreda), a district of the ...

was known as one of the "Three Pillars of Pink" before he made ''Girl Mistress''. He was known for his stylistically unique approach to the genre which brought college students back to ''pink film'' theaters at this time, when

Nikkatsu is a Japanese entertainment company known for its film and television productions. It is Japan's oldest major movie studio, founded in 1912 during the silent film era. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally ...

's Roman Porno series was beginning to lose its popularity among this audience. In their ''Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films'', Thomas and Yuko Mihara Weisser give ''Girl Mistress'' three-and-a-half out of four stars. Director Takahashi had already made a name for himself in the ''pink film'' through his films at

Kōji Wakamatsu was a Japanese film director who directed such ''pinku eiga'' films as and . He also produced Nagisa Ōshima's controversial film ''In the Realm of the Senses'' (1976). He has been called "the most important director to emerge in the pink film ...

's production company, such as ''Raping the Sisters'' (1977) and ''Japanese Inquisition'' (1978), and films made at his own company, such as ''Attacking Girls'' and ''Scandal: Pleasure Trap'' (both 1979). However, according to the Weissers, ''Girl Mistress'' is the film which cemented his name in the history of ''pink'' cinema.

Availability

filmed ''Girl Mistress'' for his own Takahashi Productions and Kokuei and it was released theatrically in Japan by

Shintōhō Eiga is a Japanese pink film production company and film distributor located in Tokyo, Japan which has been among the most influential studios in the pink film genre since its beginnings. Foundation The first Shintōhō, or "New Toho", also known a ...

in October 1980. Uplink released it on DVD as part of their Nippon Erotics series on June 28, 2002.

Bibliography

English

* *

Japanese

* * *

References

{{Banmei Takahashi 1980 films Films directed by Banmei Takahashi 1980s Japanese-language films Pink films Shintōhō Eiga films 1980s Japanese films