Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2012

Director Yoshimasa Ishibashi’s second feature film is a sumptuous spoof/love story/farce/action pic. If that seems odd and unique—it is. Winner of Best Fantastic Feature at the Fantastic Fest 2011, the film is actually a trilogy of stories, all having to do with love but containing surreal, weird, quirky or downright hilarious elements.

The stories pay little attention to conventions like time and space, or social norms, but somehow do not come off as complete absurdities (though close). The bright, engaging color patterns, choreography and sheer energy of the work carry it along quite enjoyably. The first story involves an orange-haired prepubescent who develops a mutual relationship with a thirty-something woman and works a number of jobs to provide her with a good life. The film nods to reality as the age difference/societal approbation becomes a problem. In the second sketch a sneering TV personality offer ridiculous advice on how to get women and make relationships work. This send-up of TV, popular culture, and celebrity worship works well but is a soft target. The last, and best, episode is a parody of a chambara (sword fighting) film that jumps through time as a samurai tries to save his abducted lover in the present day.

In all the pieces are inventive, thoroughly unpredictable and hugely entertaining. If anyone claims Japanese film doesn’t have any original ideas or spark left, show them this. (90 min)