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Kana Ito | ... |
Ai Narushima (victim)
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Tony Ho | ... |
Bo
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| Naoto Takenaka | ... |
Hashimoto (Ai's homeroom teacher)
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Suet Lam |
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Almen Wong Pui-Ha |
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Kar-Ying Law |
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Hoi Mang |
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Alfred Cheung |
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Rie Fukami | ... |
Pharmacy attendant
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Ai was a brilliant and attractive high school student, but when her father abandons the family her mother becomes alcoholic and ceases to care for her. Her grades fall as she becomes increasingly lonely. During a school field trip she leaves her hotel to wonder in the city. As night falls she takes a taxi only to be taken to the countryside. Bo a lonely Chinese taxi driver has decided in desperation of his own loneliness to kidnap her. He keeps her confined in a room for many days without mistreating her or abusing her. He cuddles at night to sleep next to her. Slowly Ai begins to realize that he is just as lonely as she is. The day he leaves the door unchained, instead of running away, she realizes that this is her new home. Eventually she is found and returned to Mr Hashimoto, her teacher, so he can take her back to her mother. The teacher realizes Ai has found happiness. Written by jorgeq Houston, TX
Of course the whole premise is dubious, kidnap, rape and happy ever after, and yet This movie is beautifully lit and astonishingly beautiful to look at. Almost every frame is a ravishing treat and yet we are dealing with contentious issues here. This movie goes further into the blurring of love and need and the joys and horrors of freedom and captivity than we really want to go. If you have seen others in this controversial series you will have no doubt but that we are on a journey from kidnap and humiliation to a desperate and mutual love that nothing can prevent but still we have to question whether this is the true wisdom. Should, could, would the raped, the kidnapped become desirous, indeed of need of their captor? Maybe this is a very pretty, very affecting illustration of the cave-man ethic but however seriously one takes it philosophically it is irresistible in itself.