Time Escapade: 5 Seconds Til Climax

This is one of Yôjirô Takita's last films in the softcore genre before he went mainstream, a move which eventually led to his winning the US Academy Award in 2009 for the film Departures. Takita started out at Kan Mukai's Shishi Productions, an independent studio which sometimes had its Pink films released through Nikkatsu, and so can be considered both (indie) Pink films and (big studio) Roman Pornos. This film, however, appears to be a true, Nikkatsu-produced Roman Porno, though one of their later, lower-budget efforts, and not up to the quality of the classic Roman Pornos.

In spite of the obvious budgetary constraints, this is a delightfully silly little Pink fantasy/comedy, and a good introduction to the genre for the uninitiated. In Kozue Tanaka, Takita has a beautiful model for a star who is capable enough an actress to make her sort-of-double-role believable. Co-star Kaori Sugita is also very pleasant to look at. Lead actor, Yukijirô Hotaru, as the Private Investigator, is more restrained than he is in the similar role in the "Groper Train" series.

Screenwriter Isao Takagi, who worked with Takita on some of his better-known entries in the "Groper Train" series, gives us a story completely lacking in the S&M and misogyny that sometimes gives these films a bad reputation. Instead of shock value, he holds the audience's attention with whimsical flights of pseudo sci-fi fantasy, and enough twists and turns in the plot to cause some surprises, and intentional and amusing confusion. Takita's typically skillful direction, along with some inventive cinematography and set design, the lovely starlets, and interesting sex scenes make this an enjoyable, if minor production in its genre.