Gaichû (2001)

7 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

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Edit

Cast

Credited cast:
	Aoi Miyazaki	...	Sachiko Kita
	Seiichi Tanabe	...	Ogata
	Tetsu Sawaki	...	Takao
	Ryo Amamiya	...	Tokugawa
	Koji Ishikawa	...	Kyuzo
	Yû Aoi	...	Natsuko
	Yûsuke Iseya	...	Cofeeshop Guy
	Ryô	...	Toshiko Kita
	Yûsaku Suzuki	...	Hanasaka
	Yuri Yoneoka	...	Soko
	Yuria Haga	...	Rumi
	Mihoko Handa	...	Yukiko
	Takayo Mimura	...	Kazumi
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Kenjirô Ishimaru	...	Middle-Aged Man in Convenience Store
	Hôka Kinoshita	...	Truck Driver

See full cast »

Edit

Storyline

Following the divorce, the attempted suicide of her mother and the rumors underage sex with the teacher, a girl drops out the school in an attempt to find herself.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Genres:

Drama

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »

Edit

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

16 March 2002 (Japan) See more »

Also Known As:

Harmful Insect See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), Sony PCL, Nikkatsu See more »

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color

See full technical specs »

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User Reviews

a bleak and fascinating portrait of alienation

1 April 2002 | by Lagomorph – See all my reviews

Harmful Insect is one of those magnificent films that makes the most extreme behavior comprehensible. It's a portrait of intense alienation, centering on a seventh-grade school-girl. Sachiko lives her life surrounded by adults who are at best ineffectual and at worst (and they are very often at their worse) predatory.

Director Akihiko Shiota does not shy away from the dark, but the film is neither exploitative nor gratuitously gruesome. It is bleak and powerful, and the moments of hope, happiness, and humor stand out all the brighter for the vividness with which Sachiko's psychological isolation is portrayed.

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