There has always been a sense of taboo regarding the mixture of the adult entertainment world and everyday living. In the not-so-distant past, long and thick curtains divided erotic films from all the other categories in your local video store. Even today, degrees of separation still exist, with different award shows created for mainstream movies and pornographic releases. However, for those in the real world who deal in the mature-themed industry, lines are constantly blurred while traversing even the simplest nuances of life. Netflix has decided to cover this vastly unexplored subject with a new movie directed by Rikiya Imaizumi and written by Kaori Sawai that shows how consistent acts of artificial intimacy do nothing more for workers in this field than make them feel an ever-increasing level of loneliness.
Filmed at various locations in and around Hiroshima, a slice-of-life drama film called Call Me Chihiro was released on Feb. 24. Soothed by either the flowing shadows created from the rippling water of the nearby bay or the balking sounds of soaring seagulls, the audience follows along with the title character who is going about her new life working seaside at a small bento shop.
Chihiro's Reputation Doesn't Affect Her Relationships
Call Me Chihiro is based on a manga published in 2017 called Chihirosan. The main character is constantly recognized and reminded by citizens in her small town about her background as a sex worker. Even though she absolutely has no problem with people knowing about her past, the audience can see through the movie’s events that because of the rapidly rotating nature of her occupation, Chihiro has become somewhat numb when faced with significant events in her life as opposed to others who might find these same situations traumatizing. Her subtle but cynical perspective on life is forced to change when she suddenly finds herself among people who care for her more than she ever thought anybody could.
This multi-layered drama about a former escort’s battle with morality through the trade of selling bento boxes would never come off as strong as it does without a talented and renowned cast. Besides Ms. Arimura (who has prominently starred in Japanese film adaptations of the hit anime series Rurouni Kenshin) filling in the lead, some of the more notable members of the cast include Hana Toyoshima and Tetta Shimada, who star as Okaji and Makoto, two children who end up befriending and learning from Chihiro. They instantly bring a charming innocence to the film, contrasting Chihiro’s slighted view of life and death. Besides those two, Itsuki Nagasawa plays Becchan, another student at Okaji’s school who she meets at Chihiro’s hideout location. They not only bond over their interest in Manga but also the need to get away from life’s hurdles
Facing Her Past With a Smile
Regarding Chihiro’s past life, a few faces make their presence known, like her ex-boss, a small man named Utsumi, and a female co-worker who is still mentally caught up in the love and live dramatics of relationships, Bajiru. With their combined acting efforts, the audience can feel the weight of another world being carried over into Chihiro’s little seaside village. Lily Frankly and Van, who play Utsumi and Bajiru, certainly don’t drown the audience in the mechanics of the escort business. Still, they graciously sprinkle the most emotional longings from that industry to show the viewers some adverse effects. Mr. Frankly has taken part in many films, the most recent being Bad City, a crime thriller released in 2023. Van won the Miss International Queen Japan Grand Prix in 2019.
In all the symbolism and outright plot toward the meaning behind life and loneliness, the couple that owns the bento shop consistently maintains a peaceful baseline for the movie’s ebb and flow. With Mitsuru Hirata playing husband Bito and Jun Fubuki cast as Tae, his near-blind wife, they easily show viewers that human connection is essential to a happy life, even in old age. Mr. Hirata is a credited actor who has worked on many foreign features since the 1980s. Ms. Fubuki is just as experienced, with notable acting credits associated with two different adaptations based on the Fullmetal Alchemist series.
Fine-Tuning The Art of Adaptations
The world of Call Me Chihiro was brought from print to film by not only Netflix, who are the distributors, but also the production companies of Asmik Ace, Inc and Digital Frontier. While Asmik is mainly associated with video games from the bygone era, they have also quietly helped create films like Greenland starring Gerard Butler and the spinoff for the SAW franchise, Spiral. As with Call Me Chihiro being an adaptation, Digital Frontier already had a well-versed history of creating film remakes based on Japanese franchises. Starting in 2006, they helped to bring four different live-action entries of Death Note to life, and then in 2020, they released a live-action series of Alice in Borderland on Netflix. While bringing in companies who have the imagination to craft original plots, hardcore Chihirosan fans, as well as new viewers, will be glad to know that this is one adaptation that will be correctly translated from one medium to the other.
With all that being said, whisk yourself into a home away from home with Call Me Chihiro, now streaming on Netflix. With many diverse characters that show you different perspectives on life, you will never become lonely.