Running Time: 112 Minutes
Starring: Asumi Miwa, Kirari, Hirono Kudo, Yukie Nakama, Mitsuru Hirata, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Morooka Moro
Not long after the success of his masterful series, Neon Genesis Evangelion, director Hideaki Anno made his first live-action feature with Love & Pop. Based on a novel by Ryu Murakami, the story follows Hiromi (Asumi Miwa) and her schoolgirl friends who make money by accepting dates from older men. In an effort to raise money to buy an expensive ring, Hiromi plunges herself deeper into this world of "compensated dating."
While he may have been already established as a filmmaker, Anno embraced different technologies and unconventional choices to tell this story so uniquely. A notable point is how the film is shot on handheld cameras to capture Hiromi's point-of-view, although the strongest example is an early sequence following a camera attached to a model train. That sequence imbues an inventiveness to a scene which could have been derivative in other hands, and gives viewers the sense that the only thing which could limit the filmmakers is their own imagination.
As the schoolgirls are on the cusp of adulthood, they try acting more adult as a result, yet find that they cannot undertake their business without predatory men throwing offers their way. When these girls are treated like material objects, their actions are informed by such regressive viewpoints, which leaves them to use the dates as a method to save money. Amidst these demoralizing sequences, utter joy is discovered within everyday occurrences, although such a view is coloured by how the girls' struggles are internalized. It is a compelling tale which captures the horrors that being a teenage girl can bring, with Hiromi's pervasive narration offering an inner view into this girl's wandering mind.
Regularly using a camera to capture the moments worth remembering, Hiromi desires one last trip to the beach with her friends before school ends. Her worries about their friendship group's survival are momentarily silenced upon seeing a gorgeous ring, one which comes with a hefty price tag. In a race against time to raise money, she meets various clients which includes a self-conscious man who needs a confidence boost, or another man who openly shows his stranger side in caring for a plush toy which holds emotional value for him (the blurring and bleeped name of his toy leaves one wondering if the reasoning is due to trademarks involving a certain House of Mouse.) While many of these clients put on a charming presence, they soon fade away to reveal a nastier side in horrifying ways, which includes a grotesque moment that resembles an iconic shot from The End of Evangelion.
It makes for an uncomfortable watch at times, and it may understandably turn off some viewers, yet it is a wake-up call for Hiromi to recognize her own value. She is more than just an object to be bought at the whim of emotionally fragile men that may cause harm, and deserves to spend time enjoying life instead of taking such dangerous dates. With Love & Pop, Anno crafted a compelling work about the difficulty of transitioning into adulthood and loving one's self amidst external forces.
Love & Pop played at Fantasia Festival 2024
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