*1

Hey, why don't (Japanese) men feed the fish they've already caught? Why do they snicker about "kid stuff" when you try to celebrate their birthday, or cheat on their lover like the villain in an old time love story only to explode when their lover tries to cheat on them? And why do they have the unfounded faith that people who believe in true love will never betray them? People with pure hearts don't reserve them just for one person. And you have to give pure love back. Naughty Boys is the perfect antidote for anyone with these frustrations.

Bright pop furniture and knick-knacks in a white-walled living room: it's the perfect love nest for an office worker with a bad cheating habit and his sweet, guileless boyfriend who still believes in true love. They've been together for two years and countless broken promises for trips to everything from theme parks to bowling alleys. I don't know how many guys will see themselves reflected here, but it seems all too realistic to me - until this story of one strange and dangerous night in their relationship begins to unfold to a colourful soundtrack and allegorical episodes.

Takayuki, who's in love with Gacchan, runs out into the night yelling, "I'm going to cheat on you!" and meets a nice guy. Meeting a nice guy means falling in love, right? The next morning, his night's adventures over, Takayuki rides home on the back of Gacchan's bicycle with the new man's phone number in his pocket. I don't know if I'd call it or not (well, I probably would), but if I were Takayuki I'd definitely hold on to it. It's cute and it's realistic - I'm sold. Director Imaizumi can't tell a lie, so his take on love and on lover's true feelings is both gentle and a little nasty. A director's personality really does come out on film!

Inui Ayumi (editor)




**2


From 1992's Okoge and Twinkle to Hashiguchi Ryosuke's Hush! (2001), so many Japanese gay movies feature a woman who suddenly appears in a gay couple's midst, setting all relationships into precarious balance. "Add one woman" might be a quick and easy recipe for a film, but it feels both realistic and somehow unrealistic at the same time. Why? Because if nothing else, it's a situation I never actually see in the gay community or my own life. On the other hand, gay films with no women characters seem to end up feeling closed and isolated.

Naughty Boys, written and directed by Imaizumi Koichi, is a new type of Japanese film that not only avoids the added-on complications resulting from a woman's appearance but also succeeds in creating an open feeling even though the main characters are all gay.

Imaizumi tells the story, the gentle, perennial farce of a gay couple who fight and make up, with a light, comical touch that ranges from cute to ironic to create the perfect extra-bittersweet romance. As scenes you can really relate come one after the other, you'll be wanting to say, "Hey, that happened to me too." I started laughing as I remembered different episodes with this or that guy.

The film skilfully depicts the realities of gay life in Japan today, and strikes the perfect balance between reality and playful fantasy. In fact, watching it was like riding a roller coaster-- it made me laugh, cry, get nervous and get scared all the way to the end. And so how lovely to discover that director Imaizumi, who's already proven his skill at sexy work, also has a light, comical side.

My final impression after watching the film was "I want to fall in love!" What more is there to say?

Nohala Caolu (journalist)



***3


Believe it or not, there are two versions of Naughty Boys out there: this one, directed by Imaizumi Koichi, and a "corporate version" produced by a Japanese gay porn film company. In the summer of 2001, Imaizumi wrote the screenplay for the "corporate version" and appeared in it as an actor. The "corporate version" has played in gay porn theatres around the country since November of the same year.

In Japan, gay porn films aren't usually made by gay filmmakers or production staff. A straight production company backs the production, a straight director and straight staff do the shoot, and as a general rule the actors are straight too. On the other hand, gay porn videos for watching at home are usually produced by gay companies. In other words, for some reason or other there's a two-part system in place. Apparently, many aspects of the "corporate version" (produced with and by a straight staff and cast) of Naughty Boys didn't sit well with screenwriter Imaizumi.

I haven't actually seen the "corporate version." (They're hard to see if you don't catch them in the porn theatres.) But from what I've heard, it sounds like this version succeeded only too well in expressing many of the stereotypical images of "homosexuality" held by so many straight Japanese. For example, the film's understanding of HIV, AIDS and safer sex is about ten years out of date. Shinjuku Ni-Chome, Japan's biggest gay neighbourhood, appears as dark, repressed and isolated. And the scene set in a gay bar uses such closeted visual images that you'd think the story took place decades ago.

Spurred by these dissatisfactions, Imaizumi Koichi spent six months reshooting the film that he wrote in his own way. Supportive gay and lesbian staff and cast members came together to work on it, and Naughty Boys was reborn as a film made by, for and with gays and lesbians. As a result, the story itself is a cartoon with a pop sensibility and a fantastic turn, but the underlying world it depicts is truly real. My conclusion? Artistic expression that comes from first-hand experience of the world has the power to convey something real to others.

This film only depicts one night, but I think it expresses a strong, positive image of the ways that gays in Tokyo live and love. The completely ordinary title characters are truly real, and really cute. And the film? After watching Naughty Boys, whether it's in the gay community, in gay neighbourhoods, in gay bars or in cruising spots, you'll want to go out to meet them.

Takasaki Keiichi (Comic artist and illustrator)