☛ Cette critique est aussi disponible en français [➦].
Translated by Gabrielle Baillargeon-Michaud.
« My motto is love. And love means accepting nature. Which is why I insist on not shaving my armpits. »
- Kaoru Kuroki
Sapporo, 1980. During a period of rapid growth in Japan, the Japanese adult video scene is poised for disruption by the unexpected ascent of Toru Muranishi (Takayuki Yamada) and his associate, porn actress Kaoru Kuroki (Misato Morita). Adapted from a biography written by Nobuhiro Motchashi, The Naked Director chronicles how Muranishi, who starts as a family man and a somewhat inept encyclopedia salesman, rises within a decade to become a towering figure in Japanese pornography. The Naked Director offers a candid and humorous exploration of the Japanese porn industry’s underbelly in the 1980s, a time when political intrigue and criminal activities intertwined with censorship and desire. While it is fictionalized, the series still manages to capture the essence of the period, highlighting how the personal and societal are inextricably linked: Muranishi’s journey, along with Kuroki and their team, becomes a quest to liberate desires from a culture of shame and censorship.
Over nearly a decade, the first season of The Naked Director challenges the conventions of Japanese television: the pornographic scenes are explicit and numerous. It illuminates how and why Toru Muranishi left a significant imprint on the genre, compelling his competition to emulate his approach: he is among the few who include male actors in the frame—himself included, often clad in his signature white boxer shorts. He stresses the significance of pleasure for all involved, striving to portray scenes brimming with eroticism and genuine desire. “I don’t film close up genitals and over the top fucking,” he asserts. For him, pornography serves as a medium to convey joy and an authentic representation of our humanity. Though his methods were revolutionary by the standards of the last century, Muranishi is not without his faults, and certain scenes in the series can be unsettling, particularly those concerning consent. Nonetheless, Megumi, also known as Kaoru Kuroki, adds depth to the narrative and subverts the prevailing male gaze that dominates the Japanese porn industry of the 80s—and, some argue, even today. By emphatically stating, “Let me do as I please,” Kuroki reclaims the story’s focus and champions a principle that remains relevant, rendering The Naked Director a compelling series. “Women should be free to desire sex,” she declares.
The series could be critiqued for attempting to cover too much ground too swiftly. With the announcement of a second season, there’s a sense of missed opportunity to delve deeper into the ascension of Kaoru Kuroki, especially since it largely occurs while Toru Muranishi serves a two-year sentence in Hawaii for a fraudulent shoot. Considering that the Japanese porn industry today still grapples with censorship and coercive practices (McCurry, 2017), The Naked Director may very well serve as the crucial connection needed to revisit, comprehend, and ultimately reshape our collective perception of pornography towards one that embraces desire, joy, and shared humanity, as Muranishi envisioned.
Reference :
Director: Hayato Kawai, Masaharu Take, Eiji Uchida
Scenario: Kôsuke Nishi, Yoshitatsu Yamada, Eiji Uchida, Kana Yamada, Nobuhiro Motohashi
Title : The Naked Director
Release Date : 2019This TV serie is available on Netflix.