女朋友

　　Kyoko (Kinuo Yamada) sees the world through her camera lens and clicks away endlessly in a way that puts distance between her and the life around her. She broke up with a boyfriend seven months previously and has filled the emotional hole with a series of drunken one night stands that have left her in a state of self-loathing and dissonance. She is able to find some photo work for a magazine that publishes nude female pictures – something Kyoko has been interested in shooting – but the catch is that the photographer has to scout and convince the women to do this. After many fruitless attempts, Kyoko comes upon Miho (Aoba Kawai) who has her own share of self-loathing oozing its way through her psyche. Her father (Tomorowo Taguchi) deserted her as a child and doesn’t even recognize her when she bumps into him. She is so full of anger that she tells Kyoko that perhaps by stripping away her clothes she can strip away some of her anger and the two of them embark on an emotional journey of photos and conversations that bring them closer and closer. Through this catharsis they both find solace and friendship and perhaps more. Rarely, has a chaste kiss felt so completely needed and perfect as the one in this film.