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Released by: Impulse Pictures
Released on: December 11, 2012.
Director: Koyu Ohara
Cast: Junko Asahina, Yumi Hayakawa, Mari Kishida
Year: 1981
I Love It From Behind
The Movie:
Koyu Ohara's 1981 Nikkatsu production I Love It From Behind! introduces us to a pretty young woman named Mimei (Juno Asahina) who has a strange hobby - she collects penis prints from each man she sleeps with. Intent on collecting one hundred prints and set a record before she is to take part in an arranged marriage, she heads to Tokyo. Her logic is that in the smaller town of Sapporo it'll be harder to get the remaining thirty that she needs than on the thriving streets of the larger city.
She arrives and joins the ranks of two friends, Masumi (Mari Kishida) and Kimura (Shin Makamaru), two lesbian lovers who share their apartment with her. When Memei finds out about their forbidden love, she sets out to 'cure' them and to find out what happened to 'turn' them into lesbians in the first place. It seems that Masumi was roughed up by a coworker who bound her, shaved her and forced a dildo into her where the sun don't shine and it understandably turned her off of men. But when, at Memei's insistence, she starts to do to various men what was done to her, she realizes that she's not so into chicks after all. Meanwhile, Kimura finds herself alone and can't help but notice the sex toys that have been left around. As she experiments with any object that catches her eye, Memei seems to have met her match in the one hundredth man she's been with - but getting a print of his penis will not easy for her, for he has special sexual skills the likes of which she has never seen or experienced!
Directed by a man better known for his darker output for Nikkatsu (True Story Of
A Woman In Jail: Sex Hell and Wet Rope Confession being two examples), I Love It From Behind! shows us a lighter side of Koyu Ohara. While the film still has its share of bondage and forced sex, tongue (amongst other things) is kept firmly in cheek (yes, that's a bad pun) as the girls tend to take charge this time around.
The entire concept of a woman trying to collect a hundred penis prints before getting married is odd enough on its own but once you throw in a friend with a penchant for pegging and another friend who can't get enough of the cucumbers kept in the fridge you wind up with a pretty goofy movie, one that takes its kink far less seriously than many other films of its ilk. Throw in a cross dressing bartender, an arrogant male sex machine with only one weakness and a 'blink and you'll miss it' cameo from Ace Frehley and this sixty-six minute turns out to be pretty entertaining stuff. It's fast paced, well shot, and features some surprisingly daring performances and on top of that, it's quite often sincerely funny.
Video/Audio/Extras:
I Love It From Behind! looks pretty good in this 2.35.1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. Colors are handled well and look quite natural as do skin tones, of which there are loads on display. Black levels aren't quite inky deep but they're strong and detail is pretty good across the board. There are no issues with print damage to complain about and overall this is a clean, sharp, good looking picture though it should be noted that a few scenes were shot with some softness in mind and that comes through in the transfer (as it should).
The Japanese language Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono track is crisp and clean though occasionally just a tiny bit shrill. The levels are well balanced and there are no issues with hiss or distortion. The optional English subtitles that are provided are free of any typos and easy to read. This won't floor you but it sounds fine, there are no problems.
Extras on the disc are limited to a menu, chapter selection and… that's it. Not even a trailer. Inside the case, however, is an insert containing original poster art for the feature and liner notes from film scholar/author Jasper Sharp that provide some details on the film and on the cast and crew involved in the production as well as some notations on what sets this movie apart from other films in director Koyu Ohara's filmography.
The Final Word:
Like all of the Impulse releases in the Nikkatsu line so far, I Love It From Behind! doesn't get the special edition treatment but it is presented in pretty nice shape and with some interesting liner notes. As to the movie itself? It's a bizarre sort of role reversal sex comedy that definitely shows a different side of Ohara's filmography than those who are only familiar with his darker stuff will be familiar with. The best in the series so far? Nope, but plenty entertaining and frequently very amusing - as such, it's worth checking out.
