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Groper Train: Search for the Black Pearl

Yôjirô Takita
Chikan densha: Shitagi kensatsu
Japan 1984 / 63’

In 1975, Shinya Yamamoto’s Groper Train (Chikan densha) unleashed a wave of lewd comic escapades in which young women are routinely groped on various forms of public transport. Yamamoto followed up this seminal title with Groper Underground (Chikan chikatetsu, 1975) and Groper Night Train (Chikan yako ressha, 1977), but the true inheritor of his comic crown was Yôjirô Takita, who during the 80s pretty much made the series his own. There is plenty to offend in these riotous offerings, but the plots are inventive and fast moving, the irreverent humour often very funny, and Takita’s ability to achieve impressive results on limited means is much in evidence. One of the best, this entry, originally-titled Groper Train: Underwear Inspection, makes use of two characters deployed by Takita in many of the films, the nimble-fingered Detective Kuroda and his slinky sidekick Hamako, here involved in a mystery revolving around a missing priceless black pearl first discovered by a Japanese soldier in Manchuria in 1934. Look for the ubiquitous comedian and character actor Naoto Takenaka (Gonin, Shall We Dance? and The Happiness of the Katakuris) in his first ever film appearance.

Jasper Sharp

Yôjirô Takita

Born in 1955, Yôjirô Takita is a successful mainstream director best known for the 2009 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winner Departures (Okuribito, 2008). He began his career in pink film, making his debut in 1981 with Groper Woman Teacher (Chikan onna kyôshi) for Kan Mukai’s Shishi Pro. Beginning with Groper Train: Keep On Going (Chikan densha: Motto tsukete, 1982), he made numerous entries in the Groper Train series as well as similar films like Groper Bus (Chikan basu, 1985). After his commercial hit No More Comics! (Komikku zasshi nanka iranai!, 1986), featuring Takeshi Kitano, he left pink to direct films including We Are Not Alone (Bokura wa minna ikiteiru, 1993), The Exam (Ojuken, 1999), When the Last Sword is Drawn (Mibugishiden, 2003) and Ashura (Ashura-jo no hitomi, 2005).

Selected filmography

1981 Chikan onna kyôshi / Groper Woman Teacher

1984 Wagonowy prześladowca: Inspekcja bielizny / Chikan densha: Shitagi kensatsu / Groper Train: Search for the Black Pearl

1984 Wagonowy prześladowca: Prawdziwy seks w ukryciu / Chikan densha: Gokuhi honban / Groper Train: Sexy Time Trip Ninjas

1983 Chikan densha: Momoe no oshiri / Molester Train: Momoe’s Butt

1986 Komiks / Komikku zasshi nanka iranai! / No More Comics!

2005 Ashura / Ashura-jo no hitomi / Ashura

2008 Pożegnania / Okuribito / Departures

Prepared by: Jasper Sharp

Credits

director Yôjirô Takita
screenplay Isao Takagi
cinematography Yôichi Shiga
editing Shôji Sakai
music Ôsen Kei
cast Yukijirô Hotaru, Yûka Takemura, Kaoru Kaze, Kazumi Kimura, Naoto Takenaka
producer Kôji Okumura
production Shintoho Company
sales Pink Eiga
language Japanese