Uriah43 "Ai" (Miho Nikaido) is a 22-year old is a 22-year old prostitute who makes a living in the S&M market in which anything goes. For example, in the first scene she is bound, gagged and blindfolded while her client injects a hallucinogenic drug of some sort into her bare leg. What happens next is somewhat unclear and like the rest of the film is left for the viewer to figure out. Other scenes involve similar kinds of deviant sexual practices in which she is sometimes the receiver of punishment and other times the giver--but in all cases it is quite apparent that she doesn't relish either role. As a matter of fact, she tells one of her clients named "Mr. Ishioka" (Tenmei Kano) that she doesn't believe she is good at anything. This lack of self-confidence permeates her persona and causes her to lead a life in which she is always a victim. At least, that is how it seemed to me. Likewise, I believe this film also suggests that a large proportion of the men in Japan feel similarly humiliated in the eyes of the rest of the world possibly due to their conduct during World War 2. Hence the reason that the characters act in such a manner. Now having said that I must admit that my interpretation of this film might be incorrect and others may have discovered a completely different meaning. Or perhaps the film consists of nothing more than one repulsive scene after another and has no real meaning at all. In any case, I felt that almost all of the scenes were unnecessarily vulgar and obscene and wonder if perhaps the director (Ryû Murakami) lacked the ability to present his underlying theme any other way. Regardless, I found the movie to be rather long and boring and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.

Leofwine_draca I checked this film out because I discovered it was written by one of Japan's most controversial writers, Ryu Murakami, who wrote the novel that Takashi Miike's AUDITION was based on. Murakami not only wrote the book of TOKYO DECADENCE, but he also adapted it for the screen and directed this adaptation to boot.Unfortunately, this turns out to be a near unwatchable bore, a film I could barely stand to sit through thanks to the subject matter. TOKYO DECADENCE explores the world of S&M and in particular the life of a submissive prostitute who's treated cruelly by her clients. Sadly, the experiences she undergoes sees her gradually losing her mind, building to a narrative climax of sorts.95% of this film is made up of near-pornographic fetish scenes of women being forced to undergo weird and humiliating sexual experiences. The acting is non-existent and the characterisation barely there; instead, Murakami seems to enjoy just wallowing in the sleaze and the degradation of women. Not my cup of tea at all, I'm afraid; a few atmospheric shots of the Tokyo skyline and the occasional scene of plotting fail to make this anywhere close to becoming a 'proper' film.

CountZero313 Murakakmi's Tokyo Decadence starts out powerfully with an unflinching look at the shifts put in as a 'Delivery Health' (as these women get called in 21s century Japan) by hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold, Miho Nikaido. The crisp colours, seductive light and slowly dollying camera give a high productive sheen to the mesmerising scenes of Nikaido being humiliated by a Yakuza couple, then assisting a dominatrix in the wished-for degradation of one of her regular johns.Murakami seems to be highlighting the amorality of Bubble-rich Japan, his characters speechifying against the 'real' whores in the corporate and government fields. The sexual and comedy elements are well-balanced, the highlight being the lost dildo in the toilet scene. Nikaido shows an impressive range, both vulnerable in and enraptured by her line of work. She also enlivens a long walk with a wild-eyed look she achieves in the film's final third.However, her performance cannot rescue the meandering, insipid final episode when Nikaido goes in search of her true love. The introduction of a 'courage' pill is a clumsy plot device. The final section lacks clarity, and even continuity seems to be a minor concern. It is as if Murakami, having established his world so finely in the first half, is now at a loss regarding what he wants to say about it. A series of episodic and uninspiring tableaux plays out, the slightly surreal elements being the only thing that stops it from descending into an old-fashioned morality tale.Tokyo Decadence is a film of two halves, with the director only trying in the first.

t-h-fields I've never been to Tokyo, but this movie makes me feel as if I had. The city comes across as very modern, wealthy, but beneath it all soulless and materialistic. Prostitution is just a fact of life here.Ai, the main character, is a nice person who deserves something better than being a call girl. But for now, this is the best she can do.Her employer caters to the worst type of clients--the ones who get into S&M, bondage, domination, and other things that would never appear in a mainstream movie. This film is NOT for everyone.WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILER! The best line in the entire movie is from one of the other hookers. She says that the Japanese are a very wealthy people, but not a proud one. This lack of self-respect and self-esteem explains the bizarre, often degrading behavior of their clients.Those who enjoy this movie should also check out Lizzie Borden's movie Working Girls. It's another matter-of-fact view of the sex trade.