Customer Reviews

Okoge

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Japan's teeming if still underground gay life is explored and celebrated in this pleasant story of the relationship between two gay lovers and the effervescent woman who befriends them. The story revolves around Goh, a young, self-employed man, and Tochi, an older married corporate worker. Their inability to find a suitable location for their lovemaking is solved by Sayoko, a naive young woman who inexplicably finds herself drawn to gay men. She offers her small apartment as a convenient love-pad. Funny but deceptively lighthearted, the film addresses the serious theme of homophobia which is pervading Japan. A note on the title: Okama is Japanese for a rice pot and a slang insult against gays; Okoge is the rice that sticks to the bottom of a pot and is Japanese slang for "fag hag." (Japanese with English subtitles)

I have seen this movie so many times. The strange relationship of a gay couple and a female (okoge) is truely sentimental. This story does reflect the truth of gay males in Japan lively. They are coming out more though. I love the screen of drug queens fought against guys who made fun of them.

An interesting look at the gay lifestyle in Japan. Satoko is a young woman who befriends a gay couple, Goh and Tochi. She allows them to use her apartment for their trysts so that they will not be discovered by Goh's mother or Tochi's wife. This idyllic arrangement cannot last forever. All three characters go through trying times until the sweet resolution in which Satoko and Goh set up their own little family. Gays face enormous pressure from society in all cultures, but it is particularly interesting to see how this plays out in Japan, a culture which exerts enormous pressure on all of its people to conform.

The first part of the movie is lovely. The relationship between the two men is very well done. Midway, however, the story comes apart. The portrayal of gay life in Japan probably reflects the tradition and cultural morays of the time meaning that gay relationships are seen as doomed from the start. The ending leaves one desiring a more fulfilling happy ending for gay couples.

The first half of the film is sheer perfection, but when the couple break up mid-way through the film breaks up with them. The ending is disappointing, but the romance between the two leads for the first half of the film is well worth the purchase price. The erotic scenes are tastefully and artistically presented.

Great music, good cinematic carriage, nice romance, average plot. There's something about this film that I enjoyed, even though several times through it I was wondering why my friend recommended it! I welcome your comments.