Directed by the legendary in 1985 , this was one of his earliest features—and a very weird one at that. It’s a surreal mashup of a musical , a coming-of-age comedy , and a "pinku" (soft-core erotic) film that was actually rejected by Nikkatsu for being too strange. What is this Movie Even About?
The film's wild, disjointed feel is no accident; its production history is one of the most fascinating aspects of its legend.
Why did this fail? In 1985, the world wanted We Are the World and "Like a Virgin." It wanted unity and the complete octave. The Excitement of the Do Re Mi Fa Girl was too intellectual, too incomplete.
The elusive Yoshioa, who has faded from the popular idol of their hometown into a bored, unexceptional student. The Excitement of the Do Re Mi Fa Girl -1985 - ...
She started researching. She learned about skip zones, atmospheric ducting, and the Citizen's Band radio craze that was slowly dying out. She bought a shortwave radio from a pawn shop, trading in her prized collection of cassettes.
Originally commissioned as a "pink film" (softcore erotic film) for Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno division, it was famously rejected by the studio for being "too weird" and "not a Nikkatsu film" . Kurosawa eventually bought back the rights and reworked the film for independent release through the Director's Company . Kiyoshi Kurosawa Release Year: 1985 Runtime: Approximately 80–82 minutes Genre: Comedy, Musical, Erotic, Experimental Plot Summary
The mid-80s in Japan was a pivotal moment for independent film production, often supported by companies like (with which Kurosawa was involved). The Excitement of the Do-Re-Mi-Fa Girl fits into this landscape by challenging conventional genre norms and exploring the "apocalyptic imagery" of suburban youth becoming lost in the metropolis. Directed by the legendary in 1985 , this
Later directed psychological horror masterpieces like Cure (1997) and Pulse (2001). Kunitoshi Manda
She grabbed Yoshi’s hand and dashed into the hallway. The university had transformed. The stern portraits of former deans were vibrating in their frames. Students in the courtyard weren't walking; they were moving in synchronized, jagged bursts of jazz-ercise choreography.
The story follows (played by Yoriko Doguchi), a naive country girl who arrives at a Tokyo university campus. She is searching for Yoshioka (Kensô Katô), her high school sweetheart and an elusive musician to whom she has pledged her heart. The film's wild, disjointed feel is no accident;
🎬 The Production Context: From Pink Film to Avant-Garde Rebellion
Kurosawa completely upended these expectations. He delivered an absurdist, satirical comedy that actively avoided the generic tropes of the genre. Crucially, Akiko remains fully clothed throughout the film's 83-minute runtime. Infuriated by the lack of direct softcore erotica, Nikkatsu executives deemed the film "too weird" and outright rejected its release. Bumpkin Soup (1985) - IMDb
"Miki!" the Professor beamed, his lab coat flapping in a wind that wasn't there. "The scale is incomplete! I have the Do, the Re, and the Mi, but the heart of the machine is flat!"