The Naked Director
The Naked Director (Japanese: 全裸監督, Hepburn: Zenra Kantoku) is a Japanese semi-biographical comedy-drama web television series co-directed by Masaharu Take. Based on the non-fiction novel Zenra Kantoku Muranishi Toru Den (全裸監督 村西とおる伝) by Nobuhiro Motohashi, it tells the story of Japanese adult video director Toru Muranishi. The series premiered on Netflix on August 8, 2019. It stars Takayuki Yamada as Muranishi, alongside Shinnosuke Mitsushima and Tetsuji Tamayama. On August 15, 2019, Netflix renewed the series for a second season.[1]
| The Naked Director | |
|---|---|
 Promotional release poster | |
| Genre |
|
| Based on | Zenra Kantoku Muranishi Toru Den by Nobuhiro Motohashi |
| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Composer(s) | Taisei Iwasaki |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language(s) | Japanese |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Cinematography | Hideo Yamamoto |
| Editor(s) |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 39–54 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Netflix |
| Picture format | 4K (16:9 UHDTV) |
| Audio format | Dolby Digital |
| Original release | August 8, 2019 – present |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Synopsis
The Naked Director follows the story of "Muranishi's unusual and dramatic life filled with big ambitions as well as spectacular setbacks in his attempt to turn Japan's porn industry on its head."[2]
Cast and characters
- Takayuki Yamada as Toru Muranishi
- Shinnosuke Mitsushima as Toshi Arai
- Tetsuji Tamayama as Kawada
- Ryo Ishibashi as Ikezawa, head of the largest pornography company
- Lily Franky as Takei, a high-ranking police officer
- Misato Morita as Megumi/Kaoru Kuroki
- Jun Kunimura as Furuya, a yakuza
- Takenori Goto as "Rugby"
- Tokio Emoto as Kosuke Mitamura
- Sairi Ito as Junko
- Koyuki as Kayo, Megumi's mother
- Kimiko Yo as Kozue Muranishi, Toru's mother
- Pierre Taki as Wada
- Nanami Kawakami as Miku
- Ami Tomite as Naoko
- Takato Yonemoto as Jimmy
- Itsuji Itao as Ono
- Jade Albany Pietrantonio as Allison Mandy
English version dubbing cast
- James McCauley as Toru Muranishi
- David Blue as Toshi Arai
- Christopher Swindle as Ikezawa
- Eric Tiede as Kawada
- JJ Dunlap as "Rugby"
- Curt Mega as Kosuke Mitamura
- Siera Casey as Junko
- Keith Silverstein as Takei
- Maurice LaMarche as Furuya
- Miranda Parkin as Naoko
- Mark Hildreth as Ono
- Mimi Torres as Miku
- Dahlia Salem as Kayo
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Hidden Side" | Masaharu Take | Yoshitatsu Yamada, Eiji Uchida, Kosuke Nishi & Kana Yamada | August 8, 2019 | |
| On the verge of losing his job in 1980 Sapporo, Toru Muranishi finally finds his knack selling English encyclopedias after learning from a senior salesman. However, he discovers his wife sleeping with another man as he fails to satisfy her sexually. He then partners up with Toshi, a peddler of audio recordings featuring unsuspecting couples having sex at a hotel, to utilize his salesman skills. | |||||
| 2 | "Uncensored" | Eiji Uchida | Yoshitatsu Yamada, Kosuke Nishi & Kana Yamada | August 8, 2019 | |
| Muranishi and Toshi decide to start selling pornographic magazines and open up their own chain of bookstores throughout Hokkaido. However, they then partner with a man named Kawada to publish their own uncensored magazine, which is illegal in Japan. Although they initially pay the police off with bribes, cops eventually try to arrest Muranishi at his house, but he escapes. | |||||
| 3 | "Shake Things Up" | Masaharu Take | Eiji Uchida, Yoshitatsu Yamada & Kosuke Nishi | August 8, 2019 | |
| Muranishi and Toshi managed to keep their company running while on the run from the police. However, after returning to Sapporo in 1982, they are arrested after being set up by their employees. Upon being released and seeing the success of videocassette recorders and pornographic home videos, they reunite with Kawada and decide to make their own films in 1984 Tokyo. | |||||
| 4 | "The Real Thing" | Eiji Uchida | Yoshitatsu Yamada & Kosuke Nishi | August 8, 2019 | |
| After learning that Ikezawa had him arrested, Muranishi steals an actress from his company to star in a film based on Muranishi's own sexual encounter. It is made with the actors having unsimulated sex, unheard of in Japanese porn. Ikezawa has the actress arrested and Muranishi's company, Sapphire Pictures, blacklisted in the industry. | |||||
| 5 | "Blossoming" | Masaharu Take | Yoshitatsu Yamada, Eiji Uchida & Kosuke Nishi | August 8, 2019 | |
| Things are looking even more grim for Muranishi and Sapphire when Ikezawa and other porn companies form the Japan Video Regulation Commission to self-regulate the industry. However, the young Megumi contacts him wanting to star in a film after liberating herself from her strict mother. That same day Muranishi makes an unconventional porno with her under the stage name Kaoru Kuroki, utilizing a whistle, sadomasochism and himself as her co-star. However, Megumi's mother enlists the commission and sues, with Muranishi willingly agreeing to stop sale of the tape. | |||||
| 6 | "Delusions of Grandeur" | Hayato Kawai | Kosuke Nishi, Yoshitatsu Yamada & Eiji Uchida | August 8, 2019 | |
| In a last ditch effort to save Sapphire Pictures, Muranishi and his crew travel to Hawaii to film a Hollywood-like action porno with Western porn star Allison Mandy. The project was financed by Megumi returning her payment for her recalled debut film. However, the Japanese crew are arrested by the FBI at the wrap party. | |||||
| 7 | "Don't Dream It's Over" | Hayato Kawai | Kosuke Nishi, Yoshitatsu Yamada & Eiji Uchida | August 8, 2019 | |
| In order to raise bail money for Muranishi, who was arrested on false visa fraud charges, Toshi has Furuya sell an uncensored version of their first film without telling the others, but in exchange must get involved in the yakuza life himself. At the same time, Megumi helps by allowing the legal sale of her debut film and publicly promoting it. | |||||
| 8 | "A Sexual Revolution" | Hayato Kawai | Kosuke Nishi, Yoshitatsu Yamada & Eiji Uchida | August 8, 2019 | |
| Now famous, Megumi makes regular TV appearances giving her outspoken views on sex and society, with Muranishi eventually joining her. Due to Sapphire's success, the video commission lifts the ban on their videos and loosens their regulations to allow unsimulated sex. Toshi has become addicted to drugs, is put in charge of Furuya's uncensored porn racket, and is fired from Sapphire. He and Ikezawa are then arrested as the police crack down on crime at the end of the Shōwa era. Ikezawa commits suicide in jail, while Toshi is warmly greeted by Furuya upon his release and Sapphire Pictures expands as the new leaders of porn. | |||||
Production
Development
On October 25, 2018, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of eight episodes.[3][4] The series is co-directed by Masaharu Take and co-written by Kosuke Nishi, Yoshitatsu Yamada and Eiji Uchida.[3][5][6][7] On August 15, 2019, the series was renewed by Netflix for a second season.[1]
Casting
Alongside the initial series announcement, it was confirmed that Takayuki Yamada, Shinnosuke Mitsushima and Tetsuji Tamayama would star in the series.[3] In July 2019, it was announced that Jade Albany Pietrantonio would star in the series.[8]
Filming
Principal photography for the first season took place in 2018.[3]
Release
Marketing
On June 25, 2019, the official trailer for the series was released.[9]
References
- Li, Nicolaus (August 17, 2019). "Netflix Renews 'The Naked Director' For Second Season". Hypebeast. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- "Man who revolutionised Japan porn industry subject of new Netflix series". AsiaOne. June 13, 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- ""I'm going to be an AV director Takayuki Yamada" delivered by "Future Director" Netflix drawn by half of Toru Muranishi". Natalie (in Japanese). October 25, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- Schilling, Mark (October 26, 2018). "Netflix's 'Naked Director' to Star Japan's Takayuki Yamada". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- Salvi, Pooja (June 30, 2019). "'The Naked Director': Release date, plot, cast, trailer, and everything else you need to know about the Japanese original series". Meaww. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- Schilling, Mark (August 7, 2019). "'The Naked Director': A story of naked ambition and dubious morals". The Japan Times. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- Snowden, Heather (June 25, 2019). "The Full 'Naked Director' Trailer Gives Us an Insight to the Japanese Porn Industry". High Snobiety. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- White, Peter (July 16, 2019). "'American Playboy's Jade Albany Pietrantonio To Star In Netflix's Japanese Original 'The Naked Director'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
- Chin, Mallory (June 25, 2019). "Netflix Drops Full Trailer for 'The Naked Director'". Hypebeast. Retrieved July 22, 2019.
External links
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