Love & Pop (Rabu & Poppu)

Debut: January 10, 1998 in Japan
Duration: 110 Minutes
Director: Hideaki Anno
Producer: Miyuki Nanri
Actors: Asumi Miwa, Yukie Nakama,Kirari, Hirono Kudo, Tadanobu Asano
Screenplay: Akio Satsukawa
Camera: Takahide Shibanushi
Music: Shinkichi Mitsumune

Coming right after the release of The End of Evangelion, Hideaki Anno directed his first full length live action feature film – Love & Pop. Based upon the novel Topaz II: Love & Pop written by Japanese writer Murakami Ryu the story revolves around the life of a young school girl Hiromi and the Japanese social “problem of "enjo kosai" which is where normal school girls engage in "casual" prostitution so that they can afford to buy things for themselves, such as designer clothes.

I think that Anno Hideaki made an excellent transition from anime director to live action film. Those familiar with Evangelion will be able to easilty spot the Eva inspired camera angels and cuts. At times it is hard to not imaging this as the “real life world” of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The title hints at the cheerful and happy coating of the life of young Japanese school girls, this coating is very thin though, because once you get past the youthful exuberance you reach the dark side of rape, violence and mental instability.

I don’t really want to talk to much about the plot here, but basically Hiromi “falls in love” with an expensive diamond ring and decides on using "enjo kosai" to get quick and “easy” money to buy it.

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