Maid-Droid
Encyclopedia
aka and is a 2009
Japan
ese science-fiction fantasy pink film directed by Naoyuki Tomomatsu
. Among the awards it won at the Pink Grand Prix
ceremony was the Silver Prize for Best Film.
. Besides winning the second place in the Best Film category, Naoyuki Tomomatsu
was awarded Best Director for his work on this film. Prizes for Best Actor (Masayoshi Nogami) and Best Screenplay (Chisato Ōgawara) were also given for Maid-Droid.
The German-language site molodezhnaja, however, gives Maid-Droid a less-than-positive review, awarding it two out of five stars. While admitting that it can be enjoyed for its trashiness, and some good sex scenes, the review complains about the perceived mysogynistic message behind the film. A scene in which young robots are praised while women over 30 are labeled "ugly" and physically abused for this reason is singled out as a particularly offensive jab at feminism. The review concludes that despite a few interesting ideas, the film as a whole is a clumsy misfire on the part of director Tomomatsu.
released Maid-Droid on DVD in the US through its Tokyo Erotique series on December 22, 2009. It is also available for instant streaming on Netflix.
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese science-fiction fantasy pink film directed by Naoyuki Tomomatsu
Naoyuki Tomomatsu
is a Japanese film director and screenwriter who has worked in the pink film and horror genres.-Life and career:Tomomatsu was born in Osaka, Japan in 1967. He was interested in manga and film from high school and started working as an office assistant to manga artist Shungicu Uchida. In 1992, he...
. Among the awards it won at the Pink Grand Prix
Pink Grand Prix
The or is an annual Japanese film award ceremony which recognizes excellence in the pink film. Known as the "Academy Awards of the Pink Film", the ceremony attracts a diverse audience of industry personnel, film scholars and the general public....
ceremony was the Silver Prize for Best Film.
Synopsis
In the near future, Ueno is a man who has been raised with his parents' cyborg maid Maria. His parents pass away while he is a teenager, leaving Maria to care for Ueno. As an adult, Ueno's attachment to Maria leads him to attempt to program her for sex. This attempted consummation of their relationship fails, and when Ueno is an old man, Maria's power supply comes to an end, leaving Ueno alone. Meanwhile, a series of rapes occur in the city and Detective Yuri Akagi suspects a droid is responsible.Cast
- Akiho YoshizawaAkiho Yoshizawa, often known simply as Acky , is a Japanese adult video and pink film actress.-AV debut - Alice Japan & Max-A:Yoshizawa was born in Tokyo, Japan on March 3, 1984 and after working as a gravure idol, made her AV debut in 2003 under contract to two studios, Alice Japan and Max-A...
as Maria - Anri Suzuki as Yuri
- Yōko SatomiYōko Satomiis a Japanese pink film actress who has also used the name . Variations on the spelling of her name include , , and . She has appeared in award-winning pink films, and was herself given a "Best Actress" award for her work in this genre in 1999 and 2001....
as Woman A - Mari Yamaguchi as Fiancee
- Masayoshi Nogami as Old Man
- Hiroyuki Kaneko as Rape Machine
- 如春 as Ueno
- Hiroshi Fujita as Otaku critic
- Abō as Detective
- Kōji Senō (妹尾公資) as Detective
Critical appraisal
Maid-Droid won several honors at the annual Pink Grand PrixPink Grand Prix
The or is an annual Japanese film award ceremony which recognizes excellence in the pink film. Known as the "Academy Awards of the Pink Film", the ceremony attracts a diverse audience of industry personnel, film scholars and the general public....
. Besides winning the second place in the Best Film category, Naoyuki Tomomatsu
Naoyuki Tomomatsu
is a Japanese film director and screenwriter who has worked in the pink film and horror genres.-Life and career:Tomomatsu was born in Osaka, Japan in 1967. He was interested in manga and film from high school and started working as an office assistant to manga artist Shungicu Uchida. In 1992, he...
was awarded Best Director for his work on this film. Prizes for Best Actor (Masayoshi Nogami) and Best Screenplay (Chisato Ōgawara) were also given for Maid-Droid.
The German-language site molodezhnaja, however, gives Maid-Droid a less-than-positive review, awarding it two out of five stars. While admitting that it can be enjoyed for its trashiness, and some good sex scenes, the review complains about the perceived mysogynistic message behind the film. A scene in which young robots are praised while women over 30 are labeled "ugly" and physically abused for this reason is singled out as a particularly offensive jab at feminism. The review concludes that despite a few interesting ideas, the film as a whole is a clumsy misfire on the part of director Tomomatsu.
Availability
Maid-Droid was released under the title as an original video in Japan in 2008. The pink film studio, Xces gave the film a theatrical release in Japan on January 30, 2009 under the title . It was released on DVD in Japan on March 6, 2009 under the title . Cinema EpochCinema Epoch
Cinema Epoch is an independent film distribution & production company based in the U.S. It was founded by distribution veteran and filmmaker Gregory Hatanaka. The company specializes in foreign, independent and cult cinema. The company's first release was the martial arts classic Master of the...
released Maid-Droid on DVD in the US through its Tokyo Erotique series on December 22, 2009. It is also available for instant streaming on Netflix.