Masato HARADA 原田眞人

Bounce Ko Gals (Leaving)

バウンス ko GALS

Nippon Cinema   ª 

BOUNCE KO GALS explores the growing problem of youth prostitution in Japan. To get their expensive designer clothes. cell phones and Gucci bags, schoolgirls arrange to meet rich businessmen. They sing karaoke with them, go out to eat with them or offer them, depending on their payment, a little more. 16-year-old Lily wants to fly to America, but her entire savings were stolen shortly before she left. Now she only has one night left to earn as much money as possible to finally get to the land of her dreams. Together with her friends, she throws herself into the nightlife of Shibuya, the young district of Tokyo where schoolgirl prostitution flourishes. They confidently play with her seemingly innocent charisma and trick the men obsessed with the Lolita complex. BOUNCE KO GALS was one of the greatest hits at Japan`s box offices and received numerous awards (including The Blue Ribbon Award, Hochi Film Award). The cinematography and the narrative style have a documentary character, comparable to Larry Clark`s KIDS. BOUNCE KO GALS shows the life of teenagers on the streets of Tokyo, unvarnished and full of intensity.

バウンス ko GALS
Bounce ko gals

Japan 1997

109 minutes

Director
Masato HARADA

Script
Masato HARADA

Cinematography
Yoshitaka SAKAMOTO

Music
Masahiro KAWASAKI

About Masato HARADA
原田眞人

Masato HARADA was born in Numazu in 1949. His first work as a director was GOODBYE FLICKMANIA (1979). To a Western audience HARADA is likely best known for his starring role in the U.S. big budget film THE LAST SAMURAI (2003). Since their first collaboration on KAMIKAZE TAXI (1995), HARADA has worked with Koji YAKUSHO repeatedly.