Based on the popular shojo manga “Hot Gimmick”, the film is another romantic, coming-of-age one, which, unfortunately, loses its sense of measure half way in, among other faults. Let us take things from the beginning though.
Hatsumi Narita is a high school girl who lives with her older brother, Shinogu, her younger sister Akane, and their nowhere to be found parents in a company apartment complex. One day, a neighbor and classmate, Ryoki Tachibana watches her trying to get rid of a pregnancy test and starts blackmailing her to be his slave and do whatever he asks. At the same time, Hatsumi's first childhood love, Azusa Odagiri, returns to the complex, although by now he is a famous idol. Tachibana's actions are soon revealed an awkward expression of love, but Hatsumi decides to date Azusa, who is revealed, though, to have a completely different agenda on his mind. A number of secrets involving their parents are eventually revealed, while the mystery behind the pregnancy test, Shonogu's behaviour, and Akane's role remains.
Yuki Yamato directs a film that begins in captivating fashion, with the mysteries, the secrets, the awkward flirting and the struggle of the characters to grow up and understand who they are and what they want to do providing a very interesting amalgam. The same applies to one of the most common comments in Japanese coming-of-age films, that of the lack of proper parenting, with the fathers and mothers of the protagonists shining through their absence, and their sporadic appearances serving only as to show their faults. The fast pace, with the frequent cuts, the rapid dialogue delivery, and the music video aesthetics as dictated by the bright, occasionally neon colors and the intensely polished cinematography, and the almost constant use of music also work quite well for the movie.
Unfortunately, at mid point, the narrative goes completely off, in an effort to include as many episodes from the manga as possible, which end up unfulfilled and, in essence, make the characters look paper-thin and their actions almost completely unjustifiable. The final comment intensifies this overall naivety, while the music video aesthetics become tiresome after a fashion, as the context becomes less coherent.
The repetition of behaviors that are supposedly shocking dulls their impact, and the actors suffer from the writing, since they have to do the same thing repeatedly, without any particular reason. Yuki Yamato has worked on a number of Nogizaka46 music videos, of which Miona Hori, who plays Hatsumi is a member, and the two seem to have a chemistry, with the latter providing the most convincing performance in the film, at least to a point. On the other hand, Shotaro Mamiya as Shinogu, Mizuki Itagaki as Azusa, and Hiroya Shimizu as Ryoki have very few moments that they actually shine (maybe with the exception of the latter, who has his moments), to the point that it seems the visual and sound package of the film is implemented in order to hide the fact, as much as the faults of the narrative.
“Hot Gimmick: Girl Meets Boy” begins as an interesting film, remains visually impressive until the finale, but in the end, lacks substance, at least for the majority of its 119 minutes.
