Netflix had a surprise hit on their hands in 2019 with the release of the Japanese series “The Naked Director”. The story of Toru Muranishi, arguably Japan's biggest porn director and producer, had all the traits required from a hit biopic and the strong writing and acting, not to forget the sizzling hot sex scenes, proved to be a success with Netflix's subscribers, and a follow-up season was swiftly ordered. With that, it was also announced that the second season would also be the final, effectively being the end of the story of Toru Muranishi and his muse Kaoru Kuroki, along with everybody else at Sapphire Films, Muranishi's company. Fast forward (to the good bits, as they say in pornography terms) two years later, and the second season has finally started streaming in all its entirety.
It's 1990 and Toru Muranishi is still his carefree self, still not giving a damn about society or authorities and still making his explicit adult videos starring Kaoru Kuroki, in addition to a wide roster of new actresses, clad in nothing but his white underpants. The police, particularly the corrupt Takei, is still after him and Muranishi himself keeps going in and out of jail, usually bailed out by his man Kawada. Even though Sapphire Films is doing quite well for itself, the ever-cautious Kawada still worries for the company's stability, particularly after Muranishi is introduced to the new world of satellite broadcasting by an investment broker. Muranishi develops an instant obsession towards having his own stalling broadcasting channel, to “rain porn” all over the world and straight into people's houses.
This obsession, however, is about to take a toll on many things, not least Sapphire Films. Kaoru Kuroki, who has loyally stood by Muranishi's side believing in the man's genius and his ability to get out of any situation, begins to feel detached from him, particularly with the introduction of new girl Miyuki Chiba, who has the same shyness hiding a unique boldness underneath that Kaoru had when she was still called Megumi. Meanwhile, Toshi, who gave in to the yakuza in the previous season, is clearly not cut for the gangster life and finds it hard to survive in the world of violence. So when he develops affinity towards new girl Sayaka, he starts to look for a way out.
Beginning with a chorus of sex noises set against a black background, which gives way for screen upon screen of porn videos, the second season begins with the same promise of the earlier set of episodes, as a fast-talking, candid Muranishi gives an interview while in his underwear, even charming the female interviewer while also propositioning her to be in one of his risqué videos. Once, however, he is introduced to satellite broadcasting and the obsession takes over completely, we get to meet a different Muranishi, one man working against all odds to fulfil a singular goal, with or without his team's and well-wishers' help. While the same goal of being the greatest pornographer Japan has ever seen still drives him, the blind pursuit of satellite rights brings a different, almost megalomaniacal side of his to the fore.
Because the previous season covered a large part of the whimsical genius's career, it had a very kinetic effect on the story. The majority of these eight new episodes focuses solely on this obsession of his, to the detriment of his company, career and his relationship with actresses and other staff. This causes his particular storyline to feel rather stagnated for a fair chunk of the season's runtime. While it's interesting to see just how the fall from grace, a staple of many a biopics, comes about, one can't help but miss the “wheeler dealer” ways of the old Muranishi. So when that aspect of his personality finally makes an appearance in the final episode of the season for a short period of time, you end up lamenting the lack of more such scenes. Masaharu Take, who this time directs five of the eight episodes, thus takes the time to focus instead on the storylines of the characters around Muranishi, giving even small characters like make-up woman Junko, their due diligence.
That is not to say that every storyline hits its mark. That of Toshi, for example, is the most affected. The character and by default actor Shinnosuke Mitsushima were both among the highlights of season one, but feel severely underused here, ultimately serving as a means to an end rather than something substantial. While the character arc is interesting to watch, it serves but little purpose to the series's overall story, as opposed to the earlier episodes where he was the driving force of Muranishi's journey. The air doll aspect of Kawada's story also never quite reaches a conclusion.
Take makes the most of the evidently big bucks thrown his way by Netflix, as production values are of a much higher quality this time round. The mansion of Diamond Visual, Muranishi's new company, could rival the Playboy Mansion itself. On-location exterior shooting is at well-selected places, whereas the interiors suit the mood of the scenes accurately, the ones for the porn shoots showing all the glitz and glamours whereas those with the yakuza showing the seedy underbelly with a mysterious, magnetic aura. A key scene later on that involves Muranishi, Toshi and a car is an apt example of how the well-thought out cinematography and music both come together to create a short but memorable sequence.
Takayuki Yamada is once again in fine form, transforming unrecognisably into Toru Muranishi. While a lot of his scenes involve conversations and loud ramblings, there's a number of key sequences where his skills demand attention, like the one where he shows his actresses, who're demanding due wages, their place, or at the dam in the moonlight, which sees him quick-thinking, fast-talking once again but for a completely different purpose. Misato Morita is far more composed as Kaoru Kuroki this time, bringing a sense of dignity to the way the otherwise obscene actress carries herself when not in front of a camera.
Several supporting actors also register, such as Tokio Emoto as Muranishi's assistant director Mitamuro, Sairi Ito as Junko and even Ami Tomite as porn actress Naoko. Jun Kunimura, as always, is a joy to watch every time he makes a small but timely appearance. Newcomers include Tsuyoshi Ihara as Koichi Umino, the CEO of the satellite broadcasting network, Yuri Tsunematsu as Miyuki Chiba and actress/singer-songwriter Mariya Nishiuchi as Sayaka. Of these, Ihara's interactions with Yamada are the most fun to watch. While both Tsunematsu and Nishiuchi leave you in awe of their beauty, their performances both leave a bit to be desired.
“The Naked Director” may not have as many “fun moments” in its second season and the nudity quotient also leaves you wanting more, but it remains grounded for the most part, making Masaharu Take's and associate director Kotaro Goto's work a fairly entertaining watch and a satisfactory conclusion to the tale of a man who lived a life whose story you couldn't make up if you tried. If I, like Kaoru Kuroki in her debut video, had a whistle with me, I'd gladly blow it at the end of the show.
