An ice man melts for a scammer in Osaka's red-light underbelly — classic.
This is the 25th installment of the long-running OV series, which delves into the dark side of society that is often overlooked. This ambitious film sheds light on the ruthless, unknown side of sex-related businesses such as host clubs and brothels, which target people indulging in unbridled desire. Maejima (Bonchi Osamu), an ice shop owner who falls in love with a woman working at a restaurant in Toyota Shinchi, borrows 2 million yen from Ginjiro (Takeuchi) to help her out of debt, but falls into a clever trap set by the greedy host club owner, losing both the shop's land and the building.
Acting
Bonchi Osamu's sad-sack desperation hits uncomfortably real.
Production
Toyota Shinchi's actual host clubs provide grimy authenticity.
Director
Sadaaki Haginiwa
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The King of Minami series ran 26 films from 1992-2005, essentially Japan's straight-to-video answer to The Twilight Zone for broke dreamers in Osaka's underground economy.
Toyota Shinchi was a real red-light district in Aichi Prefecture, demolished in 2006 — this film accidentally documents a vanished world.
No ratings yet
6.01992
8.01992
1993
1993
1993
1994
1994
1994
1994
1995
1995
1995
1995
9.01995
1996
1996
1996
1997
1997
1997
1997
1998
1998
1998
1998
1998
1998
1998
1998
1998
1999
1999
1999
1999
2000
2000
2000
2000
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2002
2002
2002
2003
2003
2003
2003
2004
2004
2004
2004
2005
2005
2005
2005
2006
2006
2006
2007
2007
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
JP
