Yôichi Sai

Hanawa is something of a weapon nut. He isn't exactly dangerous, but he does own a couple of illegal firearms. When he is found out, he's given a three year sentence. Life in prison is different for Hanawa, but as he grows accustomed to the prison rules and his quirky cellmates, Hanawa rediscovers the beauty of the smaller things in life.

There isn't much of a plot here, instead Doing Time is a slice of life about a tightly run prison facility. Performances are great, the mix of drama and comedy is on point, it's just that the presentation is a little dry. Doing Time used to be a personal favorite, a good 15 years later I found the film has a bit more trouble distinguishing itself from its peers. It's still a lovely little drama though.

Asuka is by far the coolest chick in school, but she's looking for a new challenge. She looks up to Yoko, a member of the Hibari gang. When she tries to get involved with Yoko's gang, things turn sour and Asuka suddenly finds herself with tons of drugs, a big stash of money and an angry punk gang on her tail. Not exactly what she had in mind.

Sai has a lot of fun with the punk elements. The sets look surprisingly accomplished, Asuka comes off as a female Akira, and the film is teeming with peculiar characters. It's nothing you haven't seen before and the true anarchic punk spirit is missing from this film, instead Sai offers lots of genre fun in a neat little package. A lovely find.