Introduction by Daihachi Yoshida

Daihachi Yoshida’s debut film towers over a long list of offbeat Japanese comedies that gained popularity in the late 2000s, combining the weird, the whimsical, the wry, and the most warped humor you can imagine, even by Japanese standards. Stepsiblings are thrown together in death and debt after their parents are killed in a freak road accident trying to save a black cat sitting in the middle of a road. The eldest daughter (Eriko Sato) is a failed twentysomething actress, arriving late to her own parents’ funeral, her brother (Masatoshi Nagase) is in an abusive relationship with a cheery and much put-upon Web-order bride (Hiromi Nagasaku), and the youngest sister (Aimi Satsukawa) is drawing a manga based on the family’s misfortunes. Suicide, seduction, prostitution, persecution, and outrageous behavior collide with nonchalant abandon. Colorful and attractive cinematography belie a dark dramatic underbelly, and Yoshida pulls off a brilliant balancing act between a his mean-spirited story and his impeccable comic timing.

Presented with the support of Japan Foundation New York.