From Asian Film Vault
Yuna is a shy and innocent college student, who has not really had much sexual experience. This changes when she meets one of her idols, Professor Shibuya, a famed art critic, and collector. Yuna is invited to his estate where under his guidance and help from his two other partners, Miho and Erika, Yuna delves into a world of rope bondage and sexual deviancy.
As Yuna’s “education” in the world of S&M continue she begins to fall for the professor, changing from an observer to an active participant in his games, even going as far as to help him scold an editor with sexual humiliation, in an uncommon scene containing male bondage. When her regular life catches up with her Yuna must decide if she wants to stay involved with the professor or try to live an ordinary life in the city.
“Educating Yuna’s” major focus throughout is the erotic subject. As a result, it is hard to give to much comment in technical specs of the production. Mari Yamaguchi, who plays Yuna, does a great job but is limited by the amount of the script dedicated to the sex scenes. In all the erotic scenes, everyone does an adequate job, but for me, as a viewer, I have a tough time complimenting an actor’s ability when presented with a film with so little story. My sentiments carry over to cinematography, I believe it was well shot and have no complaints. However, given the nature of the film, it is hard to criticize as I often look to how well Pink films transition between the story and erotic scenes to determine my thoughts on the cinematography.
My interest in the Pink genre comes mostly from the stories told around the obligatory sex scenes. It is a genre that allows for a lot of freedom for directors to tell unique stories, pulling inspiration from various genres. So when I come across a Pink film that is so heavily focused on the erotic, forgoing storytelling, I tend to find the films rather forgettable, and “Educating Yuna” follows that route. However, for fans of the genre who find the erotic scenes to be the biggest draw, and particularly enjoy S&M themed productions, “Educating Yuna” should be essential viewing. As even with my feigning interest in Pink films of this ilk, I am able to acknowledge that the erotic scenes are very well done, and are a step above that found in a lot of other productions. It is particularly praiseworthy that the film is able to keep away from feeling nasty or mean. In a genre where, unfortunately, it is fairly common to have sex scenes seem a bit forced upon the female characters, “Educating Yuna” is free from the guilt that can come from such sequences.
It should be noted that a sequel for the film will be released in the near future, and although my enjoyment of “Educating Yuna” was somewhat limited, I have enjoyed directors Yutaka Ikejima’s previous work, particularly “The Japanese Wife Next Door” films. I am excited to see what he does with the character of Yuna and hopefully, they can bring a bit more depth to the character.
Review by Adam Symchuk of Asian Film Vault.
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