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'Call Me Chihiro': An eloquent twist to a classic archetype
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Archetypical heart: Kasumi Arimura stars as the titular protagonist in this still from ‘Call Me Chihiro’, produced by Netflix and Asmik Ace. The slice of life Japanese film from director Rikiya Imaizumi tells the story of a former prostitute who now works at a bento box shop. (Courtesy of Netflix Japan) (Archive/Courtesy of Netflix Japan)
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tarring the riveting Kasumi Arimura and coproduced by Netflix and Japan’s Asmik Ace, the drama makes up for its flaws by presenting a heroine whose dilemma runs deep.
Note: This film review contains minor spoilers.
There was a period in the 1990s when the “hooker with a heart of gold” archetype made a splash on the silver screen. This character is usually female, used to or is currently working in the sex industry, but is kind and generous.
Global box office hits, such as 1990’s American romantic comedy Pretty Woman and 1995’s Academy Award-winning drama Leaving Las Vegas, proved how such an unlikely heroine could resonate with a wider, more mainstream audience, thanks largely to the character’s archetypical charm, quirkiness and tear-jerking virtues.
As this particular type of character waned over the following decades, it seems that Japanese filmmaker Rikiya Imaizumi, best known for helming the 2018 Japanese metro-pop dramedy Just Only Love, was keen to not only transport cinephiles back to the ‘90s, but also conducting a modern and sophisticated examination of the archetype.
Imaizumi’s Call Me Chihiro (original title Chihiro-san) is the film adaptation of a Japanese manga series of the same name and stars two-time Japan Academy Film Prize-winner Kasumi Arimura (Birigyaru; English title Flying Colors) as the titular protagonist.
Rounding up the cast is Hana Toyoshima (The Devil’s Attorney, TV series, 2019-2020), Tetta Shimada (Love Life, 2022), actor-composer Keiichi Suzuki (Love Letter, 1995), Jun Fubuki (From Up on Poppy Hill, 2011) and Ryûya Wakaba (What is Love?, 2018).
