The Great Happiness Space
I just saw this documentary and it was.... hm... well, quite interesting, actually. It took the viewer inside the world of the Osaka host clubs as we follow the life of a famous host named Issei and his 20 employees at Rakkyo Café, a popular club in the minami area of Osaka. Issei, by the way, is only 22 years old!
The viewer follows the story of a day in Issei's life and how he (and his staff!) charms his way into womens lives to the point where these women are just throwing money at him. They want to keep their 'Neverland' and that is what he gets paid to do. He creates a story of a guy that each and every girl (no matter who they are) want and he plays that story until they fall in love with him; each and every one. But many of his regular customers need to find jobs that will pay them enough to keep coming to these host clubs and that is how many end up as fuzoku; prostitutes.
However, due to the nature of this business - and perhaps the work that these girls do - these half-truths and lies are only believed enough for all of them to have a good time and for them to pay for it before heading home for the night - or morning, as it were.
I like this documentary because you, as the viewer, get to see both the women and the men's lives and - to some extent - feelings (though who knows how much of it we can believe - I suppose that's also part of this world). Part of me feels bad for these hosts because all night they have to cater to the whims of these women and have to binge drink and purge all night long so they can continue to drink and make more money. But then I also feel for these women who are getting duped by these boys who will ensure that you have a good time - whether it be by lots of false compliments, listening to your problems, or scolding you when you do something dumb (because then you know that they really care!!) all in the name of that great golden goddess called money. At the end of the documentary you can see Issei's true feeling about some of these women - one in particular - and at the point you can tell that he really can't stand some of his customers. But I guess as long as they're still paying for it... Well... it's a business of creating a 'neverland' and they do it well enough that women come back, no matter how they get the money to do so...
What a crazy world. Haha. I sort of want to go to one host club before I decide to leave Japan. Haha. What in the world would these poor boys do with a foreigner?!
The viewer follows the story of a day in Issei's life and how he (and his staff!) charms his way into womens lives to the point where these women are just throwing money at him. They want to keep their 'Neverland' and that is what he gets paid to do. He creates a story of a guy that each and every girl (no matter who they are) want and he plays that story until they fall in love with him; each and every one. But many of his regular customers need to find jobs that will pay them enough to keep coming to these host clubs and that is how many end up as fuzoku; prostitutes.
However, due to the nature of this business - and perhaps the work that these girls do - these half-truths and lies are only believed enough for all of them to have a good time and for them to pay for it before heading home for the night - or morning, as it were.
I like this documentary because you, as the viewer, get to see both the women and the men's lives and - to some extent - feelings (though who knows how much of it we can believe - I suppose that's also part of this world). Part of me feels bad for these hosts because all night they have to cater to the whims of these women and have to binge drink and purge all night long so they can continue to drink and make more money. But then I also feel for these women who are getting duped by these boys who will ensure that you have a good time - whether it be by lots of false compliments, listening to your problems, or scolding you when you do something dumb (because then you know that they really care!!) all in the name of that great golden goddess called money. At the end of the documentary you can see Issei's true feeling about some of these women - one in particular - and at the point you can tell that he really can't stand some of his customers. But I guess as long as they're still paying for it... Well... it's a business of creating a 'neverland' and they do it well enough that women come back, no matter how they get the money to do so...
What a crazy world. Haha. I sort of want to go to one host club before I decide to leave Japan. Haha. What in the world would these poor boys do with a foreigner?!