A life-size, inflatable sex doll suddenly comes to life one day. Without her owner knowing, she goes for a walk around town and falls in love with Junichi. She starts to date Junichi and gets a job at the same store where he works. Everything seems to be going perfectly for her until something unexpected happens.
Acting
Bae Doona's wordless wonder — every breath feels discovered.
Cinematography
Tokyo as fragile dreamscape, beauty in fluorescent mundanity.
Direction
Kore-eda's gentle cruelty — he loves his characters too much to save them.
Director
Hirokazu Kore-eda
Bae Doona
Nozomi
Arata Iura
Junichi
Itsuji Itao
Hideo
Joe Odagiri
Sonoda
Sumiko Fuji
Chiyoko
Masaya Takahashi
Keiichi
Kimiko Yo
Receptionist Yoshiko
Ryo Iwamatsu
Video Shop Owner
Tomomi Maruyama
Shinji
Miu Naraki
Moe
Tasuku Emoto
Ronin / Toru
Mari Hoshino
Miki
Susumu Terajima
Police Officer Todoroki
Jyonmyon Pe
Cleaner
Hijiri Sakurai
Bus Passenger
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Yoshiie Goda's manga, the film reflects Japan's hikikomori phenomenon and 'moe' culture's blurred line between object affection and human connection.
Bae Doona learned Japanese phonetically for the role; her halting delivery became inseparable from the character's newborn consciousness. Kore-eda refused to dub her.
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