Baunsu ko gaurusu (Bounce KO Gals) (1998)

53% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
89% of users liked it
(131 ratings)

Ripped straight from the headlines of 1990s Japan, this film directed by Masato Harada explores the ticklish issue of enjo kosai -- a much-hyped phenomenon in which Tokyo schoolgirls (kogyaru) go on paid dates with lecherous middle-aged men. Set in the ultra-fashionable neighborhood of Shibuya, this… More Ripped straight from the headlines of 1990s Japan, this film directed by Masato Harada explores the ticklish issue of enjo kosai -- a much-hyped phenomenon in which Tokyo schoolgirls (kogyaru) go on paid dates with lecherous middle-aged men. Set in the ultra-fashionable neighborhood of Shibuya, this film details a day in the lives of such freewheeling young women. Bounce Ko Gals opens with Raku (Yasue Sato) accompanying her round-faced friend Maru (Shin Yazawa) to an after-school abortion. After that minor medical inconvenience, Maru meets up with a prospective john -- a suavely dressed cat named Oshima (played by the ubiquitous Koji Yakusho). Unfortunately, Oshima proves to be a yakuza running a brothel out of a date club, and he regards Maru and her cohorts as unwanted competition. When one of Maru's pals, Jonko (Hitomi Sato) -- a street-smart, stun gun-wielding enjo kosai who prefers to swipe the cash from her clients instead of exchanging fluids with them -- tries to negotiate with the mobster on her friend's behalf, she finds herself unwittingly forced into Oshima's stable of whores. At the same time, while parading around town in a naughtily tailored schoolgirl uniform for a porn-flick guerrilla shoot, Raku runs into Risa (Yukiko Okamoto), a young lass who finally scraped together enough money for a long-planned trip to New York by selling her panties and consorting with perverts. When Raku's shoot is busted by a couple of punks and Risa's savings are stolen, the two flee into a nearby park. As Risa grows ever more despondent, Raku hatches a scheme to recoup her new friend's 100,000- yen savings before her departure the following day. Not surprisingly, this plan involves enjo kosai . Bounce was screened at the 1998 Rotterdam Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: Masato Harada
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Oct 18, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Jun 20, 2006

Critic Reviews

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Manages the difficult feat of being simultaneously sordid and tedious at the same time.
Dave Kehr, New York Times
Bounce Ko Gals feels fabricated, studio-bound and claustrophobic, which doesn't add to the ripped-from-the-headlines authenticity this genre has always depended on.
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
The movie frames a critique of socially permissible pedophilia as indelible as Harada's eavesdropping mise-en-scène.
Rex Roberts, Film Journal International
Foreign film buffs who enjoyed Lost in Translation may find it worthwhile to revisit Japan with a native guide.
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
a drama that focuses on the seedy world of Japanese schoolgirl prostitution - wins points for trying to tackle a hard subject, albeit with velvet gloves.
Marcy Dermansky, About.com
Three Japanese teens bounce from scenes of seedy underworld horror (and kink) to school-girl giggles. These final giggles that will hold you spell-bound.
Jeremiah Kipp, Filmcritic.com
[E]xpressive and often funny, but never deep or poetic.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Despite the lurid material, director Masato Harada's intelligent drama takes a refreshingly non-exploitative look at Japan's real-life sex industry and its relationship to an increasingly youth-oriented consumer culture.
Jon Popick, Planet Sick-Boy
Depressing, even with the uplifting finale.
Eric Campos, Film Threat
It's a down and dirty look at the world of the ko gals, but it has class.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
There's nothing fresh uncovered.
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
A straightforward story -- but nothing admirable here, no good people, no point.
Jon Lap, Apollo Guide
Harada fashions a socially mimetic picture of seedy street-hustler life a la My Own Private Idaho and Olivier Assayas' Cold Water.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

alan j

Not a sexual movie but it deals with selling sex. This movie has a lot of heart and I enjoyed it alot. It basically follows the activity of the 3 youngfemale characters for one night. The script is smart and the acting is spot on by the entire casr. It will hold your interest,… More
Not a sexual movie but it deals with selling sex. This movie has a lot of heart and I enjoyed it alot. It basically follows the activity of the 3 youngfemale characters for one night. The script is smart and the acting is spot on by the entire casr. It will hold your interest, with plenty of drama and suspense. See it!