Mazo reido: Torawarete

Kazuo met Kayo—a hostess with an unglamorous appearance and a lack of overt sex appeal—at a bar; he began frequenting the establishment and eventually secured a date with her. On the day of the date, Kayo was dressed just as plainly as before; when Kazuo asked why, she explained that she was hiding burn marks. That night, the two became intimate in a hotel room, though Kayo refused to let him remove her *yukata*. Unable to suppress his curiosity, Kazuo undressed her while she slept, revealing burn scars on her thighs and linear scars across her abdomen...

Directed by Tarō Araki, Mazo reido: Torawarete leans on a strong ensemble — Marin Fujikawa, Kaoru Akitsu, Motoko Sasaki — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2004.