The Tropical People

Straight-laced, honest Japanese travel agent Misuzu gets a job as a tour guide so that she can the world. On her first assignment in Bangkok, Thailand she does her best for her ungrateful charges, but gets fired when the hotel (through no fault of her own) misplaces all their passports. She also finds herself the victim of a scam by two Japanese con-artists (innocent-looking Tondabayashi and half-Thai Thuy) living in Bangkok. When the hotel finds the passports, she decides to buck the system and sell them on the black market. She teams up with the two con-artists to scam, rip off and rob all the Japanese tourists in Bangkok. They keep trying to pull off bigger and bigger jobs, and end up in trouble with two dumb, sightseeing yakuza, among others. Also, a love triangle forms as Tondabayashi falls for Misuzu, and Misuzu falls for the older Thuy.

Directed by Yojiro Takita, The Tropical People leans on a strong ensemble — Misa Shimizu, Masato Hagiwara, Morio Kazama — 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 1994.