The helmer is Shun Nakahara, a roman porno veteran who turned to legit features in 1990 with the critically acclaimed hit “The Cherry Orchard.” Starring is stage actress Sakiko Takao.įrom the Back or From the Front” is a remake of a 1980 pic, helmed by newcomer Shoichiro Masumoto and starring model-turned-actress Tomomi Miyauchi. Nikkatsu turned out roman porno pics for 17 years, until 1988, when the video revolution and stricter censorship requirements did them in.Īpartment Wife: Affair in the Afternoon” is a remake of the first-ever roman porno pic, released in 1971. Roman porno pics were regularly ranked in critics’ top ten lists in the 1970s, while launching the careers of many young directors who went on to successful mainstream careers, including Oscar winner Yojiro Takita (“Departures”). First launched in 1971 after the Nikkatsu studio - the oldest in Japan - underwent a financial near-death experience, roman porno pics were softcore features made with bigger budgets and more studio resources than the then porno industry norm.ĭirectors were given wide latitude to tell stories and develop characters as long as they fulfilled the minimum requirement of four bed scenes per hour.