The Great Happiness Space
The Great Happiness Space is a fantastic documentary about Japan’s “Host Clubs,” where women go to drink and spend time with “host boys” – good looking, charming young men who make them feel good about themselves. The physical aspect is downplayed (it’s not a sex club), as the hosts tend to just spend time with their customers – talking, joking around, giving each woman time and attention.
Totally fascinating stuff. The documentary centers around Osaka’s Cafe Rakkyo, and the main host boy Issei. There are some really interesting twists during the film – and I think the director does a really good job staying (somewhat) impartial with the camera. I got sucked in to this really quickly, and I think it’s a testament to both the director and the subject matter. Highly voyeuristic stuff, and immensely compelling.
The trailer that I found isn’t so great, but it gives you a sense of the documentary’s style. You can view it here.
I actually got to see that documentary. I was a bit confused about it, thinking that is ran along the lines of male prostitution, but boy, was I wrong. The “Great Happiness Space” explained a lot about Host Clubs in Japan and how they’re run. I found it interesting and hard to look a way from, only because it was that hooking to watch. If anyone would like to know more about Japanese Host Clubs, well this is the documentary to see. Oh and lots of Japanese eye candy for the ladies…
L.T. (May 30, 2009 at 10:39 pm)This was such a great documentary. I realize you likely stumbled across my review of it completely out of the blue, but thanks for bumping this entry.For anyone else who comes across this post, definitely check out this film if you get the chance.
avoision (June 5, 2009 at 6:36 am)