The Great Happiness Space: Tale of an Osaka Love Thief

2006 · 78 min · EN · 7.4 (22 votes)

Dir. Jake Clennell

Documentary

Welcome to The Great Happiness Space: Rakkyo Café. The club's owner, Issei (22), has a staff of twenty boys all under his training to become the top escorts of Osaka's underground love scene. During their training, they learn how to dress, how to talk, how to walk, and most importantly, how to fake relationships with the girls who become their source of income. Join us as Osaka's number one host boy takes us on a journey through the complex and heartrenching world of love for sale in the Japanese underground.

VIBE

This documentary offers a raw, unflinching look into a hidden world. It's a melancholic exploration of manufactured intimacy and the search for connection in transactional relationships, leaving you with a lingering sense of unease.

melancholicintrospectivecynicalvulnerableslow-burnobservational documentarygritty realismcharacter studylonelinessexploitationidentitytransactional relationships