You are here:

Wet Vase

Name: Wet Vase
Director: Masaru Konuma
Released: 1976
Duration: 69 min

Representation Score

5.7/10

Fair

1976

Director

Masaru Konuma

Runtime

69 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Wet Vase focuses on the breakdown of traditional domestic stability, centering on Aki's journey through betrayal. The film shifts the narrative emphasis from patriarchal reliability to female autonomy and unconventional relationships. By positioning the protagonist's liberation through her professional and sensory experiences, the film challenges mid-century social norms. It replaces the traditional family structure with a focus on individual autonomy and female subjectivity. While the film excels in subverting gender hierarchies and exploring non-traditional emotional bonds between women, it remains culturally homogenous, reflecting the specific social context of 1976 Japanese cinema.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Wet Vase have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film showcases a strong emotional connection between Aki and Iwasaki, highlighting a supportive relationship that stands apart from traditional patriarchal structures.

How does Wet Vase portray gender?

Good

Aki is portrayed as a successful businesswoman navigating a world dominated by men. The narrative emphasizes female autonomy and desire, challenging conventional domestic roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Wet Vase?

Fair

The cast is predominantly Japanese, reflecting the cultural context of the time without delving into diverse ethnic backgrounds or challenging racial stereotypes.

How does Wet Vase represent religion and culture?

Good

The story questions the idealized notion of the nuclear family by depicting dysfunctional domestic relationships. It prioritizes personal freedom over traditional social obligations.

Does Wet Vase include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no depiction of individuals with physical or neurological disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Highlights female autonomy and professional success through the protagonist.
Effectively challenges traditional patriarchal and familial structures.
Explores deep, non-traditional emotional bonds between women.

Limited or Absent

Lacks ethnic and racial diversity among the cast.
Does not include representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Naomi Tani plays bar-owner Aki, whose entire world appears to be crumbing whenever she discovers her husband is having an affair along with her own mama. Truly the only individual she can trust is Iwasaki, the woman club supervisor. One time, she asks Iwasaki to accompay her to a company meeting with a trader Hanamatsu, the owner of a mannequin factory. At the warehouse, Miss Aki is abnormally aroused when she sees Hanamatsu toching the mannequins. She allows by herself to be seduced by the businessman…

How are these scores produced? →