Tokyo Pop

A woman goes to Japan and ends up joining a band with a man she stars dating. They inadvertently become famous singing Do you believe in Magic and he falls in love with her. But she realizes that she doesn't belong and has to decide her fate.

This is a great look at late 80s Japan with loads of scenery and culture BUT it's also a cute little rom-com (ish) about music and following your own path. In a way it's similar to Lost in Translation (but obviously pre-dating that) in tone, but has a more bittersweet vibe. DEfinitely an overlooked movie that deserves more attention as it's cute and lighthearted.

Tokyo Pop has been in my collection since it came out...I could not locate it anywhere..and bribed the video store owner into selling me her copy. This was not too difficult..she said it was never rented..except by me. The movie hooked me in the first scene..just Carrie Hamilton herself, visually. The rest of the movie followed suit..a feast of cultures for the eyes and ears, and a romantic quality as well...though bittersweet.

I loved the music from beginning to end..especially Hiro's Song. Even the instrumentals played during the sad parts were worthy of me taping..what I'd give to find the soundtrack. I particularly love Carrie's vocals..in Do You Believe In Magic...she gives it everything she's got. I was heartbroken to discover that she's passed away at 38 from cancer...awww.

I loved this film. A lot. Though my tastes may be a bit different than most people I've met, I really did enjoy both the comedic and romantic aspects of the film, and I thought both blended very well. My favorite example of this was when Hiro (played by Tadokoro Yutaka of Red Warriors), takes Wendy (fantastically played by the late Carrie Hamilton) to a hotel; the movie makes a good point of explaining just how much of a problem language barriers can be, though in a way we can all laugh at, which I found to be great ...

Overacted in some parts, underacted in a few, and misdirected in many, this film is my idea of a great time, and I hope those of you who feel the same way make an effort to see it for yourself.

There's a very rare honesty and charm to "Tokyo Pop." Although I never knew the music scene in Japan, so much in the movie is immediately recognizable from life: The naivete on many sides. The fun of being exotic for a while and the uses made of it. The value for Westerners of being in Japan for a while; the sterility of living there long-term (generally speaking). The harmless chintziness of much in Japan. A degree of gentleness. The story is believable and the characters endearing. In tune with the lightness of the movie, there are few of the crudest sorts of stupidity one is likely to run up against: Westerners who set themselves up as experts on everything under the sun. The Japanese love of grandiose abstractions; verbal bombast about uniqueness and subtlety. The extreme moral and intellectual obtuseness involved in occasionally hammering down nails that stick up. Or that if you are inclined to pithiness, then you too may be unsuited for life in Japan.

I really enjoyed this movie. The characters are real and likeable and the story is entertaining. The script is excellent and the exchanges between the Japanese and gaijin characters genuinely amusing and realistic. I loved the way the hero (Hiro) was always several beats behind in his responses to English. Anyone who has spent some time in Japan and has an interest in the Japanese music scene will find a lot to take delight in here. And the occasional desperation of a gaijin, feeling lost and alien in Japan, is cleverly portrayed. The people who made this movie really knew what they were on about, from the Japanese and the gaijin point of view.

The two lead actors are very believable and the other cast members are all excellent. The band scenes and the portrayals of the varied types of musicians are great fun.

I had never heard of this movie before I watched it and it was a revelation to find something so amusing and true about a place and a music that I love. Thank you to these film makers!