Ijô seiai kiroku: Harenchi (1969)

Noriko (Tachibana), the proprietress of the Non bar in Kyoto’s Kiyamachi district, has a long-standing, toxic relationship with Fukahata (Wakasugi), the president of a textile company. Fukahata forces Noriko into abnormal sexual acts, including having sex in front of one of her friends. To Noriko, he smugly claims, “I can’t have sex with any other woman,” yet he repeatedly has abnormal sex with other hostesses and gay men, including having sex with a woman while receiving a massage from a female masseuse. Fukahata’s catchphrases are “Noriko, I love youuu” and “Are you happy?” His childishness, which tugs at Noriko’s maternal instincts, along with his violence and suspicion, allows him to control her. Whenever Noriko talks about breaking up, Fukahata shuts down and refuses to speak. He is even surly toward Noriko’s mother when she happens to stop by Noriko’s apartment. As soon as her mother leaves, however, Fukahata turns around and tries to make Noriko feel sorry for him so she will take him back. Noriko becomes pregnant with Fukahata’s child. Even when she tries to arrange an abortion, Fukahata refuses to bring his registered seal to the gynecology clinic for the necessary paperwork. In the end, Noriko has her mother act as guarantor and aborts Fukahata’s child. People around them think Fukahata is Noriko’s patron, but he provides no financial support at all and will not even pay his tab at her bar. Noriko bought her own apartment herself. Whenever anything important comes up, Fukahata is the kind of man who goes silent and runs away. Yet Fukahata’s family believes that Noriko is seducing and manipulating him. The relationship’s morass leaves Noriko physically and emotionally shattered. At this point, Noriko meets Yoshioka (Yoshida), an architect. Unlike Fukahata, Yoshioka is kind and sincere toward her. During a one-night trip to a lakeside, Noriko decides to end her relationship with Fukahata and make a life with Yoshioka, her “second man.” She leaves the apartment where Fukahata keeps turning up and begins living with Yoshioka. But Fukahata would never forgive Noriko for that when he returned from a business trip to Kobe. To make matters worse, Noriko contracts a sexually transmitted disease from Fukahata after he has a threesome with foreign gay men in Fukuhara, Kobe. Noriko decides once again to break up with Fukahata, but she is bewildered by his crafty resolve to die together with her and backs down. Thinking she would cause trouble for Yoshioka, Noriko leaves a note at his apartment and departs, trying to escape Fukahata on her own. But Fukahata is waiting outside Yoshioka’s apartment with a knife. With Fukahata holding a knife to her, Noriko calls out to Yoshioka, who is arriving home just then. Abandoned by his family, Fukahata intends to stab Yoshioka to death. Noriko shouts at Fukahata, “You’re shameless!” In the thunderstorm, Yoshioka and Fukahata struggle, and lightning strikes the knife, electrocuting Fukahata. He falls from the apartment corridor and becomes a charred corpse. As the rain continues to pour, Noriko and Yoshioka embrace.