AKB48 leading singer Yuko Oshima, 24, canceled an address to fans after a screening of the film "Lesson of the Evil" in Tokyo on Sunday night. The reason? She hated the movie.
Directed by Takashi Miike, “Lesson of the Evil” (Aku no Kyoten) is about a psychopathic high school English teacher, played by Hideaki Ito, who kills his students one by one.
After watching the film at a special screening, Oshima said: "I detest this movie. I understand that it’s just a film but I couldn't help myself. I cried when I saw people getting killed. It's not for me."
To mark the film having attracted more 600,000 viewers so far, Oshima was supposed to present Ito with a bouquet of flowers and talk to the audience, but she didn't stick around after the film.
© Japan Today
33 Comments
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Maria
She and her agent should talk more. Who doesn't know what kinds of films Miike makes?
nath
Publicity stunt?
Ewan Huzarmy
Big baby , from a namby-pamby, mollycoddled, cutesy-wutesy, dumbed-down, thumbed-down, 'scuse me I'm going to have to change my undies now - generation.
What the hell was she doing at a horror movie anyway?
GG2141
Hyper Histrionic Teeny Bopper from HELL..........might be a good title for her next horror flick.
alliswellinjapan
Clearly a PR ploy.
movieguy
Yep! @matthew and @alliswellinjapan - This is a win-win for Oshima and Miike. Oshima fans will sympathize with Oshima believing she is "pure" and can't handle such movies and Miike fans and possible Miike fans will wonder what was so bad about the killing that more people will go see it.
I bought "Audition" when it first came out on DVD... Man... That was intense!
nath
Good for you, Yuko! You hated the movie - I would probably too - and you couldn't in good conscience hand out flowers to the maker of gory crap like this, maybe because you didn't think it's what this world needs. Publicity event gone wrong, i think. "I detest this movie" is pretty straightforward. "oh, i was on the edge of my seat, i almost couldn't watch some of the scenes, it was "intense".." That would've been more of a teaser..
nath
If she was genuinely upset by the movie I don't see why she should take part in the post-movie back pating. Good for her!
SpanishEyez37
Is this movie in the theaters or on T.V. I would love to watch it! ''Audition ,still haunts me.
WilliB
Clearly a PR stunt. This sort of thing does not happen spontaneously.
Goals0
I rejoice. Sounds to me like the poor girl realized what an immoral heap of ...
she was being asked to promote.
Alex Einz
maybe its just a crappy movie and she didnt want to be associated with it
JA_Cruise
Good on hear and glad she stood up for what she felt was right... and thanks to her, i will not go and see this movie
Serrano
She was obviously tricked into going to this event and watching this crap movie.
Korlacan Khanthavilay
No big loss.
Cos
Miike must be crying the loss of such a precious fan.
Ronald F Stark
Awesome! She had the balls to stand up and call it crap! I'll bet she got suckered into this stunt by her management company.
Maria
A trailer: http://wildgrounds.com/2012/07/18/lesson-of-the-evil-miikes-confessions/
It certainly does start out chirpy!
Nessie
This is a pen...in your eye.
TokyoHipHop
Yuko telling it like it is, I still like love her, even if she hated on a Mike movie, I don't blame her. She so strong minded.
TheDevilsAssistant
she is weak minded crying over people getting killed in a movie
DudeDeuce
Movie itself doesn't match the presenter. They should have had someone a little rougher at the screening.
nath
Very un- Japanese? if only the majority of them would be as sensitive as her then there will not be movies like this....Beat Takeshi's movie is one lousy one as well..I admire her guts then!
telecasterplayer
Who can blame her? I cry real tears when Miike make movies. Chugoku no Chohin was pretty interesting, but the buckets of fake movie blood that he's known for are just crap. 50-years from now, no one is going to say, "Hey, remember when Takashi Miike did a bunch of movies with buckets of fake blood and gore?"
And let's be really, really honest: When people claim that Miike is their favorite Japanese Movie Director, they're really saying that Takashi Miike is the Japanese movie director that they've heard of.
CrisGerSan
I have the greatest admiration for her and her courage. I detest the huge wave of gratuitous violence spreading thru all of the entertainment media, movies, games, TV shows, it trivializes terror and terrible events and leads to people acting out similar things in real life. I am also shocked at people posting here belittling this courageous actress and being abusive towards her for her sensitivity. Shame on you all who are so callous, and shallow yourselves. I am very very glad to see such a fine courageous act covered by this news service. Thank you.
Ishiwara
Not likely a publicity stunt, the geino world tends to like smooth organization and not like strong public denouncements of people's work.
I am with Yuko on this one;
motytrah
These idol singers and groups aren't like super stars in the US. Talent agencies tells the performers what to do. A car shows up with the handlers, picks up the idol and they do what their told. There's very little freedom if she wants to keep her 30M jpy job. No agency means no one will hire you for singing, commercials, TV appearances, etc.
Realistic
Cheap!
CrisGerSan
Sorry to disagree, but i have conducted research, deep study and extensive study on the current social ecology of the modern world and violence is indeed a powerful influence on people with personality troubles and can and does lead to them 'acting out"... If you have researched the subject then you can certainly disagree with me but casual consideration and following the comfort zone of modern permissive thought which underlies the effort by most major media to exploit extremes to sell tickets and make money is not really a very good argument for an informed opinion but that too my opinion and everyone has a right to their own thoughts.
It is clear to me from this study that the huge wave of violence based "entertainment" has corrupted not only those who make money from them but millions of 'consumers" ie audiences, game players, youth of all types and ages and many more beyond. It is quite tragic as we see the results more and more both in Japan and internationally but at least in Japan there is some level of control and decency while in the USA and other european countries there is no quality control whatsoever any more. I am very very proud of this actress for her brave stand and am amazed and glad to see it.
nandakandamanda
“Lesson of the Evil”? Sounds like the English teacher must have had a dodgy CV too.
GW
Who gives a rats!