Catwalk model Asuka (Reika Hashimoto) witnesses a brutal murder in the building opposite the apartment she shares with rebellious ex-model Kasumi (Kaori Kawamura), and becomes a target of the vicious killer herself.
Black Kiss has got a lot going for it: hot sex, gory violence, and plenty of weirdness—all positives in my book. But it's way, way too long, utterly confusing, very slow-going, and just a touch too green in hue for my liking. To make matters worse, the film is also guilty of failing to resolve the numerous questions raised by its many red herrings, false suspects, and quirky plot points (maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but I never did understand the relevance of the number 9, which features so prominently).
Oh, and while I'm getting things off my chest, I'd like to mention that star Reika Hashimoto is undeniably very hot, but being a 'haffu' (half Japanese/half Caucasian), her Western nose is just a touch too big for her Eastern face, something which distracted me from the plot. There's a slim chance I would have had more success following the storyline if I hadn't been quite so fixated on her disproportionate schnozz.
