This is one of those movies which tries hard to be something but ultimately feels like something else. The movies is a kind of erotic exploitation flick as a lady, Akane, agrees to have a large tattoo on her back to please her tattoo obsessed boyfriend (who is a painfully dull character). The tattooist is a retired master with an unusual technique. The movie tries to be about Akane discovering herself through the experience she goes through. However, it really feels more like kinky erotica than drama and might have worked better if developed as such without trying to appeal as a sort of art house drama. That said, there is something oddly compelling about it all and Masayo Utsonomiya plays the role of Akane with aplomb, having just the right blend of vulnerability, desire and detrmination.