I have seen very little from director Sasaki Yasushi, also known as Sasaki Ko, and all of that was uninteresting jidai-geki films the director made after the war. Before the war, he has a hired hand at Shochiku, starting the biz as an assistant director for the more prestigious Ozu and Shimizu. "Kaze no joô" (Queen of Wind, 1938) has a similar light tone than Ozu's "Shukujo wa nani o wasureta ka" (What Did the Lady Forget?, 1937) from the previous year, though Sasaki's film sports even stronger European flavor, that works for the film's benefit. The drama-comedy narrative deals with two guys and two girls who work at the same place. Things start off friendly enough, but soon two conflicts, one professional concerning career moves, and the other more emotional-related, arise. The plot is played from the interactions between the characters.
Sasaki did a nice job as the director. Scenes are shot differently from each other, which keeps things interesting. There are also more sets than your usual Shochiku production from the era, and outdoor-shots as well. All of it has a very modern feel to it, possibly because of the European elements. Beloved studio contract players star in the lead roles, especially Ryu Chishu is in a different kind of role from his usual Ozu duties.
