Tokyo Pop

A woman goes to Japan and ends up joining a band with a man she stars dating. They inadvertently become famous singing Do you believe in Magic and he falls in love with her. But she realizes that she doesn't belong and has to decide her fate.

This is a great look at late 80s Japan with loads of scenery and culture BUT it's also a cute little rom-com (ish) about music and following your own path. In a way it's similar to Lost in Translation (but obviously pre-dating that) in tone, but has a more bittersweet vibe. DEfinitely an overlooked movie that deserves more attention as it's cute and lighthearted.

There's a very rare honesty and charm to "Tokyo Pop." Although I never knew the music scene in Japan, so much in the movie is immediately recognizable from life: The naivete on many sides. The fun of being exotic for a while and the uses made of it. The value for Westerners of being in Japan for a while; the sterility of living there long-term (generally speaking). The harmless chintziness of much in Japan. A degree of gentleness. The story is believable and the characters endearing. In tune with the lightness of the movie, there are few of the crudest sorts of stupidity one is likely to run up against: Westerners who set themselves up as experts on everything under the sun. The Japanese love of grandiose abstractions; verbal bombast about uniqueness and subtlety. The extreme moral and intellectual obtuseness involved in occasionally hammering down nails that stick up. Or that if you are inclined to pithiness, then you too may be unsuited for life in Japan.

This is a cute little film. Ultimately it doesn't really go anywhere, but at the very least it's an extremely realistic portrayal of what it'd be like to suddenly fly to Japan with no friends there, no command of the language, no knowledge of the culture and conventions, etc. I suppose part of the reason the film succeeds so well in this is that it's a Japanese-U.S. co-production.

One of the best parts of the movie is the soundtrack. The track by the new wave band that the main character is in at the beginning of the movie is very nice, but "Rakuen, Rakuen" by Papaya Paranoia is wonderful! Even better is being able to watch P.P. perform -- just too bad they didn't include the whole number. So much energy and adorableness from this all-girl Japanese rock band.

The real shame is that the soundtrack's out-of-print worldwide. The Papaya Paranoia track is not available on their other albums, which are hard enough to come by as it is.

Hello! My name is Paula, I live in Argentina, and I've always had this odd fascination about this film, since I was a teenager actually, and I the last song performed by Carrie Hamilton was so enchanting! It is called "Never Forget", but I can't find it anywhere! and nobody seems to be interested in this film, or the movie soundtrack. Please contact me if you can provide me with some info. paula155@hotmail.com is my email address. I really don't get how this movie is so mysterious and has no fans clubs, forums, or things like that. It was really disappointing when I knew about Carrie's death. She was so young, and talented, her voice was an inspiration.

I loved this film. A lot. Though my tastes may be a bit different than most people I've met, I really did enjoy both the comedic and romantic aspects of the film, and I thought both blended very well. My favorite example of this was when Hiro (played by Tadokoro Yutaka of Red Warriors), takes Wendy (fantastically played by the late Carrie Hamilton) to a hotel; the movie makes a good point of explaining just how much of a problem language barriers can be, though in a way we can all laugh at, which I found to be great ...

Overacted in some parts, underacted in a few, and misdirected in many, this film is my idea of a great time, and I hope those of you who feel the same way make an effort to see it for yourself.