Down the Drain (1993) Hadashi no Pikunikku | Region-Free (DVD)

**DISC ONLY**

Source: DVD with English Subtitles.

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Title: Down the Drain (1993)

Alternate Title: Hadashi no Pikunikku

Genre: Comedy

Plot Synopsis:
Junko Suzuki, a mild-mannered high school student, is apprehended for using her friend’s train pass. This seemingly minor infraction triggers a series of increasingly absurd and bleak misadventures, leading her through a chaotic journey across modern Japan.

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Cast and Crew:

• Director: Shinobu Yaguchi
• Writers:
  • Yasunobu Nakagawa
  • Takuji Suzuki
  • Shinobu Yaguchi
• Cast:
  • Noboru Iguchi as Junko Suzuki
  • Shigeru Izumiya as Owner
  • Miwako Kaji
  • Kotaro
  • Mr. Okure as Junko’s Father
  • Saori Serikawa as Junko Suzuki
  • Sawa Suzuki

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IMDb Link:
Down the Drain (1993)

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Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Review by Izzie – ★★★☆☆
   “Although rough around the edges as a debut feature, Down the Drain (original title Barefoot Picnic) has the soul, the passion, the whimsy, and style that makes the film go by as fast as accidentally flushing your wedding ring down the drain. Junko gets caught using her friend’s train pass. Oh shit! She gets some hard punishment: she has to write an apology letter and promise to never use it again.”
2. Review by Diore – ★★★☆☆
   “This black comic feature takes a cute, but somewhat dull-witted high school student (model Noboru Iguchi, in her acting debut), and runs her through a series of increasingly bleak misadventures during about a week’s time. It’s not enough that her grandmother dies; but on the way home, she drops the urn, scattering the ashes to the winds. She gets lost, loses her clothes (several times), becomes the target of a teen vengeance plot… that’s just the start of her woes.”
3. Review by jaz – ★★★☆☆
   “Director Yaguchi flexes his indie muscles on this feature, and more than once, the effects are a bit strained. This was clearly a warm-up for his next film, My Secret Cache, which puts all of the elements together with the perfect female star. As such, Hadashi no Pikunikku has its moments, but Iguchi doesn’t seem to have the chops for comic acting.”

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Meta Description:
Down the Drain (1993), also known as Hadashi no Pikunikku, is a Japanese comedy directed by Shinobu Yaguchi. The film follows Junko Suzuki, portrayed by Noboru Iguchi, whose minor transgression of using a friend’s train pass spirals into a series of chaotic misadventures. The cast includes Shigeru Izumiya and Miwako Kaji.