Redseries: Akihabara Trilogy (2006-2007) | Region-Free (Blu-Ray)

Title: Legend of the Doll (2006)

Alternate Title: Sei bishōjo figyua den

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Drama

Plot Synopsis:
Ryōta, an avid collector of model figures, discovers a mysterious box containing doll parts in Akihabara. After assembling and customizing the figurine, it magically transforms into a real, android-like woman named Airu. As Airu learns to communicate more naturally, she uncovers a photograph of Ryōta’s ex-girlfriend, Yuria, prompting her to delve into their past relationship.

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Cast and Crew:

• Director: Toshiro Gotō
• Cast:
  • Hideo Tsubota as Ryōta
  • Yuria Hidaka as Airu
  • Noriko Kijima as Yuria

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IMDb Link:
Legend of the Doll (2006)

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Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Mizuki – ★★☆☆☆
   “Ever since Yuria died, I haven’t been able to talk to girls… A geek builds a sexy doll model that magically comes to life. Lots of talking ensues thereafter. At present I remember why I haven’t rewatched this in over a decade. And now that I’ve logged in a review, if I ever forget, I can remind myself, never again.”
2. Kitsune – ★★☆☆☆
   “This one was probably the least bad. Enjoyed the weird dream boulevard of the introduction, watching the lead lovingly sculpt and paint a garage kit, see his friend play with nunchaku on a crowded street, and actually having footage of Akihabara!! (Something this ‘Akihabara Trilogy’ has very little of!) Airu is very pretty, and there is a genuine sweetness between her and the lead, even if there’s no actual chemistry and neither can really act.”
3. OtakuWatcher – ★★☆☆☆
   “Looking at the premise, I had hoped this would at least be entertaining, but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. The film has a bit of sweetness, but despite its 70-minute runtime, it felt painfully slow with barely anything happening. It would have been better off fully embracing the pervy route to make it more engaging.”

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Meta Description:
Legend of the Doll (2006), also known as Sei bishōjo figyua den, is a Japanese fantasy comedy-drama directed by Toshiro Gotō. The film follows Ryōta, a model figure collector who assembles a mysterious doll that transforms into a real woman named Airu. As Airu adapts to human life, she uncovers aspects of Ryōta’s past, leading to a journey of self-discovery and reflection.

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Title: Pretty Maid Café (2006)

Alternate Title: Koisuru Maid Cafe

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Thriller

Plot Synopsis:
Hideki, a shy law student, is taken by his otaku friend to a maid café in Akihabara to lift his spirits. There, he becomes enamored with Misaki, a waitress dressed in a maid’s uniform who caters to his every whim. Summoning the courage, Hideki asks her out on a date, but their budding relationship faces challenges, including rivals and a mysterious stalker.

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Cast and Crew:

• Director: Akiyoshi Sugiura
• Cast:
  • Taichi Hirabayashi as Hideki
  • Kotono as Misaki
  • Jun Takatsuki
  • Taketora Morita

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IMDb Link:
Pretty Maid Cafe (2006)

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Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. mokuhotep – ★★☆☆☆
   “An otaku drags his reluctant law-student friend to a Maid Café, where he promptly falls for the waitress with the worst acting skills. Her drumkit skills are only slightly better, as seen during a fantasy sequence as she performs basic beats in various states of undress, the final stage being knickers and cut-out love-hearts taped over her n*pples.”

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Meta Description:
Pretty Maid Café (2006), also known as Koisuru Maid Cafe, is a Japanese romantic comedy with thriller elements directed by Akiyoshi Sugiura. The film follows Hideki, a shy law student who falls for Misaki, a waitress at a maid café in Akihabara. Their relationship faces challenges, including rivals and a mysterious stalker.

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Title: Cat Girl Kiki (2007)

Alternate Title: Nekomimi shojo Kiki

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance

Plot Synopsis:
Yoshirou Takagi, a reclusive young man, brings home a stray kitten he finds in a cardboard box. The next morning, he discovers that the kitten has transformed into a human girl with cat ears, whom he names Kiki. As Kiki integrates into his life, she helps Yoshirou confront his isolation and encourages him to re-engage with the world. Their relationship deepens, leading Yoshirou to question the nature of reality and his own perceptions.

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Cast and Crew:

• Director: Akiyoshi Sugiura
• Writer: Akiyoshi Sugiura
• Cast:
  • Yui Kano as Kiki
  • Teruaki Uotani as Yoshirou Takagi
  • Minami Aoyama as Yuka Sanada
  • Katsuya Kobayashi as Shingo Noda
  • Youko Teramura

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YouTube Trailer:
Cat Girl Kiki Trailer

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IMDb Link:
Cat Girl Kiki (2007)

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Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Industria – ★★★½
   “That was an extremely unusual segue from start to finish. It hit me how much it felt like a fever dream by the late middle. There’s a lot less weird Japanese fetish-y stuff than I expected to be in this and a lot more flat out strange choices for the type of film this ‘should’ be throughout. Expectedly cute, oddly sad and heavy, really dissociative.”
2. threehornz – ★★★½
   “It’s exactly what it says on the tin, but also weirdly deep. I’ll allow it. Best watched on a computer monitor by yourself at about two in the morning, higher than Shaq’s belt loops, which is what I did. It’s basically a live-action version of a very specific type of low-brow otaku bait, but it pulls it off. Great if you’re into that sort of thing, which I am.”
3. Dusk789 – ★★★★★
   “‘All life must be treasured.’ ‘The world beyond the exit… Is it heaven? Or could it be hell?’ Better than it looks, I won’t say anything but going in blind would be best. At first I watched it ironically (idk who would watch this unironically tbh 💀) but ended up actually really enjoying it. I recommend. A bit degenerate sometimes though so be warned.”

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Meta Description:
Cat Girl Kiki (2007), also known as Nekomimi shojo Kiki, is a Japanese fantasy romantic comedy directed by Akiyoshi Sugiura. The film follows Yoshirou Takagi, a reclusive young man who adopts a stray kitten, only to find it transformed into a cat-eared girl named Kiki. As Kiki becomes part of his life, she helps him confront his isolation and re-engage with the world, blending elements of otaku culture and magical realism.