Yuri Kobayashi – Kiss Yuri (May 22nd, 2009)
Takeshobo
Catalog # – TSDV-41232 – Region 2 Disc – 4:3 Aspect
Running Time: 63 Minutes

The Skinny – Yuri Kobayashi had been away from the cameras for some time. After her Yuri@Happy DVD which was released on January 1, 2007, and in my opinion was an awful video, the world did not see her in a gravure idol DVD again until Yuri appeared in Revenge which was released on November 27th, 2008. That was a gap of nearly two years. So despite being only 21 years old, with that release, Yuri began her comeback. Since then she’s been busy.

This DVD called Kiss Yuri is actually Yuri’s 3rd DVD release in the first 5 months of 2009. Let’s have a look at it.

The opening scene has a theme: Yuri as a sensitive artist. There’s a bit of a fire on screen at the outset and Yuri wears a long sweater coat. She’s pensive as if she’s got something she wants to get down on paper.We get a glimpse or two but they’re just lines on the paper to us. Still, Yuri does a good job of conveying an aura of mystery.

Two finds Yuri entering some kind of container or is it a tunnel? Maybe it is a mineshaft entrance. She’s in a bikini.  From the inner depths we don’t get even a simple clue. Could it be just a metaphor for confinement? But there is light at the end of the tunnel; and Yuri eventually poses outdoors on the beach but beneath some large coral.

Then we get about a minute of Yuri on the beach. The sound track is a reggae tune and we don’t get much reggae in idol videos.

Next, Yuri does a sport aerobics, stretching, and

jogging workout next. Tee shirt, shorts, headband, socks and sneakers. The music is upbeat but the visuals are uninspired.

This shot of Yuri’s tail might have worked better if the lens had been cleaner.

But soon the Tee-shirt and short are tugged off so Yuri can relax and show some more skin.

Speaking of skin, in the next chapter Yuri wears a white zippered outfit in order to show off even more.

The next scene is outdoors and even though the background is a wee bit washed out by the light, we can still see plenty of Yuri.

There’s plenty of chapters and plenty of different costumes in this video. How about a yellow sweater coat? Maybe not the best bit of clothing for climbing up a ladder.

The next chapter begins with Yuri in a longish white dress and ends with her still in the dress but now in a small pool or outdoor bath.

There she is in town. Just a tee shirt and shorts. Where is she heading? Why to work of course – and what might her job be? Wow – she’s a pole dancer!

Bet you didn’t see that coming. Neither did I.

And from there it’s not much of step to be a bar hostess, is it? She does a semi-strip while entertaining us at the bar. As this scene ends we are nearly at the 48 minute mark.

An interesting scene follows and it is likely Yuri’s own brainchild as she has shown her creativity in the Revenge DVD. Here she will apply some body paint and become a living day-glo paint work of art.

Okay, maybe you’d prefer a more traditional Yuri Kobayashi? You got it! Yuri trots out in a kimono, and then climbs out of it.

The last four minutes are outtakes and behind the scenes including washing off the paint.

Summary: A worthwhile DVD with some fine artistic flourishes. Yuri has beauty as well as talent. While I won’t go so far as to call this effort from Takeshobo an outstanding DVD, I will recommend it and I will applaud Yuri’s penchant for uniqueness and intelligence if she had anything to do with the planning of this production. Three point seven five is the rating.

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