Mai Nishida – My Mai Malin (February 26th, 2010)
Pony Canyon/Succeed-IP/GKC Project
Catalog # – PCBE-11922 – Region 2 Disc – 16:9 Aspect
Running Time: 63 Minutes

The Skinny: She’s so cute, she’s so curvy. And she has such a sweet smile. So why do I always feel somewhat uncomfortable while watching her on video. Let’s have a look at the video, and maybe an answer will come to mind.

After the montage, we find Mai on the beach. It’s not a particularly special scene. In fact some of the scene is overly bright which is the result of shooting at mid-day. Tell tale signs are the over-brightness which washes out the backgrounds or the shortness of the shadows. So the basics are just a girl on a beach on a sunny day. However, I must say that it is a nice looking beach.

From the beach to the boudoir follows. Poor Mai. She’s got to make do with a narrow twin bed. What they didn’t spend on the room, they did spend on Mai’s elegant lingerie in this chapter.

Three finds Mai getting a massage. She’s wearing a patterned navy bikini with white and pinks dots. On the audio track we’ve got some non-descript music AND Mai talking about her massage (I guess). The problem isn’t language based. Even Japanese speaking people will have trouble tuning out the music to hear what she’s saying.

Four is a blue bikini, blue sky, and blue sea type of scene. Mai doesn’t do much, but as far as the color goes it’s a great scene.

In the 5th Chapter, Mai strolls bout the Japanese coastal town where this video was shot. She speaks briefly asking us if we think her outfit is cute (kawaii). I guess we answered in the affirmative because Mai thanks us.

Six begins with Mai out for another walk; this time in a cute sun dress and hat. At first she’s out in the country. The screen is filled with green. Then she’s in a mountain stream. Wherever she is she looks scintillating and this despite the sun hat which gives her an air of mystery as it partly conceals her face at times.

When Chapter 7 ends we’ve barely gone past the 30 minute mark. This is the hallmark of this DVD: short scenes all the more interesting because of their brevity. Seven has the kimono clad Mai at for a walk at night. She’s near the waterfront.

The scene isn’t much as she plays with a sparkler and then tugs the kimono off her shoulders and shows some leg. But what there is – is sweet.

Eight is an indoor shower scene. Mai wears a see through slip over a bra and panties set. For a shower scene,  it is far too bright, kind of slow moving, and not that well done.

Nine finds Mai in a black slip in bed. She will dab’s some polish on a few toes but mostly this is meant as a simmering seduction scene. I was seduced as the DVD began, but that’s another story altogether.

I got the impression that the director told her to do whatever she liked – just do it slowly, and change your position on the bed often. Not being there when the scene was shot, I am guessing of course. Mp need to alert the media.

Ten is the athletic scene. Mai is on the schools green field. She’ll use a badminton racquet, catch and throw a frisbee, kick a ball, all before removing her top to show off a yellow bikini. In part two, she poses at length in the bikini.

When Chapter 10 ends, we’ve just past the 44 and a half minute mark. That should give you an excellent idea of how brief the scenes were. I must say that this is certainly refreshingly different from what we usually get in the world of gravure idols.

Eleven has Mai soaping, scrubbing and bathing. Unfortunately they got her in a white costume, and the walls are white, and the lighting is bright, so until she gets into the small tub, its hard to see her clearly. A good idea but poorly executed if you ask me.

Twelve is a late afternoon walk on the beach. Mai begins in a sundress and ends in a white bikini. We don’t really get the sunset until the credits roll. This was actually the best scene is the video along with the mountain stream scene.

I’d hope that Japanese directors would see the huge difference between a late afternoon shoot as opposed to shooting at the sun’s highest point in the sky. The later day sun is much more romantic, it flatters the models, and makes it more enjoyable for the viewers.

By the time the credit are done it is just past 52 minutes, and about 11 minutes and change remain. Most of the remaining time is spewnt with the some behind the scene and some making of footage.

Of note is that there’s a good amount of footage in this section of Mai in a school uniform. And none of that was a part of the main chapters. Possiby Mai has a role in a small town drama about students. In any event, the video ends with the director giving Mai a small floral bouquet.

Summary: I said Mai made me feel uncomfortable. That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I think she appears or looks much younger than she really is. According to her website and according to cdjapan, her birthday is March 23rd, 1989 which makes her 21. So maybe that is the problem.

This video was quite good. I have some issues with mid-day shooting under a high sun, but the pacing of the scenes, and the brevity of the scene gives us a lot of variety and varied looks at this great model.

The director loves her face and gave her many, many closeups – but in most of these Mai held her gaze and didn’t smile much. All in all, most of my complaints or points won’t mean the video is lacking in anything. Four point zero is the rating and it comes with a recommendation.

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