The Secret Game of the Immoral Wife

A closer look at the story

The moment Haruo first sees Makoto at a crowded pedestrian crossing, he falls in love with her. That love, however, soon turns into a disturbing obsession. For years Haruo watches Makoto in secret, observing her home through binoculars from his own flat directly opposite. Watching the outwardly perfect life she leads with her husband becomes part of his everyday routine. He even learns to lip-read so that he can play out imaginary conversations with her. Then Haruo catches sight of Mikiya, Makoto's husband, with another woman. Wanting to expose the cheating husband's lies, Haruo photographs what he sees and mails them, with a letter, to Makoto. When she receives them, though, Makoto simply discards them, showing no reaction at all, and the couple carry on with their ordinary routine as if nothing had happened. Written and directed by Hideo Jojo, this 71-minute 2015 adult Japanese film stars Iori Kogawa as Makoto and Takahito Asagi as Haruo.