Review of The Dark Side of the Japan's Paradise Island (Okinawa Island)

Review of The Dark Side of the Japan's Paradise Island (Okinawa Island_Documentary) 

Director - Sebastian Stein

Producers - Sebastian Stein

Hanako Montgomery

Editor - Sebastian Stein

Assistant Editor - Mitesh Limbachiya

Director of photography- Sebastian Stein

Host - Hanako Montgomery

Assistant / driver - Yoshito Akimoto

1. Shooting style

Here the host who is looking for this story, that is, the "narrator" of this story, has made good use of the shooting style to show how the story is directed and the content of the story. That is to say, a number of shooting styles have been used to show the dark reality of Okinawa Island, the plot of the story, to the outside world, and the many problems surrounding "Alcoholism". That is, the beginning-middle-end is shot in such a way that the story flows in a way that connects well.

First of all, starting to shoot from the first scene signals how the narrator begins to tell the story and begins to tell a story between two American and Japanese cultures. It was said at the beginning of the story that the natural beauty of the island is very beautiful. It shows the beauty of the island. That's the basic part of the story. The transition to the second part here takes place after showing an underwater view. That is, the hidden dark profile is signaled.

After that shooting style, the scenes take on a complex nature, apart from the beautiful scenes, to show that the story is getting into trouble. Initially, most of the whide shots and long shots were given priority, and in the middle, the close up and pan shots were given priority.

Towards the end of the story, a shooting style like extreme closeup is used to shoot the dark reality of the island with dark colors. It also looks like a sack that encloses with a drawstring.

That is, the story is more focused on the main scene or the people by showing a simple background that is not disturbing when showing the host and showing any scene in an interview. It also often draws the viewer to the flow of the story by presenting intriguing imagery.

Also, in places where there is frequent dialogue, the speaker contributes live, so the story is brought to life

2. Technical Aspects

Considering of camera shots and angles here, in the opening shot of this story the speaker points out a bathing scene. It shows a very attractive way in which the water in the hair flows with the slow motion of the picture frame when it is suddenly lifted up from the bath. There, he starts this with a wide shot and signals something like her readiness to give a hidden secret to the society by lifting her up from the water. The story then uses a law angle shot to show how the story flows with her.That is, it signals that she is the strongest turning point in the story. The law also uses angel shots to show that the island is richly entertaining.


High angle shots are also used to show that people on the island are addicted to drugs and helpless.


Also, long shots are often used to show the beauty of this island. And many things in the scene are very well displayed.

Also, at the beginning of the story, the sun is used several times to symbolize that happiness, fun and prosperity were very good on this island a long time ago.


Also, a tree in the middle of the shot is shown in the middle of the shot, symbolizing the problems that occurred on the island during two eras.

The original lighting of the story was very bright, and at the same time a scene from the sea, with an underwater shot signaling that there was a dark story on the island.

The frames that come after that take on a darker nature. This is when the director used technical aspects very tactfully.

This story is made up of different "texts" from time to time, and the text is used to show the special facts that underlie the story.

That is, for example, showing the text "the dark side of the Japanese Okinawa boom" and then "trouble in paradise" under the seawater, signaling various turning points in the story.

At the beginning of the story, gray filters were used to show the sky and the water to illuminate the light frames at once with the sunlight.

Also in this story are the real characters who have always contributed to the story, such as the people in Okinawa Island who are exposed to the dark problem, the technology of blurring their faces when showing small children, the occasions of drinking, and the blurring of liquor bottles. It is noteworthy that media ethics have also been protected using tactics.

In analyzing the sounds in this story, the main parts of the story use three types of music in the first three parts, beginning, middle and end. First, the frames flow with a traditional Japanese song that is unique to the island to show off the beauty of the island. But as the issue began to be discussed, the music gradually turned into fast-moving, tumultuous music.

Here we use the left to right pan shot to symbolize the story moving forward.

It also uses the right to left pan shot to get into anything in the story, such as pointing out an interesting place in the story.


Here the camera always shows the person being chased to show that something is being tracked.


This okinawa traditional show is widely done in this story. There will be a display of statues, cultural paintings and cultural food. Always show a tild up shot of the statues as well as a close up shot

Also, various shots have been used to show that alcohol has ruined everything in the Okinawa Islands. That's the weedy parts of broken vehicles, the rusty gates, the black looking examples. These are often used as white shots, making it easy to illustrate by showing all the relevant features

Always show the person speaking through an over-shoulder shot through the shoulder of the host asking questions, especially during interviews. That is, it gives more attention to the person speaking. Also, the host's side is often blurred to highlight the speaker. This is a very important technical tactic.

Also, when a new character is introduced in the story, his or her close up, mid shot, etc. are shown and then transferred to the full shot of the person. It also adds to the curiosity of the story



It is also common to see a parallel image with a seawater shake to symbolize a disturbance / trouble / dark event as the next event in the story.


It also uses a technical tactic to show the camera how it moves from left to right when it gives the viewer a chance to look at something frequently.


This uses different imagery to show sensitive locations in the story. For example, a mother who suffers in nightclubs to keep her child alive in the face of social problems does so out of love for her child. But I love the baby so much.


In this story, a woman on the island of Okinawa is trapped by the concept of a single mother and is helpless in the face of drugs. There they serve as hostesses in clubs drinking to make a living. There, women use various symbols to show how they are struggling for survival under sensitivity, no matter how many problems they have. That is, closeup, extreame close up has been used to show the outward beauty of a woman, no matter how many problems there are


As well as using closeup, extream closeup to prove and disprove something


Also in this story, the main plot 2 shows alcoholism and single mothers show a very sad musical pattern and those moments are shown as slow motion shot.

A fast-paced musical pattern is presented to show happy moments, which further intensifies the idea of ​​the story. That is, the music is well blended to show sadness or joy, curiosity.

The final shot also ends with a side image of the main woman leading the story. That is, it signals a way of waiting for what lies ahead. The screenplay shows the story in the same way that the viewer sees it through his eyes


Also, Two Shot has been used extensively to build a connection between the characters in the story

Here the technical aspects can be categorized under the two main sections of production elamans and story elements. Here you can especially consider camera shots, camera angles, lighting, colors, scene, sequence, sounds etc. Also, these technical aspects have been done here to show the hidden reality of okinawa island beyond the seeming beauty of the outside while looking at the plot of the story before describing those facts. Also, when talking about the narration here, the narration is arranged in a very systematic manner within the remaining 20 minutes of the story. It is special to have the most important points and creative language used for it. And the main speaker has a powerful influence on the story, focusing on the characters. That is, she is a very good interviewer in the Vanni and makes very strong sacrifices and patiently tries to show the dark reality of the story without being impulsive. She also contributes to the story live and is very special as a single mother who shows up as a single mother and contributes to the success of the story. That is, because of this intimacy, she is also able to hear special things about their life stories from other important characters in the story. This proves the point of view of alcoholism and the rise of single mothers as seen through the eyes of the protagonist. Also, although the story flows in Japanese, it is very successful in being used in English in a way that is not unfair to any audience. These facts are a very important technical aspect.

3.. Topic and It's Presentation.

Known as the "postcard perfect paradise", Okinawa is one of the states in Japan. It occupies 0.6% of Japanese land and is an island inhabited by the aboriginal people "Okinawan". But before the 2019 covid epidemic hit the island of okinowa was a place where more than ten million tourists visited. But okinowa is the poorest state in Japan. It has more problems than it looks like on the outside. Created as "The Dark Truth of the Japanese Paradise", the documentary aims to address the island's social impact of alcoholism and early pregnancy. vice world news hosts, Hanako Montgomery goes to Okinawa and presents the story of finding those problems. Sebastian Stein is the director of this 43 minute episode. He has also served as director of photography, producer and editor.

Director - Sebastian Stein
Producers - Sebastian Stein
Hanako Montgomery

Editor - Sebastian Stein

Assistant Editor - Mitesh Limbachiya

Director of photography- Sebastian Stein

Host - Hanako Montgomery

Assistant / driver - Yoshito Akimoto


Here the two concepts of "Alcoholism and single mother" are the main ones and the story is well aligned. The speaker who serves as the hostel here has become the live narrator of this story. She gives new meaning to the story through participatory observation.

Basically, the narration presents the story in a systematic way to the audience. That is, she presents very sensitively and eloquently. And often this story flows based on interviews. The professor is the forerunner here. He has thoroughly analyzed the problem on this island.

Here they present the story from the side of men who are addicted to alcohol, and a woman who has to drink to keep the child alive tells the story from her side. Also, between the two presentations, the rehabilitated person gives a very good message to the society about the consequences of drinking alcohol. That is, it presents the way in which human beings face problems in different social contexts.


The way this story is presented never angers the mother who is drinking. Her story is justified by this. It was a time when the director handled the story very skillfully. It also highlights the sensitivity of the story to the child's behavior / gestures. Also, it is possible to present the title of the story very successfully because of the balanced presentation of the facts in the audience.

All the characters and narration / music that have been contributed for this have been mixed very successfully and the story has been presented


05. How shooting and Editing helps create Story?


Here we can consider how the shooting and the editing contributed to the creation of the story. Here the director and the editor are the same person, so it seems that the combination of shooting and editing has been more successful in achieving the purpose of the story.


The editor has linked the various video moments shot in the form of an interesting story in a unique way. It is more important to mix the narration and the music well with different shots. The way in which different cultural symbols are added in the middle of the story is very important to show Okinawa culture. There the editor uses the appropriate music


Here, an under-water shot is edited in the middle to connect the first shot of the island and its dark side. That is a special tactic. It creates the beginning-middle-end connection of the story.

Also, when the dark side of the story is spoken, the editor has the opportunity to sharpen the story by using special techniques such as adding dark screenshots edit.


The editor uses special tactics when showing a single event and adding a neat set of events to describe one person. It's very creative to combine shot with wide shot, next mid shot, next close - up and extreme closeup


Often a pan shot is used to connect the story. Special camera effects are also used during the shooting to make the story more interesting. Very successful handling by color combination when editing. That is, happy moments are shown with light and sad moments with darkness. It also often provides a guide to the story with the professor's analysis.


The place where the events are cut one by one is also special. It features slow motion picture frames as well as fast control of image frames in Edit to symbolize the passage of time. Also, the text added in the edit helps to minimize the monotony of the story. The text that mentions the sport called "hydro flyboard" creates excitement during the talk.


It is also special to edit and show various events during the voice cut. It further enhances the meaning of the story. The language also mixes well with the edit to show the culture of Okinawa in the story


06. What is the purpose of this? And how is the end result?

The purpose of the story is to present to society the two major problems in the Okinawa Islands: alcoholism and single mothers and problems. That is, the aim is to save women and innocent children who are victims of these problems.


The story line seems to have the potential to successfully convey the purpose of the story, including interviews with people from different walks of life, live performances in different locations, sensitive scenes, past pride of the island, fertility, and so on.


Initially, there was anger on the part of the island's women and men who used drugs, but in the end, the end result of the story was achieved by showing them the remedies and justifying the woman's condition. That is, there is a belief that there will be an opportunity for children and for the safety of those women

07. Sentimental Value

This story is basically a story with a very high sentimental value. This is because the people living on the island are facing a number of social problems due to their struggle for survival.

The strong emphasis on the bond between mother and child in this story has given a more sensitive value to the woman. Here are the various shots that show the bond between mother and baby as well as the viewer who looks at this issue sensitively through the moments where I feel the mother.

Also, the director has presented the child's sensitive behaviors and the expectations in the child's eyes. There the viewer always tries to look at these issues with a sensitive eye. This sensitive value has a profound effect on the future of stressed mothers as well as children. The story also adds a very sensitive value to the emotional story of a man who is currently in a rehabilitation camp addicted to drugs. These frames sensitively illustrate the problems of alcoholism and its dangers. It also gives a sense of value to the story as the exhilarating Rama shown first turns into a darker image later.

**** Use of Lights


When talking about lighting, it is special that the lights are focused on the main speaker. It is used to get the attention of the audience. ....

uses special lighting effects when there is a sense of excitement or curiosity. That is, the use of dark light is special. ..

And red or orange lights were used to intensify the sunset and a dark light was used as a symbol to show the problems of the island people. ...

and you can see very bright blue screens showing the beauty of the island. ...

The light brown sensitive picture frames were illuminated when the little boy was shown. ...


and the scenes take on a very dark hue when alcoholism shows up.


***Language


Here the language is mainly used in two instances. That is, in the narration and in the interview. In addition, language is used when different people speak. The narration is in English and in Japanese. In addition, English language is used for subtitling.

Here the language is used to describe the culture of Okinawa. The word "karii" has been used several times to mean "Cheers!" When drinking. Language has been used extensively as a means of communication.

And creatively created narration. Also special is the way the language is handled to intensify the meaning. The presentation of the dialogue in Japanese did not affect the comprehension of the story at all. It's so successful. Here language plays a powerful role. That is, the idea of ​​the story is intensified by a very creative and restrained handling. That is, the use of language with a deeper pronunciation can be seen when talking about its effect


*** Colours

When it comes to color use, the happiest moments here are blue.

Yellow and orange are also specially added to show the joy of an exciting occasion.

Gray and light brown patterns are used to show sad moments.

And the color black is used to signal that something very sad has happened.


It also mixes dark green with blue to show joy.


It also mixes brown and black to show the darkness in a woman's life and shows through a dark side.

It also highlights a building with bright bright lights in a dark dim light to show the clubs where the dark side stands out strongly.

Such a special occasion is indicated by the colors to intensify the idea of ​​the story


08. My own take on video/other points wish to mention

It must be said that this story as a whole is a very useful creation that points out a social problem. The people of Okinawa, who are struggling to make ends meet, have taken this opportunity to tell their story. It's also a way for people with alcoholism to get rid of alcoholism, and it's a great way to get justice for single mothers.

The way she is presented, that is, the way the presenters direct the whole story, is a special feature of this story and she feels alive in the story given by the audience as she is directly involved in all the moments in the story.

And the beginning-to-end relationship of the story continues to flow as a successful story, giving the story a sensual value, highlighting the sensitivity of the climax of the story.


Also, special techniques have been used to intensify the idea of ​​the story by manipulating and using them.


Speaking of the name of the film, the fact that it is intriguingly crafted also adds special value to the story.

The characters in this story are people who are in different life races and the language of the story is used strongly to show that they are all stuck in the same social problem on the island.

This story seems to have been used most powerfully in the dialogues presented.


The way the characters interact there adds liveliness to the story

The way in which the music is blended into the language to enhance the value of the story is also remarkable.

It can be Analysed that due to a number of factors like this, it has been possible to present the purpose of the story very successfully.

Nirmani B Colambage

(BA (sp) Mass Communication University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka,MA Journalism and Mass Communication Savitribhai phule Pune University India)