42 year old Igarashi Noriko only spent about a year in the JAV industry, but produced around a dozen videos in that time, including a couple of uncensored works.
Igarashi's second video JUX-149, released by Madonna in 2013, is very much censored, but this unassuming flick is far from boring.
In this video, Igarashi is a teacher. A maths teacher, presumably. The board behind her features some algebraic equations that provide examples for completing the square:
𝑦 = 2𝑥² − 8𝑥 − 5
= 2(𝑥² − 4𝑥) − 5
= 2(𝑥 − 2)² − 13𝑦 = −𝑥² − 6𝑥 − 4
= −(𝑥² + 6𝑥) − 4
= −(𝑥 + 3)² + 5
I was always more a fan of using the quadratic formula to solve quadratic equations, but completing the square is also a perfectly valid method.
The maths written on the board checks out, but I do find it interesting that only the first two terms are factored out, rather than all three terms. Of course, that is entirely down to personal preference, but it makes me wonder whether this approach to completing the square is particularly common in Japan.
Igarashi taught at this school 20 years ago. At the time, Japan's economy was booming, and Igarashi spent much of her time clubbing. This is illustrated through a flashback showing the teacher awkwardly dancing and enjoying the nightlife. A photo of her dancing was leaked to the school, who did not take kindly to such frivolity and fired her.
Then, the bubble burst. Japan's economy tanked. The school's finances are in big trouble… at least, according to the example charts the principal has found. Looks like the school has been spending too much on foo and not enough on bar.
Even if we take the charts with a pinch of salt, the school's sorry state can be seen in the students' work. We catch a glimpse of one student's exercise book, which contains nothing but doodles of boobs, dicks and piles of poo. The handwriting is shocking – it looks even worse than mine!
Fortunately, the school principal has a plan. He re-hires the teacher he sacked two decades ago. It is now up to Igarashi to turn the school's fortunes around.
It is at this point that we see one of the most interesting shots in this video. At the very moment Igarashi finally gains agency and empowerment to fix things for the school, the camera very obviously focuses on her cleavage for several seconds.
What does this mean? Could the director be telling us that the male gaze is compatible with female characters who play an active role? Or could it be illustrating that even a woman who has an incredible amount of influence is, at the end of the day, just a sexual object? Regardless of how you interpret it, this is the kind of scene that can stay in your thoughts for a long time after you've finished watching the video.
Igarashi gets to work with her unique teaching style, which is to get close and personal with her students. She holds an intimate private lesson with one of her most struggling students. A common trope in videos like this is that a gym mat will suddenly appear on the floor where it wasn't before, at the exact moment it is needed. Naturally, this video is no different. Though knowing the attention to detail the director has put into this video, I can't believe it is a continuity error. I reckon it is a subtle hint that Igarashi is so determined for things to go her way that the world adapts to her desires. Not unlike Suzumiya Hahiru, in fact.
Despite initially looking like an ordinary 'mature teacher' video, this flick offers a lot of variety, and this reflects the complexities of Igarashi as a character. One moment she's teaching her students in the classroom, the next moment she's partying with them in a rather drab-looking bar.
This video makes some rather unique cinematographic choices. Aside from those mentioned above, there is a scene in which Igarashi is faced with a predicament. She looks straight at the camera, which zooms in on her face. This would usually be a big no-no, but here it is pulled off expertly.
In summary, although this video is a bit rough around the edges, it has a lot of very unique elements to it. Igarashi's performance had room for improvement, but really wasn't bad, especially considering this was only her second video.
Igarashi's videos have sadly all been delisted (aside from her uncensored ones, naturally). But if you can find a copy of this video, it might be worth checking out, especially if you're into teachers, mature women or both!
Rating: 7/10