Somewhere in memory and time, it’s late afternoon. You’re on the playground when a friend stands up and shouts “let’s play POWER RANGERS!” What a good idea. After everyone finishes fighting over who gets to be Red, you count to three and hit the ground running, armed only with finger guns and your imagination. When we were young, we never wanted days like this to end. For those in the mysterious EIYU CLUB, they never did.
Along with the advent of VHS, Laserdisc, and later DVD, Japan would develop an unquenchable thirst for home video content from the early 80s well up until the end of the century, similar to the Straight to Video boom experienced in the US. This format, known locally as V-Cinema, would allow filmmakers to shed the restraints of studio oversight, often developing a more experimental edge.
Enter EIYU CLUB, a group of sentai-loving otaku hoping to leave an impression. After pooling their own personal funds to afford equipment and studio time, the Club would release their first film CYBER LADY SUZUKA in 1998 and relied on word-of-mouth to sell their films and CDs at fan conventions, hobby stores, and online. Almost 30 years on, their work is still finding a strong cult following amongst toku enthusiasts who appreciate their attitude and dedication to costuming, music, extended blooper reels, and improvised explosives.
This July at Spectacle, please enjoy these two hand-selected programs showcasing some of EIYU CLUB‘s finest moments in parking lot fantasy: CYBER LADY SUZUKA and the LILAC series.
PGM. 01: CYBER LADY SUZUKA
CYBER LADY SUZUKA
(サイバーレディ スズカ)
Dir. Nobuharu Kidokoro. 1998.
Japan. 59 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.
MONDAY, JULY 06 – 7:30 PM
SATURDAY, JULY 11 – 5:00 PM
TUESDAY, JULY 21 – 10:00 PM
THURSDAY, JULY 30 – 7:30 PM
After witnessing the death of his colleague’s daughter, Suzuka Minamoto, at the hands of the evil ZELDA organization, Dr. Todoroki returns to his lab and implants her with the “Ability Awakening Converter” which revives her into CYBER LADY SUZUKA, a robot maid with a bad habit of falling asleep on the job. When ZELDA returns, Suzuka must exact vengeance and rescue her little sister Haruka from a rogues’ gallery of the organization’s toughest monsters.
Seen as their flagship mascot, CYBER LADY SUZUKA is where it all started for EIYU CLUB!
Screening with:
CYBER LADY SUZUKA II
(サイバーレディ スズカII)
Dir. Nobuharu Kidokoro. 1998.
Japan. 29 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.
The sequel! Duh!
PGM. 02: LILAC
WEDNESDAY, JULY 08 – 7:30 PM
SATURDAY, JULY 11 – 7:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 – 10:00 PM
THURSDAY, JULY 30 – 10:00 PM
LILAC VERSION RED ～DREAM OF SHUDDER～
(リラ Ver.Red ドリーム オブ シャダー)
Dir. Yoshihiro Akase. 2001.
Japan. 26 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.
A woman is stalked nightly by a mysterious stranger. Her only comforts: the glow of the television and her childhood doll Lila, a gift from her father. But Lila is more than a doll. When the stalker closes in, Lila comes to life—not just to protect her owner, but to also guard the whereabouts of a uniquely powerful weapon known as the Peerless Sword.
DREAM OF SHUDDER is pure somnambulance and acute denpa; perhaps EIYU CLUB’s creepiest creation.
LILAC VERSION BLUE ～PURE HEART～
(リラ Ver.Blue ～Pure Heart～)
Dir. Tetsuya Ozaki. 2001.
Japan. 25 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.
LILA IS BACK!
Lonely otaku Daisuke gets lucky and wins an online bid for a life-sized Lila doll. He keeps her in his apartment and orders her around, until one day Lila is awakened by the magic of life. When Daisuke’s rented Idol girlfriend Honoka returns home, an intriguing feud breaks out, and Lila is forced to unlock her magical girl powers.
PURE HEART is a relatively more polished and cinematic experience from her Red sister, incorporating both the Pinocchio story and a pinch of Norse mythology. What a pairing!
DREAM MONSTER CHAO
(ドリームモンスター・チャオ)
Dir. Michihiko Ichio. 2007.
Japan. 21 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.
One morning, an ass-slapping goofball called the Dream Monster Chao appears in slacker Haruka’s apartment and offers to help make his treasure hunting dreams come true. When Haruka’s evil landlord arrives to shut down their plans, Chao must kick into high gear and strike back against the forces of evil and property ownership.
Landing more within the bounds of an indie rock comedy, DREAM MONSTER CHAO is stylistically distinct from the LILAC series but thematically linked through its ideas of animacy and service.
Many, many thanks to Gossamer Fansubs for keeping EIYU CLUB alive through their subbing, asset scanning, and video rescue.