🎬 Title: Seiyoku (正欲)
Release Year: 2023 / Director: Yoshiyuki Kishi / Runtime: 134 min
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (My Rating: 4/5)
Synopsis
Based on the novel by Ryo Asai, Seiyoku follows several individuals whose lives quietly intersect through feelings they cannot easily name or share. Living within a society that assumes desire to be universal and uniform, they struggle with isolation, misunderstanding, and the pressure to appear “normal.” The film questions whether what we call “sexual desire” is truly shared by everyone—and what happens to those who fall outside that assumption.
Review
Is the “sexual desire” we take for granted really something shared by everyone?
Based on the novel by Ryo Asai, Seiyoku is a film that questions even the existing framework of LGBTQ identities. Why do its characters carry such an overwhelming sense of difficulty in living? And is the suffocating world that produces this pain something we ourselves have unconsciously helped to create? Ultimately, what does the title Seiyoku—“correct desire”—truly mean?
As adolescents in a sensitive stage of life when it comes to sexuality, we may be unknowingly creating a society—through our relationships and social media—that hurts not only others, but ourselves as well. As we move forward into the future, we must be careful not to make easy judgments about other people’s pain or the ways in which they choose to exist.
Cultural Footnotes: Ryo Asai
The original author, Ryo Asai, made his literary debut in 2009 while still a university student, winning the 22nd Subaru Prize for New Writers with Kirishima, Bukatsu Yamerutteyo.(Kirishima Quit the Club). The novel was later adapted into a feature film in 2012, helping to establish Asai as a defining voice of his generation.
In 2013, Asai won the 148th Naoki Prize—one of Japan’s most prestigious literary awards—for Nanimono (Someone), becoming the youngest male recipient in the award’s history. The following year, his first work after receiving the Naoki Prize, Sekai Chizu no Shitagaki (A Draft of the World Map), earned the 29th Tsubota Joji Literary Award.
Asai’s influence extended internationally in 2016, when he was selected for Granta’s “Best of Young Japanese Novelists” in the Japanese edition of the renowned English-language literary magazine.
In 2021, Seiyoku received the 34th Shibata Renzaburo Prize, and was later adapted into a feature film. Many of Asai’s works, including Nanimono and Kirishima, Bukatsu Yamerutteyo, have been adapted for the screen, reflecting his strong presence at the intersection of contemporary literature and cinema.
Highlights
- A nuanced portrayal of sexuality beyond fixed labels
- Quiet, controlled direction that respects emotional ambiguity
- Strong performances that rely on restraint rather than dramatization
- Faithful to the novel’s introspective tone while remaining cinematic
Lowlights
- Deliberate pacing may feel slow for some viewers
- Emotional distance can make the film challenging to access
- Limited explanatory dialogue may frustrate audiences seeking clarity
Verdict
Seiyoku is a serious and necessary film—one that refuses simplification. By portraying sexuality as something that is not universally shared or easily defined, it challenges viewers to rethink what is considered “normal.” It is not an easy watch, but it is an important one, especially in a time when conversations about identity risk becoming shallow or formulaic.
Credits
Director: Yoshiyuki Kishi
Original Novel: Ryo Asai
Production: Bitters End