Being sentient is not all that it's cracked up to be.
Air Doll (空気人形) is a movie directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and based on the eponymous manga by Yoshiie Goda.
Hideo (Itsuji Itao), a socially awkward middle-aged man, has bought an inflatable sex doll for companionship whom he calls Nozomi (Bae Doona). One day, for no precise reason, Nozomi becomes sentient and decides to figure out what this "life" thing is. Putting on a Meido outfit, she ventures out of Hideo's flat and walks around in the city, learning her first words by repeating what people say and tentatively interacting with them.
She finds a job as a sales attendant in a video store, and every evening, sneaks back to Hideo's place where she fakes her earlier non-sentience. As she meets more people, she realizes that all of them are symbolically as empty as she is physically.
Contains examples of:
- Accidental Murder: Thinking he's a sentient air doll like her and that she can later fill him up with air like he did with her, Nozomi cuts Junichi in the gut and stems the wound with adhesive tape. He bleeds to death as a result.
- And Starring: The CBB has "with Joe Odagiri and Sumiko Fuji".
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Junichi and Nozomi's boss seems to be a benevolent old fellow, but he's revealed to be a Dirty Old Man who coerces Nozomi to have sex with him via blackmail thinking she's cheating on Hideo with Junichi.
- Blank Slate: Nozomi's eccentric behavior, (such as being amazed of trivial things like her own shadow, responding to abstract concepts such as life and death in a childlike way (smiling and saying "Hard to understand."), and mimicking other people's behavior) and seeing as she's just come to life and is essentially only a few days old
- Cloud Cuckoolander:
- Nozomi, which is justified, since she's just come to life.
- Hideo counts as well, albeit being a much more disturbing example than Nozomi.
- Companion Cube: As stated above, Nozomi is treated as such by Hideo. Contrary to what some might think, it's not as funny as it sounds.
- Cradling Your Kill: Nozomi to Junichi, thanks to a sexual foreplay gone terribly wrong.
- Death by Despair: After her Accidental Murder of Junichi, Nozomi becomes distraught and is eventually Driven to Suicide.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: In order to reinflate Nozomi, Junichi lifts up her dress and blows into the valve on her belly. They later admit that it was an erotic experience for both of them, and they deliberately renew it.
- Dying Alone: Nozomi allows herself to deflate/die amongst garbage in despair of her Accidental Murder of Junichi.
- Fond Memories That Could Have Been: Nozomi's Dying Dream is a recreation of Moe's birthday celebration in an earlier scene but with her as the celebrant surrounded by all the characters in the film.
- The Hero Dies: After her Accidental Murder of her Love Interest, Nozomi becomes distraught and is eventually Driven to Suicide.
- Idiot Savant: Nozomi can draw pretty well for someone who's just gained sentience.
- Job Title: The title refers to Nozomi being an inflatable sex doll.
- Kill the Ones You Love: Nozomi accidentally kills Jinichi after fatally cutting him in the gut thinking he's inflatable like her.
- Meido: Nozomi initially dresses like one. People just seem to assume she's a cosplayer.
- Ms. Fanservice: Nozomi, being a sex doll that gained sentience, is nude in most of her screen time, wears plenty of Fanservice Costumes, and her casual outfits provide plenty of Leg Focus.
- Naked First Impression: Played with. Nozomi is naked when she first gained sentience, but her actual first scene (as a sex doll) has her dressed in a Meido outfit.
- No Last Name Given: The actors are only credited with their characters' given names in the CBB and cast list.
- No Social Skills: Barely subverted with Hideo; sure, he treats Nozomi like she's alive note , but his conversations with her indicate that he does talk to other people.
- "Not So Different" Remark: The old man in the park remarks that the human race is somewhat similar to mayflies, which isn't exactly flattering.
- Oh, Crap!: Junichi, when he realizes that Nozomi isn't human.
- Protagonist Title: The titular Air Doll is protagonist Nozomi.
- Sexual Extortion: Junichi and Nozomi's boss coerces her to have sex with him via blackmail thinking she's cheating on Hideo with Junichi.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story
- Sliding Scale Of Living Sex Toys: Nozomi is a Type 2 to Hideo, but a Type 5 to everyone else.
- Sudden Downer Ending: Granted the film is already heavy with the What Measure Is a Non-Human? theme towards the end, but then the titular protagonist accidentally kills her Love Interest and is Driven to Suicide as a result.
- Title Drop: Repeatedly done by a narrating Nozomi.Nozomi: I am an Air Doll.
- Undignified Death:
- Junichi is accidentally killed by Nozomi during coitus and his remains are left in a pile of trash.
- As a result of the above, Nozomi is Driven to Suicide and waits to die/deflate in a different pile of trash.
- Weirdness Censor:
- Junichi finds out Nozomi's true nature when she accidentally deflates in front of him, but he takes it in stride.
- Nozomi doesn't seem to be too bothered by the fact that she was only made to fulfill sexual desires.
- Wham Shot: After their first round of sex, Nozomi gets up and to picks up some things. One is an adhesive tape and another unseen one, but whatever Nozoni did with it, it clearly hurts Junichi. The view then shifts to a fuller shot showing Nozomi cuts him.
- What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Oh you best believe that this trope would be on this page.
- World Half Empty: Every human being Nozomi meets is lonely and sad. The world, in fact, is empty in more ways than one: the streets of Tokyo seem strangely deserted. The emptiness is lampshaded in Nozomi's conversation with an old man in the park.Nozomi: I'm empty too.
Old Man: What a coincidence, so am I.
Nozomi: I wonder if there are more like me.
Old Man: These days, everybody is.
