What happens when a pop star falls in love? In Japan’s cutthroat idol industry — she gets sued. That shocking reality forms the backbone of “Love on Trial,” Japanese director Koji Fukada‘s Cannes-bound drama that rips the veil off the draconian “no-dating” clauses that keep J-Pop’s brightest stars legally barred from romance.
The project marks Fukada’s fourth collaboration with MK2 Films and his first with Japanese giant Toho, who have unveiled the film’s first clip exclusively with Variety.
The film, debuting at the Cannes Film Festival‘s Cannes Premiere strand, follows Mai, a rising idol whose career implodes when her forbidden relationship is discovered, triggering a court battle that exposes the industry’s iron grip on young female performers’ personal lives.
“The starting point was a small article I came across on the internet around 2015,” Fukada tells Variety. “It told the story of a female idol who was sued for damages by her agency after having a romantic relationship with a fan. I was particularly shocked to learn that the contract between the idol and the agency included a clause prohibiting romantic relationships with the opposite sex.”
What began as industry-specific commentary evolved into an exploration of broader societal issues. “By exploring this subject, I could delve into more universal issues, such as gender and free will, that lie beneath the surface,” the filmmaker explains.
To create an authentic portrayal of the idol industry, Fukada and co-writer Shintaro Mitani, who actively writes for a current idol group, conducted extensive research. “During that time, I conducted numerous interviews with actual idols and producers who manage idol groups,” said Fukada, adding that they studied court records and consulted lawyers to construct the film’s legal scenes.
While the film takes aim at problematic industry practices, Fukada was careful to avoid sensationalism. “This film deliberately avoids portraying the most dramatic and scandalous moments of her social downfall in real time,” he says. “Doing so would risk replicating the old-fashioned media practices of sensationalizing celebrity scandals for entertainment.”
Instead, he focused on “the lingering, dull pain Mai experiences after losing her status, her subsequent transformation, and the significant decisions she makes afterward.”
For Fukada, the idol industry represents deeper societal issues within Japan. “The idol industry is often criticized for tendency to demand immaturity and excessive purity from young women, idolizing them while denying them sufficient autonomy and tolerating no deviation,” he observes. “I believe this characteristic is deeply rooted in Japanese society, which consistently ranks below 100th in the Gender Gap Index and is by far the lowest among G7 countries.”
Koji Fukada
Though “Love on Trial” may appear more overtly political than some of Fukada’s previous works like “Harmonium” or “Love Life,” the director sees this as “a natural outcome of the subject matter.” He notes that the concept began during the editing of “Harmonium” and was developed alongside other projects, with earlier works like “Hospitalité” and “Sayonara” also addressing social issues including immigration and refugees.
For the casting, Fukada took the unusual step in Japanese cinema of holding auditions for almost every role. “We were able to cast actual idols to play idol roles, which allowed us to capture the authenticity of their performances as individuals living in the world of show business,” he says. “The young idols are delivering stunning performances on screen that only they can achieve. In particular, I hope audiences will feel the presence of top Japanese idol Kyoko Saito throughout the two-hour film.”
Despite the film’s specific cultural context, Fukada believes its themes will resonate globally. “While ‘Love on Trial’ is set in the uniquely Japanese world of idols, its themes – such as gender disparity, oppression, the conflicts of the entertainment industry, and the struggles for independence – are universal.”
With the Cannes premiere approaching, Fukada expresses his hope that the film “reaches as many viewers as possible” and that international audiences will find “their own perspectives and societies reflected back at them, as if holding up a mirror.”
Watch the clip here: