‘Women are strong’. This is the main point that director Masahide Ichii wanted to say in his female version of the buddy film, Naked of Defenses. By portraying the story of two women, the director tried to find out where the origin of women’s strength comes from. In a plastic factory located in a rural village, Chinatsu, who is pregnant, is a newcomer, and Ritsuko, a veteran, helps her adjust to her new job. As Ritsuko and Chinatsu get close, Ritsuko, who had a miscarriage in an accident and is currently living an uninteresting and dry life with her husband, gets a chance to look back on her life. Chinatsu is just an ordinary, weak woman. They gradually become dependent on each other. And though they seem to be endlessly weak, their ‘maternal instincts’ make them strong. Because of such maternal instincts, they are able to do at a moment’s notice things which they weren’t able to do in an ordinary situation. Director Masahide Ichii conveys the theme that he had in mind through the relationship of Chinatsu and Ritsuko. Hence, though the figures of selfish and incompetent husbands appear only for a short while, their appearances give an intense effect in conveying the theme. (KIM Ji-Seok)