Ninko, a young, diligent Buddhist monk, has one serious problem: Women can’t seem to resist him. They pester him so much that he can’t even ask for alms in town. Since sexual indulgence is considered a sin, he blames himself for not being virtuous enough. One day, he runs into a masked woman in the forest who tries to seduce him. Running away from her, his problem only gets worse. Nearly driven mad, he escapes deep into the mountains to be alone. There he finds a corpse in a deserted village, victimized by a specter who seduces the spirits of men. A samurai claims that he can kill the specter, and Ninko follows him, hoping that he’ll rid him of his curse. A fresh independent film in the self-described genre of “historical entertainment.” Niwatsukino Norihiro first gained attention with his short film Strawberry Jam (2010). Suffering of Ninko, based on an old Japanese folktale and presented in a unique style that mixes live action and animation, is his first feature. With the help of crowd funding and volunteer actors, it took him four years to complete the film. The result is a funny and well-executed film that’s sure to please. (PARK Sungho)