Snakes And Earrings
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is a Japanese novel by
Hitomi Kanehara is a Japanese people, Japanese Japanese author, novelist. Her novel ''Hebi ni piasu'' (''Snakes and Earrings'') won the Shōsetsu Subaru Literary Prize and the Akutagawa Prize, and sold over a million copies in Japan. Her work has been translate ...
. The story follows Lui, a young woman in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
whose fascination with
body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common earring, ear piercing in ...
and
sadomasochistic Sadism () and masochism (), known collectively as sadomasochism ( ) or S&M, is the derivation of pleasure from acts of respectively inflicting or receiving pain or humiliation. The term is named after the Marquis de Sade, a French author known ...
sexual activity drives her to make increasingly dangerous personal choices. First published in 2003 in the literary magazine ''Shōsetsu Subaru'' as the winner of the 27th ''Subaru'' Literary Prize, the novel was republished in 2004 after winning the 130th
Akutagawa Prize The is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. Because of its prestige and the considerable attention the winner receives from the media, it is, along with the Naoki Prize, one of Japan's most sought after literary prizes. History Th ...
. Though ''Snakes and Earrings'' received mixed reviews, popular and academic critics have noted its significance in contemporary Japanese literature, not only for its authentic portrayal of post-bubble Japanese youth culture, but also for the controversial commercialization of its author's personal life. The novel has sold more than a million copies in Japan, has been translated into sixteen languages, and was adapted into a 2008
Yukio Ninagawa was a Japanese theatre director, actor and film director, particularly known for his Japanese language productions of the Greek tragedies as well as Shakespeare—he directed eight distinct renditions of ''Hamlet.'' Ninagawa was also emeritus of ...
film starring
Yuriko Yoshitaka is a Japanese actress. She has played numerous roles in film and television, including lead roles in '' Snakes and Earrings'', '' Yurigokoro'', and the NHK asadora ''Hanako to Anne''. Career At age 16, her first year of high school, Yoshitaka ...
.


Background

As an elementary school student in Japan, Hitomi Kanehara lost interest in academic topics and began to skip school in order to socialize with friends. Her father Mizuhito Kanehara, a professor of sociology at
Hosei University formerly known as Tokyo University of Law (東京法学社, Tokyo Hogakusha) is a top research university in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Hosei University and four other private universities in Tokyo are collectively known as "MARCH (Japanese univers ...
, brought her along on a year-long research trip to
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, where she occasionally attended an American school. During her stay in the United States, with her father's permission, she began reading stories by
Ryū Murakami is a Japanese novelist, essayist and filmmaker. His novels explore human nature through themes of disillusion, drug use, surrealism, murder and war, set against the dark backdrop of Japan. His best known novels are '' Almost Transparent Blue'', ' ...
and
Amy Yamada is a contemporary Japanese writer who is most famous for her stories that address issues of sexuality, racism, and interracial love and marriage. Her debut and subsequent popular success in the 1990s was a part of Japan's hip-hop and Black cult ...
that contained strong violent and sexual themes. Kanehara returned to Japan and attended middle school, but became
anorexic Anorexia nervosa (AN), often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by Calorie restriction, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. Individuals wit ...
and engaged in
self-harm Self-harm refers to intentional behaviors that cause harm to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues, usually without suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-abuse, self-injury, and s ...
. Against the wishes of her mother Chieko, Kanehara dropped out of her first year of high school, left home, and began to write stories, including ''Snakes and Earrings'', that drew on her own experiences with cutting, suicidal thoughts, body modification, and living with different boyfriends. She has described ''Snakes and Earrings'' as the story she "had to write". Her father supported her writing by arranging for her to participate in a fiction workshop for
sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educatio ...
s at his university, and by editing the ''Snakes and Earrings'' manuscript before it was submitted for the
Akutagawa Prize The is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. Because of its prestige and the considerable attention the winner receives from the media, it is, along with the Naoki Prize, one of Japan's most sought after literary prizes. History Th ...
.


Plot summary

A young woman named Lui admires her new boyfriend Ama's split tongue, which she likens to the
forked tongue A forked tongue is a tongue split into two distinct tines at the tip; this is a feature common to many species of reptiles. Reptiles smell using the tip of their tongue, and a forked tongue allows them to sense from which direction a smell is co ...
of a snake. Having experimented with large ear piercings, she decides that she wants to try the same
body modification Body modification (or body alteration) is the deliberate altering of the human anatomy or human physical appearance. In its broadest definition it includes skin tattooing, socially acceptable decoration (''e.g.'', common earring, ear piercing in ...
as Ama. Lui and Ama visit Shiba, a body modification and
tattoo A tattoo is a form of body modification made by inserting tattoo ink, dyes, or pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to form a design. Tattoo artists create these designs using several tattooing processes ...
artist, who begins the process of inserting progressively larger tongue studs. Lui finds herself interested in Shiba, returns to the shop without Ama, and secretly begins a violent sexual relationship with Shiba involving bondage and sadomasochism. While walking to a train station one night, Lui, Ama, and Lui's friend Maki are confronted in
Shinjuku , officially called Shinjuku City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) as well as the Tokyo Metropol ...
by two apparent gangsters, one of whom grabs Lui's breast while insulting her. Ama punches both men. After one of the men flees, Ama continues to beat Lui's attacker, using the heavy rings on his hand to knock out the gangster's teeth. Ama gives the teeth to Lui as a symbol of his love for her. Despite Ama's obvious affection, Lui feels disconnected from Ama and continues to have a sexual relationship with Shiba, who is creating an intricate tattoo that covers her entire back. Lui later sees a television news story about a gangster who was beaten to death in Shinjuku, and makes Ama change his appearance to avoid recognition by the police. One day Ama unexpectedly disappears. His corpse is found with evidence of sexual torture, rape, and strangulation. After learning of Ama's demise, Lui tries to speed up the process of splitting her tongue by inserting larger studs too quickly, causing intense pain, and she stops eating, instead only drinking alcohol. She then discovers evidence suggesting that Shiba was Ama's rapist and murderer. Lui suspects a previous sexual relationship between Shiba and Ama, but when the police investigator asks her whether Ama was
bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
, she insists that he was not. With Ama gone, Shiba completes Lui's tattoo, Lui and Shiba's relationship falls into a more domestic pattern, and Lui considers putting in a larger tongue stud.


Major themes

Academic analysis of ''Snakes and Earrings'' outside of Japan has focused on themes of
subcultural A subculture is a group of people within a cultural society that differentiates itself from the values of the conservative, standard or dominant culture to which it belongs, often maintaining some of its founding principles. Subcultures develop ...
resistance, gender roles, and
commodification Commodification is the process of transforming inalienable, free, or gifted things (objects, services, ideas, nature, personal information, people or animals) into commodities, or objects for sale.For animals"United Nations Commodity Trade Stati ...
. Mark Driscoll, writing in ''Cultural Critique'', argued that while the book's graphic descriptions of tattooing,
self-harm Self-harm refers to intentional behaviors that cause harm to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues, usually without suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-abuse, self-injury, and s ...
, and violent sexual activities revealed subcultures unfamiliar to many readers, Kanehara's portrayal of her characters as "consumerist, closed-off, and unwilling or unable to communicate with people outside their tribe" reinforced popular stereotypes about Japanese youth, particularly the part-time workers called freeters. David Holloway, writing in ''Japanese Language and Literature'', came to a similar conclusion, noting that despite the depiction of Lui as a fringe character rejecting society's rules, she ends up assuming a domestic role consistent with expectations of Japanese women in mainstream society. In ''Japan Forum'', Rachel DiNitto argued that expecting the subcultural elements of the book to express resistance to mainstream Japanese culture actually reflected a Western literary bias. Instead, she proposed that Kanehara's novel expresses resistance through Lui's experience of her own physical body in a society emphasizing commodification and virtuality. Both DiNitto and Holloway have also suggested that ''Snakes and Earrings'' resembles works of Japanese literature published in the years immediately following
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, such as Tamura Taijiro's ''
Gate of Flesh is a 1964 Japanese film based on a novel by Taijiro Tamura and directed by Seijun Suzuki. The first of Suzuki's "flesh trilogy" (followed by '' Story of a Prostitute'' and '' Carmen from Kawachi''), the series is considered the "crowning achiev ...
'', in which characters regain control over their own bodies after coercion and defeat, then use their bodies as sites of protest. Japanese scholars have also highlighted the position of ''Snakes and Earrings'' within broader Japanese literary trends. Pointing specifically to Lui's personal experience of pain as a way to mediate between self and society, Japanese sociologist and poet Kiriu Minashita suggests that the novel is part of an early 21st-century Japanese literary trend in which authors focus on women's experiences as worthy subjects in their own right, rather than defining those experiences in terms of relationships with men. Literary scholar Eisuke Kotani has further observed that ''Snakes and Earrings'' is a prominent example of a trend also seen in works by
Motoko Arai Motoko Arai (新井素子; born August 8, 1960) is a Japanese science fiction and fantasy writer. Her writing is characterized by her use of a light conversational tone geared towards a young adult audience. She has published three series of novel ...
and
Risa Wataya is a female Japanese novelist from Kyoto. Her short novel ''Keritai senaka'' won the Akutagawa Prize and has sold more than a million copies. Wataya has also won the Bungei Prize and the Kenzaburo Oe Prize. Her work has been translated into Ge ...
, in which a character's first-person real-time narration of personal experience in everyday language, similar to a narrative style usually encountered in
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
and
manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
, leads the reader to imagine that the main character is actually the author.


Publication and reception


Japanese publication

''Snakes and Earrings'' won the 27th for unpublished stories in 2003. The story was published for the first time in the November 2003 issue of the literary magazine ''Shōsetsu Subaru''. In January 2004, ''Snakes and Earrings'' won the 130th
Akutagawa Prize The is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. Because of its prestige and the considerable attention the winner receives from the media, it is, along with the Naoki Prize, one of Japan's most sought after literary prizes. History Th ...
. While ''Snakes and Earrings'' was the overall favorite of the Akutagawa Prize committee, the award was shared with
Risa Wataya is a female Japanese novelist from Kyoto. Her short novel ''Keritai senaka'' won the Akutagawa Prize and has sold more than a million copies. Wataya has also won the Bungei Prize and the Kenzaburo Oe Prize. Her work has been translated into Ge ...
for her story ''Keritai Senaka'', making the 20-year old Kanehara and the 19-year old Wataya the youngest winners in the prize's history. Akutagawa Prize committee member Ryū Murakami particularly praised the "radical depiction of our time" in the winning works. Kanehara appeared at the Akutagawa Prize announcement ceremony wearing "an off-the-shoulder, cut jersey shirt with exposed bra straps, a flared mini skirt, stiletto heels, mid-thigh nylons, multiple earrings and grey-tinted contact lenses". Press accounts of the event contrasted Kanehara's youthful, street-style image with the image of the "demure and old-fashioned" Wataya. Interviews and photos of the winning authors appeared not only in national newspapers, but also in Japanese editions of '' GQ'' and ''
Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...
'' as well as ''
Weekly Playboy , also known as or ''WPB'', is a Japanese weekly magazine published by Shueisha since 1966. Although the magazine publishes a variety of news and special interest articles, columns, celebrity interviews, and manga, it is considered an adult maga ...
''. Kanehara's interviews often discussed troubles in her personal life, such as thoughts of suicide and self-harm, reinforcing the public perception of Kanehara as an authentic narrator of Japanese youth culture. Kanehara's image, and in particular what Rachel DiNitto has called the "unprecedented commercialization" of that image, raised questions about her novel's literary merits. Critics claimed that ''Snakes and Earrings'' was chosen for its marketing value to younger audiences, and that its selection was evidence of declining literary standards, but much of the criticism focused on Kanehara rather than on the novel. In an English-language review of both Akutagawa Prize winning novels, Janet Ashby of ''
The Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...
'' criticized the "element of sexism" in the media hype over the two novelists, but also observed that both stories were "somewhat of a letdown", with ''Snakes and Earrings'' having a "particularly unsatisfactory ending". After winning the Akutagawa Prize, ''Snakes and Earrings'' was republished alongside Wataya's winning story in the literary magazine '' Bungei Shunjū''. The story was also republished in book form by
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...
. Within three months of the prize announcement, the ''Bungei Shunjū'' issue containing the prize-winning stories had sold over 1.1 million copies, doubling the magazine's usual sales, and the book edition of ''Snakes and Earrings'' had sold over 500,000 copies. Contemporary coverage noted that many middle-aged men bought Kanehara's work, but preferred the magazine edition to the book edition, as the book cover was designed to appeal to women readers. The unusual sales numbers and media spectacle surrounding the book drew international attention, including a profile in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' that called the novel "a powerful portrait of this post-bubble generation".


English translation

Shortly after the Japanese book was published, Dutton acquired the English translation rights. In 2005 an English version of ''Snakes and Earrings'', translated by David Karashima, was published by Dutton in the United States and
Vintage Books Vintage Books is a trade paperback publishing imprint of Penguin Random House originally established by Alfred A. Knopf in 1954. The company was acquired by Random House in April 1960, and a British division was set up in 1990. After Random Ho ...
in the United Kingdom.US edition: UK edition: It received generally positive reviews. ''
Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...
'' called the book "fascinating and unnerving", ''
Marie Claire ''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages. The feature editions focus on women aro ...
'' called it "riveting", and ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' called it "a gnarly blast of Tokyo nihilism". Writing for ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'',
Maya Jaggi Maya Jaggi is a British writer, literary critic, editor and cultural journalist.Maya Jaggi profi ...
praised the book as "a debut novel about alienation that is shocking but not sensational" and observed that it "offers more than sociological interest". Reviews of the English translation also noted the broader significance of ''Snakes and Earrings'' in contemporary Japanese literature. Writing in the ''
Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'', Andrew Lee praised Kanehara for describing Tokyo youth culture with "simple, visceral eloquence", and cited ''Snakes and Earrings'' as an exemplar of a literary trend elevating high school girls to the iconic status of
geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha{{efn, {{IPAc-en, lang, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ., ʃ, ə, {{IPA, ja, ɡei.ɕa, ɡeː-, lang{{cite book, script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典, publisher=NHK Publishing, editor= ...
in Japanese culture. In ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', former ''
Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...
'' editor Victoria James grouped the novel with similarly explicit work by Ami Sakurai and Mari Akasaka, lauding the book's quality but expressing skepticism about any long-term mainstream impact of novels by young women about sex. Criticism of the English translation of ''Snakes and Earrings'' concerned its length and ending. While praising Kanehara's detailed descriptions and character development, Prudence Peiffer's review in ''
Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional prac ...
'' found the book's "hasty conclusion" predictable. Writing for ''
Artforum ''Artforum'' is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art. The magazine is distinguished from other magazines by its unique 10½ × 10½ inch square format, with each cover often devoted to the work of an artist. Notably ...
'', Christine Thomas similarly praised Kanehara's "keen observation of everyday reality", but noted that the ending was strained by its efforts to find redemption for the main character. Karen Karbo of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' compared ''Snakes and Earrings'' to the
Bret Easton Ellis Bret Easton Ellis (born March 7, 1964) is an American author and screenwriter. Ellis was one of the literary Brat Pack (literary), Brat Pack and is a self-proclaimed satirist whose trademark technique as a writer is the expression of extreme acts ...
novel '' Less than Zero'', calling the ending "both chilling and oddly moving" but questioning the book's originality.


Film adaptation


Production

A film adaptation of ''Snakes and Earrings'', directed by
Yukio Ninagawa was a Japanese theatre director, actor and film director, particularly known for his Japanese language productions of the Greek tragedies as well as Shakespeare—he directed eight distinct renditions of ''Hamlet.'' Ninagawa was also emeritus of ...
and starring
Yuriko Yoshitaka is a Japanese actress. She has played numerous roles in film and television, including lead roles in '' Snakes and Earrings'', '' Yurigokoro'', and the NHK asadora ''Hanako to Anne''. Career At age 16, her first year of high school, Yoshitaka ...
,
Kengo Kora is a Japanese actor. Career Kora has gained recognition for his roles in films such as Shinji Aoyama's '' Sad Vacation'', Yukio Ninagawa's '' Snakes and Earrings'', Tran Anh Hung's '' Norwegian Wood'', Ryuichi Hiroki's ''The Egoists'', Yosh ...
, and
Arata Iura , previously known as Arata, is a Japanese actor, model, and fashion designer. He is the Director of fashion brand Elnest Creative Activity. He holds the position of Director at the Artisan Culture Organisation Institute. Biography Iura co-sta ...
, started principal photography in November 2007. Ninagawa changed the location of the story to
Shibuya is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. A major commercial center, Shibuya houses one of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya Station. As of January 1, 2024, Shibuya Ward has an estimated population of 230,60 ...
from its original
Shinjuku , officially called Shinjuku City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) as well as the Tokyo Metropol ...
in order to film a panoramic opening scene at Shibuya Crossing that he claimed was inspired by the
Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; né Stipetić; born 5 September 1942) is a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusu ...
film ''
Fitzcarraldo ''Fitzcarraldo'' () is a 1982 epic film, epic Adventure film, adventure-Drama (film and television), drama film written, produced, and directed by Werner Herzog, and starring Klaus Kinski as would-be Rubber boom, rubber baron Brian Sweeney Fitzg ...
''. He selected Yoshitaka for the lead role after an audition in which she was required to perform in the nude. While the film was in production, Yoshitaka was involved in a serious car accident and spent several days in intensive care before returning to the set. She later claimed that the experience helped her to understand her character's pain. Most of the tattoos and piercings in the film, including Lui's tongue piercing, were achieved through makeup and computer-generated effects. Kanehara wrote original lyrics for the film's theme song, which was performed by Chara.


Release and reception

The R-15 film was released in Japan in September 2008. It ranked 15th at the box office in its opening weekend with approximately US$100,000 in gross receipts, and eventually grossed approximately US$510,000 in domestic theatrical release. Yoshitaka received a Best Newcomer Award at the 32nd Japan Academy Prize ceremony for her performance, as well as a Best Newcomer Prize at the 51st
Blue Ribbon Awards The are film-specific prizes awarded solely by movie critics and writers in Tokyo, Japan, established in 1950 by , established under the name of the "Association of Tokyo Film Journalists Award", which was formed mainly by film reporters from th ...
and a Best Newcomer prize at the
Japanese Movie Critics Awards are presented annually since 1991. As with the New York Film Critics Circle Awards and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, the selection committee consists of film critics. Award winners 1990s 1991 (1st Japanese Movie Critics Awar ...
. The film was also shown internationally at film festivals, including the 2008
Pusan Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF; ), formerly the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festival, held fro ...
and the 2009
New York Asian Film Festival The New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) is a film festival held in New York City dedicated to the display of Asian film and culture. The New York Asian Film Festival generally features contemporary premieres and classic titles from Eastern Asia ...
. Writing for ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', Russell Edwards panned the film, leveling criticism at weak directing and the performances of the male leads, while calling Yoshitaka an "alluring actress" who nevertheless "lacks the chops to carry the role". Charles Webb, writing for ''
Screen Anarchy ScreenAnarchy, previously known as Twitch Film or Twitch, is a Canadian English-language website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown. In addition to films, ...
'', also gave the film a negative review, calling it "the worst kind of art film that is unable to stimulate given its vacuous characters and inane situations".


Translations

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Snakes and Earrings 2004 Japanese novels Novels by Hitomi Kanehara BDSM literature Japanese novels adapted into films 2004 debut novels Akutagawa Prize–winning works