What's After the Movie takes viewers on a wild, visually striking journey that begins with an intense assassination attempt involving unconventional weaponry and robotics. The film opens with a bizarre scene where a political candidate is targeted by a Geisha who turns out to be a robot, and two scantily-clad women wearing Tengu or Goblin masks. These women display extraordinary, almost grotesque violence—shooting shuriken from their behinds and attacking with reckless abandon—aimed at the politician, who is wounded and threatened by the robot Geisha, armed with a circular saw blade in her mouth. Suddenly, a mysterious figure named Aya Kiguchi appears, revealing herself as a robogeisha, and she swiftly destroys the robotic villain, setting the stage for a story filled with intrigue, action, and supernatural elements.
The narrative then flashes back, revealing Yoshie's background, portrayed by [Aya Kiguchi], who starts as a clumsy servant for her sister Kikue (played by [Hitomi Hasebe]), a girl in triaining to be a geisha. It is disclosed that the sisters are orphans, once close when they were young, but their relationship has soured over time—Kikue being the favorite child while Yoshie struggles with her awkwardness. Despite her lack of grace, Yoshie impresses Kengo Kageno (Takumi Saito), heir to the powerful Kageno Steel Manufacturing, when he observes her stunning beauty and witnesses her displaying incredible superhuman strength when threatened. Her strength and raw power become key to her future, and Kengo becomes heavily interested in her.
Eventually, Kengo invites both sisters to his lavish home, where they are ambushed and captured by a group of goblin-like women. These women force Kikue and Yoshie into a brutal fight-to-the-death scenario. At one point, Kikue wounds her sister and threatens to kill her, pushing Yoshie to her breaking point. In a moment of fierce determination, Yoshie knocks her sister out, revealing her own exceptional physical prowess once again. Impressed by her strength, Kengo and his father begin training Yoshie to become an assassin working for their organization. Her training elevates her to the position of head assassin, and she becomes one of many young women trained in the arts of covert killing, all under the guise of geisha.
The organization’s goal is to manipulate geopolitical threats by eliminating terrorists and other enemies of the state, all under the pretense of creating a utopian "Ideal World." Meanwhile, Kikue is relegated to a subordinate role, serving the organization instead of fighting. Over time, both sisters undergo extensive surgeries, transforming into cyborgs, or robogeisha, equipped with robotic enhancements such as machine-gun breasts and other high-tech weaponry. When sent out on their first mission, tragedy strikes: Kikue sacrifices herself to save Yoshie, getting severely wounded in the process. Despite their rivalry, Kikue admits she still loves her sister, revealing a fragile bond beneath their hardened exteriors. However, her injuries prevent her from continuing as an assassin.
The story takes a darker turn when Yoshie is tasked with a grim mission—eliminating a group of elderly people and their young caretaker, hidden near Kageno Steel. To her shock, they reveal that they are relatives of the originary geisha and goblin assassins, and accuse Kageno Steel of kidnapping their loved ones to serve its own dark purposes. Confronted with the truth, Yoshie faces Kengo and his father, who confirm the allegations. The plot thickens as the Kageno duo threatens to execute Kikue, unless Yoshie completes what turns out to be an almost-suicidal mission. The other geisha assassins, long desensitized to violence, choose not to return to their families and remain loyal to Kageno's wetwork organization.
After barely escaping a deadly explosion during her mission, Yoshie is rescued by the senior group, led by a former Kageno Steel employee who rebuilds her body. The group uncovers plans for an immensely powerful bomb—described as "17 times more powerful than the atomic bomb"—which Kageno intends to use to threaten Japan into submission. Determined to prevent catastrophe, they confront Kengo and his father, but the enemies are not so easily defeated. The father, also transformed into a robot, kills most of the senior group, but is ultimately shot by Yoshie using a hidden gun in his own leg. In response, Kengo activates a colossal robot formed from his family's estate, transforming his lair into a giant, battle-ready castle.
Yoshie fights bravely against her former geisha associates and goblin-like enemies, engaging in a fierce battle that features a surreal, butt-sword duel. She faces off against Kikue, who has been upgraded into an even more deadly robogeisha with her mind wiped clean. Kikue defeats Yoshie, but during their confrontation, Yoshie divulges a shocking truth: she was her father’s favorite because Kikue was born to his mistress and was previously looked down upon. She also reveals her own protective actions as a child and her love for her sister, which manages to break through Kikue’s mind-wipe. The two sisters reconcile and merge into a single, ultra-powerful robogeisha.
In their final act, the newly combined robogeisha faces Kengo, tricking him into stopping his plan to drop the bomb into Mount Fuji. Instead, she launches the robot-castle, along with the bomb, into space, where it explodes, obliterating everything inside—including what is presumed to be our heroines. The film closes with Yoshie dreaming of a peaceful life with her sister as genuine geisha, hinting at hope and normalcy after all the chaos.
> “It’s not just about destroying. It’s about creating a new beginning.”
With its eclectic mix of futuristic weaponry, mythic imagery, and intense emotional moments, What's After the Movie offers a unique take on themes of family, identity, and the blurred line between human and machine.
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