The Japanese Porn Industry Unmasked: An Insider’s Guide by Kaho Shibuya by Kaho Shibuya

The Japanese Porn Industry Unmasked: An Insider’s Guide by Kaho Shibuya Reviews

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  サシャ

  First announced in summer 2021, the long awaited English translation of Kahos 2020 book is finally here.Although she is a woman of many talents, to me, Kaho is a writer first and foremost, which is why I was looking forward to the translation of her book even though I am not particularly interested in the Japanese AV industry.This book offers a detailed and unique insight into a very secretive industry. It perfectly blends her own experiences with factual information which makes for an interesting and insightful read. Along the ride you will not only learn a lot about the behind the scenes goings on of AV, but also some things about Kaho, that you may not have known. Although the book rightfully criticizes several aspects of the industry it does not paint things in black and white and the author manages to keep her account of things on a factual level.After all, the original intention of the book was not to disencourage women from pursuing a career in AV, but to honestly and realistically detail what to expect so that they can make an informed decision. (Hence the original title of the book which translates to "Everything women should know about the AV Industry")If I was talking about the Japanese original I would end my review at this point and give the book 5 stars without hesitation.However, there is also the quality of the translation to consider. You might be wondering "Why did it take almost 2 years for the translation to come out?". This translation is an unfortunate case of a publisher putting their own vision of a book ahead of the authors wishes.Kaho is fluent in English so, naturally, she wanted the English translation to sound like her. When she voiced her concerns about some of the translation choices, the translator was initially unwilling to make changes and even went as far as calling her a "high pitched kawaii" person who won't be taken seriously by "grownups" if she sounds like an "anime princess".Fortunately, after a long delay, a compromise was finally reached. However, this means that the translation is not as authentic and true to the original as it could have been and there are some parts where Kaho just doesn't sound like herself. (And I can confidently say that as someone who is very familiar with her writing going all the way back to her first blog posts at the end of 2014)Also, another negative point: the Japanese original includes photos of some of the things talked about in the book, e.g. the will/won't list, the magazine article that outed her and so on. These are unfortunately missing in the English version.As a result, although the original Japanese version is clearly deserving of 5 stars, I unfortunately have to deduct a star for the English edition.
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  Chris

  I bought the book as soon as possible and read it in one go. It is very informative and provides aninsider's views. Easy to read and very fun. Would recommend it to everyone who is interested in the topic in general or who is a fan of kaho!
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  matthew sloan

  This book did for me exactly what it intended: Unmasked and revealed an insider's perspective of the Japanese porn or Adult Video industry. Its slim but robust 178 pages make for a good read anywhere but probably best enjoyed alone in private. Some chapters and revealing anecdotes made me sweat, others made me a little angry and very sad that they actually happened to the author, Ms. Shibuya, others made me blush till I was completely red in the face. The book is very well researched as Ms. Shibuya was also a former reporter in Japan. The book is excellent in its entirety because it presents Kaho's "arc" in the Adult industry (which she is no longer involved in) and informs the reader of some truths, some of which might burst a bubble or two. Interesting topics abound like: behind the scenes and on set conversations, prepping for a scene, or the consent forms that must be signed. I know from Kaho's Twitch streams it was like a trial and a constant battle, in translating, to find the right voice that didn't come off as vulgar. And for that I thank the author for seeing that done. (Headpat) Kaho is multi talented, smart, beautiful and gentle. Words cannot contain the magnitude of Kaho Shibuya. Can the World contain the Magnitude of Kaho Shibuya?! Its seems she has the world in her sights!
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  Faustino

  Kaho delivers in this much anticipated book that her fans have ben waiting for when she puts her mind to do something she does it 9000% this was a great book get a copy you won’t regret it