“Of Love and Law” Review

Michaela Mae T. Portarcos

While the documentary first sounds like it’s going to be centered on the rights of the
LGBTQ+ Community, it’s only a seasoning that made every case that Fumi and Kuza dealt with
colorful. The documentary depicted the realities that gay couples, more importantly lawyers face
and the struggles of the few that represents the ideals of many.
The documentary tackles more than the sexual orientation and gender identity. It also
gave concrete, realistic examples of violations against Civil and Political Rights, Rights of
Children, Cultural Rights, and Rights of Women. Every case they are dealing with is unique and
it’s unbelievable that we still live in a society that is close minded on the progressions leaning
towards acceptance of each people’s differences.
Starting with Civil and Political Rights taken up with Rights of Children and Rights of
Women, I found it to be absurd that children are denied registration for the sole reason of not
being born in a “traditional family”. It must be heartbreaking for a mother who is considered
“immoral” for being unable to give a proper identity in Japan just because she had that kid out of
a wedlock. As for the child, he is being deprived of his liberty to live a life that is free from
discrimination since his whole identity is marked as “inexistent”. Therefore, Natsuo’s
registration was such a satisfying outcome since he has a lot of potential to live his dream as a
chef. Such an absurd law should not hinder our children from dreaming as they are the world’s
future and we have to establish a system that would not kill and poison our children’s minds. It’s
unfair for them to be deprived even the basic decency of having a proper identification and a
sense of belongingness in a community. Moreover, these children are being deprived of
education, healthcare, welfare, or work and are treated as outsiders in a community. This reflects
the high suicide rate of Japan since the minorities have no place in their society.
Ms. Tsujitani’s case is also remarkable. Japan is stereotyped for having patriotic citizens
who love their country so much, so her case is a culture shock to me who actually believes the
stereotype. In retrospect, her defiance may be frowned upon by cultural and societal norms, but it
is actually an exercise of her Civil and Political Rights. As an educator, she has the power to
mold children’s minds to think for themselves and not merely obey the rules when the rules are
restricting our freedom as people. Her activism is a powerful tool in making sure that we still
know our rights as citizens and not just merely “reading the air” and following for the sake on
convenience. In a way, it ignites a fire inside those who are too afraid to speak out and exercise
their right to express.
It is funny that contradictions were made in the documentary. Rokudenashiko’s art is
beautiful and her arrest and trial draws the line between ideals and reality. While she was
indicted for producing “obscene” art pieces, Fumi was able to procure sex toys that looks like a
vagina freely. It’s weird how both activities happened in the same city. This goes to show that
women are still being objectified not only by the males but also by the law. A good twist
however is that her artworks are not found to be obscene which is a precedent to future cases. In
the ideal world however, artists should not be tried in the first place for artwork that involves the
human body since the vagina is a natural part of a woman’s body just as a penis is also natural in
a man’s body. Another funny thing about this is that they want to censor Rokudenashiko’s art but
Japan produces Hentai (porn) manga and anime that shows even more obscene pictures and
activities. It seems like art is only acceptable once it satisfies a desire inside and not when it
promotes reality and creative thinking as wanted by the artist. It’s a good thing that the judge on
her case partially ruled in her favor and I wish she also won her appeal.
On the topic of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, it is painful that kids take their
own lives for being part of the LGBTQ+ Community. It must have been so devastating for Fumi
and Kuza to hear that the student died because of that. This is a harsh reality that we have to face.
While the world is constantly upgrading, we forget that some cultures are still not very accepting
of these changes, and it is still considered taboo for them to have different sexual orientations
and gender identity. It can be seen in that classroom scene where Fumi was arguing with an old
man who insists that a family is only functional once there is a male, female, and kid in the
household and the traditional way of marriage. Kazu’s words after “I consider you my family” is
very comforting to hear since there are a lot of people who are part of an unconventional family
and I agree that it’s not blood but the bond which makes a family.
The documentary showed the painful side of reality but it also gave hope. Fumi’s mother
and Kazuma were accepting of the main character’s identity. It was really heartwarming
knowing Fumi’s mother and how she accepted her son’s identity and marriage. It’s rare for
people from her generation to be open to these changes as they grew up in a “traditional” family.
This means that open, honest communication and mother’s love breaks down walls of
discrimination. Kazuma, on the other hand, feels like it’s natural for gay couples to exist and be
together and I think this should be the norm in the society. Every one of us is unique and our
gender identity is only one of the many things that make up a person. Rokudenashiko’s father is
also supportive of her art because it’s just what it is – art and nothing else. The existence of such
people makes the world a little bit better and safer for everyone, and not just those who are
deemed “different”.
The film’s producer and director did such a very good job in unearthing problems of
normal people and how the law works around it. I hope they can create another one that tackles
other problems as well. The documentary made me empathize on the characters as well as their
clients and made me realize that people really do have these problems and they’re not only
existing in our books but in reality as well.