ZENRA Exclusive Interview: Shoko Otani

How does it feel to be 180cm (5'11") tall when your colleagues are usually way, way smaller? Shoko Otani told us about her experiences in the JAV industry in this exclusive interview, from her first involvements to the reasons she's doing this job in the first place. You can find her socials here, and she also has a FanCentro. Enjoy!

[ZENRA] How did you get involved in the industry?
[Shoko Otani]  I figured this would be a good way to amass the money needed to pay back school tuition and the like.

[Z] Out of all the movies you’ve done, which was the most enjoyable?  The least?  Why?
[S] GIGA by far hasn’t been easy to shoot, but has been immensely enjoyable!  The hardest types of movies are ones with really hard themes including lots of shouting and screaming.

[Z] How long do your shoots normally take?
[S]  It depends on the movie, but a full day’s shoot can sometimes extend past 12 hours.

[Z] How has the environment on set changed since COVID-19 began?
[S] From what I can tell, there haven’t really been any big changes to shooting.  There have been cases however where I couldn’t attend an interview due to a recent person in the company being infected.

[Z] Would you ever want to appear alongside a foreign actor?
[S] Oh, of course!  If they can make it to Japan to shoot, I’d love to perform alongside them.

[Z] Do you think the industry has changed at all since you debuted?
[S] I’m not totally sure?  Those who sell well can stick around for a while and those who don’t seem to exit early on.

Check out the trailer for MOPT-008 here!

[Z] Do you watch JAV for enjoyment?
[S] I usually don’t watch any JAV in private.

[Z] If you had the opportunity to direct a movie with an unlimited budget, what would it be about?
[S] I’ve never really given much thought to that, but if I had the chance, I’d love to shoot something really tailored towards women.

[Z] Are you able to separate the sex and pleasure you may feel on set with the same sensations you feel in private?
[S] There’s a big difference to the way I have sex on camera compares to how I do it in private.  I definitely don't want to take my work persona home with me!

[Z] Do you have a boyfriend or have had one during your career?  How does he feel about what you do?  Do you have any rules about what you can and can’t do on set (for example, no raw sex) and what he can and can’t do in private (‘one night love’/brothel versus full-fledged relationships with other women)?
[S] Well, I’d definitely like one who can appreciate and is fine with what I do for a living.  Hopefully, he has money too!  I wouldn’t mind him visiting certain places so long as it doesn’t negatively affect me.  He needs to ensure he doesn’t get any STDs or spend way too much.
 

[Z] Piracy is, of course, a huge issue in every industry. What do you think is the best way to tackle the issue? Do you think there are double standards between the expectation of social norms between Japanese and foreigners, i.e. expecting foreigners to pirate?
[S] I’d like people to pay for what they enjoy.  If it brings you pleasure, please support it.

[Z] Are there actresses that you want to work with?
[S] I’m just happy to be in this industry and get jobs.  I’m not too picky as to whom I work with.

[Z]  Have you ever been spotted by fans? If so, any unique stories?
[S] I’m not sure if they were a fan or not, but I’ve been cat-called in private.

[Z] How do you think your height has affected your casting?
[S] It has.  I’ve actually had offers rescinded due to it.  They couldn’t find outfits in my size and were worried they didn’t have the know-how to shoot someone of my stature well.

[Z] Can you talk about your lesbian releases and the differences between those, and normal shoots?
[S] I’ve only done about two lesbian shoots so far.  I was happy to be offered the opportunity, but honestly, it wasn’t easy for me to shoot being intimate with another actress.  What’s more, those double-headed dildos and strap-ons may look neat, but left me sore after shooting. 

[Z] How much prep did you need before shooting for GIGA? Did you have to spend a lot of time beforehand memorizing lines?
[S] I was given the script ahead of time, but things often change on the day of the shoot.  Characters change, lines change, etc. so I didn’t try to have it 100% memorized ahead of time.  I read the script to get an idea of the flow of the production.

[Z] Talking about GIGA, how did they do the costume? Did they measure you and do it custom?
[S] We get measured ahead of time.  Then the manufacturer will produce something custom for our proportions.  This is why for GIGA at least, the casting is carried out months in advance with fitting happening several weeks before the shoot.
 

Check out the trailer for MGMQ-071 here!

[Z] How do you feel about being typecasted most of the time?
[S] I’m happy to receive anything I’m comfortable shooting.

[Z] What is your goal as an actress?
[S] To earn money.

[Z]  Do you hope to star in more mainstream and fewer fetish movies in the future?
[S] My goal on top of what I wrote above is to improve as an actress.  It’s to gain experience.  So long as the offers don’t violate any of my NGs (no good(s)/types of play the actress does not want to do), I’ll give it my best whether it’s a strange fetish movie or something else.