Kaze Shindo's "Love/Juice" and Momoko Ando's "Kakera" are two films that look at a relationship between two young females, though for both, lesbian love isn't perhaps the end goal, ending more as coming-of-age tales of a struggle for identity in an ever-confusing world.

We enter "Love/Juice" with Chinatsu (Mika Okuno) and Kyoko (Chika Fujimura) living together in a one bed-one room apartment, working in a hostess bar and enjoying nightlife. Chinatsu acts as the less mature Kyoko's guardian; often playing the couple, but it is a relationship that never particularly reaches the surface.

Despite sharing a bed and regularly discussing having sex, Kyoko never fully lets Chinatsu in. Kyoko seems more interested in teasing men at the hostess bar and the young man working at a local pet fish shop.

"Kakera" on the other hand starts off with student Haru (doe-eyed Hikari Mitsushima) in a seemingly bland and abusive relationship with Ryota (Tasuku Nagaoka). By chance, she is approached by Riko (Eriko Nakamura),who is attracted to her instantly. With no apparent interest in women, Haru seems taken aback and confused by the whole encounter. But, as her relationship leaves her less and less happy, she contacts Riko and, gradually, feelings start to develop.

That is not to say that Haru is immediately open to her new love - initially reluctant to introduce Riko to her friends. What results is a sense of ennui for both as they move in together and drift apart.

Both films feature relationships with an older lesbian, or at least bi, half and a younger, more naïve half who starts as no more lesbian than disappointed by her history of boyfriends. Chinatsu and Riko are the more mature halves and instigate the relationships, but their motivations are perhaps a little different.

Chinatsu already has Kyoko in her bed; she wants to have sex with her. Discussions are around orgasms and masturbation as she tries to get Kyoko to take the next step. Riko, however, is much less forward when it comes to sex. She and Haru never share a bed, even when she moves in, with Riko wanting eternal companionship and a love to share her days with.

This reflects the approach of the two films. "Love/Juice" is more sensual in its themes, while "Kakera" is more innocent. Chinatsu and Kyoko work in a hostess bar and regularly party 'til the early hours, with drugs and drink thrown into the mix. Kyoko teases their boss, but it is Chinatsu who feels his sexual wrath. Both seem to be stuck in a rut without much thoughts of the future. They live in a less than desirable part of town in a one-room shack with no real long-term aims. Kyoko has ambitions to work in the pet shop, with her male object of desire, but this is far from a career plan.

Riko, however, already has a respectable career carved out for her, living with her parents above their dry cleaners. Haru is also a literature student at university and so has her whole life ahead of her. While Ryota is abusive, he isn't as violent as the world Chinatsu suffers. "Kakera", therefore focuses more on love and long-term relationships. "Love/Juice" is more in the here and now, and Chinatsu wants it right now.

Their younger halves are not quite as into it. Kyoko flirts and teases men and seems keen on the employee at the pet shop. Chinatsu is someone she shares a bed with, but more out of convenience in their low-income situation. She likes Chinatsu, but has little desire to pursue things any further than kissing and teasing.

Haru also has her on-off relationship with Ryota going on alongside her developing one with Riko. When first approached by Riko, Haru seems as she had never considered being with a woman. Riko can offer her something Ryota can't, but is it actually what she wants?

In this sense, Kyoko and Haru are more young women experimenting while they have the chance, but never fully take the plunge. They are having fun for now, but they aren't yet sure as to what they want long-term.

Not all men are bad for Haru, and she is introduced to a friend of a friend as a potential suiter: a fellow student whose intensions seem pure. Chinatsu is more anti-men, however. No men are allowed to their apartment and she doesn't want Kyoko dancing with them in the club. Riko frequents lesbian bars, but seems out-of-place and doesn't want to categorise herself too much. For her, you fall in love with someone special, whether a man or a woman, perhaps why Haru begins to fall for her. Chinatsu makes it clear she would never fall for a man - only by force - and Kyoko's continued interest in men frustrates her further.

Neither film ends with love being found, but more an inner-confidence. Both are unconsummated relationships that beat around the bush, so to speak, but Riko, Haru and Kyoko are probably better for the experience of having loved and lost. The fate of Chinatsu is less certain. Much like any young relationship in the modern world, everyone is a little unsure of what they want long-term and are going along with things for now. What is clear is that what they want probably isn't with the person, or persons, they are with now.

With its grainy footage and grey, overly-concrete setting, "Love/Juice" is much grittier in every sense, though its soundtrack is a little cheesy, switching between a comedic whistle and typically bad club music that always fills any nightclub scene. Luckily, for the more emotional scenes towards the finale, the soundtrack, much like the film as a whole, wins out and is able to deliver. Okuno is perhaps the stand-out of the two leads, offering more emotional depth than Fujimura's more happy-go-lucky Kyoko.

The tone of "Kakera" is much lighter. Marketed as having a soundtrack by the Smashing Pumpkin's James Iha (as well as shots of underwear),he creates a gentle, almost unnoticeable feel throughout, far from the more blatant soundtrack of "Love/Juice". This also reflects that "Kakera" is a decent work, but little beyond that. It deserves points for the naturalism of the relationship and how it develops, never forcing the issue too much, feeling like any twenty-something relationship, gay or straight. You'll enjoy it, but it probably won't change your life. "Love/Juice" is less enjoyable and pleasing on the eye, but its more sensual approach gives it a little more impact, whether positive or negative.

But, much like the relationships for all involved, neither film is much long-term. "Kakera" is a nice little love story, but doesn't delve into some of the issues it raises as much as it could. It is perhaps too gentle in its approach. "Love/Juice" is short in its runtime and perhaps throws in some things without too much consequence. As such, it also feels like it could have dived into things more. The lack of backstory also leaves us with less belief in the relationship naturally progressing further.

But perhaps that is where both films win. Young love will often not last, and leave a sense of whimsy and self-examination. Both create that on conclusion, looking to the future and lessons learnt for next time. But don't expect the faces of that future to be the same.

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"Men and women are all humans. It's only hard when we categorize ourselves … Maybe we don't need to define ourselves as man or woman. Maybe the determination of our sex at conception is as arbitrary as whether the zoo was open or not. What we do know is that in the beginning all humans start out being women."

Kakera: A Piece of our Life is an emotionally-charged independent film about the budding relationship between two women. Haru (Mitsushima Hikari, of Love Exposure fame) is a quiet, odd-ball college student dealing with a boyfriend who is with another woman and only uses Haru for sex. Riko (Nakamura Eriko) is an enthusiastic, excitable prostheticist who prefers women "because they are soft and cuddly," as she states in one scene. They meet quite randomly–in a coffee shop; Haru is drinking her mocha and ends up with a cute chocolate mustache. Riko is immediately smitten.

I must begin with the performances. Both actresses are absolutely phenomenal. Mitsushima Hikari is great, as usual, playing an off-beat yet quiet character. This is a departure for her, as she is usually the loud one. As director Ando Momoko has stated, Mitsushima was willing to do anything she asked, even excitedly growing out her facial and underarm hair. Mitsushima's character, Haru, is portrayed as the opposite of attractive–shown going the bathroom, wearing strange clothes, with facial and armpit hair, etc. This obviously upset her fan club, as the heads of it attended the first screening and, according to Ando, came up to her furious about how Mitsushima was portrayed (she used to be of the pure, cute, cuddly, idol-type). I give major props to Mitsushima for courageously committing to her characters and her acting career.

Nakamura Eriko is impressive as well. I had previously seen her in the film Shikyu no Kioku (2007),where she played a quiet, cute young college student in a small role. She, like Mitsushima, reversed her typical character-type in Kakera, playing the tough, loud, enthusiastic Riko. I don't know if I've ever seen a performance quite like Nakamura's; she makes you feel her happiness, her excitement along with her. There is also a haunting, brilliant short performance by Katase Rino as a depressed, lonely older woman in need of a prosthetic breast.

Kakera is Ando Momoko's first film, and she is definitely a young talent to watch out for. The daughter of Okuda Eiji and sister of Ando Sakura, cinema is definitely a family affair–though she prefers to do things her own way. Her camera is varied, delivering many important still shots, slow tracking shots, extreme close ups of faces, and an intimate styling when needed. It ends up as a refreshing experience. The visuals are deliberately dull and monotone, with certain colors popping out for special effect. James Iha of Smashing Pumpkins contributes to the score and delivers fitting, quiet, atmospheric, and progressive music that highlights the light, bouncy, and uplifting yet sometimes sad, though never dark, quality of the film.

There are both some extremely powerful and totally irrelevant scenes included in the film. One scene in particular is striking in its use of background imagery to deliver an emotionally tied message. Haru had decided to tell her boyfriend that they were over, but after delivering the message falls over and lands face-first on the floor. She rolls over and says "I'm done," then lays there and allows the guy to have his way with her as she hums mindlessly to herself. Meanwhile, a war documentary is playing in the background, guns firing and bombs exploding. This emphasizes the turmoil and chaos both in Haru's mind and in the scene as a whole. Another scene, where a thrown bottle transforms into a two-headed pigeon, is completely irrelevant and removes the viewer from the reality of the film–especially with the cheap CG used.

Kakera is a deeply engrossing and thought-provoking film that seeks to show that gender doesn't matter when it comes to love, it's about finding yourself and looking at the person inside. Haru and Riko's relationship is a normal one, they experience things that any "normal" couple would experience. Just as Riko fills up prosthetic pieces, she also fills up Haru's heart and helps her move through her rocky relationship with her boyfriend; however, they are not immune to typical relationship woes. The actresses had fun making this movie–you can tell because they infect you as well, causing wide smiles to magically appear on your face.

I'll leave you with a little quote of wisdom from the film: "Favorite foods are better eaten a little at a time." Remember it.

In the "Making of" documentary on the Love Exposure DVD director Sono Sion says to Hikari Mitsushima, "You're an actress. You're supposed to move us. Move us, you idiot!" She must have taken it to heart. She was great in Love Exposure and she's the main reason I like this film. She doesn't have a lot of dialog in A Piece of Our Life but she is constantly communicating, through body language and projecting her internals. That's something good actors do.

A Piece of Our Life is a story about two very different young women who end up spending time together. It's not a lesbian story, per se. There are no make-out scenes or naked bodies entwined in soft focus. No politics. The two protagonists just happen to be women. That's a healthy notion and could have made for a much better movie if one of the women didn't actually have to tell us that. "It's not about if you're a man or a woman. You should have someone who you think feels good" might sound like words of wisdom but to me they sound like words from a director who is afraid her audience won't get it unless she spells it out.

There are many subtle and wonderful details in A Piece of Our Life, such as when Riko (Eriko Nakamura),the aggressive and confident one, asks Haru (Hikari Mitsushima) if she liked their "kiss for friendship" and Haru says "No" and the scene cuts away. Haru's response isn't one of objection or disgust. It's just simple and honest, even if born a bit from surprise. But there are also a few details that are just plain wrong, such as why does the quiet woman, who's probably never imagined dating another woman before, have to start out being in a relationship with an jerkball, a guy with terrible table manners who uses her only for sex while he openly has another girlfriend on the side? That seems like a cheap and lazy juxtaposition against Riko's declaration that she likes women because "they're soft and cuddly, and they smell nice". It snuggles up to close to the tired idea that women only choose other women after they've become thoroughly disgusted by disgusting men.

I also think Riko's character was a lot smarter than the way she acts every time the couple interacts with a third party: when Haru's (ex)boyfriend comes over; when a man approaches Haru in the nightclub; when Riko shows up at Haru's university party. Riko acts childish and jealous. This seems at odds with the maturity Riko shows when dealing with her other girlfriend: "I can't fulfill the hollow you have in your heart".

There are a lot of things to like about this film. It's got a simple, honest, and wonderful vision which it explores with some effectiveness, and the two lead performances are outstanding. But it could have been a really, really great film instead of just a really good one if it would have practiced what it preaches and left out more of the stuff we've seen, heard, and grown tired of before.

Momoko Ando is a young director to keep an eye on. "A Piece of Our Life" is one of the best and brightest films I've seen recently. My criticisms are born of a frustration that the director came just short of making an other-worldly masterpiece by adding in elements she just wanted to make a point of rather than letting the world of the film dictate the boundaries.