Thoughts about Karen

I am fascinated by her character and have developed a little theory about what she represents.

I think that in a way, Karen can be viewed as a portrayal of American women and the culture of trying to do whatever it takes to be sexy. Like so many women in our society, Karen wants to be involved in any way she can, and gets off on being seductive and having control over men. She seeks out Ichi because she enjoys the idea of turning him on with masochistic role play. Unfortunately for her, she failed to realize who she was dealing with, and that this wasn't just a Hollywood or Disney fantasy.

Karen's inevitable death was not the only result of her arrogance and carelessness. She caused more damage by actually perpetuating Ichi's delusion and confusion. He had been under heavy duty mind control, but was starting to show resistance and expressed his desire to no longer kill. But after his encounter with Karen, everything he was being brainwashed to believe was solidified and things suddenly made so much more sense to him.

Karen thought she was being cool and sexy, but she was really making a significant contribution to a serious problem. I think it suggests that in some cases, women aren't completely innocent and might be responsible for bringing stuff upon themselves without realizing it. It is necessary to understand why things occur and identify the causal factors.

For some reason, Karen thought she was immune to danger. She believed that being beautiful would protect her from reality. I think Miike may have wanted to show the audience, that in the world of Ichi that he created, nobody is immune and everyone is powerless. Karen enters the world of Ichi and speaks English, making the assumption that everyone will conform to her. She has a nauseating sense of superiority and thinks she is the center of the universe. But Miike shows us that everyone will ultimately conform to the natural laws of his universe.