Erika 38 is based on real life events. It starts and ends with the incarceration of Erika. Throughout the whole movie, we are witnessing how Satoko Watabe/Erica is putting her scheme into action and the consequences of her behavior.
Miyoko Asada plays her character well but the whole story is pretty bland and he can clearly see where the whole thing is headed. It also seems that Yuichi Hibi is trying to make Erica likable and wants to explain why she is doing this by using flashbacks and such. At the end, Erika 38 is not an awful movie but it probably could have been better by working more on the scenario.
Miyoko Asada plays her character well but the whole story is pretty bland and he can clearly see where the whole thing is headed. It also seems that Yuichi Hibi is trying to make Erica likable and wants to explain why she is doing this by using flashbacks and such. At the end, Erika 38 is not an awful movie but it probably could have been better by working more on the scenario.