Maya (Kerry Liu) is a young East Asian woman who arrives one day at a seedy massage parlor in a run-down neighborhood in Los Angeles.

While obviously new to the world of "shower and massage" - which is about sex rather than physical therapy - Maya soon becomes one of the most popular women working the parlor, and she soon bonds with her co-workers, including the thick-skinned Asia (Gina Hiraizumi), vulnerable Yuko (Mari Tanaka), practical Jenna (Hiromi Nishiyama), and self-centered Sammy (Kate Holliday).

Maya also gets to know Harry (Luciano Saber), a freelance writer and would-be poet who at the age of thirty has yet to lose his virginity.

The story was pitched to Director Kang, [which was] basically an intense, disturbing dark comedy about hijinks at a massage parlor involving geeky male virgins, gangsters and immigrants.

Soap Girl had its theatrical release on December 6, 2002 in Los Angeles, and critical reaction was mixed and controversial.