Drama Digest:
Sabu, now fifteen, and Eiji had been great friends since they were young. They worked in a store as subpar trainers. Unfortunately, Eiji fled after being wrongly suspected of stealing. Eiji again encourages Sabu five years later. This psychological historical drama is shockingly simple.
The Feel-Good Part:
Sometimes it can be felt that the landscape in Sabu stole the show. Cinematography is beyond expectation.
The Disappointing Factor:
A good direction and decent performances by the lead roles are the only things that make this drama worth watching at least once, else nothing surprising is there and that the focus was off.
In-Depth Analysis:
The friendship/love storyline in Sabu is straightforward and uncomplicated, with few surprises. The direction is what elevates this film above the weekly ordinary, though. Some of the most gorgeous scenes I’ve ever seen occur in the first 10 minutes. The film itself is worth watching at least once, but the direction makes it worth watching again and again. The dialogue between two characters is shown facing each other for extended periods of time in this movie. However, since it is based on the novel by Shûgorô Yamamoto you can expect it to be a decent watch.
Star Power:
Sugino Yosuke as Eiji, Morinaga Yuki as Sabu, Kiryuu Mai as Onobu etc. are in the main lead roles. Although the supporting cast is more like character sketches than actual people, the story manages to withstand the demands of this modern television minimalism.
Overall Opinion:
Overall It’s remarkable as a historical narrative. However, I believe the average viewer could like or dislike this movie.
