Movie Digest
Tasuku, a young father, appears on live national television naked and drunk. It was happening in the middle of the Namahage festival, where men dressed as ogre-like to scare kids not to do bad things in the next year. He ran away to Tokyo because his village and family shunned him. After a couple of years, he returns to make up with his family, but reality hits him.
The Feel-Good Part
This movie gives a good representation of a cultural tradition in Japan. The cinematography uses various landscapes or props to heighten the emotional tension of different situations.
The Disappointing Factor
The film feels incomplete. Even though the ending is moving and meaningful, it is not satisfactory.
In-Depth Analysis
Namahage festival is a sacred cultural ritual in Japan, where men dress up as ogre-like and scare kids into behaving and obeying their parents. The tradition in the film is irrelevant, but at the same time, it is vital to the story. The film brilliantly depicts everyone’s wish to keep this tradition alive while also demonstrating how everyone thinks the ritual is silly and useless in today’s world. This very ritual caused trouble for Tasuku to get drunk and walk around naked, which was aired live on national television. His family and village shunned him, and he had to run away to Tokyo. He returns to apologize after a couple of years. He found this opportunity was the perfect time to redeem himself and rekindle his relationship with his daughter and her mother. In depicting the aftermath of a man who has made a mistake and is on a path to redemption, the film gives us an insight into society’s frequently oppressive nature, where respect for the past is vital.
Star Power
Nakano Taiga played the role of Tasuku. He did a great job of expressing the raw and powerful emotions of the character.
Overall Opinion
It is a good movie with a lot of emotions and reflections.
