Movie Digest
The movie is about a family of five. The parents and their three children (Hajime, Kaoru, and Miki) comprise the family. Hajime is the most popular out of them. He goes to university while Kaoru goes to school. Unlike Hajime, Kaoru is not popular among his peers. Maki, the youngest of the three, is protected by her two brothers. Hajime is the pride of his family. Hajime, Kaoru, and Miki are the three main protagonists of the movie. This happy family has a pet dog named Sakura. The dog is loyal to the family and always by their side. It is difficult for any family to cope with an accident of a member. The family’s world comes down crashing when Hajime gets into an accident. The movie is about healing themselves gradually from the impact of the accident.
The Feel-Good Part
The movie is in narrative form, narrated by Kaoru, the second son of the family. The movie portrays that no family is always happy. It shows the realistic view of a family. The movie deals with the relationship between the siblings and how each family member manages to overcome the effects of Hajime’s accident. The movie has a unique style of narration. It begins with the events in the present and then talks about the past. Confusion and curiosity are raised in the viewers at the beginning of the movie due to the present. The different color design usage for Kaoru’s memory, the past, and the present makes the movie easier to understand. A lot of funny scenes and plot twists are added to the movie so that it’s entertaining.
The Disappointing Factor
The first half of the movie lacks development. The development is bizarre in the second half of it. The pacing of the movie is slow. Sakura is the movie’s name as well as the dog’s name. The dog doesn’t serve the purpose as much as the viewers’ expectations. A few scenes may trigger some people.
In-Depth Analysis
The movie begins with Kaoru going back to his parental home after a long time. He goes there to see his dog Sakura and his father, who has returned after two years. The father’s disappearance had affected the family. It seems that he had disappointed them by not fulfilling his duties. When he returns, the mother ensures that there are no clashes between him and the children. Another crucial change of events is Hajime’s accident. It leaves him half-paralyzed and makes it difficult for him to accept himself. Hajime was the pride of his family, and hence, his ego didn’t let him accept his new and permanent self. Gradually he accepts himself, meaning he overcame his ego. The movie exhibits that we should be able to accept ourselves no matter what happens. It also expresses that no family is always happy. Every family faces problems at times, and each member handles them differently.
Star Power
Ryo Yoshizawa, Takumi Kitamura, and Nana Komatsu have played their parts very well as Hajime Hasegawa, Kaoru Hasegawa, and Miki Hasegawa, respectively. Masatoshi Nagase and Shinobu Terajima as Akio Hasegawa and Tsubomi Hasegawa, respectively, have brought about the balance between the characters. The contrast in Hajime and Kaoru’s personalities is expressed clearly by the actors. Miki’s character is enthralling and portrayed very well by Nana Komatsu. The interaction between the parents shows a bit of matriarchy and is funny at times.
Overall Opinion
This slice-of-life movie is for the ones looking for realistic family and healing concepts.
