Movie Digest
Two high schoolers who are childhood friends and play drums together wonder what happiness is all about. One of them wishes to quit when they meet a mysterious woman Miyako, who has her struggles with her passion for music as she realizes she wishes to write unconventional songs.
The Feel-Good Part
The two friends juggle their differences and similarities together and it is beautiful to see that. Lovers of music will surely understand the passion of the film. The actors did a fantastic job portraying their characters. The message of the film is simple enough- we decide our happiness and what makes us happy.
The Disappointing Factor
It felt that a few haphazard deep quotes about growing up were thrown together rather than properly placing them to make a big picture. Since it was the debut movie of the director, the direction lagged at some points. The cliché of the coming-of-age-drama paired with music has been overused.
In-Depth Analysis
Elaiza’s directorial debut movie proves she has the potential to be a good director. The movie has a strong message- happiness is different for everyone. Some find it on the journey, some find it at the destination, while some find it right where they are. There is no definition of happiness and no recipe for perfection. Sho’s struggle with accepting the distance between him and his friend is something a lot of us have gone through in life when we have to part with our childhood friends. The film has many genres- music, romance, coming-of-age, and drama.
Star Power
The movie is directed by Elaiza Ikeda and stars Kenichi Abe, Lily Franke, and Hideko Hara.
Overall Opinion
The movie is light and wholesome. The actors did a good job and the characters are quite complex. A bit more romance might’ve livened the story up. Overall, this movie is worth a watch. Music lovers would relate to the characters.
