We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (2021)

A subtle jerker, prepare tissues.Feel like something’s off th-

Several names for this film with one main theme so let’s simply stick with Bouquet in support of laziness. In hindsight of watching this film a bouquet represents whatever you want it to. The grouping of people that are set for different paths. The capture of moments amongst one another that despite becoming wilted , remains cherished as memories of once was. Lost strangers blossoming from and for the sake of one another. The beauty of growing together along with the ugly of aging apart.

Bouquet excels at.. well, presenting a bouquet. Memorable dialogue amongst the characters, stunning chemistry between the leads, heartbreaking performances where needed in its saddest moments. For every thousand films one can give me of romanticized plots can i spot out one that seperates itself with grounded realism throughout its ups and downs. Sakamoto clearly took the time and effort needed to execute these aspects with precise care and flawed perfection, makes sense? Eh you’ll get it.

Some things I particularly appreciated the most about this film. How natural the screenwriting feels along with the interactions. How evenly they balanced out the feelings and moves of both leads, the second you want to tell the ML to speak the hell up he chases after to reaffirm his interest, suggest major steps in a relationship that currently fits the convenience for the FL and beneficial to both, mindlessly runs out to support the FL in her toughest times, steps up to the plate of employment in order to provide for both of them to maintain the same happiness together as always. The second you may want the FL to grow an individual spine in the relationship she sets an official(first?) second date, expresses her dislikes and likes such as her mutual attraction to continue kissing as a “form of communication”, forewarns the ML not to let her parents business tracked mind discourage him in any sort before meeting them for the first time.

Arimura Kasumi delivers us Hachiya Kinu, a young woman that seeks enjoyment at whichever way it can be obtained, a bud that only wishes to blossom at her own consistent,free pace.
Suda masaki delivers us Yamane Mugi ,a young man that once seeked enjoyment the exact way Hachiya has. Over time he has began to let outside influences shape his motivations such as how his father envisioned him, Kinu’s parents words of advice on the responsibility of life, and the harsh reality of how the world can impact your ambition to seek a living off what you love to do. A bud that feels forced to blossom like those around him in order to survive and maintain stability.
The relationship was only bound to be torn apart over time when one is at a stand still while the other is constantly changing for what he sees will be best.

Raw portrayal of these characters in a rather mute surrounding allows even the most little moments like embracing toilet paper hit just as hard as the mutual falling out of one another. You find yourself helplessly smiling at their small grins, dazed by the sound of slippers slapping down a train station, tearing up at a stack of unfinished manga volumes, sitting up to meet their parents, feeling frantic when it’s dark out as they’re checking the time for the last train, emotionally drained as the leads are giving their all in their very last moments of happiness as a couple. A slight yet very constant annoyance to me was the style of narration(monologues), as it’s never quite been my forte , ofc that differs by viewer.

I highly recommend anybody to give this remarkable film a shot. An important showcase of how healthy and motivational partings can be. A rare tackle at a realistic yet magical development between two lost buds blossoming together. The beauty of the beginning of the end and the memories in between.

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Relationships are a a continous battle and that's ok.

I've been on a minor binge of dramas lately. I was smitten by Kasumi in Flying Colors so I went to find her other works.
This movie was highly recommended, so I gave it a shot.

I enjoy movies with nuanced character moments, it can help lift even the weakest stories. Fortunately for this movie, we had so much to digest. In each of the beginning half of the movie's scenes have a beautiful tenderness. The two MC interact with so much chemistry and it's really hard not to cheer for these two. We made a Beautiful Bouquet has probably some of my favorite couples interactions I've seen in any movie. There's subtle little things like how they look at each other during every possible moment and how as the movie goes on we see that slowly move on with time. The vibes are very wholesome and I appreciated all the small moments. The MCs also aren't scared to be seen in public together haha.

The director has a keen eye for working with lighting to incite feelings without having to say a word. Through gentle warm lighting we are enveloped in the same love that these two feel, only for it to become inevitably darker as they work through their struggles. One thing about Japanese cinema I've noticed is directors from Japan have a strong sense of beauty in the mundane. We are drawn into the feelings of these two in all their little interactions and as a result the ending is considerably impactful. Whether it be just standing together in a moment, or reading quietly in the same room, the director weaves you into their narrative. Many movies tend to build relationships with big sweeping romantic scenes but leave out small moments like these, which tend to weaken character development and our attachments to care.

There was a specific scene on the train involving a text message response and I was impressed on how utterly realistic the speed of the text was for people in their predicament. It was incredibly nuanced and said a lot about their relationship status whether it was intentionally shot like that or not. It's in these smaller moments that you learn to appreciate dramas.

I do not claim to be a J-drama expert, but I do enjoy how this movie was not afraid to go a different direction then most movies in this genre. The depiction of relationships in their sweetest, at their worst and at their most harrowing..it was a realistic depiction of the value of continued communication. There needs to be conversations like this in modern romance movies.I haven't consumed as much Jdramas, so I can only speak to my experiences watching what I have so far.

As for the musical composition in this movie, It was serviceable. I think it's one of the only weaknesses in this movie. Nothing stood out too much. But what we did hear in the movie was good for the overall feeling. As with most movies acoustic guitars set up a lot of groundwork for the tender moments in the movie. Pianos and synths follow for major moments and the passage of time sequences. It's your general drama music but it's definitely on the cuter side for most of the movie.

One thing I would like to point out personally is just the framing of the scenes in this movie. As the movie progresses the drifting of the camera and blocking are excellent. As the movie becomes more sad, the shots become more constricted and the camera becomes more static opposed to the moving camera in the early sequences. Placement of the actors play a part in this story as well. The two MCs move in and out of each other to relay their relationship at any given moment.


Finally the messaging in this movie is admirable. Many things in this movie are relatable to people who have been in any sort of relationship be it romantic or not. I loved that they didn't shy away from some of the tougher conversations. I would of liked them to delve deeper, but I know it's just not really a thing in Japanese society to do so. The depiction of strength, love and conviction in the movie really moved me.

A beautiful bouquet is made up of many beautiful but fragile flowers. Those flowers can last long if you nurture them, but in the end they will wilt no matter how much care you put into them. Relationships are the same, but that doesn't mean the effort you put into them was worthless.

The ending might leave some people very sad, but fear not! But sometimes you need to hear both sides of a story for something to be fully appreciated.

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We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (2021) – 8.6/10

This film broke my heart in the softest way. It’s not about a perfect love story—it’s about a real one. The kind that blooms beautifully, quietly fades, and still leaves something behind.

The chemistry between the leads was so natural, it felt like watching real people fall in and out of love. The writing was raw, reflective, and painfully relatable for anyone who’s ever grown apart from someone they once couldn’t imagine life without.

It’s tender, nostalgic, and bittersweet. A reminder that some love stories don’t last forever—but that doesn’t make them any less meaningful.

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similarities, changes, growing apart, and letting go.

It's a shame that I'm only watching this now because the movie was really good. I loved every single part of it. It showed that even if you try so hard to fix your relationship and avoid breaking up, sometimes the only answer is letting go. This movie was very realistic because relationships and people are always changing. They're not constant. People learn new things, gain new perspectives, develop new habits, set new goals, and adopt new mindsets. As much as we want them to stay the same, they will never be the same. The same goes for relationships.

I don’t blame either of them because I can sympathize with both. I can't blame Mugi for changing because he realized that his passion for drawing couldn't provide him and Kinu with a stable and successful life. However, it wasn't right for him to neglect her just because of that. On the other hand, Kinu wanted a life they could enjoy together, because that was more important to her. She fell in love with him because of their similarities, so I admire her for staying despite watching him slowly change.

Well, aside from the fact that I’m obsessed with shows where the characters don’t end up together in the end, I strongly believe the ending was the best one. Why couldn’t they just be together again? Well, would you take the risk again if you were in their position? For me, no. They both tried their best to rekindle their spark, but it was already too far gone. Their relationship was really fun, and if I were in their position, it would also be difficult for me to let go because, even though it failed, I don’t think it’s easy to find someone who can give you the same feelings. But sometimes, people are meant to give you lessons and the best memories, but not be there for the rest of your life, and I think that’s just life.

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Beautiful, realistic romance story of an adulthood

Damn, I think this is the best Japanese romance movie that I ever watch. The plot was really good, portrayed the reality faced of many couples that faced the transition from university romantic life to fully responsible adults. The dilemma between career vs love isn't uncommon, and this movie shows them in a very beautiful way. There is also no apparent plot hole and strange introduction between characters (which I often find in many Japanese romance movies). I also like how this movie uses real-life references like Brazil vs Germany in WC 2014 to show "I'm still pretty lucky compared to them" and random online strolling on Google Street View (which I personally did many times).

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Fleurs séchées

Quand on se plonge dans un film romantique avec en tête d'affiche Suda Masaki et Arimura Kasumi, on sait où on met les pieds. On recherche un happy end après des" fuis-moi, je te suis" sur une durée de deux heures. Mais les deux amoureux, représentant le couple parfait de la génération Z font tout à l'envers et ils vont vous apprendre ce qu'est une histoire d'amour d'aujourd'hui…, au cas où vous n'auriez pas compris la chanson.

Ce mec (et cette fille) est too much
Comme la majorité des spectateurs, c'est pour ce couple d'acteurs à qui on voudrait tous ressembler qu'on s'intéresse à la milliardième histoire d'amour filmée. Et si comme moi, les films TV américains diffusées l'après-midi, vous glacent le sang par leur médiocrité et leur mièvrerie, vous serez dans un premier temps déçu par les premières minutes de cette rencontre bien trop téléfilm de Noël. Car, mon Dieu, que c'est Too Much. Dans les points communs de ces deux étudiants, dans leur côté "seules à se comprendre" et leur petit air supérieur face à ceux qui ne comprennent rien à l'art. Les mêmes films, les mêmes livres, la même musique…, les mêmes chaussures. Tout dans ce couple transpire le faux, tellement ils ont de points de commun. À tel point, justement, que je me suis demandé si l'un deux n'était pas psychopathe et n'avait pas fait de recherche sur l'autre avant de se rencontrer. Encore, ... dans le genre chilhood lovestory, on observe discrètement un peu l'autre un petit moment, ce qui aurait pu donner un côté plus réaliste. Mais on comprend assez vite que c'est le parti pris de la production, d'exagérer la symbiose entre les deux, afin de toucher le plus profondément possible à l'âme humaine.

Les histoires d'amour finissent mal, en général
Ce sont en effet des questionnements sur l'amour parfait, passionnel, construit sur la durée, le bonheur en général et l'usure du temps qui sont au cœur de l'intrigue. Car intrigue il y a ! Puisque dès les cinq premières minutes, on a compris que le couple est maintenant séparé et que le film va en retracer l'historique. L'image du bouquet, que l'on retrouve souvent dans la littérature, le cinéma ou la chanson, est évidemment hautement symbolique. Pour ne citer que Dryflower de Yuri et sa minisérie dérivée, ces belles fleurs représentant la jeunesse, s'accordant parfaitement, mais vouées à flétrir une fois déraciné et associé dans ce vase qu'est l'appartement commun. C'est horrible, évidement, de résumer l'amour ainsi, mais le film retrace parfaitement les étapes de la vie de couple. De la découverte de l'autre, dans un contexte étudiant, plein de rêve sur l'avenir et puis le retour à la réalité d'une vie de couple, pour ne pas dire de famille, ordinaire. Un début de vie professionnel plan plan, mais nécessaire pour simplement manger et qui change cette perspective et les comportements de chacun.

La passion ou la raison
Rien de nouveau donc dans ses histoires, mais l'interprétation est assurément magistrale, avec des changements de personnalité glaçants après les avoir trouvés tous tellement mignons. Des questionnements sur des faits de société qui touchent tout l'occident sont habillement distillés. La condition féminine, la famille, l'indépendance,... j'en passe et des meilleurs.
Une dernière partie vraiment touchante débouchant sur une fin qui vous fera tellement vous liquéfiez que soit vous abandonnerez l'amour pour toujours, soit vous n'arrêtera pas de le chercher. Chacun pourra voir une partie de sa vie défiler, à 20 ans, 30 ans ou 70 ans. C'est la force de ce film qui commence par une exagération des sentiments, comme peut l'être son premier béguin, pour terminer avec une subtilité et une sensibilité que peut partager un très très vieux couple. Et comme le chante si bien Suda Masaki dans sa chanson Niji sorti à la même époque, époque aussi où il s'est marié (ohlala, c'est trop mignon) : "Je serai à tes côtés pour toujours, je serai à tes côtés pour toujours. Je ferai de mon mieux pour ne jamais te quitter,... pour toujours."

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