Renai Saiban (2025)

A Pleasant Surprise

I stumbled into this film while on a long trans-Pacific flight. A Cannes Film Festival official selection based on a true legal case. What is surprising about this film is that with the central court case itself largely glossed over within the drama despite the eye-catching title. It turns out to be more of a coming-of-age romantic melodrama with impossibly high stakes at a personal level than a full-throated indictment of the industry. But though it’s tight focus on the lead character perhaps reduces its impact as social commentary, I found it quite engaging in an understated way. This is primarily because Kyoko Saito, a former teen idol herself, really brings her character to life. I only wish the ending had been a little less rushed.

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