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This review may contain spoilers
Watch this for MDL challenge. Let’s discuss movies…
The story revolves around Kasane Fuchi, a young woman who possesses extraordinary acting talent inherited from her late mother, the legendary stage actress Sukeyo Fuchi. Despite her natural gift, Kasane lives in isolation, burdened by a large, disfiguring scar on her face that has made her a constant target of bullying and rejection.
Before her mother died, she left Kasane a mysterious magical lipstick. When applied, it allows Kasane to swap faces with anyone she kisses for exactly 12 hours.
At her mother’s funeral, Kasane meets Kingo Habuta, a talent manager, a man who once once worked closely with Sukeyo and knows the dark secret behind the lipstick. Habuta introduces Kasane to Nina Tanzawa, a stunningly beautiful actress whose career has begun to stall due to her lack of genuine talent and passion for acting.
Behind her flawless image, Nina hides a serious condition often referred to as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. She experiences sudden episodes of deep, prolonged sleep that can last for days or even weeks. During these episodes, Nina is completely incapacitated and unable to work. The illness is chronic and unpredictable, making it nearly impossible for her to maintain a stable career as a stage actress.
Habuta facilitates a secret deal between the two women. Nina keeps her illness hidden from the public and the theater industry—to protect her image as a rising star. Nina has the "beauty" (a flawless face) but lacks true talent and the physical stamina to perform consistently, she allows Kasane to use the magical lipstick to swap faces with her.
In exchange, Kasane steps into Nina’s life and performs on stage in her place—becoming the face of Nina Tanzawa, while Nina stays in the shadows, resting… or watching.
At first, the arrangement works flawlessly. “Nina” becomes a rising star in the theater world. But as success grows, so does resentment. The lines between identity, talent, and ownership begin to blur.
Kasane, long denied recognition, becomes addicted to the applause, the admiration, the feeling of being seen. For the first time, she’s celebrated—not for hiding, but for shining.
Meanwhile, Nina grows bitter. She watches from the sidelines as someone else lives her life, steals her glory, and does what she never could. She starts to feel empty—beautiful on the outside, but hollow inside. And worse—she resents Kasane, the “ugly girl” who now has everything she lost.
What starts as a practical arrangement soon blurs the line between beauty, identity, ambition, and self-worth.
So, how did this movie end…
Will the two women ever return to their own faces?
Or has the cost of ambition already sealed a far more tragic fate for them both?
This is an amazing movie that truly highlights a high-stakes psychological battle, where the line between the “real self” and the “mask” gradually blurs. It explores how obsession with beauty, talent, and recognition can distort identity and morality.
The way the movie ends strongly reflects Japan’s unique approach to tragedy and psychological storytelling—quiet, unsettling, and thought-provoking rather than comforting or neatly resolved.
If you’re bored with typical films that play it safe or follow predictable paths, this movie is definitely worth watching.
The story revolves around Kasane Fuchi, a young woman who possesses extraordinary acting talent inherited from her late mother, the legendary stage actress Sukeyo Fuchi. Despite her natural gift, Kasane lives in isolation, burdened by a large, disfiguring scar on her face that has made her a constant target of bullying and rejection.
Before her mother died, she left Kasane a mysterious magical lipstick. When applied, it allows Kasane to swap faces with anyone she kisses for exactly 12 hours.
At her mother’s funeral, Kasane meets Kingo Habuta, a talent manager, a man who once once worked closely with Sukeyo and knows the dark secret behind the lipstick. Habuta introduces Kasane to Nina Tanzawa, a stunningly beautiful actress whose career has begun to stall due to her lack of genuine talent and passion for acting.
Behind her flawless image, Nina hides a serious condition often referred to as Sleeping Beauty Syndrome. She experiences sudden episodes of deep, prolonged sleep that can last for days or even weeks. During these episodes, Nina is completely incapacitated and unable to work. The illness is chronic and unpredictable, making it nearly impossible for her to maintain a stable career as a stage actress.
Habuta facilitates a secret deal between the two women. Nina keeps her illness hidden from the public and the theater industry—to protect her image as a rising star. Nina has the "beauty" (a flawless face) but lacks true talent and the physical stamina to perform consistently, she allows Kasane to use the magical lipstick to swap faces with her.
In exchange, Kasane steps into Nina’s life and performs on stage in her place—becoming the face of Nina Tanzawa, while Nina stays in the shadows, resting… or watching.
At first, the arrangement works flawlessly. “Nina” becomes a rising star in the theater world. But as success grows, so does resentment. The lines between identity, talent, and ownership begin to blur.
Kasane, long denied recognition, becomes addicted to the applause, the admiration, the feeling of being seen. For the first time, she’s celebrated—not for hiding, but for shining.
Meanwhile, Nina grows bitter. She watches from the sidelines as someone else lives her life, steals her glory, and does what she never could. She starts to feel empty—beautiful on the outside, but hollow inside. And worse—she resents Kasane, the “ugly girl” who now has everything she lost.
What starts as a practical arrangement soon blurs the line between beauty, identity, ambition, and self-worth.
So, how did this movie end…
Will the two women ever return to their own faces?
Or has the cost of ambition already sealed a far more tragic fate for them both?
This is an amazing movie that truly highlights a high-stakes psychological battle, where the line between the “real self” and the “mask” gradually blurs. It explores how obsession with beauty, talent, and recognition can distort identity and morality.
The way the movie ends strongly reflects Japan’s unique approach to tragedy and psychological storytelling—quiet, unsettling, and thought-provoking rather than comforting or neatly resolved.
If you’re bored with typical films that play it safe or follow predictable paths, this movie is definitely worth watching.
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