Nice pilot episode. Ito Marika is so damn infectiously cute and energetic (and most importantly, expressive), and I like her voice too. I see why they chose her to be the lead here.
Watched it in June 2021. I like how befitting the title is to the theme, which reflects the precariousness of the two lead kids, who grew up with lack of warmth of biological family and suffered abuse. It's noted that the writer-director is Koreeda Hirokazu's (one of currently most recognized Japanese filmmakers internationally) protege, not surprising to see his influence in this movie, particularly the use of cinematography and bittersweet slice-of-life undertones. Umibe no Kingyo is noticeably more fast-paced and less atmospheric than Koreeda's works though, which is partly attributed to its short duration of a little over an hour.
The acting level is quite good, and Ogawa Miyu (presumably no familial ties to the director) particularly blows me away with her subdued acting. One can feel her angst from her eyes and gestures without words, which indicates an improvement compared to her debut in Saigo no Hoshi. She's definitely one to watch in the future.
Overall, not bad at all for a debut feature film with original script. I think 8.5/10 is fair enough.
Finally able to watch it, the first in several months due to the state of emergency in Japan and work. It is successful…
I've got only an unanswered question - so what really happened to Nao's Mari? Been looking for explanation among Japanese viewers (i.e. in Twitter and Filmarks), seems none of them have satisfying conclusion. The closest one that makes common sense is that she's somehow unsatisfied with her relation to Norio due to his overly-possessive personality (not explicitly shown in the show) and wants to break away. It's also supported by the icy expression of 'stranger' Mari at the very last scene, although still fails to truly explain why Nao's Mari leaves him all THAT sudden, which coincides with the arrival of the other Mari.
Did she leave Norio and withdraw completely from her previous life because of something more sinister, perhaps involvement with cult group? Looks like that's the plausible reason, judging from the scene in the coffee shop. Or combination of both theories - being burnt out by the relation, she found solace in the cult group instead.
Finally able to watch it, the first in several months due to the state of emergency in Japan and work. It is successful in building such sense of confusion and frustration due to the sudden disappearance of the lover as well as weird appearance of a stranger in her place, which is made possible due to tight screenplay and the acting of the cast, particularly Maehara Kou as the main lead. The cinematography and particularly the gorgeous string section soundtrack are also standouts, which further enhance the atmosphere throughout the show. However, it could've been a bit longer, especially at the endgame of the story (spoiler alert!).
2 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBo8CAhbFVs
https://music.apple.com/jp/album/%E6%81%AF%E3%82%92%E3%81%B2%E3%81%9D%E3%82%81%E3%81%A6-original-soundtrack/1574501358?ign-itscg=50400&ign-itsct=sharing_ig
The acting level is quite good, and Ogawa Miyu (presumably no familial ties to the director) particularly blows me away with her subdued acting. One can feel her angst from her eyes and gestures without words, which indicates an improvement compared to her debut in Saigo no Hoshi. She's definitely one to watch in the future.
Overall, not bad at all for a debut feature film with original script. I think 8.5/10 is fair enough.
Did she leave Norio and withdraw completely from her previous life because of something more sinister, perhaps involvement with cult group? Looks like that's the plausible reason, judging from the scene in the coffee shop. Or combination of both theories - being burnt out by the relation, she found solace in the cult group instead.
8.0/10