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There are stories that are just simple entertainment, to be consumed without much thought.
There are stories that push their message, whichever it might be, on their viewers/readers.
And then there are stories that try to do both -- be entertaining for those who just want to relax after work and still convey messages that go beyond the moment.
"Let's Go Karaoke!" is one of the few films (and series) that really manage to balance the two without one overpowering the other.
The plot itself is engagingly narrated with a clear arc of development for the story -- a viewer can just sit back and be entertained. And yet, the film clearly also talks about the first steps into adolescence: Both the physical changes and the way these changes force children to adapt their own lives and the way children, now teenagers, step into the adult world, and start to understand that adults are not less quirky, not less insecure, not less searching for the right path -- not less human! -- than the children. They start to think about love and friendship. They leave their childhood behind.
I am quite sure that there are also some thoughts about masculinity and machismo to be found.
In "Let's Go Karaoke!", the viewer doesn't have to consciously search for these themes, and neither are they forced unto the viewer.
The unlikely friendship between the Yakuza, who wants to learn how to sing to avoid punishment from his boss, and the middle schooler, who has always sung as a sporano but whose voice is about to break, is the scaffold with which these themes are built. Their power dynamics -- the adult is physically stronger and even dangerous but he still submits to the perceived superior knowledge of a fourteen year-old -- provide an interesting, and often humorous, frame for the story. When Oka Satomi steps into the adult world, he also leaves his childhood pursuits behind, ingeniously symbolized by choir member "Wada" who feels betrayed by Oka's leaving.
Of course, if JFF Theater includes a film in its line-ups, I'll expect high quality regarding the actors' performances and the technical execution; and I was not disappointed here. I was not only impressed by the actors' overall performance -- especially Narita Kyoji who is convincing both as a dangerous Yakuza and as a vulnerable man -- but also by the quality of singing in this film: you have to be very good to sing *that* badly.
The film mostly focuses on the two main protagonists, so the supporting charaters remain mostly quick sketches, but their actors also give them some personality -- for me, it's very clear that Wada, Nakagawa, Izawa and Hyena all have enough backstory that they could easily have their own film.
There were a very small amount of characters' action that only made sense in a "because the plot needs it" way, but these were very easily ignored.
Was it good?
Yes. Not only was I entertained but there was also a not-small amount of depth.
Did I like it?
A lot!
Who would I recommend it to?
To those who love coming-of-age-stories.
There are stories that push their message, whichever it might be, on their viewers/readers.
And then there are stories that try to do both -- be entertaining for those who just want to relax after work and still convey messages that go beyond the moment.
"Let's Go Karaoke!" is one of the few films (and series) that really manage to balance the two without one overpowering the other.
The plot itself is engagingly narrated with a clear arc of development for the story -- a viewer can just sit back and be entertained. And yet, the film clearly also talks about the first steps into adolescence: Both the physical changes and the way these changes force children to adapt their own lives and the way children, now teenagers, step into the adult world, and start to understand that adults are not less quirky, not less insecure, not less searching for the right path -- not less human! -- than the children. They start to think about love and friendship. They leave their childhood behind.
I am quite sure that there are also some thoughts about masculinity and machismo to be found.
In "Let's Go Karaoke!", the viewer doesn't have to consciously search for these themes, and neither are they forced unto the viewer.
The unlikely friendship between the Yakuza, who wants to learn how to sing to avoid punishment from his boss, and the middle schooler, who has always sung as a sporano but whose voice is about to break, is the scaffold with which these themes are built. Their power dynamics -- the adult is physically stronger and even dangerous but he still submits to the perceived superior knowledge of a fourteen year-old -- provide an interesting, and often humorous, frame for the story. When Oka Satomi steps into the adult world, he also leaves his childhood pursuits behind, ingeniously symbolized by choir member "Wada" who feels betrayed by Oka's leaving.
Of course, if JFF Theater includes a film in its line-ups, I'll expect high quality regarding the actors' performances and the technical execution; and I was not disappointed here. I was not only impressed by the actors' overall performance -- especially Narita Kyoji who is convincing both as a dangerous Yakuza and as a vulnerable man -- but also by the quality of singing in this film: you have to be very good to sing *that* badly.
The film mostly focuses on the two main protagonists, so the supporting charaters remain mostly quick sketches, but their actors also give them some personality -- for me, it's very clear that Wada, Nakagawa, Izawa and Hyena all have enough backstory that they could easily have their own film.
There were a very small amount of characters' action that only made sense in a "because the plot needs it" way, but these were very easily ignored.
Was it good?
Yes. Not only was I entertained but there was also a not-small amount of depth.
Did I like it?
A lot!
Who would I recommend it to?
To those who love coming-of-age-stories.
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