This review may contain spoilers
Falling in and out of love and everything in between
I love discovering my favorite actors starring together in a movie; even before it begins, I know it's going to be great!
Plot***
The story follows Mugi and Kinu, who first meet after missing the last train at Meidaimae Station on the Keio Line in Tokyo. They bond over their shared taste in music and films and quickly fall in love. After college, they both take part-time jobs and move in together, spending five unforgettable years of their twenties as an inseparable couple.
Watching Mugi and Kinu realize they are meant for each other is felt deeply healing. They don't need grand gestures; it simply feels right.
The movie beautifully illustrates how magical it is when you find that special person. Time seems to stop, and life feels much more vibrant. However, as they finish college and enter the real world, Mugi starts a job and their dynamic changes drastically. This shift highlights the strong influence of societal expectations on him, and he becomes trapped in the notion of what happiness should look like; pursuing the "right" path and leaving behind the carefree moments that truly mattered. He forgets that true happiness is found in the simple moments he shared with Kinu, like walking home together, enjoying their favorite bread while sharing their thoughts, playing Nintendo, and reading manga.
As the relationship evolves, we begin to notice subtle change; not loud or dramatic, but small enough that they can almost go unnoticed. This is where cinematography, camera work, and lighting contribute greatly to this storytelling. At the beginning of the movie, when they first move into their apartment, they are seen spending time in the living room with warm yellow and orange tones surrounding them. However, as they drift apart, the colors shift.
We see shots of their apartment from outside, where the living room and other rooms are separated by a dark wall ( how genious is that !?). On one side, Kinu is in the living room, illuminated by warm light and alone, while Mugi is in another room, working in a dark and empty space. This clever use of camera angles and lighting emphasizes their growing distance ( literally a wall between the two)and reflects the changes in their relationship, foreshadowing their eventual separation.
This movie effectively captures how a relationship begins, evolves, and ultimately ends, exploring everything in between. It's truly a brilliant movie; not loud or filled with overt drama, but rather a quiet awareness that gradually unfolds. We witness their love, and we are among the first to see the subtle changes leading to the inevitable conclusion.
Plot***
The story follows Mugi and Kinu, who first meet after missing the last train at Meidaimae Station on the Keio Line in Tokyo. They bond over their shared taste in music and films and quickly fall in love. After college, they both take part-time jobs and move in together, spending five unforgettable years of their twenties as an inseparable couple.
Watching Mugi and Kinu realize they are meant for each other is felt deeply healing. They don't need grand gestures; it simply feels right.
The movie beautifully illustrates how magical it is when you find that special person. Time seems to stop, and life feels much more vibrant. However, as they finish college and enter the real world, Mugi starts a job and their dynamic changes drastically. This shift highlights the strong influence of societal expectations on him, and he becomes trapped in the notion of what happiness should look like; pursuing the "right" path and leaving behind the carefree moments that truly mattered. He forgets that true happiness is found in the simple moments he shared with Kinu, like walking home together, enjoying their favorite bread while sharing their thoughts, playing Nintendo, and reading manga.
As the relationship evolves, we begin to notice subtle change; not loud or dramatic, but small enough that they can almost go unnoticed. This is where cinematography, camera work, and lighting contribute greatly to this storytelling. At the beginning of the movie, when they first move into their apartment, they are seen spending time in the living room with warm yellow and orange tones surrounding them. However, as they drift apart, the colors shift.
We see shots of their apartment from outside, where the living room and other rooms are separated by a dark wall ( how genious is that !?). On one side, Kinu is in the living room, illuminated by warm light and alone, while Mugi is in another room, working in a dark and empty space. This clever use of camera angles and lighting emphasizes their growing distance ( literally a wall between the two)and reflects the changes in their relationship, foreshadowing their eventual separation.
This movie effectively captures how a relationship begins, evolves, and ultimately ends, exploring everything in between. It's truly a brilliant movie; not loud or filled with overt drama, but rather a quiet awareness that gradually unfolds. We witness their love, and we are among the first to see the subtle changes leading to the inevitable conclusion.
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