Category: romance

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comedy drama, melodrama literary adaptations romance

Train Man

“Train Man” (Densha Otoko) directed by Murakami Shosuke, was released in 2005.

This romantic comedy film is not the first exposure of the story to the public. It was originally from a Japanese bulletin board website thread called ‘ch2’ in 2004. In fact, the story has been published in books, manga, drama and play too. However, the film, starring Yamada Takayuki and Nakatani Miki as the two main characters, has features that show colours of Japanese culture, its trends, and aspects of Japanese people in its own style.

A 22-year-old man (Yamada Takayuki starring as Densha otoko), who likes to wander on Akihabara Street, is a computer engineer. One day, on his way to home, he was struck by the beauty of a goddess-like woman (Nakatani Miki starring as Hermes) on the train. Suddenly, a drunk man causes a nuisance to people on the train and picks up on the woman. There, Densha otoko somehow saves her from the drunkard, and as gratitude, she asks for his address in order to send him a thank-you gift. And the love story begins. Densha otoko posts his first encounter with Hermes, and people all around in Japan get interested in this geeky guy’s love affair. After few days, he receives a set of Hermes mugs from her, but with his age equaling the number of his years without a girlfriend, he doesn’t know how to meet her again. So, he asks for advice from people from the website.

The number of people who coach Densha otoko increases day by day, and at some point, people become so involved that they feel like it is their own matters. They give advice on what to say, what to wear, which restaurants to eat at, when to ask out, based on their own experience. These people include a nurse who had been dumped by her boyfriend, a married salaryman who has no conversation with his wife, a married woman who feels lonely, three young men who almost live at a manga-book shop, and a cynical young man who shut himself up from his family and the outside. They cheer Densha otoko up and give genuine advice.

It is noticeable in the beginning that Densha otoko is a total otaku, a slang word for geek. (Even in the name, the assonance in the two words show similarity. i.e. otaku & otoko) However, the image of otaku is only present in the beginning of the film until Densha otoko gets a total make-over for the first date with Hermes. He cuts his long hair, takes off his glasses and replaces his glasses with contact lenses, gets dressed into a pair of trendy denim jeans instead of trousers that his father would wear. Although Densha otoko is reflected as an otaku, it doesn’t necessarily make the story about how an otaku comes to fall in love with a beautiful woman. In fact, his switch of image in the beginning occurred to me as a beautification of real otaku people in order to make it a love story between a normal man and woman. It molds negative aspects of otaku so that more audiences become interested and feel sympathy for Densha otoko.

Other than the image of otaku in the film, there are some other cultural aspects that can be observed. In the scene where Densha otoko sees Hermes for the first time, people’s reaction toward the drunken man is kind of comical but interesting at the same time. People don’t try to make eye contact with the drunkard and nobody stand up to him. I thought this showed how Japanese people don’t like to speak up in public, and how the influence of individualism is currently present in public places such as the train. I wondered what would have happened if the same situation occurred in Canada, and I think anyone would have stopped the drunken man, for their own safety and for others.

On the other hand, there are some aspects of the traditional culture of Japan shown too. For example, Hermes and the other ladies who were saved by Densha otoko from the drunken man, ask for Densha otoko’s address to express gratitude. This cultural exchange of gifts is one of the unique customs in Japan. When someone receives a service or a gift from another, people always pay them back and give thanks.

There were two certain scenes that brought me to think about people’s different treatments depending on appearance. A campaign girl who advertises a man’s cosmetic product gives out samples of the product to every man passing by on a street. There she comes up to Densha otoko to give out the samples but she abruptly turns away after looking at his appearance. However, after Densha otoko transforms, the same girl holds the sample until he takes it. I thought that in her attitude, she represents how young Japanese people really are attached to appearance. These scenes can be compared to one of the scenes at the climax, when Densha otoko unintentionally goes back to the geeky outlook to find Hermes on Akihabara Street. (Watch and find out what happens!)

The fact that this movie only took 25 days to film explains why the story unfolds quickly without details. Even so, the film is quite easy to understand, and I think the director adequately threw in scenes that illustrate aspects of the story itself as well as some of current trends of Japan. However, it is a sweet romantic-comedy movie which reminds people of their first dates and makes the audience to feel the nervousness again. Plus, those who need help with dating may find tips after watching the movie!

Categories
drama, melodrama gendai-geki romance

The Innocence of First Love

Shinjo Takehiko’s Heavenly Forest (Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru, 2006; literal translation: Just Loving You) is a romance drama based on Ichikawa Takuji’s novel, Renai Shashin: Mouhitotsu no Monogatari. Set in modern-day Japan, it follows the lives of two university students, Satonaka Shizuru (Miyazaki Aoi) and Segawa Makoto (Tamaki Hiroshi), as they learn about life and love. The film is a tribute to the innocence of first love. Shinjo combines excellent cinematography and pure, honest characterization to show the beautiful but bittersweet relationship that forms between the two characters.

The movie begins with Makoto, a professional photographer, searching for Shizuru in New York. One month earlier, he had received a letter from Shizuru informing him that she will have a photo exhibition on display during Christmas. It is the first time he has heard from her since her sudden disappearance two years ago. As Makoto makes his way through New York City, he reminisces back to the day they first met and how their relationship has changed him. Makoto has an inferiority complex, and therefore tends to avoid contact with other people. However, on the day of his university entrance ceremony, he meets Shizuru, an eccentric and overly optimistic girl. Through her persistence, he opens up to her and gains the confidence to interact with other students. As their friendship grows, Shizuru begins to develop feelings for Makoto. However, he has feelings for the beautiful and popular Miyuki (Kuroki Meisa). Despite knowing this, Shizuru encourages him to pursue her. As the years pass, the three of them form a close friendship, and they soon find themselves close to graduation. However, Shizuru’s feelings for Makoto have not changed. But one day, she disappears without notice, leaving behind only a short note expressing her gratitude.

There are two central themes in Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru. The primary theme of innocence has a notable presence throughout the film. It is most strongly represented through the characterization of Shizuru. She resembles a child in both physical appearance and in the outward display of her behaviour. Her tiny frame coupled with her oversized, simple clothing triggers a childlike image in the minds of the audience. She is also refreshingly honest and cheerful. Shizuru is a carefree, spirited young girl who has not yet grown out of her childhood. The secondary theme revolves around growing up. Shizuru has always been discontented with her childlike physical appearance. But when she discovers that Makoto harbours feelings for Miyuki, she becomes further unsatisfied with her body. Shizuru’s desire to become like an adult is linked to her feelings for Makoto. She hopes that by growing up, he will recognize her as a mature, young woman. The film is driven by the interaction of these two themes. Although they appear to contrast with each other from an outside perspective, Shinjo weaves them together so that one complements the other. Shizuru, who is caught in between reality and what she desires, must find a solution for herself. Likewise, the film manages to find a proper balance in showcasing the two themes.

Captivating and beautiful imagery is used to capture the audience’s attention. Shinjo creates a warm and peaceful atmosphere by incorporating many scenic shots of nature and the city. Some of the most stunning scenes are those of the forest behind the university campus. The forest is a special place for Shizuru and Makoto: it symbolizes the day they first met, and it is also their sanctuary. It’s where they spend many hours together taking photos and enjoying each other’s company. Thus, to signify the importance of that place, the scenes in the forest contain a different kind of energy. Colours are especially vibrant, and a quality of perfection is projected through to the audience. Shinjo maximizes the lighting to his advantage in producing these picturesque shots. At times, the lighting in the forest creates a hazy glow, which gives a dreamlike quality to the scene. This reinforces the theme of innocence that accompanies a first love. Shinjo goes to great lengths to capture the best scenic shots with the best lighting. This, combined with the slow pacing and excellent cinematography, contribute to the realism in the film.

Tada, Kimi wo Aishiteru is a wonderful film that people of all ages can enjoy. Viewers will be drawn in by the bittersweet love story of two young people as they watch an innocent love unfold before them. In addition, the audience will be able to feel the raw intensity of emotions felt by Shizuru and Makoto as they encounter many obstacles. Shinjo’s direction of the film leads to a creation that is both pure and realistic, and it is this sense of realism that makes this film so captivating.

Categories
comedy drama, melodrama gendai-geki literary adaptations romance

The Explosion of Otaku Culture in Mainstream Japan

Based on a true story, Densha Otoko is the story of a nerdy and socially awkward man who, through the help of other posters on a forum called 2-Chan, is able to come out of his shell and have a relationship with a beautiful and kind young woman. Densha Otoko, or Train Man, was released in 2005 by Touhou and directed by Murakami Shosuke.  The film stars Yamada Takayuki as the nerdy and socially awkward Densha Otoko, Nakatani Miki as the beautiful and kind Hermes, as well as a group of largely unnamed characters who play the role of posters on the internet forum.  Although the film is often called a romantic comedy, compared to other iterations of the Densha Otoko story, the film contains surprisingly little comedy.

The film starts on a train, as the main character referred to only as Densha Otoko is on his way home from the nerd-mecca of Akihabara.  While on the train, a drunkard is harassing the passengers, including one young woman who had been reading.   Densha Otoko bravely stands up and confronts the passenger, and takes the brunt of his drunken rantings until he’s finally dragged away at the next station.  The young woman, referred to only as Hermes (a high class brand in Japan), asks for his address so she can send a thank you gift.  When Densha Otoko returns home, he quickly logs on to 2-Chan to tell others about his experience on the train, of course using the screen name “Densha Otoko.” A few days pass, and a package containing a tea set with the brand name Hermes comes from the woman, and the outpouring of advice from other posters on 2-Chan convinces him that he should ask her out for lunch to thank her.  Relying on advice from the posters, he continually plans dates and even engages in extensive research to help her buy a computer.  However, before Hermes leaves for a trip to France, there is a problem on their date and when she returns, she seems to be conflicted about seeing him.  The conclusion is truly one to make the viewer think, and the intriguing ending certainly won’t be spoiled here.

The billing as a romantic comedy is certainly a fair genre label, however the film does so much more than simply give a good romance story.  For many, Densha Otoko is their first real exposure to otaku (roughly translated as nerd) culture in Japan.  The film was a big hit with women, many of whom could most likely identify with Hermes in her seeming naivety with regards to that world.  There is a great scene after their first date when they’re going home on the train, where they are both standing near the doors.  The angle of the medium-shot shows the middle of the door directly between the two, as they’re standing at least two feet or so apart.  This spacial division as well as the visual division caused by the vertical black rubber on the inside of the doors is a subtle reminder that the two characters are from completely different worlds.

The character of Densha Otoko is, however, quite a stereotypical otaku, and the film suffers as a result.  With his greasy hair, lack of any noticeable fashion sense, and his impossibly inept social skills, he is the embodiment of what many think of otaku in Japan.  Other characters who are posters on 2-Chan are similarly the stereotypical image of an otaku, and unfortunately the film merely perpetuates this stereotype.  The character development of Densha Otoko is one of a progression from this stereotypical “kimoi” (gross) otaku to a well-dressed and cool-looking man.  In the end, the character of Densha Otoko is really a character to whom not much thought was given, and is nothing more than an amalgamation of various mainstream prejudices pertaining to otaku, ultimately limiting the usefulness of the film as an introduction to otaku culture.

While the film does have its problems with regards to characters and portrayal of otaku, it still stands as a good introduction to otaku culture for those unaware of what it may entail, and is especially useful for learners of Japanese modern culture.  Although I recommend this film, I recommend it with a grain of salt and emphasize that the viewers must also take the film with a grain of salt.  It is, however, at the end of the day, an enjoyable romantic comedy that can appeal to both genders, and has a poignant ending that causes reflection by the viewer as to the nature of human relationships.

Categories
drama, melodrama romance

A “Love Letter” to the Dead and the Living

The award-winning 1995 drama Love Letter by director Iwai Shunji is a film that has become a cult classic throughout Asia, with countless parodies made of the famous “How are you? (Ogenki desu ka?)” scene alone. Watching it again in 2010, fifteen years after its release, is an interesting experience. The years between viewings has made the sense of nostalgia deepen. And it is now even more evident than before that Love Letter’s lasting popularity and influence stems not so much from it being a perfectly made film, but from its deft portrayal of grief, regret and unfulfilled love.

Love Letter concentrates on two young women with the same face (both acted by the impressive Nakayama Miho): the tomboyish Fujii Itsuki, and the demure Watanabe Hiroko, who is struggling to come to terms with the tragic death of her fiancée (Kashiwabara Takashi) two years earlier. On the day of the two-year memorial of her fiancée’s death, Hiroko finds his address from his junior high school days, from a home that has since been demolished. On a whim she sends a letter to him at the address, not expecting a reply. However, a twist of fate allows the letter to be received by Itsuki, who happens to have the exact same name as the dead fiancée. Furthermore, Itsuki and the fiancée were classmates in junior high. Thus begins a strange correspondence between the two women, with the male Itsuki keeping them connected, and allowing them to make surprising discoveries about both him and themselves.

Love Letter is a visually breathtaking film. Taking place in the wintertime, mostly in Hokkaido, it is very much preoccupied with snowy mountain peaks and endless, pure fields of white snow, thus connecting the images of cold barrenness with the themes of death and grief. The film begins with Hiroko lying in the snow, holding her breath, so that until she suddenly gasps into life, she looks very much like a frozen corpse. Thus Iwai effectively portrays her desire to understand death and what has happened to Itsuki, and her own inner grief. This kind of idea is mirrored in the female Itsuki’s storyline – she has a cold for the entirety of the film, and she allows it to slowly get worse and worse, reliving her father’s death from pneumonia. The two women’s journeys follow similar trajectories, yet reach very different conclusions, culminating in an unforgettable ending that makes the heart feel both full and clenched. That is ultimately the greatest strength of Love Letter: its ability to understand the indescribable, and to tease the utmost sympathy from the viewer.

Despite its preoccupation with death and the pain of unspoken feelings, Love Letter is ultimately an optimistic, character-driven film. It follows each character’s emotions (big or small) with quiet understanding and with a slow pace that eases the viewer into its world. Even the lighting is dim and soft, casting a relaxed glow on everything and everyone within the confines of the screen. It could easily have become a film verging on the ridiculous, with one actress playing two characters and what with the multiple coincidences that occur. But Iwai manages to make these unlikely coincidences believable, and weaves the ridiculous in a way that makes them shine with a hint of fantasy. The pain, the nostalgia, the love that pervades the film are all things that any viewer can relate to. This embeds the film in a sense of reality that prepares the way for the silent, emotional punch that is the ending. Everything in the film is headed for that ending, and when it arrives, it is impossible not to be affected. What you will remember the most from Love Letter is that moment of blushing hope and love. That in itself is more than any film could ever hope to accomplish.

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jidai-geki romance

The Honor of the Blind Samurai

Love and Honor (Bushi no Ichibun) is a movie directed by Yamada Yōji in 2006. It is one of Yamada’s newest films from his samurai trilogy, created after the popular hits Twilight Samurai and The Hidden Blade. Since Yamada cast one of the most popular Japanese celebrities, Kimura Takuya, as a main actor, this film alongside Yamada’s talent received enormous attention from media and success in the box office. Besides its popularity, Love and Honor is known to be a jidai–geki and also a romance film set in Japan’s late Edo period. As pointed out in the title, the theme of the movie is love and honor. Instead of depicting dramatic romance or fast-paced flashy actions, Yamada illustrates a slow and ordinary relationship between a samurai and his supportive wife as well as the struggles a samurai goes through to attain honor. This theme is signified by Yamada’s utilizations of lighting as well as the simple but effective choices of sound.

This film revolves mainly around a low ranking samurai Shinnojo (Kimura Takuya) and his wife Kayo (Dan Rei) in feudal Japan. Shinnojo is a low ranking samurai, who lives happily with his beautiful and devoted wife. Due to his low samurai status, he works as a food taster for his shogun (feudal lord). Because of this unsatisfying low-status job, he dreams of becoming a sword teacher to teach children from all classes. Unfortunately, before achieving his dream, Shinnojo falls ill from eating poisonous sashimi made from off-season shellfish. Suffering from prolonged fever, Shinnojo finally goes blind. Receiving news about Shinnojo’s permanent blindness, Kayo seeks financial help from the high-status samurai Shimada Toya, who forcefully rapes Kayo in return. A few days later, Shinnojo and Kayo receives good news that the castle will distribute a stipend of rice to Shinnojo as welfare, which Shimada acclaims as his great deed. However, Shimada had no part in the decision regarding the rice; it is the shogun who decided to offer rice to Shinnojo. Shinnojo becomes outraged when he finds Shimada lied to Kayo about offering assistance in return for sexual favors from Kayo. Angered by this insult and damaged pride, Shinnojo divorces Kayo and decides to avenge Shimada for his lost honor. Finally, this movie reaches its climax when the two samurai, Shinnojo and Shimada, meet near the river for a sword duel to retain honor.

Yamada’s choice of distinct lighting effectively conveys the theme. Yamada symbolizes honor by changing the degree of brightness. Yamada frequently uses contrasting luminescence, which effectively conveys loyalty, sacrifice, and devotion of characters. These qualities are highlighted in the code of samurai ethics, thus underlining the honor of samurai. For example, the first distinct change in lighting can be seen in the scene of ritual suicide. One of the chief food testers decides to commit seppuku in order to make up for his responsibility for Shinnojo’s blindness. In this scene, he faces bright illumination while others praying in the neighboring room receive almost no light. This sharp contrast in brightness signifies the honor the chief regains by hara-kiri. Choice of luminous intensity also works as a metaphor for honor. For instance, the focus of the spotlight switches from Kayo to Shinnojo when Kayo sacrifices her body to defend her husband’s honor, thus making Kayo appear under the shadows. This creates a melancholic mood, which portrays Kayo’s lost loyalty and honor. Also, the effect of lighting is significant in the climax scene where two samurai Shinnojo and Shimada fight for the sake of their honor. During the Edo period, it was considered a great honor for samurai to participate in a sword duel, so the climax is highlighted by a screen full of lights. Yamada utilizes soft and bright illumination in the duel scene. Instead of focusing on either character, Yamada brightens up the whole atmosphere surrounding Shinnojo and Shimada, since two samurai under duel is believed to be honorable.

Simple off screen sounds emphasize its storyline as well as its theme of love. The non-diegetic music used in this film is rather simple, not dynamic or as large scale as contemporary Hollywood film music. Instead of using a full orchestra, Yamada frequently uses traditional musical instruments such as the flute and taiko drums. Since Yamada’s scenes are simple, this choice of minimal and plain sounds fit well with his scenes. At the same time, this simplicity helps to emphasize strong emotions carried out in the film. Whenever Kayo shows great support, devotion, and love toward Shinnojo, the soft sounds of a flute begin to play. The sound of a flute is very simple but it is so soft that it is very effective in conveying Kayo’s support and immense love. For example, when Kayo softly kisses exhausted Shinnojo, who cannot get out of bed because of poison, a gentle sound of a vertical flute starts playing. This sound reflects Kayo’s determination to love Shinnojo for the rest of her life.

Yamada’s masterful use of lighting and simple off-screen sounds are very effective in accentuating its theme of love and honor. Although some audiences may feel this film lacks surprise and excitement because of its slowness, simplicity, and lack of fast-paced action scenes one may expect from jidai-geki, all of these elements effectively combine to bring a climatic confrontational duel of samurai honor. Overall, Love and Honor is recommended to everyone, especially for those who have seen Yamada’s earlier films.

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comedy drama, melodrama gendai-geki romance shomin-geki

The Road to True Love

The Yellow Handkerchief (Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi, 1977) is a film directed by Yamada Yoji. The lead male actor is Shima Yusaku, whose real name is Takakura Ken. Yamada had been working on episodes of the ultra-popular Tora-san series which shares many similarities with The Yellow Handkerchief. The film was later remade as a Western movie by producer Arthur Cohn. Yamada states that the original story is an American story, and he adopted it as Japan-based story (Michi Kaifu). It was also the winner of the first Best Picture award at the Japan Academy Prize. This film can be categorized into more than one genre, including comedy, romance and drama. However, in my view, its primary genre is romance. The film begins with a comic mood and the story gradually become heart-warming.

The film is about a road trip of three strangers who originally meet together out of loneliness. In the opening scene, Takeda Tetsuya is depressed because his girlfriend breaks up with him; therefore he quits his job and decides to go on a trip with his new car. He meets a girl Ogawa Akemi in Hokkaido and she decides to travel with Tetsuya. At the beach, Tetsuya and Akemi meet Yusaku, the lead male actor who was just released from prison. Flashback scenes are like puzzles that put together Yusaku’s memories. One of the flashback scenes shows that Yusaku writes his ex-wife Shima Mitsue a letter after he is released from prison. He wants to know the well-being of his ex-wife and asks her to tie a yellow handkerchief on the flagpole if she is still alone. If he does not see any yellow handkerchief, he will leave her forever. Tetsuya decides to offer Yusaku a ride. Yusaku is like a mysterious person since he always thinks before he speaks. His background and his purposes are unknown until later on. On the way home, Yusaku looks forward to seeing his wife, while he is afraid and anxious because he might see what he does not want to see in the end, and that would mean the collapse of his last hope in life.

This film captures the ideal lover of the traditional Japanese: a tall man whose true love is covered behind a serious and tough look, and who does not know how to express his love to his lover; a woman who is faithful to her lover and willing to suffer for her lover until he is back on her side, and forgives him for his wrong doing. In my view, the reason why this film is so popular is because it depicts the classic view on love: tolerance, forgiveness, sincerity. The director contrasts two male in this film: Yusaku and Tetsuya. Tetsuya is a young man who is hurt by love and who has become careless about love and women, whereas Yusaku is deeply affectionate to his ex-wife. In one film scene, Yusaku madly criticizes Tetsuya as the latter attempts to sexually harass Akemi, he says “Akemi is a lady and ladies are fragile like flowers, so we can’t harm them. As men, we should protect them, but you horndog, do you behave like a man?!” As the movie progresses, we learn that Yusaku is a coal miner who accidently killed a gangster and was put into jail. He missed his wife very much while he was in jail. However, he understands that his wrongdoing might hold up onto his wife’s future life, therefore, he divorces with his wife and hopes she can find a better man. In the movie, Yusaku acts more like a mature man compared to Tetsuya who does not show respect to women. This road trip symbolizes our lives which gradually change from absurd to sensible. In the end, Tetsuya gradually learns to take relationship more seriously and sincerely.

The director tells the story by using well-placed flashbacks as his directing technique. Instead of telling the whole story directly to his audience, the director puts Yusaku’s story into unconnected flashbacks and we gradually learn his past in flashbacks. This creates suspense. In the beginning of the film, I was confused by those sudden pieces of memories from Yusaku. At the end of film, all the flashbacks made sense to me. As Yusaku tells his story through flashbacks, we learn how much he loves Mitsue and we also learn how he ends up in prison, which turns a beautiful love story into a heartbreaking one. The audience is seeking the result as well as the heroine, as well as the two young people, throughout the story. This unique way of telling the story might be one of the features that make this film stand out from others.

This film is focusing on the popular need to love and to trust. The film starts with a comic atmosphere, but there is also a hidden sadness behind this humorous mood. Many of the humorous scenes are very common in daily life such as taking a leak beside the road. All three people in this film carry a great deal of pain which keeps them traveling together. The pain that each of them has is somehow related. Along the road trip, their relationships change in many ways, leading to the second chances in life and love. I like how Arthur Cohn uses this slogan to summarize the film: “A love lost in the past. A love struggling for a future.”  The ways that the director uses to film a romantic film are unusual but beautiful. Thus this film is one worth watching if you enjoy watching a love film or a multi-genre film, and for people in love or seeking the meaning of true love, or who have good or bad memories about love.

Bibliography
MichiKaifu. “Yoji Yamada’s “The Yellow Handkerchief” to Be Remade in Hollywood.” Hoga News. 12 Feb. 2007. Web. 01 Nov. 2010. <http://hogacentral.blogs.com/hoganews/2007/02/yoji_yamadas_th.html>.

Categories
drama, melodrama gendai-geki romance shomin-geki

Love Letter: the Unexpected Reply

Love Letter (English Title: When I Close My Eyes), released in 1995, was written and directed by Iwai Shunji. The lead female actor, Nakayama Niho, plays both Watanabe Hiroko and Fujii Itsuki, the two protagonists of the film. Sakai Miki plays the young Fujii Itsuki. The lead male roles are Shigeru Akiba, played by Toyokawa Etsushi, and the male Fujii Itsuki, played by Kashiwabara Takashi. This romantic drama takes place in the winter Hokkaido, where the female protagonists discover their unique connection with each other through an odd pen-pal relationship.

The film begins with the second anniversary ceremony of the male Fujii Itsuki’s death. Fujii Itsuki was Hiroko’s fiancé who died from a mountain climbing accident. After the ceremony, Hiroko visits Itsuki’s home and through his old yearbook, she discovers his childhood address in Otaru, Hokkaido, which is now non-existent. With lasting feelings towards her dead fiancé, she writes a love letter addressed to the address in Otaru, thinking of it as a letter to heaven. Unexpectedly, a reply comes from Fujii Itsuki. However, this Fujii Itsuki turns out to be a girl with the same name, who works at a public library in Otaru. This simple love letter with the words “How are you? I am fine” starts the odd pen-pal relationship between Hiroko and the female Itsuki. Meanwhile, Akiba, Hiroko’s current boyfriend, decides to take Hiroko to Otaru in order for her to overcome her feelings towards her dead fiancé. Although Hiroko and the female Itsuki never physically meet, as the exchanging of the letters progress, they discover each other’s identity and their unique connection. The female Itsuki actually knew the male Itsuki, spending three years of junior-high in the same class. She has bitter memories of being made fun of for having the same name as Hiroko’s ex-lover. Yet, for Hiroko, these are sweet memories of her lost fiancé before they met, and asks Itsuki to share her junior-high stories of the male Itsuki. The story slowly starts to focus more heavily on female Itsuki and her past, and the two characters starts to re-discover some lost memories of the deceased Fujii Itsuki.

To clearly distinguish the difference between Hiroko and Itsuki, both played by Nakayama Miho, Iwai Shunji uses distinctive coloring in costumes and lighting to help build their characteristics. From the opening scene, Hiroko is portrayed through lighter and solid colours. Her costumes use a lot of solid black, white and blue colours, showing little warmth. In the earlier scenes where she talks with male Itsuki’s mother and with Akiba, the bright white background lighting leaves a very clear and cold impression. Hiroko is shown in warm colours only at the scenes in Akiba’s workshop and in the cabin that she visits with Akiba. In these scenes there are movements in Hiroko’s feelings; she expresses her love towards Akiba in his workshop while she decides to move on from her dead fiancé at the cabin. Iwai uses lighter and colder colours to portray Hiroko in remorse, while uses warmer background and costume colours when she has an emotional transition. On the other hand, Itsuki is always shown wearing checked or striped patterns of warm colors like brown, orange and red. Also, Iwai uses much warmer lighting in Itsuki’s scenes. The lights at her house and at her workplace are always in shades of orange, never having the sharp, white lighting like Hiroko’s scenes. Complementing the great acting done by Nakayama Miho, Iwai Shunji’s use of colors in costumes and lighting makes a clear distinction between Hiroko, who cannot let go of the ties with the male Itsuki, and Itsuki, who re-discovers her ties with male Itsuki.

Iwai Shunji builds up tension in this dialogue-heavy film through the use of multiple close-up and long shots, creating a fast-paced tempo. Iwai does not use stationary shots, where the characters move in and out of the screen. Instead, he uses series of handheld close-up and long shots that flexibly adjusts focus amongst the characters. In the earlier scene at Akiba’s workshop, Iwai uses a series of close-up shots rapidly changing the focus on the characters speaking. This creates a fast rhythm, adding tension to their dialogue. The build-up of the tension is followed by a long close-up shot of them kissing, making the audience feel as if the actual time has stopped through the sudden change of pace. Then they are disturbed by another character who enters the scene. Here the camera switches to a long shot, allowing for the tension to slowly fade away. His use of non-stationary camerawork and quick switches of close-ups, create a fast and engaging rhythm to the film that helps build the tension in this film, heavily focused on dialogue.

“How are you? I am fine.” This simple letter sent by grief and partial whims, allows Hiroko and Itsuki to let go or re-connect with their love for male Fujii Itsuki. Although the film does not follow the typical romantic drama scenario, the contrast of the two different loves evolving around Fujii Itsuki leaves the viewers with a warm-hearted feeling. Love Letter is definitely a movie worth watching.

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