"The film is concerned with the lives of the Haruno family, who live in rural
Tochigi Prefecture, the countryside north of
Tokyo. Nobuo is a
hypnotherapist. He teaches his son, Hajime,
Go. Hajime becomes an excellent Go player, but he has a rough time with girls and puberty. Yoshiko refuses to be an average housewife, and works on animated film projects at home. She uses assistance from Grandfather Akira, an eccentric old man who is a former animator and occasional model. Eight year old Sachiko periodically sees a silent, giant-sized double of herself which mimics or benignly watches her. She contemplates ways to rid herself of it. Uncle Ayano is a sound engineer and record producer who comes to stay for a visit. He engages in inward reflection, seeks closure regarding an old relationship, and recounts a childhood experience- a tale which influences Sachiko and ties into later events."
A very interesting film that had very good character development. There are a few trippy scenes and the beginning is hard to get through, but the film is worth the hassle. I enjoyed seeing the life each character lived and how some of it was changed especially for Hajime. Who goes from a shy boy to a boy who plays go with his crush and gets her to say "we should play together everyday". I also like the mom's animation ambitions, it was quite enjoyable to see a cameo by the great animator Hideaki Anno. It caught me off guard to see him but this movie seemed like it would be his kind of movie. I wish Hajime's and the uncle's could have been longer so we could see more but I'm glad for what the director did with the film. I would suggest this film to anyone who likes Japanese films and would like to learn something about the current culture of Japan.
3.4/5
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