reblog

An annual ritual on Japanese television on or around Aug. 6 is a number of special programs about the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Truth be told, after many years in this country I tune out more than I tune in. Just as the bombings were political acts, so are the many memorial programs that repeat an unimpeachable message — "No more Hiroshimas and Nagasakis" — with an implied subtext of Japan as blameless victim that elides more than it illuminates.

One film about the Hiroshima bombing that drills into emotional bedrock instead of retailing familiar platitudes is "Ishibumi," ("Stone Monument") Hirokazu Koreeda's reworking of a classic 1969 TV program produced by Hiroshima Television. The movie is currently screening at PorePore Theater in Tokyo's Higashi Nakano district and elsewhere around Japan.

The focus of the original TV program and the book that accompanied it were the 322 first-year students and four teachers at Hiroshima Second Middle School who were engaged in demolition work only 500 meters from the hypocenter of the blast and died either on the spot or soon after. Their survivors gathered testimonies about their last words and actions that formed the basis of the book and program.

Starring Masaki Suda as Mugi and Kasumi Arimura as Kinu, We Made A Beautiful Bouquet is a bittersweet love story between the two. As if by destiny, a chance encounter leads to the discovery that they both share a lot in common, be it music, movies or books. But as they progress through different stages of life, their four-year relationship meets many challenges and eventually turns sour.

We Made A Beautiful Bouquet was directed by Nobuhiro Doi and written by Yuji Sakamoto, a screenwriter known for his cracking dialogue and complex characters. Both previously worked together on Japanese TV series Quartet, which snagged a number of awards including Best Director and Best Screenwriter in Japan's Television Drama Academy Awards. We Made A Beautiful Bouquet does not pale in comparison either, for the plot is weaved with minute details that make the love story so brutally honest.

In the beginning, you can feel with the characters as they go through a period of bliss and uncertainty regarding their budding relationship. The feeling that this may be “the one” is described through the way the two characters interact and seem to click right from the start. It also helps that Suda and Arimura look compatible and not awkward.

Furthermore, it is very interesting to spot little hints in the film that indicate the status of their relationship. One particularly subtle hint is their shoes. When they first meet, apart from shared interests, their tastes are so similar that they even have the same pair of shoes. But you will soon notice the cracks in their relationship when one scene shows Kinu still has the same sneakers, but Mugi has a pair of loafers.

As their relationship comes to an inevitable end, instead of a straightforward break-up like you would expect in romance films, the realism of the end of a relationship is brought out. The couple struggles to come to terms with what is happening, and makes futile attempts to save the relationship, such as wilfully suggesting marriage will make things better. It is refreshing to see how these conflicting emotions are depicted, which adds depth not only to the characters, but also to the love story itself.

However, this is not to say that this is a sorrowful romance film. Instead, like its title suggests, it is more like a beautiful bouquet — everything looks perfect at first and the flowers will eventually wither, but what was once in their hands is still a precious memory.

In addition, as the plot spans five years from 2015 to 2020, there are a couple of Japanese pop culture references that go with the year, which people who are familiar may notice. For instance, there is a scene at the karaoke room where the song RPG (2015) by J-pop band Sekai No Owari or End Of The World is sung. Other references include Nintendo Switch and video game The Legend Of Zelda, popular Japanese mobile game Puzzle & Dragons, and the mentioning of idol group SMAP who disbanded in 2016.

The movie may seem long with a runtime of 124 minutes, but We Made A Beautiful Bouquet is not an overly artistic film that can definitely be enjoyed by many young adults. Fans of Suda can also catch snippets of the actor-singer singing!

Actress Mao Inoue will finally be making her long awaited return to acting! According to Yahoo! Mao will be playing the role of a female teacher in a Fuji TV drama series that will begin airing in October.

This will be Mao’s first appearance in a drama series since the 2015 Taiga drama “Hanamoyu”. After the release of “Hanamoyu” Mao did not sign on to appear in many projects, her sole role being a voice acting spot in the CGI children’s movie Rudolf the Black Cat. The same month the movie was released Mao announced that she would be parting ways with her agency “Seventh Avenue”, whom she belonged to since the start of her career as a child actress.

Even though Mao signed to another agency, tabloids had a field day using this as evidence that Mao was ready to settle down and perhaps marry her longtime rumored boyfriend Jun Matsumoto, member of the Johnny’s group Arashi. No marriage announcement was made and Mao continued to keep a low profile. She would occasionally be tracked down by paparazzi who would ask her about Jun, only for her to dodge the question.

The drama series is tentatively titled “Tomorrow’s Promise”, and will deal with the heavy issue of suicide among high school students. It’s rumored that Yukie Nakama will also be starring in the drama series.

Mao debuted at 1992 in the drama series “Gakko ga Abunai!”, she was only five years old! Her breakthrough came with the 1999 TBS drama series “Kids War: Zaken na yo“. Eventually Mao went on to star in a remake of “Hana Yori Dango” in 2005 which further launched her career to new heights. Mao continued to appear in multiple acclaimed and successful projects including “Oba: The Last Samurai”, “Ohisama”, and “Rebirth” cementing her status as one of Japan’s top actresses.