If I had to sum it up it's a touching story about youth.
One thing I absolutely loved about the movie was the way it depicted youth. It showed you immature teenagers trying to act older than they actually are. The cast, while all much older than actual teenagers, managed to portray the childishness of adolescents perfectly, something that I find very scarce in media.
Another thing I enjoyed was the way it was shot, it was refreshing. Seeing all those gorgeous scenes made me want to watch the movie even more.
Would I watch this again? Most likely not but it made for a good experience and it was filmed so beautifully so I would definitely give it a go.
I recommend it to anyone who would like something to watch on a dull summer's evening!
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Although the story can be confusing at first since it is very fast paced, it slows down as the story progresses, and makes more sense after understanding the characters. The story is heavier, and has a lot more dept than regular Shoujo live-actions, which I personally enjoyed. There are some touching scenes throughout the movie, especially at the ending.
Acting/Cast:
I was not a huge fan of Komatsu Nana's acting in her past works, but she improved so much in this movie! There are a few parts that are still a bit awkward, but her acting is overall pretty good in this movie. Suda Masaki's acting is always great, and once again, he did not disappoint me. He really embodied the character, and truly won me over by the end. I read somewhere that he lost a lot of weight for this role, and weighed around 50kg, which is crazy for his height! Overall, I really liked the chemistry between them since they have a similar aura.
Music:
I LOVED the music, and I thought that it went well with the movie. I downloaded a whole bunch of the songs after.
Overall:
I honestly love this movie so much. It is fast paced in the beginning, but everything fits together by the end. This is definitely different (in a good way) from regular Shoujo manga live-actions, but the scenes were filmed so beautifully. Overall, I loved the main characters and the chemistry between them.
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Okay, I've read the manga—and I loved it. That probably explains why I wanted to love the film too. But don't get me wrong. There are things that I loved about the film too. Yes, the actors. No doubt. I am in love with both Nana Komatsu and Masaki Suda and to me, they are the perfect Natsume and Kou. It seems like, in an hyperbolic way, that Komatsu was born to be Natsume, you know.
The cinematography is just stunning and breathtaking. And the OST. Oh god, the sounds. The sounds are of absolute brilliance. There was a scene where Suda is doing the fire ritual and I felt like the cinema was going to collapse because of the raging and roaring of the fire. The cuts are done in many angles, some in slow-motion to be more melodramatic and sentimental. Which would be fine if not for the major problem.
But get this. The film really really failed in establishing one very important thing from the beginning: Natsume and Kou's relationship.
I've read the manga so the narrative itself is pretty clear to me but honestly, if I were someone who didn't read the manga, I doubt I'd understand. Or worst, I doubt I'd believe the authenticity of their relationship.
The manga establishes their strong bond, their strong connection and their strong (almost drowning ironically) feelings for each other. But the film...okay, I get that there is so much manga material to cover in 111 minutes running time and it did feel draggy towards the end—but it wouldn't have felt that way nor would it raise eyebrows if their relationship was properly established.
What I see when I watch are just two 15-year-olds who are trying too hard to cling to each other without any strong feelings—it seem like something de factor being the both good-looking, mysterious and popular. And I felt that was wrong. Very wrong.
That is why ultimately, this love story is doomed from the start. What salvaged it is Komatsu and Suda's chemistry. Or even Komatsu and Daiki Shigeoka's chemistry. And the amazing cinematography and roaring OST. I felt like there was so much more to these characters, to Natsume, to Kou, to Otomo, to Kana—and it felt like they were just discarded.
Even Kou and Otomo's friendship just got ignored and it's such a pity because the friendship plays a major part in how the love triangle shapes itself. Kana plays a bigger role later in the manga and the film just makes her like a stock character. Otomo gets discarded after his use. And the ending is very open-ended (which I would probably not mind if they fixed the crucial element of their relationship).
I feel like roles like this fit Komatsu well. But it's truly the first role where she's done the most drama. I love her (very much) and I have a bias but I will also be honest and say that she still lots to improve because Suda overpowers her. It's not BAD deadeyefish acting, it just needs to feel...stronger, more foreful. This me saying because she has worked with a lot of Japan's top actors (like Yamaken, Kamiki, Takeru Satoh; heck she even act alongside Andrew Garfield).
Though I guess, her timid, almost suppressed acting here works well for her character because her character has to be beautiful and calm and poised even while crying...it's not heavy drama but similar to what I said to Hirose Suzu before, just because you can cry doesn't mean you need to forget how your eyes show the emotion. And Suda's eyes remind me of my chameleon actors Shota Sometani and Fumi Nikaido—they act, they speak.
But I don't know why Suda looks so malnourished here. Honestly. There are times when it's so uncomfortable to watch him because I'm so afraid he'll break because you can literally see how skinny he is (yes Kou is in the book) but it looks unpleasing. I see a lot of potential in Daiki Shigeoka and the up-and-coming Mone Kamishiraishi.
Ultimately, Drowning Love (a title that actually holds a lot of significance which the film KIND OF touched on but not properly though the original Japanese title is Oboreru Knife which translates to "Drowning Knife") does try to remain a faithful adaptation but it really fails in establishing the leads' connection and relationship. It started off right away, very direct (though the dialogue is very poetic and that didn't work well because it felt like youngsters sprouting wishy-washy words) without much context or at least shape it properly later—which they didn't. It felt like a film with no goal which as romance wouldn't be a problem if you're telling a narrative though here, it felt...directionless with no clear intention. But still, I'll tell you that you will still feel some *feels* because the sounds and visuals would keep you there.
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I love how their struggles with themselves are portrayed. They have yet to figure out who they are and what they really want and it's all painful sometimes and euphoric other times. I could relate to both their maturity and their immaturity. Both of them, Komatsu and Misaki.
I warmly recommend you to give it a try, it depicts the restless roaming of the youth beautifully.
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This is the story of a love that's toxic and healing at the same time.
The plot is simpler than what I had imagined reading comments and reviews, but to understand it to the fullest you have to just focus on the movie and not overthink it. What's more important in this case it's not the story itself though, but how it is told through the shots. The cinematography it's absolutely stunning. The colours, the lightings, the backgrounds: drop dead gorgeous. Some of the scenes even look like paintings.
The music was absolutely perfect, and it added to the atmosphere. It was very strong and present, and I found it very fitted in general. I have to admit that I usually don't pay that much attention to soundtracks, so this was a very nice touch.
Even though the ending isn't exactly clear, I love the uncertainty about this movie, and that confusion left me completely satisfied.
The actors did such an amazing job, they portrayed the sadness and emptiness of the characters perfectly.
To sum it up, this felt really strange and unexpected, kind of like a hindi/alternative movie, but in the best way. I really like it!
10/10 would recommend.
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Not every relationship ends up happily but I guess you first need to have some experience to actually understand her pain. Instead of only focusing on the story I have to say that Suda Masaki and Komatsu Nana did an amazing job in this movie. Their expressions and emotions gave me chills while watching the movie and I hope to see them together again.
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A dark and captivating teen romance that fails to be truly compelling due to poor directing choices
It's hard to know exactly what I think of this, because there were certain moments that I loved, but there were significant issues with the execution, so as a whole it didn't quite work for me.I think the story was good, despite one plot point that felt a bit conveniently staged. And actually quite beautiful. The relationship at the center feels vibrant and unique, rather than like just another carbon-copy shoujo manga couple, and the conflicts that follow have interesting emotional content. However, sometimes this really failed to come across effectively due to the flawed storytelling. Instead of focusing in on the emotions in important moments, it completely jumped over them with a time skip, which meant I sometimes had to fill in the blanks to understand the actions or feelings of the characters. While I found the portrayal of these youthful, impulsive, and free-spirited teens captivating, the character drama was not nearly as compelling as it could have been. One of the darker scenes really failed to communicate the extent of the emotions properly, while another seemed intent on making the viewer question the reality of what was going on, which was completely counter-intuitive, since this was not a mystery where the goal is to keep the viewer guessing, it's a drama where the goal is to portray the character struggles. I was really not surprised to discover the director, Yamato Yuki, had also directed Hot Gimmick.
The editing was just bizarre. Some scenes were filmed without a single cut, though I really have no idea why. In contrast, at other points the edits were very quick, which could make the story feel disjointed. Sometimes they seemed to be trying to use the frantic edits to create intensity, but it just distracted from the emotions. Only occasionally did it succeed in achieving the "artsy" feel it was going for.
The pacing was definitely a bit strange. At times I wondered why they were spending so much time on a seemingly less important scene, when a seemingly more important exchange had felt too brief. I also think this could have been a little longer, since it was less than two hours despite adapting a longer work. Perhaps they could have left in a few of the important aspects that they cut.
The soundtrack (Sakamoto Hidekazu) was also all over the place. It mixed a number of styles, but was heaviest on the emo rock instrumentation, which wasn't necessarily a bad choice in principle, but the result was music that generally seemed too loud or out of place.
The locations were beautiful. The cinematography (Shibanushi Takahide) itself was just decent. Much of the atmosphere came more from the scenery than the way it was filmed. There were some memorable shots. However, at times they really overdid it with the shaky camera.
The aspect that worked the best for me was the casting. Komatsu Nana and Suda Masaki had great chemistry and they really felt like young teens. Though I did struggle to feel the emotions of the story at points, I blame this on the director, not the actors' portrayal. I felt that Suda Masaki, especially, fit his role incredibly well, as he seemed so striking, and even ethereal, with his blonde hair and almost emaciated body.
Overall, I think this film failed to achieve the emotional poignancy it could have, because it used an (amateurish, teen-feeling) indie-artsy style, when what it really needed was a more mature, raw, and perhaps understated style. Still, I definitely don't regret watching it and would even consider rewatching it, at least in part.
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This review may contain spoilers
Hi. Hello. Yes. I hate it here.
So I can jump on the bandwagon with everyone else that has seen this and have been left staring at the credits like ".....What?"I swear I have no idea how I feel about this movie. I do, but I don't. I have a love/hate relationship with this movie.
The storyline itself seems like it would have been better suited for a TV show. Mostly because when I say this is a LOADED movie, I literally mean it's loaded. The downside to this is that I feel like they had to jump around from scene to scene way to fast and I feel like they cut a lot of filler content that could have helped make the movie flow smoothly.
Am I saying the flow was bad? Not really, because there was still so much happening that even if you wanted to quit, something would happen that would keep your eyes glued to the screen.
I am forever in love with the acting. I feel like my heart has been ripped up, stomped on, rammed back in my chest, ripped out again.... so on and so forth. It hurts. :)
From the second Kou showed up though, I just knew -- I JUST KNEW he was going to be trouble.... and I was wrong, actually. Had that assault scene not taken place, I feel like things would have been wat different. I mean yeah, he has serious attitude before that happened but after, we all know that's when everything went downhill. Not that I blame him. My heart fucking breaks for Kou. It breaks for them both but in some scenes I feel like she doesn't understand why he is acting the way he is. It isn't until later when he has to tell her he wasn't able to protect her that I guess she finally understood.
But I think what makes me want to flip my shit was when they were talking at one point and she asked him why he didn't fight the guy back.... like... how could he fight back? The dude literally beat him repeatedly in the back with a massive stone? I don't understand. Like why are you asking him that? You are BOTH victims? He's not asking YOU why YOU didn't fight back. Why ask him? Ugh I don't know. I'm just pissed about that.
I loved Otomo. He was like a ray of sunshine. He was really what she needed through this whole show. I feel like every girl needs a guy like him in their life. Lol and honestly he would have been the better choice for her... because let's face it... Her and Kou's relationship was toxic AF. Did they still make my heart bust the biggest UwU? Yes, but that doesn't make it right, because half the time I was like "I wish a fucker would try that with me." when he did something out of the way. Lol Anyway, back to Otomo. I loved how he was always there for her. No matter what, he was there. He always wanted her to smile, he couldn't bare to see her without a smile and it was the sweetest thing ever. He deserved so much better than what he got.... damn second lead syndrome. *sigh*
That ending was kinda confusing as hell. Not only was it confusing, It made me want to sob because I knew it wasn't real. I really wish we got a part two or some kind of side story to know if he was okay or not..... cuz hunny... I am *UPSET*. My whole damn heart is CRUSHED.
Yet I still really liked this movie. Ugh, damn these feelings. Lol
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So here are the things I really loved about the movie:
- The characters were portrayed well, as an adaptation the characters physical appearance as well as traits were not changed much. The lead actors (Suda and Nana) totally draws you in, the way they looked at each other and interact, the chemistry between the two is strong so to speak.
- The ocean/under water scenes are breathtakingly beautiful. The film itself was taken in a way that captivates the audience and makes you go "ah I want to go to that place".
- The story is not too simple and not too deep. Its a perfect balance for those who are sick of the usual mushy love stories.
And the part/s that could have been improved:
- Details, if you haven't read the manga you might be confused at some part or think that the pace is quite fast. It could have been better if it was more detailed.
All in all its a movie worth watching!
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One thing I think is good to keep in mind going in is that the story of Drowning Love occupies the physical and spiritual realms equally. (The "spiritual" here refers to the Japanese Shinto faith, and the spirits and beliefs it contains.) In Drowning Love, the abstract, the liminal, the spiritual carry just as much weight as what "really" happens - if not more. This movie works through a tragic, life-changing experience in a really nuanced and thoughtful way - poetically rather than logically, if you will. The main couple has so much chemistry, and their relationship has so much weight to it that I find I can never take my eyes off of them. In that vein, this movie is incredibly sexy, not because of the amount of skin shown, but because the characters and their bond grab you in unexpected and breathtaking ways.
I feel like the second time through I have finally figured out the ending. The movie does feel like it ends in the abstract, rather than the concrete, but I want to reassure someone fearful of wasting their time that the ending isn't nonsense - I was able to understand it better when I paid attention to the transitions between the scenes.
The music was the only let-down in this film. It was like the only leave-over from a stereotypical shoujo film - upbeat rock music that just didn't fit the story. The rock only plays rarely, though, and I want to give full kudos for the auditory richness here - the sounds of water running, the main character breathing, the beating drums at the festival. When you're in this movie, you're really in it with all your senses, and that's a great accomplishment on the part of the film-makers.
In conclusion, this movie was clearly made by a group of skilled people who were putting deep thought into it. The results are stunning, and a second watch or a few rewinds will clear up any confusion experienced the first time around. I want to give a shout-out to the actors, as well, who are incredible - and especially the second male lead, who is compelling without being pitiful or saccharine. This is definitely one I will be coming back to re-watch again and again.
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