I learned a couple of things about depression, so this movie is not only heart-warming but also informative. And touching, in a couple of scenes. The filmography was great, their little home was cozy and outside, with the Sakura trees, was so nice.
Masato Sakai has such a dorky face, so this suit him perfectly. The movie does not have a beginning nor an ending, which is something that I have found mostly in J-doramas and movies. Which I like, because not everything has to have a beginning and/or an end. Also, although it is a 2-hour movie long, it is never dragging nor slow.
Japan is one of the country with the highest amount of suicides. I've read that it is mostly because of work, which is the main reason why Mikio is depressed. The routine, his work-environment, having to take the train everyday, all squeeze like sardines are enough motives. At least he has his pretty, supportive wife, who is there for him "in health and sickness".
I wonder if this was based on real life...
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This review may contain spoilers
Beautiful movie! I'd like to say two things:1. It's about a couple: The husband, Mikio, got major depression and his wife, Haruka, tries her best to help him. It's not unusual, I can see that everywhere in the world, especially in countries that family plays a big part, this might happen. However, what I find interesting is that here, we have a beautiful combination of emotional investment and scientific approach in Mikio. At least I can say that the second element is more or less lacking in my country: people would show lots of emotions in such situation, but it's not backed with some scientific knowledge. In fact, many times, bare emotions produce more harm than benefit. I think Japan is one of the best in combining heavy emotions and exact science. The conclusion is that be ready to learn one thing or two about depression while you watch a romance. It doesn't happen everyday!
2. We all know how much the Japanese emphasize hard work. In any occasion, whether it's called for or not, you can see them saying Ganbarre! Otsukaresamadeshita! ... I like this, however, this movie gave me an interesting insight. Unlike her husband, Haruko is not that hard-working, but she has a good reason for that. She thinks putting too much pressure on yourself can be problematic. This makes her husband mad, but Haruko knows better! And in fact, it's her husband's approach that causes problems: He feels so much responsibility at work that at some point he has no energy to keep going. Like many hard-working Japanese people, he got depression and the rest of the story. Working hard can be counter-productive.
So, it was interesting to me to hear for the first time in a Japanese film this: "Do not work hard"! "I don't work hard!" and things like that. This should sound weird to Japanese ears!
All in all, I'd recommend this beautiful movie with two memorable moments: When Haruko finds Mikio kind of trying to commit suicide in the bathroom and when in church and before their friends, they talk about life with depression: Mikio's speech is amazing.
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My Aug Recommendation movie
Watch this because recommendation challenge from 𝑨𝒓𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒊. Let’s discuss movie…The story follows Mikio, a meticulous, hardworking corporate employee, and his wife Haruko, an easygoing but struggling manga artist.
Their ordinary routine is upended when Mikio, overwhelmed by the day-to-day pressure of his job, suffers a sudden breakdown marked by severe fatigue, insomnia, and an inability to cope with his daily work. Sensing something is deeply wrong, Haruko encourages him to seek medical help, which ultimately leads to an official diagnosis of clinical depression.
His doctor advises him to step away from work to recover. However, Mikio feels immense pressure to maintain his career and hesitates to leave, burdened by financial worries and societal expectations. Seeing that forcing himself to keep working is pushing him toward a complete collapse, Haruko steps in with a bold ultimatum: if he does not resign from his job, she will divorce him.
Haruko initially blames herself for failing to notice what Mikio was going through. As she learns more about depression, however, she begins to understand that Mikio's condition isn't simply a matter of being weak or having a bad attitude.
As Mikio's recovery proves slow and uncertain, the dynamics of their marriage quietly reverse. Driven by her decision to support her ailing husband, Haruko steps up as the primary breadwinner, shouldering financial responsibility while learning to adapt to the daily fluctuations in his mental state.
And as Haruko and Mikio have to adjust to a new life where neither of them can simply continue doing things the way they used to. Through their struggles, they become more honest with each other and discover that supporting someone doesn't mean fixing everything for them.
Rather than relying on melodrama, the movie finds its emotional strength in the small, everyday moments of caregiving and recovery. It delivers an uplifting message about the importance of rest, patience, and spousal support without ever becoming overly sentimental.
That's pretty much the story without giving anymore spoilers.
This is truly a movie that highlights the taboo topic of depression without feeling like a stereotypical "depression movie"—it manages to be honest about the struggle without being overly gloomy or heavy. Sakai Masato and Miyazaki Aoi both portray Mikio and Haruko perfectly, bringing a genuine warmth and authenticity to their roles, which really helps the story land.
That said, it was a little bit of a shame this is not really my cup of tea; the pacing is a little bit slow, and I found myself getting bored at times. And this exact reason I can't give this movie much higher score it actually deserve... Eventually it's all back to my own taste...
So, thanx to Arclei that suggest this movie, I really glad I can watch this movie in the end.
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A subject that should be understood by all
When we initially get a glimpse into the lives of Haruko and Mikio, all seems well.. but then the cracks start to form. This is a perfect visual of what depression is. What we do and see on the surface is not always what we are screaming on the inside.The very realistic depiction of depression in this movie is fantastic. Mikio suffers daily and consistently but without knowing why. He has a good wife and mundane job that slowly is eating away at him. The catalyst can be said to be the stress of work, but the movie immediately dispels this. Which is what is special about this movie. It seems the writers really understood the many things that break a person. In Japan's society depression and suicide are really pressing matters. The society tends to focus on the group good rather then the individual's needs in Japan and things like depression are known well but stigmatized.
We see this in how others tend to brush off his depression in the movie and think he's just being lazy.
Haruko's constant struggle to make her husband feel better is heartfelt and realistic. When we go through all the stages of support and love, we get a clear image of how much she cares for her husband. Mikio's actor Sasaki plays his role with such conviction. There was a real sense of emptiness in a few scenes and a real sincerity to how he approached the feeling of depression. Both of them worked so well together in all their scenes. I enjoyed the small moments of their relationship like the cooking, sleeping or caring for animals. It added a lot to their relationship. The church scene was beautiful. The side characters also allowed for growth with the interactions they had so it was overall a good cast.
The music played it's part well. The piano and violins added much feeling to the scenes. There was a sense of loss and defeat in all the little music segments.
The movie ended off on a really fantastic note. It's not always perfect but neither is life.
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