We Made a Beautiful Bouquet (2021)

A Realistic Love Story

Now this isn't really an average love story. It's more of a realistic slice of life + love story film. In life, things sometimes just doesn't go the way you want no matter how hard you try.

That's the crux of this film. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try your best. This movie is about the 5 years journey of a couple who is deeply in love.

Can their love withstand all the pressures from their own insecurities ? Will they stay together even if their love has started to fade ?

Kasumi and Suda are two of the best actors in Japan at the moment. Therefore, their chemistry are off the charts. I actually watched this movie because of Kasumi and I can say that she's still one of the best actresses around.

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Good movie, great acting, but it hit too close to home for me. Literally anyone, and that’s pretty much everyone that has been in a serious relationship of any kind that ends, will totally relate to this. Sometime, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t keep that magic. Like any other new relationship at first, it’s exciting, interesting, fun getting to know each other, it has that “feel good” new feeling. After a while, you can’t picture yourself without that other person. Then it starts to feel repetitive , nothing new anymore, and at times boring, the magic gone. Even the desire for intimacy disappears. It’s time to call it quits. That is this movie in a nut shell. It just didn’t feel good after a while as I watched it. BUT, it was good if you can keep your own past relationships and memories at bay. I just couldn’t.

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This has been one of the best movies I have ever watched.

I feel as though I'm biased with my review on this, given that if anything resonates with me or makes me an absolute mess emotionally, I tend to view the media very generously. However, I stand by my thought that this is truly one of the best films I have ever seen. I am someone who has never fallen in love before and with that, never fallen out of love but this film depicted a story of two people so realistically and genuinely that it wonderfully added to its impact. The film took me through a journey that was so wonderfully written and carefully woven together that I felt every scene mattered and I became so invested in the characters as they grew together.

It starts off really easy, I felt that the characters' path together were flowing as easily as water, and I felt the way they were falling in love, I felt how secure and comfortable they were around each other, I felt how much both of them put into their relationship and their bond, and then I felt when it started to fade away too. It's just so good, and so raw and I loved how it was presented in the film. Although so much time passed from the beginning to the end of the film, it was seamless and so natural.

I loved all the hints that were left to show that their relationship was slowly changing and that they were also growing as people, like for example the shoes; when they wore similar pairs, to when they later wear completely different ones.

I am a big fan of the actors in this film, and they absolutely delivered with their acting. The way they presented the characters was just so well done, I just have no words to describe them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. I cried a lot, even before THE scene because I could just feel where things were heading. The way this film ends left me content. This isn't a film depicting a bad breakup, but one of two people who readily accepted that they were just not meant to be. I loved that so much. I think I will never truly shut up about this movie. It's left an impression on me.

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Everyone's love story

By the end of the movie, I was with a heavy heart. This was a story beautifully written, acted, and directed. It detailed the phases of a relationship that a couple goes through. A few fortunate couples make it to the end of the road, but majority of them like Mugi and Kinu do not. There are many reasons why couples break up. At the end of the day, a person chooses his or her own path that leads him/her to happiness. Mugi and Kinu's love was not any less than those couples that did make it through. They ultimately broke up because they have chosen to live a life they thought they deserved.

And it was not easy to forget that kind of love. After all, theirs was so intense, not to mention the 5 years they have spent together.

I find myself relating to both of them. And from time to time, I also think of my ex and the "what could have been'. But that's just a passing thought. After a minute, I'll forget all about it and move on with my life.

Life is like this. Love more so. You have to fight really hard to keep your love.

Kudos to our two main leads for portraying Mugi and Kinu so realistically. I said it before. This was a story beautifully written, acted, and directed. However, I will not watch this a second time.

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Realistic Story and Possible Happened with the Audience

This film presents a story that is very likely to happen to everyone. how love stories can be knitted with each other, how a love story that initially feels beautiful and perfect will eventually become a relationship where both pairs are busy with each other's work hard because they both have the same goal, which is to get married in the future. For viewers of this film who may have been in a relationship for more than two years will feel that the story in this film is very related to their past.

in this film, the personality changes of the both MCs are well presented, Suda Masaki as Yamane Mugi has a personality as a person who loves his girlfriend so much even though he finds it difficult to get a job but for the sake of their future he really fights for it. Arimura Kasumi as Hachiya Kinu has a personality who loves his boyfriend so much too and cares for him, but he always wants their love story to be like when they first met. that's what Yamane Mugi can't do because he has to sacrifice time with his girlfriend to work and do his out of town service. this is what makes their relationship cracked because over time they both have very little communication with each other. in the end after a relationship that can't be repaired and fought together again, ending may be the right way and all of this is packaged very well in this film. (because my story is also related to the story of this film).

The shooting in this film is very well done and the music used is also very interesting, such as songs from Awesome City Club (the band's development is also shown very well from its start to success, following the timeline of this film) and Kinokoteikoku band. both of them have a song with very good and meaningful lyrics if you can understand japanese.

I will not re-watch this film because the emotions and sadness in this film have been conveyed at the beginning of watching this film, so maybe watching it a second time will give the feeling of watching a less climax. but i will recomended this film to anyone who liked drama slice of life and romance.

Final words, nothing lasts forever in this world. including love story, everything moves dynamically, relationship can't always be beautiful and same as the first met. because a relationship that feels beautiful is only happening in the beginning, everything will change later on because there must be things to fight for together and in exchange there'll be less time to spent together and also a person's personality will definitely change dynamically over time. if it already cracked and helpless, remember the good thing and forgot the bad things, keep moving on.

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Una storia d'amore realistica

Una storia romantica che si sviluppa con i soliti cliché. L'incontro fortuito, la conoscenza e gli interessi comuni che li avvicinano, i gesti romantici (come lui che le asciuga i capelli....)
tutto sembra nella norma e a tratti un po' noioso, con ritmi lenti.
poi inizia la routine, l'abitudine e il cambiamento inevitabile nella vita di ognuno di noi.
nella vita di coppia il problema é proprio questo: se si cambia da soli, se la routine diventa abitudine e non si cerca piú di condividere interessi con il proprio partner.
Questa in realtá si dimostra essere una storia sulla fine.
sulla fine dei sentimenti, cosa normalissima, ma che non si è abituati a vedere sullo schermo di un cinema dove si preferisce risaltare l'esaltante bellezza dell'amore e del lieto fine.
una fine che puó essere dolce e la giusta scelta per noi stessi, per la nostra felicitá, se solo troviamo il coraggio di fare un passo indetro ,di ammettere ció che proviamo e di lasciar andare se l'amore é finito.

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The last time I watched a romance film this bitter was last year, I watched Us and Them, almost feel the same, a couple who think they can live together and be happy forever but because the demands of life as adults make the couple drift apart.

Accompanying each other in difficult times, being happy with each other when they have nothing, makes so many beautiful memories but at some point this relationship cannot be saved, and is presented here with bitterness.

I love the the two MC, Mugi (Masaki Suda) and Kinu (Kasumi Arimura), their chemistry is so good, in every phase of the relationship shown in this film, the chemistry feels quite real. Unfortunately, it feels weird with Kinu whose hair doesn't change much from year to year, unlike Mugi, who was different when he was unemployed and already working, I don't know if there might be a meaning to that.

I sensed an great aura from Masaki Suda, I felt Nana Komatsu found a perfect man for her. I hope they last long.

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If we become family now, we can make it work.
We'll have kids, call each other "Honey" and "Dear".
Can't you just imagine it?
The three or four of us will hold hands, walk along Tama River, go to department store.
Buy a minivan, go camping, visit Disney Land.
We'll take our time, live out our lives.
And despite our history, we'll have become that happy couple.
It'll be as easy as breathing.
Let's become those two.
Let's get married.
Let's be happy.

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They Made A Beautiful Bouquet lol

It's sort of like Before Trilogy but make it Japanese with the inner monologues and slice-of-life :3

Honestly, I'm out of words. It's just beautifully written and lovely storytelling. Doi and Sakamoto have such a great team-up. I've always been a fan of Director Doi's slice-of-life works.

And funny that before watching this movie from JFF, I watched "The Lines that Define Me" and so I was surprised to see Kaya and Kanata Hosoda in this film again lol. I remember Doi and Sakamoto are currently collaborating on another film and Kaya will also be there so maybe they grew fond of her : )

Acting-wise, Kasumi and Suda were awesome as expected. Even if this movie is mostly talking, I've never really felt bored thanks to its wonderfully-orchestrated script and plot. Moreover, I love the ending too much lmao! Just like their breakup, it ended in a fun note and that was very refreshing.

It may be just a simple story about fateful encounters, the ups and downs of romance but it sure felt quite realistic and heartwarming. Highly recommended!

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If you only watch one het love story this year...

I'm careful in what I watch by way of het romance and initially We Made a Beautiful Bouquet wasn't high up my list for this year's JFF Online. A J-drama fan I follow on social media had seen it before and I liked what he wrote about it so I gave it a go.

It doesn't do the things I dislike about most het relationship story lines. The FL isn't cutesy or ditsy. Shared enthusiasms are central to the dynamic between the two characters and the framing is also balanced between their POVs. It's one of the most equal relationships I've seen. There's something else I want to compliment it on but that would be a spoiler.

All in all, it's an excellent film. Solid writing and acting so natural I managed to forget I was watching a film during some of it. Oh right, this isn't happening. If someone said, "I'm willing to watch one het love story this year" this is one of two I'd suggest.

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