52 Hertz no Kujiratachi (2024)

A heartwarming (and breaking) drama about healing from abuse and trauma

Trigger warning for abuse scenes!

This movie broke my heart (and kind of bandaged it towards the end)! It tells the healing journey of a girl from years of psychological and physical abuse. Of course, the path isn't smooth, and ghosts of past experiences continued to haunt Kiko when she thought her life was going well. The story isn't told in a linear manner and keeps flitting between Kiko's past and present, but that didn't bother me as much. It actually kept me curious.

Sugisaki Hana and Shison Jun portrayed the main roles well, and I cried buckets with what happened to Anko. He deserved so much better! I thought Anko's mother's reaction to his secret was realistic enough, and the events afterward were preventable. But who knows how long Anko has been burdened by his problems? Kiko and Ai's mothers were unbelievable. I wish I could give every character a hug - specifically those who listened to the whale cries.

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A movie that underlines the reality of being human

I truly enjoyed watching this film. There were laughs and tears shed. The film itself has three different stories that all intersect with each other around the concept of the loneliest creature in the world. One of my favorite parts of the film was depicting what it’s like to be a transgender person in our world. Something I noticed is how hard it was for Ango to verbally express his feelings to Kinako. The fear of being a female at birth and liking a female while presenting as a male comes with complications. In Angos suicide note it mentioned how he cannot physically and emotionally support Kinako. That part struck a cord. It’s a fear that lingers in many trans individuals minds. Very well done.

Another note, I love Hana Sugisaki. Every time I’ve seen her in a film or series I get so excited. I love her facial expressions and the way she talks.

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