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This review may contain spoilers
My Aug Recommendation movie
Watch this because recommendation challenge from π¨πππππ. Letβs discuss movieβ¦
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"βit 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.
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"βit 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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