I think this is one of those films that comes along that leaves you in aww. It was beautiful, crazy, disturbing, sad and uplifting, hopeful and yet interesting. The Boat house family (that's what I will call them) were all great. The leads were very talented and even the supporting cast were great. They all played such a vital role. The situation between the family and the son were so sad, the father was just pathetic, the mother was no better. The sad part is that this type of family exists all over world and doesn't even require a script. The girl's (Chazawa) determination was great, I think Sumida definitely needed her. I guess you can say he was clouded by his surroundings, parents negativity, abuse etc. and he needed to be cleansed of everything in order to break free and start new. He needed support and needed the right people around him who wouldn't give up. It was a great story, nicely told and I think the ending fit the story. I love fairy tale endings but this ending was realistic for the story.