Japanese Reviews

Film Review: Amiko (2017) By Yoko Yamanaka Screening at Fantasia

After bonding over a mutual interest in the band “Radiohead” and their views on being outcasts among their peers. The young, impressionable Amiko falls in love with the popular Aomi. However, after their chance encounter, Aomi does not speak to Amiko again, in spite of her attempts to pop up where ever he goes. Even without the returned affection, her obsession with Aomi deepens. When Amiko hears the news that her crush is leaving her school, she becomes distraught and determined to make a romantic gesture to get him back in her life.

Amiko” is part of the Asian selection at Fantasia International Film Festival

Amiko leaves her home in order to follow Aomi, under the pretenses she is staying with friends. When she finds Aomi, she learns that he has a girlfriend and that they are living together. Amiko begins an adventure of self-exploration by wandering the city streets, befriending strangers while planning her next move. No longer content to just be in the background and with growing confidence, she confronts Aomi in the hopes of building a true romantic relationship.

“Amiko” is a fast-paced and warped coming of age tale, which is infused with witty dialogue. It is within the script that the film has the most success and is able to overcome any of its shortcomings. The character of “Amiko” is very charming and eccentric. Within her dialogue, there is still a sense of realism, which also creates some empathy for the young girl as she struggles to find her way in life. There is a tendency in a quirky coming of age films to make a protagonist whose eccentricities overshadows a sense of realism and create a farce of their characters. 's ability to create a confident and outlandish character, while still keeping the world she creates sensible, becomes one of the greatest strengths of the film.

In regards to the more technical aspects, “Amiko” is a bit rough around the edges. The editing is a bit rough with some awkward framing and transitions, and the audio has a few noticeable drops, with the score also being rather inconsistent in its delivery.

The performances given don't necessarily stand out, and although 's performance as the titular character brings a lot of charm, but this feels more like a product of the dialogue she is given than her actual performance. However, with this being Yoko Yamanaka's first feature-length film, these aspects become a bit more forgivable. The technical shortcomings of the production are not that much of a hindrance and showcase a lot of potential for the future work as a director.

Within the attempt to create a more stylized film, Yoko Yamanaka's debut confirms that she is a talent to keep an eye on as her visions are bound to become more realized in her future endeavors.

“Amiko” is a delightful and twisted coming of age film, which showcases an emerging talent in Yoko Yamaka. The production is somewhat hindered by its technical shortcomings which at points can be a bit frustrating. However, the dialogue really elevates the film and makes it easy to overlook the flaws within. The narrative is also well paced and manages to build a convincing and fun character without becoming too overindulgent or overstaying its welcome.

I will be anxiously awaiting to see what the young talent in director Yoko Yamanaka will create in her next project.

About the author

Adam Symchuk

Adam Symchuk is a Canadian born freelance writer and editor who has been writing for Asian Movie Pulse since 2018. He is currently focused on covering manga, manhwa and light novels having reviewed hundreds of titles in the past two years.

His love of film came from horror and exploitation films from Japan that he devoured in his teens. His love of comics came from falling in love with the works of Shuzo Oshimi, Junji Ito, Hideshi Hino, and Inio Asano but has expanded to a general love of the medium and all its genres.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

>