Japanese Reviews Reviews

Film Review: Asako I & II (2018) by Ryusuke Hamaguchi

One of the best dramas of the latest years

Nominated for the Palme D'or in 2018, and based on the novel “Netemo Sametemo” by Tomoka Shibasaki, “Asako I&II” is an intriguing drama whose narrative shares many similarities with the style of Haruki Murakami novels.

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Asako, a 21-year-old woman living in Osaka, meets a strange young man named Baku, and the two fall immediately in-love, essentially becoming a couple from the beginning. Haruyo, Asako's friend, is against the relationship because she thinks Baku will hurt Asako, and is quite vocal about it, but to no avail. After Asako spends the night in Baku's house, however, the young man first goes missing for a long time, and after he reappears, he promises his newfound girlfriend, that he will always come back. After that, though, he disappears completely, leaving Asako shattered.

Two years later, Asako lives in Tokyo, working at a cafe, and hanging out with another female friend, actress Maya. At one point, she encounters a businessman named Ryohei, who works at a nearby sake company, and who seems to be the spitting image of Baku. Initially, Asako cannot believe he is a different man, but eventually, she realizes the fact, as much as that Ryohei wants her. The girl is reluctant in the beginning, but after his confession, she starts warming up to him and the two begin a relationship, with the same occurring with Maya and Ryohei's colleague, Kushihashi. Five years later, Baku and Haruyo reemerge.

The narrative approach of having “unremarkable” people experiencing remarkable, somewhat surrealistic events is where the movie “winks” at Murakami, with the overall style, with its almost total lack of action, also pointing the same way. The most interesting part, however, comes with the way deals with the first part, who presents a relationship and a number of behaviors by the characters that are exactly the opposite of how Japanese people usually conduct themselves. The way that Asako and Baku immediately express their feelings for each other and move forward with their relationship is a distinct sample of this approach, as much as the way Haruyo is vocal about her objections.

The second part falls into more “normal” territory, as Asako and Ryohei are reluctant to act on their feelings, with particularly the former being afraid of what will happen if she begins dating a man who looks so much like her ex.

The interactions of the two with their friends, and particularly the scene where the four of them eat together, seems a bit out of context, but at the same time highlights how relationships between men and women can be formed in different ways, a concept that actually extends to all the couples in the film. Furthermore, the various peripheral characters also function as a medium for various sociophilosophical comments, with the concept of acting being presented by Maya and Kushihashi, and the concept of plastic surgery and its effect on the lives of women in particular, by Haruyo.

Another focal point of the narrative is the radical differences between the two relationships Asako strikes. The first one is dream-like, occurring through circumstances that border on the miracle, the very unrealistic if you prefer, with the way the two lovers act (after the accident for example) and the way Baku disappears intensifying this notion. The second one, on the other hand, is the more typical, realistic, and somewhat unremarkable one, that proves though, something that can actually be sustained. The way Asako reacts upon the resurface of Baku seems to imply how difficult leaving your past behind can be, and at the same time, how difficult it is to choose sustainability over the prospect of a dream come true.

The rather intelligent trick of having the same actor playing the two men allows the audience to focus on the aforementioned concepts-dilemmas, by showing that since the two men are so much alike, just the circumstances and Asako's state of mind are the only factors in her decision. That the title uses Asako's name twice is also an interesting game in the same narrative line, as it exhibits how torn she is between the two choices, essentially wishing that there were two of her in order to follow both paths.

as Asako portrays all the aforementioned elements in excellent fashion, through a very fitting, measured performance. The way delivers both male characters is impressive, particularly because they are so different. The fact that he and Karata manage to create two very different, but equally convincing sets of chemistry is one of the movie's best traits. as Haruyo is great as usual, with her characteristic voice helping the most in the delivery of a character who seems to be the only one who moves fast and directly, at all times.

The ending on the other hand, presents Hamaguchi's thoughts about the ideal solution, but, as usually in Japanese dramas, lags significantly, for no apparent reason. Otherwise, however, the movie is quite economical, with Azusa Yamazaki's editing inducing the narrative with a very fitting, mid-tempo that allows Hamaguchi to analyze his characters thoroughly and present all his comments, without lingering on particular scenes.

Visually, the title is impressive, with Yasuyuki Sasaki capturing the melancholia of Asako in the best way through the various different settings, while highlighting the beauties of both the urban and the rural settings. The scene at the beach, the one in the bus and the two revolving around the earthquake are excellently portrayed. The beauty of the visuals also extends to the protagonists, both of whom are quite beautiful (and former models), with the camera taking advantage of the fact in the most appealing way.

“Asako I&II” is an excellent movie, one of the best dramas of the latest years, and a production that combines beauty with meaningful context in the most captivating fashion.  

About the author

Panos Kotzathanasis

My name is Panos Kotzathanasis and I am Greek. Being a fan of Asian cinema and especially of Chinese kung fu and Japanese samurai movies since I was a little kid, I cultivated that love during my adolescence, to extend to the whole of SE Asia.

Starting from my own blog in Greek, I then moved on to write for some of the major publications in Greece, and in a number of websites dealing with (Asian) cinema, such as Taste of Cinema, Hancinema, EasternKicks, Chinese Policy Institute, and of course, Asian Movie Pulse. in which I still continue to contribute.

In the beginning of 2017, I launched my own website, Asian Film Vault, which I merged in 2018 with Asian Movie Pulse, creating the most complete website about the Asian movie industry, as it deals with almost every country from East and South Asia, and definitely all genres.

You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

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