As we follow the stories about people growing up and making their first tentative steps into the adult world, it is also a look back at our own past, how we felt at that point in our lives and how we would go on to define our lives, and thus our happiness. With schools focusing on career and opportunities, happiness is often regarded as a secondary gal, even though you might argue it is the one which becomes increasingly important as we take that aforementioned look back. However, it is pretty hard to figure out what happiness is and what it might mean for us – a question which is at the heart of actress Elaiza Ikeda's directing debut “Town Without Sea”. The blend of drama and coming-of-age story follows the story of two friends, as they try to figure out what happiness means for them and if their friendship is part of that concept.
Town Without Sea is screening at Japan Cuts
Sho (Yuki Kura) and Taiga (Roi Ishiuchi) have been friends since childhood, studying together and taking part in the taiko troupe drumming workshop in their hometown Takegawa. The highlight of each year is the summer festival which brings a special performance by their troupe. However, this year might be the last for Taiga as he plans to quit drumming and focus on his studies, considering after the summer holidays there will be important exams at their high school. While he respects his friend's decisions, Sho is quite sad about Taiga quitting the group, feeling this would be the beginning of the end for their friendship. As his class has to take a test about their future plans, he is forced to consider his own plans for his life, a matter he has not spent that much time thinking about, and thus would rather ignore.
However, as his grandfather tells him about the importance of finding happiness in life, and also define it, Sho embarks on a journey through his hometown to find out what this concept could mean to him. As he and Taiga meet Miyako (Nari Saito), a young girl who struggles with her passion for music, realizing the themes people want to hear about in her songs are not what she wants to talk about, both of them come face to face with the realities of their friendship and the truth about Taiga quitting drumming.
Whereas many coming-of-age stories are defined by a multitude of conflicts which further the protagonist's development, Elaiza Ikeda focuses more on the emotional turmoils of her two main characters. Their environment seems very supportive of their dreams for their future, whatever these may include, and their passion for drumming is indicative of both, their friendship and their dedication for something, which is why Sho takes it rather personally when his friend decides to quit drumming. As the bond between the two becomes the core of the feature, actors Yuki Kura and Roi Ichiuchi rise to the task of carrying the majority of the action on their shoulders, with their scenes being defined by their believable chemistry, for example, when they play the drums together.
However, their differences also become obvious over time. With Sho being rather content with his life in the small town, his friend's search for stability, an understandable idea given his background, is irritating to him. Ikeda tackles the notion of friendship very sensitively, highlighting how it may falter or progress during the turmoils of life and how a person develops. The concept of happiness, as presented in the movie, along with the various side character being essentially stations on the characters' development, is simple, but fits the overall light tone of the narrative.
In the end, “Town Without Sea” is a rather enjoyable coming-of-age movie. Even though its tone is light, the way Elaiza Ikeda's feature deals with issues such as friendship and family is quite profound, and supported by the talented cast of her directing debut.
