Sometimes it is difficult to define a relationship, and sometimes there’s no need to. To decide whether a friendship is purely platonic or something more is an imaginary duty. Society pressures us to get married and have kids. It creates a significant line separating friendships from love. And since marriage is an urgent milestone in contemporary Japanese culture, guilt builds up when one’s not in the “right” direction. “My Love is Not Transparent”, a 2023 short film directed by emerging filmmaker Wakana Asada, represents a small attempt to dive into these young insecurities caused by societal pressure.
My Love is Not Transparent is screening at Japan FilmFest Hamburg
Enna (Coco Yukino) and Asahi (Kaede Fujimoto) live together. They are friends, neither a family nor a couple, but everybody thinks there’s something between them. As they share everything, the people around them are convinced they might be a couple or assume their relationship is short-lived. However, Enna and Asahi try to prove no romantic feelings are involved. While doing so, they navigate today’s pressure on marriage and explore their desires and goals for the future. In the meantime, the pair’s daily life works as the starting point and motive that keeps the short film going.
“My Love is Not Transparent” presents itself as an attempt to understand our endearing feelings towards others and distinguish love from pure friendship while challenging contemporary Japanese social norms and peer pressure culture. But while exploring this specific national landscape, the short film brings out a universal message that questions the definition of relationships, feelings, and shared boundaries. By doing so, it also depicts the importance of not being ashamed about one’s identity, whether it is possible or not to find a name for it.
The cast, especially the protagonists, show incredible chemistry, which helps shape a realistic portrayal. Although their characters are not thoroughly explored, their differences and bonds distinctly show. In the background, no particular music attracts attention, but one of the most relevant accompaniments is the endearing silences or natural noises. Thanks to this aspect, Asada’s story becomes an immersive tale, where the protagonists’ world represents one of their own.
To that extent, the photography particularly stands out. Asada’s work relies on the images of sharing spaces, understanding glances, and the quietness of co-living. Not many conversations are held, but the few distinguish themselves by making clear and powerful statements. Although confusion is in the air, the protagonists and the characters accompanying them through this self-discovery journey precisely underline what they want and think.
Coming off as an intriguing international debut, “My Love is Not Transparent” is an example of imagery taking up more space. Words get shunned to put images more in evidence, which become the real message bearers. To understand the world of Enna and Asahi, it is necessary to co-live with them and observe them in their most genuine depiction and as profoundly as possible. Through their eyes, prejudices fall apart.
“My Love is Not Transparent” questions everything we consider a real relationship. Starting from the specific, that is, Japanese values, the story becomes like a semi-open window showing another perspective, universal and global. We may know nothing about how interpersonal relationships are defined, but in the meantime, it is crucial to learn how to live them. To do so, this short film already shows great screenwriting maturity.
