Boxing seems to be a compelling topic in Japan lately, as another filmmaker, after Takashi Miike with “First Love” (2019) or Sho Miyake with “Small, Slow But Steady” (2022), decided to use it as a background to tell a story. Naoto Kawashima is a film director, writer, and actor, whose feature debut, “Takasaki Graffiti”, premiered in Japan in 2018. However, his second film, “Welcome Back”, was presented to a broader audience, as it was nominated for the Competition 1-2 Award at the 40th Warsaw International Film Festival.
Teru (Kaito Yoshimura) and Ben (Yugo Mikawa) grew up together and consider themselves brothers. Teru is a boxer with the chance to win the rookie of the year title, while Ben is his biggest fan. In the decisive match, Teru loses to Kitazawa (Yoshinori Miyata), which results in his retirement from boxing. Ben, unable to accept it, picks up Teru’s gloves and heads to Osaka to fight Kitazawa. During the long journey, the revaluation of their relationship happens.
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Kawashima takes the audience on a trip through locations he once travelled as a hitch-hiker – Kawasaki, Atami, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, and Osaka. Because both protagonists experience inner transformation caused by various events and conversations, “Welcome Back” can be considered a road movie. Thanks to the right amount of humour, especially through the exchange of words between Teru and Aoyama (Yuya Endo), the Japanese writer-director manages to balance out the serious themes, like Ben having problems with social interactions or the poor living conditions of boxers in Japan. These opposing elements make the ride not only enjoyable, but also moving.
As the two lead actors display their prominent acting skills, stand-out performances are one of the film’s advantages. Kaito Yoshimura is arrogant and moody, but caring in his own wayTeru, and Yugo Mikawa is socially awkward, but incredibly determined Ben. What’s more, a much welcomed responsible and tender attitude to the turbulent dynamic between Teru and Ben is provided by Yuya Endo with his supporting role of kind and helpful Aoyama. Unfortunately, the underdevelopment of Kitazawa, who is simply presented as the bad guy, represents a missed opportunity to add some more depth to the story.
Being not only the director, but also the writer and editor, Kawashima, supported by the effective cinematography by Ryuto Iwabuchi, as well as fitting music by Yosuke Nagao, could make sure that his work’s style is exciting, but also slows down when needed. The whole experience is consistent but not monotonous, as some scenes deviate from the overall aesthetic of the film, like the retrospective scene in black-and-white or a dynamic camera work during the first fighting scene.
Even though being a little simplistic, “Welcome Back” is a captivating experience thanks to its sincerity and directness in storytelling. The director ensures that the narrative is presented efficiently, and the bond between Teru and Ben is portrayed with nuance, showing how they base their identity and purpose on each other. Dabbling on the complex nature of relationships, the film leaves the viewer with a question, who needs whom more?
