wandering japanese movie

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‘Wandering’: Questionable subject matter, handled with care

Japanese films about forbidden love go back decades, but the definition of “forbidden” has changed, if more so abroad than here. Hideo Jojo’s 2022 sex comedy “ Love Nonetheless ” would be a hard sell in Hollywood since its story of a 16-year-old girl pursuing a 30-year-old guy as a marriage partner would raise eyebrows at the pair’s inappropriate age difference.

Fumi Saeki (Tori Matsuzaka) has a Lolita complex, but his interest in Sarasa Kanai (Tamaki Shiratori), a girl he happens to meet, is platonic and the film presents her choice to stay with him as voluntary. Sarasa, who was sexually abused by a male cousin in her aunt’s home after her father’s death and mother’s abandonment, enjoys a new sense of freedom and safety with the tolerant, understanding Fumi, who lets her gorge on ice cream and loll about watching TV. With his arrest, her idyll comes to a jarring end.

Fifteen years later and Sarasa (Suzu Hirose) is working part-time at a restaurant and living with Ryo (Ryusei Yokohama), her marriage-minded salaryman boyfriend. A controlling type, Ryo nonetheless offers a stability that seems attractive to Sarasa’s chatty workmate Kanako (the single-named Shuri), though, Sarasa has her doubts, especially after she meets his conservative family in the countryside.

Sarasa then encounters Fumi at an upscale coffee shop, where he is the proprietor, but he doesn’t recognize her. Rather than reintroduce herself, she becomes a regular customer — and nighttime stalker. When she discovers that Fumi has an adult girlfriend (Mikako Tabe), she begins to feel jealous.

But when Ryo, who knows about her past, learns that she is still obsessed with her alleged kidnapper, he explodes in violent anger. Bloodied and reeling, she finds refuge in Fumi. Recapturing the glow of their happier days, however, will be harder.

Shot with steely precision and elegiac beauty by South Korean cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, who worked on Bong Joon-ho’s Academy Award-winning “Parasite,” the film exists in a visually sumptuous, highly charged world of its own. The story, which alternates between Sarasa’s traumatic girlhood and her troubled present, unfolds on the borders between manga-esque fantasy (Nagira once wrote “boys’ love” comics and their influence shows) and the harsh realities of Japanese society, in which hate on the internet can be overwhelming and everlasting.

All this is familiar territory by now, but Lee, who also scripted the film, elevates it beyond moral melodrama with an intensity and specificity that persuades and engages, despite a tendency toward overwrought theatrics. He is aided by strong performances from Matsuzaka, who makes the damaged and inscrutable Fumi humanly sympathetic, and Hirose, who totally inhabits Sarasa in all her complexity, gut-wrenching guilt included.

The film’s discovery, however, is Shiratori, who plays the young Sarasa with a winning confidence, energy and charm. Bringing a needed light and emotional grounding to the story, she sets “Wandering” on the right, if never straight, path to success.

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Geek Review: Wandering (流浪の月)

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Forgive our, ahem, wild imagination, but we believe this Japanese film has got what it takes to play up the kink factor. Or a sensational crime thriller that involves sex, drugs and murder.

19-year-old university student Fumi sees a nine-year-old girl Sarasa in the park on a rainy day. Soaking wet, Sarasa tells Fumi she lives with her aunt but does not want to return home. What does the teenager do? He brings her to his apartment and they begin living together. We are assuming that most of us would have brought the kid to the police station.

Two months pass as we see Fumi and Sarasa having meals and reading books together. The relationship is platonic and the girl’s choice to stay with the guy seems voluntary. We also learn that Sarasa does not want to return to her aunt’s place because she was sexually abused by her cousin.

One day, when the duo are hanging out in the park one day, where Sarasa is having a relaxing swim in the lake while Fumi simply watches, the police appear. He is arrested for kidnapping and becomes labelled by the public as a dangerous paedophile. No thanks to the countless media reports, the girl is seen as a poor victim.

Fast forward another 15 years. Sarasa seems to be leading a normal life, working part time at a restaurant and living with her fiancé. Fumi has also seemingly moved on – he is the owner of a charming cafe and has an adult girlfriend. The two eventually meet and the past catches up with them.

So you see, this movie, based on Yu Nagira’s bestselling novel, Ruro No Tsuki, could have been a thrilling drama filled with high-strung emotions, but Korean-Japanese filmmaker Lee Sang-il’s latest work is not that kind of movie. Given the questionable subject matter about forbidden love, the film takes a very measured approach and the result is a very subdued film that makes see unconventional relationships from a very normal perspective. There is no exploitative sensationalism, just scene after scene presented with sophisticated elegance.

The 150-minute runtime may be a test of patience for edgy viewers, because there are many sequences that could have been shortened or omitted. But if you’re in the mood to appreciate the gorgeous cinematography by Hong Kyung-pyo, then every second of the slow burning film is a visual treat. You would be enchanted by the light shining through the characters’ apartments and the natural glow of sunlight in the outdoor scenes. It makes Japan a really beautiful country to live in.

Kudos to the ensemble cast as well. Suzu Hirose takes on the role of adult Sarasa, and she makes the character relatable despite the debatable choices she made as a child. The young Sarasa is played by Tamaki Shiratori, and the actress has an enigmatic charisma that makes you empathise with her. Then there is Tori Matsuzaka who portrays Fumi, who has been hiding a dark secret. When the truth is finally revealed in the film’s last act, you may even feel a lump in your throat.

GEEK REVIEW SCORE

Given that the male protagonist of this Japanese film has a Lolita complex, it could have been a movie filled with exploitative sensationalism. But the result is an elegant and beautiful slow-burner that attempts to explore a complicated subject matter.

• Story - 7/10 7/10
• Direction - 7.5/10 7.5/10
• Characterisation - 7/10 7/10
• Geek Satisfaction - 7/10 7/10

John believes there is another world waiting for us. A better world with Blu-ray discs, CDs, fast food, beer and Happy Meal toys. And he will be waiting for you there.

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Wandering (Film Review)

Wandering Film review by David Cirone – Screening as part of the Japan Cuts Film Festival on Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Summary (from the Japan Cuts website )

U.S. Premiere. A sprawling account of the alleged kidnapping of a nine-year-old young girl by a university student and the years-long repercussions of the event, Wandering delves into the gray area of the circumstances in question. 15 years after their initial encounter, Sarasa runs into her accused captor Fumi, bringing forth a deluge of memories and recollections. Based on the novel by Yu Nagira, Wandering dwells on challenging ethical and moral complexities with director Sang-il Lee ( Villain, Rage ) offering no easy answers in this compelling, thought-provoking drama. Recommended for mature audiences.

Wandering (original title: Ruro no Tsuki , or Wandering Moon ) tells a compelling story about two people trying to live conventional lives while fighting against their true natures, both longing for the past while dealing with the obligations of the present.

Adapted from Yu Nagira’s novel and directed by Sang-il Lee ( Hula Girls ), Wandering presents an amazing showcase for its two lead actors – Suzu Hirose as Sarasa, a 24-year-old adult who is haunted by the tragic events of her childhood, and Tori Matsuzaka as Fumi, a coffee shop owner trying to start an adult relationship 15 years after losing his connection to Sarasa as a young girl.

Hirose fill the early minutes with the complex nuances of a woman going through the motions of life: saying the right things and smiling at the right time. She has a “perfect” engagement to a handsome young businessman, Ryo, and does her best to fit in with the gossiping wives at her restaurant job. When a late night stop for coffee with her best friend and single mom Kanako (played with much-needed vigor by Shuri Mizutani) accidentally reunites Sarasa with Fumi, the tension in Hirose’s eyes is magnetic . Matsuzaka is completely believable throughout as the repressed young man whose desire for emotional connection defies social norms.

Lee’s relaxed direction throughout the film gives us room to attach to these great performances , and the lingering mix of dread and hope following this chance meeting is the best part of the film. Unfortunately, a major reveal mid-way brings an early climax to the tension, and the film settles in for nearly an hour of voice over confessions and meditations on life, society, and romance. Moreover, the script forces Ryusei Yokohama to play Ryo as a one-note villain.

With beautiful cinematography by Hong Kyung-pyo and a gentle score by Marihiko Hara, Wandering frames the protagonists as misunderstood innocents abused by society. But the characters seem ignorant of the results their actions will cause. There’s a particularly strange sequence where Sarasa brings her best friend’s young daughter into the situation without thought of repercussions. When Sarasa and Fumi confess their secret flaws, they become strikingly empathetic, but the puzzling plot points throw our connection with them off balance.

Despite a weak second half, Wandering features stunning emotional performances that will stay with you long after the film’s over.

Japan Cuts 2023 Presented by Japan Society (New York) July 26 — August 6, 2023 https://japansociety.org/film/japancuts/

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Japan Cuts: Wandering, A Devastatingly Beautiful Film About Society’s Obsession With Labels

The line-up for the 2023 edition of JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film includes the film Wandering , also released with the title The Wandering Moon . The movie directed by Lee Sang-il is based on the novel Rurou no Tsuki by Yuu Nagira, winner of 17 th Japan Booksellers’ Award in 2020.

Fate brings together two lone wanderers. These are the introductory words to a disturbingly awakening picture about the way appearances may be deceiving.  

Fumi Saeki (Tori Matsuzaka), is a student who, on a rainy afternoon, meets a little girl named Sarasa Kanai (Tamaki Shiratori) in a park. She is all alone and does not want to go back home to her aunt, with whom she lives. Fumi takes Sarasa to his apartment where they live together for two months. What is shown is a pure and caring interaction between them, that implies no sexuality or abuse of any kind. Yet Fumi is accused of kidnapping a minor and branded by society as a dangerous person. Fifteen years after this incident, Sarasa is working at a restaurant and living with her boyfriend Ryo (Ryusei Yokohama), whose controlling nature gives into violence. One evening Sarasa goes out with a friend, after work, and they end up in a mystifying coffee place called Calico. She discovers it is run by Fumi. The young man has a a girlfriend, Ayumi Tani (Mikako Tabe), who ignores his past. Circumstances suddenly bring Fumi and Sarasa back together and the two find themselves in the eye of the storm once more, when the young woman is entrusted by her friend, Kanako Anzai (Shuri), with her ten year old daughter Rika (Mio Masuda).

In Wandering there is a cameo by Akira Emoto, winner of the Japanese Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Dr. Akagi . His appearance, albeit instantaneous, is particularly influential in setting the tone of the film. He plays a character who Sarasa fleetingly meets, before seeing Fumi after over a decade. The elderly man runs an antique shop below the coffee place and, as Sarasa admires a Baccarat glass, he tells her how things are like humans: we meet, part, then meet again.

Throughout the narrative a deluge of memories and recollections intertwine, retracing the connection between Fumi and Sarasa, that challenges moral complexities where there are no resolute answers. The film keeps you wondering if Sarasa suffers from Stockholm Syndrome and if Fumi ever acted inappropriately towards the young girl. But since the film is not coy in showing moments of sex — for instance the ones between Sarasa and Ryo — the fact that there is no allusion whatsoever to Fumi abusing the minor, leads audiences to believe that this bond was one that society could not understand and decided to sully. However, the psychological intricacy that makes the drama even more compelling and thought-provoking is how Fumi admits to having a fascination for little girls, possibly one that was never expressed. There is no black or white definition to the nature of the relationship between these two individuals, who share a repulsion for sexuality, and this makes the film far from banal and exceptionally heartrending.

At one point in the story Fumi reads some poetry that perfectly captures the way he experiences being in the world:

“From childhood’s hour I have not been  

As others were —I have not seen  

As others saw — I could not bring  

My passions from a common spring —  

From the same source I have not taken  

My sorrow — I could not awaken  

My heart to joy at the same tone —  

And all I lov’d — I lov’d alone —  

Then — in my childhood — in the dawn  

Of a most stormy life — was drawn  

From ev’ry depth of good and ill  

The mystery which binds me still —”  

Edgar Allan Poe’s verse mirrors not only Fumi’s state of mind but also the construction of Sarasa’s identity. She was alone while society was labelling her as a victim. But already as a child we had a glimpse of her fortitude and independence of thought. Fumi was the one who allowed little Sarasa to release her inner spirit. The ten year old girl obliged Fumi to eat pizza and ice-cream and preferred to read Poe’s poetry instead of the more conventional children classic Anne of Green Gables .  

Adulthood proves to be far from being liberating. Social constructions and expectations are the cause of self-censorship. Sarasa the woman eventually forced herself into a quiet acceptance of situations, until she met Fumi again. Thanks to him she finds the strength to break free from her cage, emerging as a gentle fighter who never ceases to be benevolent to all those around her.  

In a time when there is much debate about overthrowing the patriarchy, Wandering sends a feminist message from the male gender, proving how men should be part of this conversation. When Sarasa and Fumi are separated, the young man tells her “ You belong to yourself, don’t let anyone own you .” This is just one of several humanising instants in the film.

In his latest work, Lee Sang-il masters the complexity of the human spirit and how people have the tendency to remain on the surface of things. Members of society only see what they want to see, and this may cause tremendous distress to individuals who are difficult to categorise. Once your reputation is compromised there is no going back. Yet if chance allows a vibrational match between two people, they can find the courage to follow their own…wandering.

Final Grade: A

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Trailer: ‘Wandering’

‘Wandering’ (流浪の月) is a 2022 Japanese mystery drama written and directed by Lee Sang-Il.

By Phil Mills   |   Apr 14, 2022

‘Wandering’ (流浪の月) is a 2022 Japanese mystery drama written and directed by Lee Sang-Il .

Based on a novel by Yuu Nagira, the film revolves around a university student who attempts to help a young girl and winds up being labelled as a kidnapper. The cast includes Suzu Hirose , Tori Matsuzaka , Ryusei Yokohama, Mikako Tabe , and Shuri.

Synopsis: On a rainy evening, 19-year-old university student Fumi Saeki happens to meet 9-year-old Sarasa Kanai in the park. Kanai is soaking wet and separated from her parents. She lives with her aunt, but she tells Saeki that she doesn’t want to go back home. Saeki takes Kanai to his apartment and they live together for the next 2 months. Saeki is then arrested for kidnapping and labelled as a dangerous man while Kanai is labelled as a victim. 15 years later, Kanai (Suzu Hirose) and Saeki (Tori Matsuzaka) happen to meet each other again. [Source: AsianWiki]

‘Wandering’ opens across Japan on May 13, 2022.

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On a rainy evening, 19-year-old university student Fumi happens across a soaking wet 9-year-old Sarasa in the park. She is separated from her parents and lives with her aunt, but she tells Fumi that she doesn't want to go home. Fumi offers an umbrella and invites Sarasa to his apartment, where they live together for the next two months. The two lonely souls seem to have finally found a place in the world together until the police arrest him as her kidnapper and presumed abuser.  Fifteen years later, the two meet again. However, they both have shouldered too much pain, guilt, and suffering from being labeled a ‘poor victim’ and a ‘dangerous pedophile,’ respectively. The truth of their unconventional relationship that slowly emerges is both shocking and heartbreaking.

Based on Yu Nagira's best-selling novel, nominated for six Japanese Academy Awards, including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress. 

WARNING: CONTAINS DISTURBING THEMES, ADULT CONTENT, AND BRIEF NUDITY. NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL VIEWERS 

©2022 “Wandering“ Film Partners

General: $13.27+HST JCCC member: $11.50+HST No exchange or refund.

In Japanese with English Subtitles

Accessibility Links

When 19-year-old university student Fumi offers 10-year-old Sarasa an umbrella, the girl ends up staying at Fumi’s place for two months. They seem to form a deep connection until Fumi is suspected of kidnapping. Based on a novel by NAGIRA Yuu, known for her BL (boys love) novels. Cinematography by HONG Kyung-pyo (Burning, Parasite) (Synopsys from Camera Japan Festival)

『流浪の月』 Available to stream on (subject to change): n/a [This film is NOT available to stream on SAKKA. We do not own the copyright, and this page is for informative purposes only.]

Lee Sang-il

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2022 ‘流浪の月’ Directed by Lee Sang-il

In a park on a rainy evening, a 19-year-old university student, Fumi, offers an umbrella to a soaking wet 10-year-old girl, Sarasa. Realizing her reluctance to go home, Fumi lets her stay in his place, where she spends the next two months in peace.

Suzu Hirose Tori Matsuzaka Ryusei Yokohama Mikako Tabe Shuri Takahiro Miura Tamaki Shiratori Yayako Uchida Akira Emoto Mio Masuda

Director Director

Lee Sang-il

Writer Writer

Original writer original writer, cinematography cinematography.

Hong Kyung-pyo

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Satomi Odake

Releases by Date

30 apr 2022, 14 oct 2022, 13 may 2022, 18 aug 2022, 06 oct 2022, 18 jan 2023, releases by country.

• Theatrical IIB
• Theatrical G

South Korea

• Premiere Jeonju International Film Festival
• Theatrical 15
• Premiere Kaohsiung Film Festival

150 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Randa ★★★★

Even though it felt like a long movie, I still felt that every moment of the movie had quality in it. The stories of couples who have suffered different pains. Encountered with the stigma of society in different ways With all the hard work of each actor, whether Suzu Hirose , Tori Matsusaka and Ryusei Yokohama , the film has both beautiful photography work. There are both beautiful background music that fascinates. Become another Japanese movie this year that invites you to feel that it is worth watching.

Final Score : 80% 🍎

Review by ALISTAIR LEACH 4

Final film seen in the Japan Touring programme.

I'm not leaving a rating as this is really complex, problematic and powerful. It's one of the first films in years I am really undecided on. I will say, this is a very brave film.

OK to get this out of the way first, this is again a film about sexual and physical abuse, the effect of trauma over a lifetime, grooming and pedophilia from the POV of the "predator" and the "victim".

Considering what the film is saying and what it is about, I am not recommending this to anyone, these are some objective thoughts about a very problematic subject the film tries to examine.

This is a very competently made…

Review by Meyoan ★★★½

Wait so is he really a pedophile, but the good kind? Or is he just pretending to be one?

Review by DonnieDarko666 ½ 2

This was 150 minutes of hell that I forced myself to sit through.

Dear Mr. Lee, I do not want to sympathize and/or understand a pedophile, even if he is a non-acting one. Knowing that he has those thoughts in his head while looking at the 9 year old girl is disgusting enough.

Someone who has pedophile thoughts in his head should be locked away, as no one is able to guarantee that he never touches an inmocent kid.

A 19 year old man should not live together with a 9 year old girl., this is not debatable and no one should try to understand this and feel sympathy for such a man.

All technical aspects and the acting were brilliant but this did not matter to me.

Review by Umechan ★★★★ 9

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

First, I want to share Fumi's medical condition so that those curious can check it out.

It is an intersex condition called Klinefelter syndrome where a male has an additional copy of the X chromosome. Wiki says --> The primary features are infertility and small, poorly functioning testicles.. May have weaker muscles, greater height, poor motor coordination, less body hair, breast growth, and less interest in sex.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klinefelter_syndrome

Disclaimer: I'm the avid lover of the original novel. So, I'll skip the plot. But I'm not purist so my unsatisfaction has nothing to do with cutting some important (feminist) parts of the novel.

1. God, Shuri is awfully overacting throughout.  2. Editing is noticeably bad. Some cuts are just…

Review by edil 10

Shattering. He literally topped Villain. I love films that challenge me, and this fucked me up really bad. 150 minutes passed by like a dream. To craft something with such high tension, by diving deep into the moral limits of humanity, the darkest things that are usually shunned and never talked about, Lee Sang-il, you have my attention. Call me a fan.  

SPOILERS AHEAD.

I was so on board till the end of the 2nd act, it was moving towards 5 star territory, and maybe it still is, since it moved me to such an extent, but I just wish everything didn't collapse in the 3rd act. The ketchup scene!!!?? Whyyy!? So he *was* a pedophile, just a non-offending…

Review by al pacino ★★★

pedofilia adalah topik yg sangat serius dan perlu pendalaman yg kuat untuk melihat perspektif dari korban dan pelakunya. tp di Wandering , justru tidak ada penjelasan konkrit terkait perilaku menyimpang Fumi . dimana, dibeberapa adegan justru makin memperkuat kalau fumi adalah seorang pedofil. dan itu mengerikan.

disisi lain, Wandering memang lebih dalam mengulik karakter seorang Sarasa dalam strugglenya akibat dibuang oleh ibunya dan abusive relationship bersama tunagannya. sehingga Sarasa menemukan zona nyamannya di Fumi. karakter Sarasa begitu tersiksa, dan dari awal sampai akhir perjalanan penjelasan “sebab akibat” dari perilakunya cukup bagus diperlihatkan. and Suzu Hirose gives one of the best performances i’ve seen in 2022.

panjangnya durasi, namun terdapat “kejomplangan” penjelasan dasar perilaku karakter antara Sarasa dan Fumi membuat menyisakan banyak pertanyaan dari sisi Fumi, yg diperparah oleh isu pedofil itu sendiri.

Review by Ashlea💧🦎🐜 ★★★½

An uncomfortable yet fascinating watch with a breakthrough performance from Suzu Hirose. I had no idea this film was about a non-offending paedophile and his relationship with an abused and neglected young girl. I do like films that challenge me, and this certainly did that.

Review by Alfin Ramdhani ½

I just wasted two hours of my life watching this unwatchable movie about a male pedophile.

At first, I thought Wandering  was just had a hard time telling a story about pedophillia, but on the second act I realized it was trying to challenge our perspective about a relationship between an older male and a little girl—and it was executed poorly. The characters within this movie, Fumi and Sarasa, often made poor choices because it’s trying to tackle the dynamics between the two main characters and the abusive relationship between Sarasa and his fiancé at the same time.

I also want to highlight how the story felt inconsistent and stupid on its third act. The way they handled Fumi throughout the movie to become…

Review by Alicia Haddick ★★★½ 1

Overall a great film, but one with an ending that skirts the risk of ruining it all. It depends how you interpret that moment and the implications of it towards the sensitive subject matter around the relationship between its main characters. I think the movie contextualizes it within otherness and the stories people tell without knowing the truth to play towards the idea this was them fully opening up to the one person who trusted them all these years, but I can’t deny that the deft way this film covers it’s subject didn’t need to be muddied by this twist regardless of how you interpret it.

Otherwise I think this is a thoughtful look at a taboo subject. When 10-year-old…

Review by anglek ★★★★½ 2

ภายนอกดูเป็นโลลิคอน รักเด็ก พาตัว เชื่อว่าหลายคนพอรู้แบบนี้แล้วคงรู้สึกขยะแขยงเป็นแน่ แต่ก่อนที่คุณจะแขยงเราอยากให้คุณเปิดใจรับฟังเรื่องราวของพวกเขาก่อน แล้วคุณจะรู้ว่ามันมีอะไรลึกซึ้งมากกว่านั้น

ใดๆ คือหนังเรื่องนี้ไม่ใช่หนังใคร่เด็กแต่เป็นหนังการก้าวผ่านความเจ็บปวดนะคุณ

Review by Moresbi ★★★★★ 2

There's no other way to put it, I loved this movie <3

It's so esquisitely shot, at times, really stunning and beautiful. The sound/score and so on, is also beautiful and effective, also emotional and very adequate to the moment. The acting is superb, led by Suzu Hiroze and Tori Matsuzaka but also Ryusei Yokohama and even Tamaki Shiratori. The plot is intriguing, deep and bold, as it's unafraid to take it's time tackling several topics, which I thought it succeed at. At two and half hours, the movie might be long in length but I never thought it dragged and it might be slow, at times, but it doesn't stray from its path. It just takes as long as it takes.

Definitely one of my favorites this year! ^_^

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Review: Wandering [Japan Cuts 2023]

In Villain , director Lee spent a lot of time pondering which of the characters truly lived up to the title. Lee’s screenplay for WANDERING never quite answers any of these questions here, and for many audience members it will be clear cut. Indeed, while it is always clear that Fumi’s relationship with the young Sarasa is platonic, it is hard not to feel that, at least at times, Lee has crafted this as a sympathetic portrayal of pedophilia. 

Lee’s film is more nuanced than that, of course, although one might never feel fully comfortable watching this play out. Ostensibly, Lee wants us to view Fumi and Sarasa through the lens of a complicated relationship. Through flashbacks, in which the young Tamaki Shiratori becomes a clear standout in the cast, it emerges that Sarasa has been the subject of abuse at the hands of a teenage cousin. Later in life, the pattern repeats with Ryo, a unquestionably toxic partner who responds destructively when pushed.     

On a technical level, the film is quite striking. Shot by Hong Kyung-pyo, recently of Parasite and Broker fame, it’s full of striking lush colours at times, and stark cityscapes at others. The streets of the city are cast in all their overlapping detail, with Hong and Lee bringing their own complexity into sharp focus.

While there have been many readings about the moral complexity of the film, in the end the material never quite sat right with me. Landing on the idea that Fumi just “couldn’t love an adult woman,” Lee ultimately wants us to see this as a tragic tale with a glimmer of hope. It leaves the duo adrift, wondering how society will judge them. “If someone finds us,” declares Sarasa, “we’ll just wander again.”

2022  |  Japan  | DIRECTOR: Lee Sang-il | WRITERS: Lee Sang-il (based on a book by Yuu Nagira) | CAST: Suzu Hirose, Tori Matsuzaka, Ryusei Yokohama, Tamaki Shiratori | DISTRIBUTOR: JAPAN CUTS | RUNNING TIME: 150 minutes | RELEASE DATE: 26 July-6 August 2023 (JAPAN CUTS)

About The Author

Richard Gray

Editor of TheReelBits . You can see Richard's unfiltered train of thought on Twitter @DVDBits . His complete film diary is on Letterboxd . Richard's book, Moving Target: The History and Evolution of Green Arrow is out now from Sequart .

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