Blue SpringMedhansh Kaushik10.0· November 19, 2024FollowDirector-Toyoda Toshiaki.I assumed this film a to be humanistic take on the juvenile gang's genre but it was much deeper.This film is instead about several high school kids as they try to find the answers to existential questions they have, in their own ways.The film was written by Toshiaki Toyoda as well.The film was originally written by Matsumoto Taiyo who is also the mangaka of ping pong that I think had quite a distinct animation and story style, when i read it. The film was edited by Kusakabe Mototaku who has also worked on the Kirishima Thing, Hanging Garden, Fly On, etc. I haven't heard of any films he has worked on so he might have not gotten great projects.The film was shot by Kasamatsu Norimichi who has also worked on August in the Water, Angel Dust, Crazy Thunder Road, etc. This shows that he had worked with Japanese punk filmmaker Gakuryuu Ishii on more than one occasions. This might be the reason why the film is shot so well, Norimichi is great at his job.The sound was done by Kakizawa Kiyoshi who has also worked on the Grudge, Dark Water, 9 Souls, etc. This might explain why the film had a touch of scary to its atmosphere. The film managed to grip me from the first scene itself that many films haven't been able to, and is shot impeccably. The soundtrack is played at certain points such as inciting incidents elevate the film's atmosphere even more.The film sits well in the "Listless Youths of Japan" subgenre. Nowadays depression and other mental illnesses are on the rise in the youth due to the times we live in and their chances of loneliness are higher too, the film manages to explore this psyche of their's quite well.The film is an excellent coming-of-age story that deals with themes related to aimlessness and lack of purpose in this world. While the ones who may have a clue, are either struggling to achieve their goals or have no clue about how to achieve them, this leads them to utilize violence as a means of getting some control in their lives. They are burdened with the aspirations of their parents leading them to take more drastic steps.The way they resort to playing death games as a means of trying to find the answer is quite amusing while realistic as it may be the only time they have complete control over their lives. They might also be playing such games as a means of getting an adrenaline rush. This can also be seen when the students are shown to be fighting. It isn't shot voyeuristically but they appear to be enjoying the carnage.The film has an introspective quality to it leading us to self-reflection. It also shows us the clashing of the characters' inner and outer worlds quite well while also showing us what happens when people try to hide their true selves for too long, they resort to sudden bursts of senseless violence.The film also sheds light on what shrugging one's responsibilities leads to for others. The people start to rise due to the lack of a top dog which in turn leads to more conflicts as there is no one to stop them in their tracks.The film also sheds light on how there is no true escape from one's life no matter how hard one tries. The school has this anarchist quality with the teachers having nothing to say to late coming students while the students who get into fights face no consequence. It appears that the school has no rules and the education the kids get there isn't stimulating leading everyone to slack off and pay no attention.The metaphor for some flowers being unable to bloom, for kids who die before reaching adulthood was quite intriguing. It might also be a metaphor for wasted potential i.e. kids who are amounting to nothing need to die for others to get a chance to move forward. One mustn't stick around after their welcome is starting to run dry as now one is just a waste of space.The ending of this film feels like a punch to the gut with the protagonist finally breaking free from the shackles of wanting to be a mere observer and becoming someone who finally takes matters into his own hands, only for him to lose the reins when it most counted.CommentsSign in to react and join the conversation.Sign inGet the app