i really love this tearjerker movie so here’s
why :
first: all the characters introduced and shown each carry a heavy burden in their everyday lives. they’re so deep, and that’s one thing i love in this movie and every characters here, because i realize that every person we encounter always has something they’re going through in life, but they choose to face it, they choose to confront it. so in a world where you can be anything, be kind.
“I don’t want to... lose the meaning of my existence just to prolong my life for a little while.”
second: futaba’s character. this line shows how strong and amazing mothers are. i’m amazed by futaba because despite all the conflicts she had, and she chose to faced them and carry them all.
“Don’t run away. Face them straight on. Stand up for youself or else...”
at this scene, i hated futaba for forcing azumi to go to school even though she doesn’t want to—it turns out she knows what her daughter is going through, that’s why she’s forcing her to go to school—to face it, to stand up for herself, because who else would? because she knows she will no longer be on azumi’s side.
“I’m... inferior to everyone else. I’m not like you at all.”
as a person who also can’t stand up for herself, i get what azumi is saying here. it is so draining. the feeling that all of your emotions are bottling up—rage, insecurities, weaknesses, the things you want to say infront of them. but in the end, you don’t get to say anything anymore—there are no words coming out of your mouth, and instead it’s just all bottling up in your head, in your heart, that’s why it’s hard.
“i have some of your genes after all.”
and azumi proved herself wrong, she’s not inferior, she’s no different from her mother—strong. the thing that she did in front of the class made me speechless because it takes so much courage to do that. it made me proud of her, but not as much as her mother, who saw her daughter come home in her uniform. azumi finally stepped out of her shell, her comfort zone, and faced the judgments and people. it made me realized that everyone else can be courageous, everyone else can.
“From now on... i promise to work harder. I’ll work much harder. So... please... only if it’s okay with you, i’d like to stay here. But still... is it okay if i still love my mom?”
the way all of them are looking for ayuko, while she’s sobbing and saying all of these. my shayla, she’s just a little kid and she doesn’t deserve to experience all of the burden her mother threw at her. also the scene where she saw azumi and futaba hugging each other outside—at that scene, she might also remember her mother and want her love and embrace, because who doesn’t?
third: i love how they show how much love they have for futaba—especially the scene where they surprised her. i cried so much at that scene, i can feel how much futaba means to them, how much they want her to just stay in that moment.
and last: how much i cried and how relatable this movie is—how quiet, solemn, but also painful this movie is. this movie taught me many lessons, made me realized many things in life, and also how unfair it can be.
“She was so special.”
“Futaba?”
“Yes. She made people feel like they’d do anything for her. It’s probably because she made people feel like she’s doing much more for them.”
