as someone who understands financial hardship felt less like watching a movie and more like looking into a distorted mirror. sumida, a teenager who dreams of living an ordinary life despite being surrounded by neglect, violence, and instability—his desire to be "normal" resonated deeply with me because poverty often makes even the simplest dreams feel unattainable.
what struck me the most was how this film captures the emotional consequences of poverty. the adults around sumida are broken by their circumstances, while the youth inherits the weight of problems they never created. there is no glamorous depiction of hardship here; every scene feels heavy with frustration, reflecting how poverty can trap people in cycles of anger, hopelessness, and desperation.
this was a difficult watch for me—not because it was poorly made, but because it felt painfully too close to home. it understands that poverty is not simply a lack of money; it is the constant burden of uncertainty, the feeling of being left behind, and the struggle to maintain dignity in a world that often overlooks the vulnerable.
as someone who understands financial hardship felt less like watching a movie and more like looking into a distorted mirror. sumida, a teenager who dreams of living an ordinary life despite being surrounded by neglect, violence, and instability—his desire to be "normal" resonated deeply with me because poverty often makes even the simplest dreams feel unattainable.
what struck me the most was how this film captures the emotional consequences of poverty. the adults around sumida are broken by their circumstances, while the youth inherits the weight of problems they never created. there is no glamorous depiction of hardship here; every scene feels heavy with frustration, reflecting how poverty can trap people in cycles of anger, hopelessness, and desperation.
this was a difficult watch for me—not because it was poorly made, but because it felt painfully too close to home. it understands that poverty is not simply a lack of money; it is the constant burden of uncertainty, the feeling of being left behind, and the struggle to maintain dignity in a world that often overlooks the vulnerable.
