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Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata (How to become myself)

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It’s sunday morning, and it’s raining outside…. A good moment to open up the hard drive and look for files I’ve downloaded but haven’t checked yet. Besides the tons of Haromoni@ episodes and Drama’s I have lying in there I still have some Japanese movies which are untouched. Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata (あしたの私のつくり方) was one of ‘m, a scene release with english subs. Search and you’ll find a proper release, a previous release was nuked for not having subs.

I’m still waiting for a proper release of Densen Uta but it looks like that’s going to take a while. I have no idea when that movie will be released on DVD, so don’t ask me. But for now we have this movie. A movie with Riko Narumi and Atsuko Maeda, Riko as acting veteran and Atsuko in her movie debut.
Let’s see if Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata will be a good alternative to feed my AKB48 hunger?

A short summary (possible spoilers) :
The movie starts with Sugitani Juri and Hanada Kanako in their final year of middle school. It’s the tale of two girls faced with that typical adolescent choice, fit in or be cast out. Juri portrays the role of the ideal daughter at home and in school, but is it really the role she wants to play? She admires her popular school classmate Hanada . However, Hanada suddenly becomes the class outcast.
At the school library right after graduation when everyone else is saying their goodbye’s, Juri has had her last chat with Hanada in person, regarding her opinions on lying about your true self. Hanada ends the conversation with a quote from Dazai Osamu;

‘You’re a good liar, so at least do the right thing.’

And that’s what Juri does when she overhears that Hanada is moving. She manages to get Hanada’s mail adress and she feels the urge to help Hanada. She starts sending mails that describe the story of Hina and Kotori, Hina representing Hanada and Kotori representing Juri. Presenting Hina as Juri’s image of a popular girl, she indirectly gives tips and advice on how to fit in the group and be popular, eventually succeeding. Juri herself is having a hard time, she escapes from her family problems (including a divorce between her parents) and has to deal with putting on different ‘masks’.
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Based on a novel by 30-year-old Kaori Mado and directed by Jun Ichikawa, Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata is a film in the category seishun eiga (dramas about teenagers, usually set in or around schools). But Jun Ichikawa goes beyond the clichés associated with seishun eiga’s and focuses on how two girls struggle to define their individual identities in modern Japanese society.And if you haven’t figured out by now, the main characters are played by Riko Narumi and Atsuko Maeda. Riko, who we recgnize of her role as Ako in Ichi Rittoru no Namida and Atsuko of the idol girl group AKB48.
And I must say they play their roles really good in Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata. I was really surprised how Riko Narumo adapts to different roles she has been given in movies and drama’s. She can easily switch from a 10 year old child to someone who looks 18-19. And also in this movie there’s a moment when they face high school and Riko easily looks like a young women.
Atsuko (movie debut btw) mainly plays the role of the bullied in this movie, and she pulls that off perfectly. There’s a scene where Juri mails Hanada for the first time (when they are bathing…) and it’s one of my favorite scene in the whole movie, moment where you can smell the drama and the misery they are facing.

When I watch movies I also look at the ‘technical’ part, perspectives which are used etc. I can’t quite explain it (my english sucks) but there are brilliant moments where they pull off a picture-in-picture effect. Also, when they are mailing each other it switches to this dramatic black screen with just only text.
I may have spoiled many things up until now but the last scene when they actually are video messaging trough their mobile is something you must see. The way they filmed this perfectly fits the movie, and adds up to the dramatic moodie vibe.All in all, Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata was a pleasant surprise. But then again, I’m someone who isn’t hiding away from mooshy-mooshy drama/movies. I’m someone with a soft-heart I guess, and I enjoy watching this.
Lol, why am I telling you this…

Ashita no Watashi no Tsukurikata, give it a chance.

First mail scene

-Frox

© 2008 Japtard.