Kaneko Misuzu Monogatari - minna chigatte, minna ii (2012)

Kaneko Misuzu Monogatari

I've just completed watching this movie, and as I write I am crying….this movie was beautiful, sad and well worth watching. This is about the life of the poet Kaneko Teru, from her late teens through her adult life; it portrays her dreams, challenges, her love of poetry and how she protects the people she cares about. We watch her grow from idealistic young woman who, too early, has to mature due to harsh realities of life but she still retains a sense of 'innocence'. That she did not become embittered, and/or self-pitying speaks to her strength of character and thus you come to admire her.

This is a very well written, acted and directed piece of work. It is mature in its portrayal of this woman who because of love consequently makes a decision which profoundly affects her life. I was very impressed with Ueko Aya's acting in the role of Kaneko as she got all the nuances, in my view, and made this sensitive yet strong and beautiful character come to life. All of the actors in this movie gave excellent performances. The characters were so well written that you still were able to sympathize with 'less than likable' characters.

The setting is in the 1920s, and the look and feel is very authentic to that time period, even though the scenes do not change much.

The 'romance' is not central but it is a catalyst; so if you're looking for the traditional love story this is not it. This movie is a sad 'slice of life' but you come to admire the sensitivity of a poet who still is able to dream and write such pure work despite the challenges of her life, and this is where you find optimism and redemption from the injustice in the movie. The pace is a bit fast but given the scope of what has to be covered in the 1 hour and 58 minutes, I think it is fine, especially as the quality of the movies was not affected.

This is a breath of fresh air, amongst the plethora of rehashed dramas and movies in KDrama. A very good watch.

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