This movie won't appeal to anyone seeking the typical American style version of schoolgirl drama. It was subtle and delicate. Attention was paid to detail. Dignity and respect and sensitivity were all given their just due. This movie isn't about the prurient details of learning about and exploring ones own sexuality. It's about learning to separate feelings and emotions. The plot is not a complex one. But it's nonetheless compelling. And there are at least a couple of instances where you really don't know where it's going to go. And that's where it also differs from an American counterpart. It resists going down the potential darker path. So it leaves you with a positive feeling for the potential future of the characters. I thought the acting was good. And I found myself really feeling for some of the characters. This movie has more depth than the poster picture implies. I liked it.
3 Reviews
Schoolgirl Complex
frostbow9 June 2023
Manami (Morikawa Aoi) is the president of the radio broadcasting club, and is a host on the school radio channel. She also has a second hobby in that she finds it fascinating to sneak around and look at other girls, especially one called Chiyuki. Chiyuki joins the club, but does not participate much, because she is a "bad girl", and seems to have personal problems.
For the cultural festival, Manami decides to make a radio program where the club will read from the book Schoolgirl by Dazai Osamu, because Chiyuki seems to like him. But because of Chiyuki's antisocial behaviour, conflicts arise in the radio club.
A small problem is the casting. Morikawa Aoi is super cute. She is also very small, and seems very shy. She is a fine actress, but it's hard to imagine how her character ended up as the club president, because Manami does not have any leadership skills at all. Chiyuki is also larger, so it is hard to imagine Manami as her senior, though such pairings happen in real life of course. Of all interactions between characters, those between Manami and Chiyuki are the most interesting.
Furthermore, I can't avoid making a comparison to when Shida Mirai played a radio host in the TV series 14-year-old Mother, and did it with much more energy.
It is also unclear what it is all about. There's some romance, but less than one would expect. The purpose of the movie still eludes me. Maybe I will get it if I watch it another couple of times, or by analyzing the book by Dazai Osamu.
An interesting part is the activity of the radio club. They are surprisingly serious about training their voices, with exercises that are no joke, almost like if it is a sport. This also explains why they look down on Chiyuki so much.
The high point is clearly the reading event. It may be unusual that the climax of a movie is a few girls sitting on a stage, reading from a paper. Their reading skill is just supreme.
For the cultural festival, Manami decides to make a radio program where the club will read from the book Schoolgirl by Dazai Osamu, because Chiyuki seems to like him. But because of Chiyuki's antisocial behaviour, conflicts arise in the radio club.
A small problem is the casting. Morikawa Aoi is super cute. She is also very small, and seems very shy. She is a fine actress, but it's hard to imagine how her character ended up as the club president, because Manami does not have any leadership skills at all. Chiyuki is also larger, so it is hard to imagine Manami as her senior, though such pairings happen in real life of course. Of all interactions between characters, those between Manami and Chiyuki are the most interesting.
Furthermore, I can't avoid making a comparison to when Shida Mirai played a radio host in the TV series 14-year-old Mother, and did it with much more energy.
It is also unclear what it is all about. There's some romance, but less than one would expect. The purpose of the movie still eludes me. Maybe I will get it if I watch it another couple of times, or by analyzing the book by Dazai Osamu.
An interesting part is the activity of the radio club. They are surprisingly serious about training their voices, with exercises that are no joke, almost like if it is a sport. This also explains why they look down on Chiyuki so much.
The high point is clearly the reading event. It may be unusual that the climax of a movie is a few girls sitting on a stage, reading from a paper. Their reading skill is just supreme.
Well done foreign coming of age film.
jmpomaha11 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Looking at the movie poster you may think this is a typical (by American standards) teen sexploitation film. It is not. It is a coming of age tale set in an all girls school in Japan. The writing and dialogue are well done and realistic. The situations between the two main protagonists seemed real in every way. The acting by the girls was first rate. SPOILER ALERT! -- Perhaps the weakest part of the film is a scene at the end during the Arts Festival where several of the girls' openly profess desire for one another. I found this part a bit suspect knowing the Japanese predilection of saving face. However, because of that cultural taboo it made the scene string than some alternative.
SPOILER ALERT! -- If you are looking for lesbian T&A, explicit sexuality and situations, then this is not your film. It is deceiving in that way and I believe it may be the reason for the lower ratings by some viewers. If, on the other hand, you want to see a foreign film that explores taboos in a sensitive and well crafted manner, then give it a try.
SPOILER ALERT! -- If you are looking for lesbian T&A, explicit sexuality and situations, then this is not your film. It is deceiving in that way and I believe it may be the reason for the lower ratings by some viewers. If, on the other hand, you want to see a foreign film that explores taboos in a sensitive and well crafted manner, then give it a try.
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