More of a character study in the vein of gritty '70s cinema than a typical coming-of-age tale or exploitative pinku eiga, this could be thought of as a lower-budget but more dark and nihilistic cousin to Dodesukaden. It opens with a nice series of POV, hand-held and medium shots following the young anti-hero Masaru along his route.
It opens with a picturesque shot of the prominent gas storage tanks on the skyline, reminiscent of those in Targets. Then as the city wakes, we see Masaru jog along making note of the number of "crosses" for each delivery destination as he goes.
Gradually, it is revealed that the crosses are X's on the titular map. They represent his moral judgement of the residents within, as he tries to make sense of the adult world. He does this by literally mapping the narrow, intertwining streets of his route with meticulous notation of each person's worthiness to exist.
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In time, his observed notations increase in vehemence from entries like: "Katsuya Kawashima. Age: 45. Works part-time at noodle shop. Greedy for things free of charge." To those such as: "Soichi Shiroda. Age: 38. Employee. Born in Nagano. Reads only the Entertainment part. Deserves to die."
We also see him prank-phoning those he particularly despises, threatening to burn down the house of a Right-winger. When speaking to another resident's child in the parent's absence, he still politely asks them to inform their Dad that he will bomb their home and barbecue them all alive.
This is based on a novel by author Kenji Nakagami, whose other works adapted to film include Woman With Red Hair and Himatsuri. It harbors a bleak view of humanity and female-male relations, featuring an older couple with whom Masaru identifies.
His closest friend, Konno, speaks constantly of his love for the scarred and lame Maria. Hideko Okiyama gives a small but great performance as Maria, anchoring the conclusion. Needless to say, things do not go so well for any of them. However, there is a simple yet profound point to be found.
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