Even if you have never watched a movie based on a (child) musical prodigy before, the basics of the movie you can probably gleam from intuition. As much rooted in the “Rocky” formula as anything else, the protagonist usually comes from a poor background, endures a rigorous training regiment, then takes center stage for their life altering grand performance. In a way “Shindo” does follow this formula, but in so many other ways “Shindo” departs markedly from that blue print. The movie features rising star Riko Narumi (How To Become Myself), who if you have never noticed before you will remember after this movie and there’s also Ken’ichi Matsuyama. Yes, the same candy loving, freak genius from the Death Note movies. Ken’ichi Matsuyama does show in “Shindo” that he can just as convincingly play an average Joe, just as convincingly as he can portray the odd over-the-top characters like he did in Death Note.

In “Shindo,” Uta Naruse (Riko Naruse) appears a truly unique 13 year old child. She possessed the talent to read musical sheets even before she could speak, but has now come to the point where she hates playing the piano. Her father was also a piano virtuoso but mysteriously disappeared from her life at a young age. Because of her father’s disappearance, her mother had to move out of their posh home and move into a far modest working class neighborhood. In that working class neighborhood there is the local grocer. The grocer’s son, Oto Kikuna, happens to be a fellow budding musician, but seems to lack the inspiration to truly succeed. That is until Uta Naruse comes into his life.

One of the first things you notice about “Shindo” is the manner in which important details are left up in the air. Uta and Oto’s background are revealed bit by bit as the movie progresses, leaving the audience to initially guess why they act in the manner they do. The slight air of mystery behind their actions works well to separate “Shindo” from what you expect.

Riko Naruse, even at her young age, takes over the screen whenever she appears onscreen. Even the casual shots of her sitting on a bus by herself as she looks quizzically out of the bus window takes on a life its own. There’s a tangible feeling during these moments that the camera seems to consume her image in the same manner as a thirsty flower consumes a radiant sunshine. Works well indeed. Beyond Riko Naruse, gorgeous camera shots abound in “Shindo,” often featuring backgrounds that looks so lively you just want to jump into the screen.

Any complaints with the movie would lie with the proverbial Japanese slowness of the film. The first 20 minutes definitely had a sprightly feel, with the precocious Uta and Oto acting out all of their idiosyncrasies. Those moments I found the most engaging. Then, with Uta’s background coming more into the foreground, the movie slows down a couple of notches and exhibits the Japanese calmness/slowness that’s found in a lot of other Japanese films. That’s not to say that “Shindo” slows down to a crawl, but at least compared to the first 20 minutes, that sprightly feel morphs into a more introspective feel which doesn’t disinterest, but just doesn’t interest in the same manner as the first 20 minutes.