Apr
13
2008
Tokyo Serendipity (Koi suru madori)
Posted by luna6 5 Comments
Movie: Tokyo Serendipity (Koi suru madori)
Release Date: August, 18 2007
Country: Japan
Director: Akiko Oku
Starring: Yui Aragaki, Ryuhei Matsuda, Rinko Kikuchi
Runtime: 113 min.
Editor Rating: 7.0
Users Rating: 6.69 
(16 votes)
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Gentle, sweet, and thoughtful are basic words that describe “Tokyo Serendipity.” The movie’s helmed by newcomer Akiko Oku and features Yui Aragaki, one of the more popular young actresses in Japan today. This would be my first time watching Yui Aragaki in a movie and after the watching “Tokyo Serendipity,” I can better understand why she was chosen as the girl Japanese guys would most like to give a valentine gift to.
In “Tokyo Serendipity,” Yui Aoki (Yui Aragaki) is a young art student, suddenly facing the real world on her own. Her older sister abruptly announces that she is getting married and moving out of their shared apartment. Yui must now move on and find a place of her own.
Eventually, Yui does find such a place and, with the help of the “Hercules Moving Company,” moves into her new apartment. After she gets settled in, Yui goes door to door, introducing herself to her neighbors and giving them small gifts. There she meets Takashi, a quiet guy that lives directly above her apartment. There paths will cross again.
Yui also goes back to her old apartment to retrieve an item she left behind. There she meets Junda Atsuko, the new tenant of her old apartment. Junda was a former art student herself, now working as an architect. Although Junda just moved into Yui’s old apartment, she’s planning to leave Japan in the coming weeks.
The lives of Yui, Junda, and Takashi are then brought together, as Yui learns firsthand about love and heartbreak.
What the movie does very well, is to give a breezy feel, the kind of feeling you get lounging about in a comfortable chair on a spring afternoon. Dynamics, like the film’s visuals, are muted, but the movie picks up the pace as it draws to its conclusion. A movie that you may recall while watching “Tokyo Serendipity” is Shunji Iwai’s “Hanna & Alice.” The basic elements of friendship, love, rivalry are all there, as well as Yui Aragaki’s performance, which recalls Yui Aoi’s performance in “Hana & Alice.” If anything, “Tokyo Serendipity” would make for a nice opening film, on a double bill night, with Iwai’s “Hana & Alice” reserved for the main event.
There’s also Rinko Kikuchi, fresh off of her eye-opening performance in “Babel.” Even though she’s only 26, Rinko excelled as the older, wiser friend, who may not be as wise in other areas. Ryuhei Matsuda rounds out their triangle of sorts, by playing the same type of character that he always plays; a quiet, sullen fellow. Similar to Starbucks coffee, what Ryuhei Matsuda lacks in dynamics, he makes up for with consistency.
Another positive with “Tokyo Serendipity” would be with the film’s ultimate message. Unlike most films of its genre, the movie doesn’t push trite illusions of first love lasting forever or anything of that ilk. Rather, the movie showcases tender moments that are dear to each of the characters, which will likely shape their lives (like the chairs that they build), but are just moments of many more moments that are likely awaiting for them in the future. Kind of like the message in that other film.
buy Tokyo Serendipity from YesAsia
Cast:
Yui Aragaki – Yui Aoki
Ryuhei Matsuda – Takashi
Rinko Kikuchi – Junda Atsuko
Noriko Eguchi – Yui’s sister
Pierre Taki – Tanaka
Tomona Hirota – Sachi Tokuda
Marie
If you like this movie you may enjoy: Hana & Alice, Heavenly Forest
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2007 Movie Reviews, Japanese Movies |
Comments
5 Comments so far
….thanks for the info….i only wtached yui aragaki in koizora where she plays a very good role…now,i know….im gonna buy a dvd of tokyo serendipity..hehehe
Just finish watching it… It’s really amazingly refreshing… there is something with the pace and the stories of this kind of movie that is really fascinating (for me)
Thanks for the review as always (^_-)/
this movie reminded me a lottt of april story, especially the awkward initial movers scene.
Answer = “Hell No” …
But that’s not a knock so much on “Tokyo Serendipity,” but rather how good “Hana & Alice” is…
cheers…
Hi, we wonder if it’s as good as Hana & Alice..