Publisher: Kai June 23, 2021
This is a completely non verbal film from director Nakamura Taketo following a forbidden love between two rival-clanned ninjas. Whilst it's non-verbal, I'm tempted to say it probably should have been silent completely; some of the noises made by the actors and actresses were very awkward with the audio also coming in at strange volumes on headphones and the added special effects sounds were very grating and not quite the easy glide I imagine the director was going for. The sound really aggravated me to the point I had to mute the video - which did give me a much better viewing experience. (Please note my average score is dragged down by rewatch and music rating.) Rant about the sound aside: this film was pretty good. Despite some very cliche moments, this was a really wonderful story that had me glued to my screen. The cast were amazing; Chihiro was a refreshingly wonderful strong female character and the story between the two Lovers kept me invested. I don't do romance very often, so the fact a short romantic film had me gripped this way speaks a lot for the director's skill. However, this was very much a one-shot type film; it didn't make me want to see a sequel or a prequel. Whilst the film is only meant as a solo shot, I find that the best short films leave you wanting more, another instalment, another part of the series, etc. I didn't get that with this - I'll forget about it in a few days and move on to other shorts. I feel like this could have been slightly better than it was, but Taketo still brought a very good short to the screen (if muted). This one does make me want to look for more of Taketo's films and I will be doing that.