25 September 2015

ヒロイン失格 Heroine Shikkaku


Title: ヒロイン失格 Hiroin (Heroine) Shikkaku
English Title:
  • Heroine Disqualified
  • No Longer Heroine
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Year: 2015
Cast:
  • 桐谷美玲 Kiritani Mirei
  • 山﨑賢人 Yamazaki Kento
  • 坂口健太郎 Sakaguchi Kento
  • 福田彩乃 Fukuda Ayano
  • 我妻三輪子 Wagatsuma Miwako
  • 高橋メアリージュン Takahashi Maryjun
  • 中尾彬 Nakao Akira
  • 柳沢慎吾 Yanagizawa Shingo
  • 六角精児 Rokkaku Seiji
  • 濱田マリ Hamada Mari
  • 竹内力 Takeuchi Riki



SYNOPSIS
西野カナ Nishino Kana - トリセツ Torisetsu
Matsuzaki Hatori is a female high school student who is in love with her childhood friend Terasaki Rita. She sees him as a hero and she thinks she's the heroine of their love story, but she's waiting for Rita to realize his true love for her before she confesses her own feelings.



REVIEW
Heroine Shikkaku is a lighthearted movie about young love; how a young woman loved someone her whole life and how she finally gathered the courage to honestly confess her feelings to the object of her affections. Well, how she feels is not really a secret to everyone around her, but she has to properly own up to it, I suppose.

Frankly speaking, it's somewhat difficult to see why Matsuzaki Hatori loves her best friend Terasaki Rita. The film just said she loves him wholeheartedly and that's how it is. When Hiromitsu Kosuke asked Hatori why she likes Rita, she just said real love doesn't need any reason or theories.

Of course, Hatori doesn't need any reason for her feelings, but it's just easier to root for her if it's clear where she really stands. If Hatori really loves Rita, then it makes sense to want her to be with him. But if Hatori just thinks she loves him but she doesn't really feel that way, then it's understandable to want her to sort out her thoughts and emotions.

Even then, it's much harder to relate to Rita who didn't choose to be with the person he loves and he instead stayed with the person who he thinks needs him the most. Why would you even do that when you know (1) you'll be miserable, (2) the person you love will also be heartbroken because she also loves you but you won't be together, and (3) the person you chose to be with will be unhappy deep inside because you're with her out of a wrong sense of obligation?!

Anyway, my favorite character is Kosuke because he's just very mature and quite observant of what happens around him. He knows what he wants, and he goes after it with everything he's got. It's not easy to still try and do your best in a situation where you're quite aware that you are at a disadvantage, so I have much respect for his choices and for his efforts.

Hiromitsu Kosuke: It can't be helped. Love doesn't need reasons, after all.

Heroine Shikkaku is such a strange film though because lead female character Hatori was very slapstick and over-the-top with her actions and reactions, but the rest of the cast were very ordinary with their portrayal of their respective characters. That disconnect really bothered me because it's like Hatori is out of place.




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ヒロイン失格 Heroine Shikkaku