Tsunagu

Tsunagu, like Okuribito, is another film that brings positive light on the subject of death. During the main character's apprenticeship, his grandma taught him to lead some of the connection or "tsunagu" between certain individuals who wanted to glimpse their dearly departed. The key thing is that the main character's story was not the centerstage - this film spent much time developing a few clients' stories.

Thus, we get to see a good blend of relationships-family, love couples and best friends. Some arcs were pleasant to watch, some were cases where things may not go as well as planned, but all were generally heartwarming. Through a one-time chance to reconcile with the dead, the movie also raised the issue of moving on in life.

While the execution was smooth, and some scenes may be designed as tearjerker, the whole movie seemed to lack the extra ingredient to make it truly stand out. Some scenes were overly dramatic. Another turnoff for me is that some of the actions that somehow made the ghosts seem to be able to 'contact/touch' physical matter made the whole process too easy as if it is from a children's cartoon. Hence it is a 6/10.