Always san-chôme no yûhi

This piece of great film work took Japan by storm, and once I saw it realized why it had turned out that way. The film is immensely nostalgic and filled with bits of memorable moments that would send you bursting out with laughter while tears are still continuing to fill up your eyes.

The plot is austerely simple, yet the characters are smartly introduced and thoroughly elaborated. It's ultimately easy for us to believe that the Third Street community and those characters are real. The relationships between them are reasonably developed and eventually leads to a powerful and heart-wrenching-yet-warmly ending.

This is not a regular tear-jerker. Emotional scenes are not forced in as in any other movies, but effectively and strategically put into the right places, resulting in a gradual and natural emotional building.

The music and photography are flawless, and tremendously help with the holistic ambiance of the film. Acting is also impeccable.

Truly a worth-seeing gem for movie lovers. Another delicate Asian craft which has all the qualities that Hollywood mainstream movies still lack of.

This movie is based on 2 things, technology and nostalgia.

Computer graphics reappear the scenery of Tokyo 40 years before,it's so wonderful and filled with humanity.Current Tokyo city might be not so beautiful and humanity lost anywhere,so almost scenery evokes nostalgia.

Although the story is not so rich, fine episodes are often planned. The character of the doctor who lost wife and a child in war is excellent.The figure of the Japanese who were gazing at the future being captured in the past for a while, calls sympathy.

If you have never been to Tokyo City in 1960's,you can go now by seeing this movie.

This movie is like a folk tale about the '50s Japan when it was experiencing rapid recovery from the carnage of WWII.

Roku-chan (Maki Horikita) is a newly graduate of high school. She's coming to Tokyo to find a job from Aomori. She finds a job at Suzuki automobile shop where she meets Norifumi, and Tomoe. Ryunosuke Chagawa is an aspiring novel writer. He's aiming to win the prestigious Akutagawa award, but for the time being, runs the candy store he inherited from his grandmother and writes novels for the boy's magazine. The story revolves around Roku-chan, the Suzuki family, and Chagawa, in the back alleys of downtown Tokyo.

This is the best made of the trilogy (so far) in terms of story, and production. Acting is the most natural, and special effects and props, most restrained.

Based on a comic by Ryohei Saigan, the story is about people's life in the Showa period of Japan. It's like watching a museum of that era with live people moving about it.

The actor who was doing the role of Chagawa seems to be over acting, and all the characters seems to be just wearing the Showa mask except for Hiroko Yakushimaru who played Tomoe. I can feel realism from her acting. Shinichi Tsutsumi was also over acting, and Maki Horikita didn't convey flesh and blood country girl who came out to Tokyo no matter how much she spoke the Tohoku dialect.

So I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching a museum display in action. Everybody tried too hard to make it look like the Showa period which made it look unauthentic.

But out of the three movies of this title, this one is the best made of the bunch.

This film has won so many awards and it deserves every single one of them. Set in Tokyo in 1958 at the time of the construction of the Tokyo Tower, the story depicts a few families in that neighborhood and the things they go through. It has both comic turns and, once in a while, sad references. It is also overtly sentimental at times, but the emotional power of the film never wanes, and it is just a feel great film. The acting is excellent. There are real glimpses into the meaning of family, love and caring, and just generally sharing your time together. If you think you are going to watch this film and promise yourself you will not be sucked in by its sentiment, you are missing the point. Its supposed to make you laugh and cry. Although Tokyo has demonstrably changed since 1958 (I went there in May 2008, you wouldn't be able to find traces of this existence), this is a period film which just works wonderfully. It was so successful, a sequel was done. I'm going to watch that, since, based on this film alone, I want to see what happens to these characters from here. That is how great the film is, that one film alone is not good enough to let these characters go. Simply a triumph that deserves all the success it has achieved.

I had the chance to see this film because a friend brought the DVD back from Japan. Otherwise I don't think I would ever have had the opportunity to watch it.

The cover of the DVD says "Over 270 million people have cried" over this film. I don't doubt that for a moment. This movie is funny, serious, sweet, suspenseful, hilarious and totally satisfying.

The special effects are beautifully rendered and reminded me of what Steven Spielberg might have done if he were making this film. The setting of Tokyo in 1958 is seamlessly recreated, as characters in this film are placed into footage of a 1950's Japanese film.

I would love to know how they did this, and I'm going to research it. As soon as I find out I'll update this post.

Everything about this film is romantic. Don't miss it.