Iribito (2021)

Snow during spring

"A masterpiece may be in someone's possession for a while, but once its purpose is done, it goes to the next person."

Sometimes when you are looking at a work of art, many different emotions overcome you and iribito is exactly like a work of art. It can't be really explained with words. It is like a painting with vivid and dark colors that makes you feel the complexity of human nature and the beauty of human creations. Its atmosphere is unsettling and suffocating, but at the same time liberating and cruelly beautiful. Takamura Naho is mesmerizing, assertive and infatuated with art, while Shirane Tatsuru is ethereal, passionate and unbelievably creative. They complement each other in a way that resembles human creations. Those creations are made by human beings and can only be appreciated by other human beings.

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Superb drama writing, cinematography and acting

My main praise for this drama gem is definitely the writing and the cinematography along with the focus on all the details in every scene. Especially when it comes to the impact , or you could even say the relationship the FL has got or is building up with the paintings in the present and past. The several encounters with the paintings are accompanied by an intriguing soundtrack which makes it even more impressive, not to mention the careful acting of the FL.

While the drama is continuously raising the tension throughout the 5 episodes also the different paintings made and shown enhance that tension along with the story perfectly. Coming from a small nature flower type to a bigger one, ending up in a painted fire hell for the one who deserves it. If that isn't enough yet, the pregnancy and final child birth works very well as a metaphoric journey to the new beginning. In addition I guess there's no other city in Japan which would fit better to the setting than Kyoto, if you can, visit and dive into all the shrines and walk around Gion.

The only mild criticism is that douche bag of a husband, which for me was a bit of a too stereotypical old school dude and the story with the mother regarding that "The Graduate" incident. I can't explain why, but to me that theme should stay with that 1967 American movie :-p It looked like they made those two especially evil so the story could reach that kind of ending, that I really liked, by the way.

But of course that got nothing to do with the actors and actresses. All of them did a stellar job in my opinion, at first to mention the FL and the villain painter, which you want to be punished by all means the first minute you recognize how he treats Shirane Tatsuru.

Now go and watch ! 5 hours very well spent !

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