Call Me Chihiro (2023)

You're wonderful just as you are regardless of what planet you come from

Call Me Chihiro reminded me of Mary Poppins, if Mary Poppins had been an ex-sex worker. Like a warm breeze on a cloudy day, Chihiro brought kindness and healing to the people she came across whether it was a mischievous little boy or an ant helpless on its back. Short on plot and long on healing human interactions this film is one you experience with your heart, not your mind.

Chihiro works at a Bento shop handing out warmth and food often with a gentle sense of humor. She makes friends with a small boy whose mother works nights, a high school girl whose father is at a minimum verbally abusive, a homeless man, and the blind woman married to the Bento boss. Despite her work background she never hides it from any of the people she helps. We don't know much about her except that she had a painful childhood and a traumatic experience that caused her to flee her massage parlor job.

Even though Chihiro helps the abused and downtrodden, she cannot always feel the warmth she gives. Without a second thought she buries the dead-both human and animal-afterwards taking a shower and then eating ramen. With her trans friend she explains that if love is about owning and being owned she wants no part of it. She reaches out to others yet cannot bring herself to truly feel and be open.

This film was filled with sweet, touching moments showing how kindness and healing are passed on. As the circle of people she has thrown a life vest of acceptance to begin to interact and support each, the story feels stronger and more interconnected. Yet as profoundly as Chihiro touched others she was filled with an "air of loneliness" and trying hard to run away from it; though near the end, the sun began to break through the clouds in her eyes.

One of my favorite parts of this movie is when Chihiro tells the high schooler about a client she had. He believed that people were actually aliens in human suits. The reason people don't get along is because everyone is from different planets. She and the high schooler always have their eyes open for someone who might be from their planet. What she really wants is for someone to validate her feelings and see her worth. When she thinks she's finally found someone from her planet it clearly touches her that this person thinks she is wonderful just as she is, even if she can't see that in herself.

Call Me Chihiro is a film for when you need a feel good story that doesn't require much brain power. Watching these disparate people begin to find a sense of belonging and someone who cares about them was heartwarming. It may also motivate you to see others beyond their physical appearance and faults and to discover how far one good deed can spread.

2/23/23

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Power of Kindness and Connections!

We’ve seen many times how one life touches so many, and how one act of kindness can be like a pebble dropped into a pond. Its ripples stretching all the way across. People should never underestimate what one act of kindness can do for someone. We never know if a smile, a kind word, or act might will have an effect that we can’t possibly predict or fathom.

Life is about connections. Connecting with ourselves as well as connecting with others. Chihiro is a former sex worker who now works at a small bento shop in a seaside town. Initially, a person may scoff at her former life as a sex worker and judge her as someone of little/no value. Ah! How often do we judge a book by its cover? The film invites us to understand how a connection and a small act of kindness can help someone in need, while also learning how to dispel our own judgments about people.

The film opens with Chihiro paying attention to and playing with a cat. Initially, one might wonder why this is such a compelling scene. Because more often than not, how a person treats animals is often an insight into how a person treats people. Chihiro greets the customers warmly, and we can see her warmth is genuine. It isn’t fake or an attempt to win anyone over. It’s simply how she interacts with others.

Throughout the course of the film, we find Chihiro helping a variety of people. An old, homeless man down by the waterfront. She brings him a meal, gives him some company as they eat, and even invites him into her home so that he can have a bath. And sadly, when she’s looking for him in order to bring him another meal, she finds that he has died behind a small fence, and she takes the time to give him a proper burial in the middle of the night.

Chihiro also befriends a couple of high school girls who see themselves as outcasts within their own families. Chihiro treats them with kindness, accepting them fully as they are. Kuniko is one of these girls who’s basically told what to do in a family home with little warmth. When she’s given a meal by a single mother—as a means of gratitude for helping her son—Kuniko breaks down in tears, overwhelmed that she’s found more warmth from this stranger than she’s possibly received in her own home.

Chihiro also has to deal with the same, single mother who is outraged that Chihiro has been feeding and spending time with her son, Makoto, a lonely boy who has to spend much of his time fending for himself because his mother works. When the boy gets an idea from a TV commercial to buy flowers for his mother, the mother wrongly accuses of Chihiro of being behind it. After having the flowers thrown in her face, Chihiro calmly hands the flowers back, telling the mother that she will be making a huge mistake if she doesn’t accept the flowers and to see her son for what he is: a kind but lonely little boy who simply wants to show his mother how much he loves her.

Lastly, Chihiro also interacts with a woman in a hospital who has recently lost her eyesight. Little does the woman know that Chihiro is the woman she’d briefly had an encounter with, it becomes apparent that the woman is more of a mother to Chihiro than Chihiro’s own.

Chihiro is like a breath of fresh air, a gentle rain, a beam of sunshine as we quickly discover how she interacts and touches the lives of the various souls around her. Nothing about her is superficial or fake. She’s asked by her friend and former co-worker in the sex trade why she’s never fallen in love. It becomes apparent that Chihiro does not find romantic relationships appealing, largely due to their selfishness and propensity to strip a person of their freedom to be who they are.

Kasumi Arimura is a true delight in this film, and she shines brightly on the screen as she invites the viewer to look past her past. A person isn’t necessarily their job. How they treat others and interact with them counts the most. And like a passing rain—seeing that her job is done—she moves on to the next town, the next job, spreading her joy for life to everyone she meets. She takes pride in small moments of sitting on the dock in the sun or standing barefoot in the water.

I also found it interesting when I looked it up that Chihiro means, “A thousand questions.” This name is appropriate as one might have a thousand questions about her, but find that much like the wind, she can’t be pinned down to one thing or perhaps even grasped. Everyone could use a “Chihiro” in their life, and hopefully, everyone can try just a bit harder to be a Chihiro for others.

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An exploration of loneliness despite among people

Chihiro-san is a stellar example for the beauty of Japanese slice of life films. It is a slow movie that has you taking in the beauty and silence of Japanese countryside while taking you along with Chihiro's day as a former sex worker on her journey of connecting with people.

While at first the film makes you believe she is the typical, always happy and spreading sunshine protagonist we so often see in Japanese media (Drama and Anime alike) without further depth, it is made clear along the way that there is a deep loneliness within her. It humanizes her character and reminds the audience that often times the outwardly happiest people are struggling deep inside.

What really makes the film is this humanization, this relatability really of feeling alone despite surrounding yourself with people you love and being unable to escape that feeling regardless of where you go.

The film is also filled with beautiful, and quotable, dialogue that has you ponder on them for a while. Despite the slowness of the film I did not feel bored once which is rare, I believe that is partly for the way the script made sure to give some time to the audience to ponder on the dialogue and think about how you relate to it. Not to forget the cinematography really knows how to acventuate the beauty of Japan's seaside which draws you into the scenes.

In the end this is a movie for those who enjoy slice of life and aren't afraid of having the common sadness along with small joys of life visualized on screen.

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Poignant and beautiful; it's an artistic (as opposed to mainstream) film

Spoiler alert: This is a touching and intimate character study of Chihiro, a lost individual, and the people who temporarily enter her life. The pacing is slow, and the action and dialogue is minimal. But it’s beautifully filmed, with the landscapes and vistas of her seaside community nicely conveying Chihiro’s sense of isolation and loneliness as she struggles to bond with those around her. The hook, that Chihiro is a former sex worker, is probably a metaphor for her struggles to connect emotionally with others. By the end of the film, we understand what she meant when she imagined that earth is populated by aliens, each of whom came from a different planet. For those who enjoy an artistic-leaning films, this movie is worth checking out.

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Just a little too bland to be thought provoking.

This slice of life film explores the nature of social connections and the difference between aloneness and loneliness. The protagonist, Chihiro, understands how to make attachments and bring people together, but ultimately shies away from the community she enables. Everyone is trying to escape from something and is brought into connection through her, but what else connects them is questionable. Even in the midst of people, Chihiro experiences her separateness and alienation.

It is well observed but not beautifully observed. I didn’t find the insight I was looking for here. Perhaps it was the sanitised personalities of the characters, many of whom had lived difficult lives but didn’t seem to have the resultant rough edges. They didn’t come across as affected or moulded by their experiences, just as mild people unable to find an acceptable social place. We are all moulded by our experiences and this film felt afraid to show that just in case the characters might turn unsympathetic. Chihiro has experienced tough times as a child and young woman, but how or whether that has contributed to her emotional distance, or is perhaps just her personality is never fully explored.

It is the sort of film that asks questions, but doesn’t offer too many answers, which is fine as long as the questions reveal some new perspective or path to travel. For me, that wasn’t really the case.

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How to integrate into the 'solar system' of life when we are all on our own planet ? ...

A very poignant movie ... it starts off with humour but quickly takes a deep dive into the sad and often desperate lives of the lost, lonely, struggling and abused. These life experiences can leave us feeling like we are alone on our own planet in some dark and obscure part of the universe. One of the characters ... a client of Chihiro ... said we are all on another planet ... separate from each other. And yet ... does it always have to be that way? I think this movie both agrees and challenges that notion.

Chihiro seems to be a magnet to members of the community that have been marginalised by their struggles etc ... people who are alone on their own 'planet'. Chihiro, a 'marginalised' person herself, brings these people together with her unique sense of playfulness, honesty, kindness and non-judgemental acceptance of people just the way they are ... even though she herself seems to feel an emptiness, that she is 'not from this planet' and separate from 'her kind of people'. It really is a skill to break down the 'interplanatary' barriers, but she does it. I wonder if kindness and understanding and acceptance have a lot to do with that ... it is worth thinking about.

Having connected this disparate group of people with each other, they find their grounding and moments of joy ... and from that place, reach out to embrace and strengthen others. It really is a wonderful catalytical reaction on a human scale, with Chihiro as the catalyst ... and just like a 'catalyst', she herself seems 'unmoved' by the process that has brought them together and uplifted everyone up from the darkness. Chihiro then moves on and disappears out of their lives into another set of lives ... a bit like a cool refreshing breeze ... here one moment and gone the next ...

The last scene of Chihiro gazing off in the distances is moving ... it seems that Chihiro was affected by the process afterall, their seemed to be a 'spark' of life in her gaze ... a thread of connection forming with the world around her ... the gap of separation slowly narrowing. If you are feeling like you are on another planet ... this might be a nice movie to watch ... "you're wonderful just as you are regardless of what planet you come from" ... and at some point ... you, yourself may come to realise and feel that to your core.

I really liked the cinematography ... all those outdoor shots were just beautiful ... the sunshine, the abandoned places ... all really added to the vibe of the story. I enjoyed the actors too ... Arimura Kasumi did a marvellous job bringing out that those difficult human emotions ... Shimada Tetta was so believable as a 'latch key' kid.

The movie was well done, heavy going sometimes, but deeply moving.

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Depth

I read the synopsis and I was hooked, I honestly love story of people giving life a second chance or turning a new leaf, and this is the perfect example of what. So many moments with valuable lessons and I love how she found her "people". You know you know I really love this. People that "actually" wants a second chance should always be given an option to do so. Side stories were just enough it didn't steal anything from the main story. But the thing that hit me the most was when she was asked what she did before and she was able to say she used to work at a "Bento Shop" it felt empowering IDK.

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..WHERE BEING ALONE CAN STILL FIND HAPPINESS..

..the plot of the story is so enough for me to watch and plus factor as Kasumi roled the FL..
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..being A-LoneLY is sometime my daily routine..
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..as I watch the movie, there are some part that kinda weird for me, thinking that I won't do the same thing like her - feeding a homeless person or burying a dead bird as I once I noticed..
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..there are something that are not worth to see but for her what she is is everything..
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..another genre of empowering women that shows a bad past is not a hindrance to go forward and step for a better life - it is not the work but the attitude you shows toward other people - to stand on your what you believe what is right and fight for it - we can't please people after all..
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..and never thought the FL will do THAT kind of scenes since it my first to see on her *blush*..
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..well the runtime of the movie is kinda long but very worth to watch, I never looked bored even if the story always focus on her - just a slice of life we encounter everyday that we might relate or not yet very relaxing to watch..

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Call Me Chihiro portrays the lonely life of a woman named Chihiro. She used to work as a sex-worker, but quit and is now working at a Bento Shop.

Chihiro character is really complex and have many layers. Her character can be interpreted in many different ways, since the movie does not explicitly specify what her character is. However, still, her character is very relatable for a loner like myself.

She's portrayed as a warm-hearted and cheerful woman, who doesn't cover her past as a sex-worker. Though that reason is what makes her look so distant and empty - as people who knows her, don't actually know her nor her real backstory.

As a loner myself, I relate to her very much, as my close friend often describe my character as similar to Chihiro.

Overall, it was a great movie. Ngl, I would like the writers to elaborate more on Chihiro's backstory.

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Female lead remains a stranger even after the show

This movie isn't for everyone. It's a slice-of-life film that focuses on conversations and the strange friendships among strangers and Chihiro. You'll end up with many questions after finishing this movie. There are numerous unresolved storylines, but I personally think that was the creators' main intention for this film. Instead of solely focusing on Chihiro's past, they emphasized her conversations and special bonds with the strangers in her life. I believe this movie portrays strangers as the central theme, with Chihiro, the female lead, remaining a stranger even after the show.

Would I recommend this to others? That's a tricky question because I think some people may not like it while others might. Personally, I enjoyed the film because I'm a sucker for slice-of-life stories, and I was looking for something calming to watch. It truly embodies 'calmness'. Despite its runtime of over two hours, it didn't feel long at all.

So, if you're looking for something that focuses more on conversations with others, a female lead who is lonely yet can provide comfort to people, and are prepared to be left with many questions—which can be both a pro and a con since you can interpret the film however you like—then you would definitely enjoy Chihiro's journey.

I would rate it 8/10, but since Chihiro and the other characters felt like a home to me, I would give it a higher rating.

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I will never understand why Netflix doesn’t promote their original productions that are actually good. Are they hoping for the word to mouth will help users find quality series and films? If yes, then here I am doing that. If not, their loss in my win because I get to talk about Call Me Chihiro without any filter from the streaming service.

The story follows a young and charming woman named Chihiro. We know from the beginning she used to be a sex worker but now lives in a small seaside city, selling bento (Japanese lunch boxes). Her outgoing personality and easy smile is infectious but it’s clear she also has a rich inner life. Chihiro goes around town making friends. A collection of lost souls, each with their own issues, brought together by her. Her life experience allows her to read a room and people with ease, and she’s mainly a listener but when he shares her thoughts you soon can see she’s wise beyond her age and is able to help others.

Despite her constant kindness towards others, Chihiro’s existence is stray-like and detached. She doesn’t shy away from relationships with others but she doesn’t exactly share herself fully. There’s a loneliness and resignation about her. She knows she is not leading a happy life but more like a collection of happy moments and that’s fine with her.

Call Me Chihiro is a fairly quiet little movie, about every day life and the people who make up our world. This isn’t a grand epic, with huge scenes of spectacle, it is very much a calm, occasionally sedate story from start to finish. At times its rhythm reminded to the waves of the ocean, constantly and endlessly reaching the shore. Sometimes calm and peaceful, others more harsh. On this, Call me Chihiro is the quintessential Japanese film about shading appreciating the small gestures and accepting everyone, no matter how poor or rich their background because in the end none of that matters. It’s your actions that speak volumes about the kind of person you are.

Arimura Kasumi remains, to me, one of the most interesting and talented Japanese actress working today. She certainly knows how to carry a story but also when to let others shine. The character of Chihiro could have easily end up being a rather flat but thanks to Arimura’s performances we easily accept her and are willing to go with her on this journey of self discovery and worth. By the final scene of the movie, we understand Chihiro’s decisions and loneliness. Most importantly why, by the end, she is ready to start anew.

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até onde conseguimos aguentar a solidão que nos persegue

Meu nome é Chiriro é um filme profundo no qual eu consegui me emocionar assistindo, Arimura Kasumi conseguiu passar muito bem a essência da personagem e a solidão profunda que a persegue.

Achei interessante como a maioria das cenas foram filmadas de frente, passando a ideia de sermos um telespectador assistindo a vida de Aya, gostei bastante como no filme eles deixam aberto a interpretação do público algumas cenas, eles mostram os personagens e nós mesmo assumimos o que eles passaram através das cenas ou diálogos mostrados, como por exemplo nas cenas em família da Kuniko, não foi preciso mostrar nenhuma cena de destrato para percebemos que aquele não um lar saudável, e Chiriro como é boa em ler as pessoas fala até sobre isso no filme.

Particularmente adorei a teoria de que os seres humanos são seres vindos de outros planetas, isso é a forma mais fácil de se explicar que cada pessoa tem sua personalidade e jeito e que por isso não conseguimos nos dar bem com todos, mas quando encontramos alguém na mesma sintonia que nós, vindo do mesmo planeta, é como se nos sentíssemos em casa, e as cena da Chiriro com a Tae mostram exatamente isso.

O filme me fez refletir sobre a vida e me emocionou em algumas partes, eu realmente consegui apreciar a obra e a profundidade que é a protagonista apenas deixa tudo mais interessante, principalmente na cena que ela simplesmente cansa e passa dias em casa sozinha e solitária, é algo de se passar dias pensando e analisando para se obter pensamentos mais coerentes sobre. No fim Chiriro pode ser lembrada como um anjo frágil que passa durante um período na vida das pessoas para as deixarem mais leves, um anjo que depois de tanto sofrer adotou uma vida leve e fácil que tem o foco em aproveitar e apreciar os pequenos momentos da vida, de se observar as pequenas coisas e ser o mais gentil possível, tal qual sua essência.

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