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BrightestStar
Turns out, there's really no place like home
What made this drama great and different is the directing. It's a great combination of behind-the-scene documentary, stage-play and an inspirational story. The last two minutes always include some great hit from the past and some stage-dancing. We got introduced to many stars of the past and hits that made them famous. It also teaches you about the history of television in Japan and how that affected the lives of the people.
And WOW dramas were LIVE!!! Everything was live. I think in those times, more than talent, it was nerves and endurance was required to succeed. When the industry was still small, it was always the same people working together, which created life-long bonds and that was very heartwarming. It was all about the group effort to make it work. Even as the industry grew, the bonds stayed as they were.
I don't know where to start with the acting. Mutsushima Hikari is fascinating as the young aspiring
Kuroyanagi Tetsuko, trying to find her place in this world. Even as she grew older, she was great at portraying her maturity as she keeps her playfulness. Mimura as the quiet and attentive Mukoda was effortless. Nakamura Shido as Atsumi Kiyoshi was awesome as someone who kept his country way of thinking and protectiveness as he grows into the industry. Yoshida Kotaro as Morishige with that special character and charm, Matsushige Yutaka as their long time viewer as he follows their careers throughout their lives, Hamada Gaku as everyone's director, all did a great job. Also great guest roles and from famous actors. If you don't look attentively enough, you might miss them.
My only complaint is something I'm been complaining often in many dramas, seeing totto into her 60s-70s still looking like a 30 year old. The way she dresses changed. In a way I understand why they didn't bother in here, felt somehow appropriate in the surrealness of the show, but I have issues XD
Other than that, I wish we had seen Totto's relationship with different people simultaneously, but it could be the way it was portrayed more appropriate.
And of course having the actual Tetsuko in the drama was a delight. She really was an Omoshiroi Obasan!
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The drama starts with the narration of Dal Hyang as we follow him to the big city, a country bumpkin with big dreams and a sense of justice, and he meets our titular characters. I loved their introduction in the first episode, and kept being amused by So Hyeon's character as he makes fun of Dal Hyang's innocence. The choice of making one of the musketeers the prince is a curious one, and I do wonder how the drama would've turned out if they had chosen to make them all into royal guards. I do have a complaint that the two other musketeers, Seung Po and Min Seo, were always used as companions so we don't get much development from their characters. On the upside we get plenty of growth from both Dal Hyang and the prince. Other characters that I appreciated are the two female leads here. They are presented differently here as in not much of first and second lead, but more one that represents the light and the other the shadow. Whats most curious is how each envies the other for what she longs but they recognize each other's pain. I love what they did to Mi Ryeong's character she is filled with Milady's viciousness. I also loved Yong Gol Dae's character and wished to see his bromancery with our leads but time didn't permit much.
I did also enjoy many of the dramas dialogs. I loved the confrontations between Prince So Hyeon and Yoon Seo. Many complain about her being weak but I never saw her this way. We have to acknowledge women status at that time but even with that, she did exude enough courage to keep So Hyeon from taking her lightly. Other dialogs I enjoyed is those involving King Injo. That and Kim Myung Soo's acting were perfect in displaying King Injo's inner struggles and fears resulting in his indecisiveness.
On the acting side, Lee Jin Wook was perfect for the role, as if it was tailored to him. Yang Dong Geun was a joy to have on screen at all time. Jung Hae In as Min Seo did not blow me away but neither did it bother me. Jung Yong Hwa, who everyone had doubt about him did not disappoint. At the introduction, it wasn't a role hard to play but as the story went on and we start seeing changes in his character, you finally get to feel Yong Hwa comfortable playing it and even enjoying it. The most shining light here though was Yoo In Young. Her presence on screen amazes me and her eyes convey all the right emotions. I cannot imagine any other actress doing a better job, and her beauty does Milady justice when usually described.
I did say more than I expected but I just had to mention that some of the songs used were spot on here. I especially loved the one used as theme for So Hyeon and Yoon Seo's relationship. The one used when the three musketeers were in action, though not my type of music, but matches the fun and action happening.
Overall, I cannot say if you're an avid history fan if you'll enjoy this drama, but I assure you as a fan of the original novel and a fan of Alexandre Dumas, I wasn't disappointed at all.
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That motif gets introduced in the beginning by Fumie's grandmother, and gets revisited often throughout the drama. It perfectly fits the world she shares with Shigeru.
This story is based on the life of Mura Nunoe, the wife of the manga author Mizuki Shigeru, most famously knows for the manga Gegege no Kitaro. The story starts during the late 1930s, all the way to the mid-80s. Most of the drama though, is set during the 60s, which represents the first couple of years of marriage between the protagonists, Iida Fumie and Miura Shigeru, their struggle with their differences, and with poverty. As the drama goes on, we get to know them as they get to know each other. We see their weaknesses, unlikeable traits that aren't easily changeable, but we also see their strength that makes their relationship so beautiful, and how each makes the other a better human.
The drama isn't just about the couple, it is also about life during this era, the expectations, belief, and how to deal with the constantly changing world. It is about dealing with the pains of the past, the nightmares we might've gone through, and believing things will get better. No matter how many times the world turns on you, there is a silver lining. In the case of Fumie and Shigeru I find it's the golden friendships built with people they met, all wholeheartedly wanting them to succeed.
Overall I really enjoyed the cast. Matsushita Nao was perfect as Fumie, expressing her insecurities and passivity, yet displaying her strengths in being clear minded when needed. Osamu Mukai took a little while to get in shape with the character, but eventually got there. I have to say Osamu was just a wrong casting when I compare the Real Mizuki Shegeru's age, who at the start of the drama was in his late 30s, to Osamu, 28 at the time. Despite that though I thought he was great at showing Shigeru's gruffness, yet tender heart and wild imagination, and specially his way of being positive no matter the situation.
The drama is rich with diverse characters and the cast does justice to it, to say the least. It is too wide of a cast to mention all, but I'd like to highlight my delight with the actors playing Shigeru's parents, Takeshita Keiko and Kazama Morio. They were fantastic as an old bickering couple. Honestly I did not understand why their sons didn't want them around too often I really loved them. The father Shuhei was just a delight to have around, and the mother, most famously know as Ikaru, was a woman of principals. Yes you might find it tiring at times to deal with her, but she always had a fair point in her argument, and is the type that is out to make things right, no matter the opposition. For me, that is the making of a true heroine. Finally I'd also like to mention Osugi Ren as Iida Genbei, Fumie's father. I have to say I've seen that actor in a lot of roles, but this is by far my favourite role he plays. He's the typical patriarch father, who makes his decisions without consulting anyone in the family, yet he was capable of being someone who had a sight for the long run, and all his decisions were based on that. It can be frustrating at times, even making me angry at him, but you can't deny that he has the wellbeing of his family in mind first and foremost. He can easily become someone you can trust and rely on, and he isn't above admitting defeat, you just have to show him what you're made of before he can back down.
I had one pet peeve in this drama, is the fact they don't age the characters properly. It doesn't really get in the way of good acting and good story telling, but it did bother me a lot, because it removes from the authenticity of what we're watching. For some it might not be a big deal but for me it was. I do notice this is an issue with many asian dramas though, but I can't accept it.
Most of all, this drama was a biggest reminder of how I should look at the glass half full, how I can be very ungrateful, how I should have faith that things will be better. Fumie had many times where, like me, she saw the world moving while she was still at the same spot, not able to catch up. When things first started to change, it wasn't this sudden amazing thing that happens. She just took things one at a time, and made the best of it, for it to turn into something amazing later on. It made me think that a lot of times we endure a lot and just want this one magical solution. This drama was splendid at bringing the point home, that things will not magically turn good, but the magic is here in the little things we do, and little do we know, some time later, it becomes what he originally were looking for.
This is my first Asadora, but will definitely not be the last. It will however always have a special place in my heart. As someone who used to have a fear of long dramas, this one flew by quickly.
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In any case, I couldn't drop this drama because of quiet a few reasons. First of all, as most know I always focus on characters and acting, and this is a forte in this drama. As for acting it varied from appropriate to awesome, and the awesome ones had a great chance at exploring complicated, and unpredictable characters.
My 2 favourite characters are Lee Tae Joon and Seo Myung Hee. He's completely badass, unpredictable and scary, no one can mess with him. She's just an awesome boss.
Kim Hye gyung was interesting for the most part, but I know in real life, I wouldn't want to be friends with her. Her bangs and bitchy cold look rubs me the wrong way. I was jealous of her wardrobe though, and honestly I liked that she's pragmatic about all. I love her relationship with her son. That moment when he wished her to win was so heartfelt.
Age wise, I'd argue Yoon Kye Sang to be completely miscast. In the role of Seo Jung Won he was awesome, but it's too obvious he's younger than those he's involved with. He's not that much younger but he looks it. I enjoyed the most his relationship with his sister. I can totally relate to the older sister/younger brother. A younger sibling is always a younger siblings, no matter how much he gets older :P
I have to mention music was AWESOME! The camera work felt like watching a movie.
Plot wise is where I had some trouble. The cases were interesting, but I didn't like how they go about solving them. Kim Dan was too convenient as a character. Basically if you needed any character that is good in any sort of thing, she would be it. She felt like a plot device used to get the story go, and a lazy one at it.
In any case I'm glad I got to watch this drama, even though I had to push myself to watch at times :P
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Needs a prerequisite on Japanese history during the Sengoku era before watching the movie
I've been wanting to watch this movie for soooo long! Being a fan of Japanese history AND a fan of Okada Junichi, watching this film is a must.I actually enjoyed the movie overall. However, it wouldn't be easy to recommend. This movie is made for those with a knowledge of Japanese history (Basically, the Japanese population who are forced to study it when they are in school). A newbie will not be able to understand the story, nor the stakes of this battle. I have watched numerous dramas about this era. I have also read about many of the lords involved in that decisive battle, so I managed to follow the story without too much trouble.
There are several things to appreciate in this movie. For starters, the acting of key figures in the movie were well cast and superbly performed. Okada Junichi continues to impress with his acting skills. This movie is a testament to how far he's come. I also could not have imagined a better actor to be cast as Tokugawa Ieyasu than Yakusho Koji. He managed to portray the many sides of Japan's third unifier despite the overall biased take of the events in this movie.
What I found interesting is the portrayal of "Ninja-wars" that happened alongside the story. Information was definitely key to winning the war. Therefore their portrayal brought clarity to how it happened.
The action here is portrayed realistically and beautifully. Nothing too gory, but bloody enough to understand the horror of it.
Yet, there were many issues in this movie that prevented me from giving it a better score. Narration is a big one. Narration is often done in Taiga dramas. However, in this movie, it is indistinguishable from the conversations done between characters. Another huge issue is the choppy editing throughout the whole movie. I know there is a huge amount of information to be portrayed, but I wish they had given more time to smoothen the scene-to-scene.
Another mini-complaint is putting the character Hatsume at the forefront of the movie when it is an imaginary character, who doesn't have any true effect on the story. I also find it weird that princess chacha/Yodo-done wasn't given much of a role in this movie when historically, she plays an important part in the events preceding the battle. The movie mentions the connection between Mitsunari and Yodo-dono, yet neither explored nor even portrayed.
Overall, I still enjoyed that movie despite its flaws. I recommend this movie solely if you have at least a working knowledge of the Sengoku era of Japanese history.
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If you're a fan of Roy Qiu or Alice Ke, and even Joanne Tseng, I'd encourage you to go for it. They brought life into their characters and had great chemistry with each other.
I love Roy's character Justine. He's the only character that stayed constant throughout the drama, and his development and views regarding love and relationships felt both authentic and refreshing. As for Huan Zhen, I really liked her, Alice was so different from her character in Office Girls. She was confident, sexy and strong. The last couple of episodes the character kinda stopped making any sense writing wise, but Alice was constant in her acting. As much as Sheng Nan showed much stupidity for a good portion of the drama, it made sense that some girls are like that, and how bit by bit she managed to see things clearly as they really are.
Another great point of the drama is the parents here. I specially appreciate the way Justine and Sheng Nan's parents are written. Those are couples very present in every society, and I love how it shows how it has an effect on their children's confidence and their views of the world. Huan Zhen's parents might've been too perfect, but they were too adorable and refreshing to have on screen.
Jiang Qian Yue made no sense to me at all, and the guy playing the character was just plain, incapable of showing any emotions. He just looks shady, and I think he gets that look naturally :P I just wish they had a better written character and another actor to play it.
Nothing much happens in the last two episodes. I found even the deep and thoughtful character issues found in our leads weren't well addressed, and the solution was shallow.
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The movie tells the story of a number of individuals that get involved with our hero, the king of apology, Ryoro Kurojima, in different timelines through different point of views which makes the whole movie into puzzle pieces that all goes into place by the end of it.
Of course this movie wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't for it's cast. Abe Sadao sure was brilliantly casted but we also have the lovely Inoue Mao in a yet totally different character that we're used to, Takenouchi Yutaka, Takahashi Katsumi, Matsuyuki Yasuko, Okada Masaki as well as others and each one has his own distinct way of being hilarious.
And when you thought it couldn't get any more hilarious, the ending is beats that expectation. It's funny that throughout the movie they give you the hint, you just never catch on until the director decides to let you catch on.
I totally recomment that movie for anyone, but specially for those you appreciate Japanese comedy. As I mentioned earlier, for whats worth, I found the movie also had a nice message to transmit that isn't even done subtly but somehow doesn't feel preachy.
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The story may have had the rich boy meet poor girl, but what I love about it is, the poor girl was independent who has a dream and working hard in making it a reality without shame or whining about it or expecting anything from anyone. It's in line with her personality in keeping a low profile, from the way she dresses up to her interactions and the way she expresses her dream. She meets Zi Qi who's the total opposite in extravagance and spoil. The drama (I. e. his father) puts him in the same level as her in terms of wealth, and this sets their relationship off to a great start. At this point the drama becomes really the story of a bunch of employees working at the same firm. There is the annoying second lead girl, the bore to death second lead guy but somehow they just don't matter. Second lead guy was just written in such a boring way they they just resolved his issues fast and wrote him off. Second lead girl stayed to be the hated one but it doesn't frustrate me the way kdramas do, mainly because our lead's maturity with always facing reality and talking about what bothers them. Other characters I liked was the manager who at first came off as annoying but really grew on me. I specially loved his relationship with Zi Qi. They stay constantly hilarious throughout the whole drama. Another is Le Le who, at times may be annoying, but I love how upfront she was about everything. She didn't care who you were, she'll talk right back at you if you look down at her. The parents were kinda too perfect but the relationships felt genuine.
The story isn't perfect that'st for sure. There were some mistakes that we see Xing Ren do that I found unacceptable with her experience and how she was place in the beginning of the drama as hard working. Zi Qi becoming was too perfect in the last few episodes. His mother magically changing suddenly, and I felt there was a backstory about her that they kinda dropped and decided not to follow.
Acting wise, to no one's surprise Roy Qiu is the star here. From comedy to growth to subtle romance, he's got full control on all. Patrick Li was also amazing in comedy I would laugh in every scene he's at. It's my first time seeing Alice Ke but she did her role justice to say the least. The actrice that plays the role of Mandi was also funny. This drama is maybe Tia Li's best role. She's not great here, but I think being evil suits her more than being good :P
I loved some of the songs used in there specially the song Wanna Fly in Free Fall the guitar playing in that song is addicting :D
Overall a very enjoyable drama.
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Needless to saw the acting was stunning at best, like Abe Hiroshi, Nishida Toshiyuki and Takeuchi Yuko, and spot on at worst like Fukada Kyoko. The story could've been standard if it wasn't for the acting. The chemistry between characters was palpable and the twist in the end was nicely done.
I didn't like the idea of the choice of the last witness used. It made it just too easy and cheapened the result. Another complaint, is the length, which I think could've done better without the extra 20 minutes added.
Overall worth the watch Once In A Blue Moon :P
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Sway is about 2 very different brothers who never came into terms with how they feel about each other. Even though the events of the show are very intense and we can even say extreme, but this type of feeling between siblings can exist in any type of family (talking from personal experience here :P). The older one (Minoru) who carry the burden to stay in his hometown and not let his father down. He's the peace maker of the family. The younger brother (Takeru) was the one that wanted to get out of his family's control and change his fate. I think he just didn't want to end up like his brother, and wanted an individualistic, materialistic lifestyle (offered by today's capitalism). In the middle was the hometown girl. From what I gather, she was a girl that lived comfortably until she was laid off. She was afraid of change so she had refused to leave town for the big city. When she lost her job, her sole living family moved on in life, she found herself alone.
Here where it all comes into play. Minoru begrudges his existence, thinks that lil bro is only in it for himself and nothing more. He has low self esteem to the point of never confessing to the woman he loves. Takeru hates everything his hometown represents, which makes him disdain what his older brother represents. He just couldn't get over the fact that he ex might end up with his older brother, so he ended up pursuing her without any intend for a long term relationship. He feels hollow and never satisfied with anything. She, at this point in her life, had similar fears to Takeru. She just wants out, and doesn't want to become another Minoru, and she looked at Takeru as her ticket out. I found all 3 were profound characters, very selfish and very human.
An accident happen that changes their fates forever and makes them face all their decisions they made up to now and what went wrong with them. I think each one of us has a bit of Minoru, or a bit of Takeru, or even a bit of both.
I don't need to mention about the acting here, we have an all talented cast carefully casted. Some goes for the directing with all its subtlety. I think whats amazing about this movie is that we begin to appreciated, at least in my case, not while watching it or as soon as its done, but after a long while, when you realize that its still there in the back of your mind.
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To get it out of the way, the overall music was used appropriately, nothing to memorable, but I couldn't stand the main theme song. Or more like I couldn't stand it's beginning, it kinda destroys any climate built up until then.
One of my main issues in the drama is the character *Todo Shinichi*. I understand him being naive and trusting in the beginning. However, despite all that happens, and despite being a so called genius and elite, he never puts 2 & 2 together. At one point I just couldn't understand why he aimed at doing what he was doing. I thought he might've had some plan, but no, his motive were just too contradicting. Hence no real development happens to his character.
It's the same in the drama with some character that never develop, yet we get forced emotions down our throat when we couldn't care less, while others felt so genuine, their motives clear enough, and the psych make sense. It's a complete mix. I find the story of Todo's friends from University well developed, while the new friends he makes in during the drama just didn't make sense to me at all. Characters like the mom and Osanai were intriguing, but Sanae was completely underused. The detectives (public safety) were pretty constant, but the lawyer was completely puzzling. I still enjoyed his character, but he could've been used much more effectively.
Of course when talking about characters, we need to mention the acting. I think Eiji's character would've been much more engaging if played by a more capable actor. Satoshi Jinbo and Shingo Tsurumi, playing detective and lawyer, respectively, became interesting to have on screen thanks to their performance, but Hinako Sakurai and Jun Shison felt like filling space. Mantaro Koichi was entertaining enough but I never understood the point of his character. Mimura, just by looking at her face and expressions, you could understand her thoughts and intentions. Though most intriguing of all was Tamayama Tetsuji. He's so great at being shady, but he also knows how to make you forget his shadiness. Tatsuya Fujiwara had some annoying overacting moments, but overall he was fine.
As a result I feel the characters weren't well thought out, so it depended entirely on the actors who play them. I think if Eiji was played by an actor like Kamiki, we would've had a totally different drama.
Anyways, if you ask me whether it's worth the watch, I'd say still totally worth it. I'd recommend it (reluctantly maybe... well first go watch Boku no Yabai Tsuma :P). Still I can't gloss over its flaws and give it a higher rating.
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Let's start with the things I enjoyed. I enjoyed the presentation and development of a number of characters. Mainly, Baek Seong Il and Yang Jeong Do. I can confirm the people we see at the end are not the same as the people meet in the beginning. It was very gradual though, and felt organic how each got influenced by the other. As most, I loved the relationship between the two. It's not the usual bromance, but as real partners (in crime :P).
Other characters I enjoyed are a number of villains. The Maire for one is pretty intriguing. He really doesn't see himself as a bad guy, and you know he does really try, but over time he learns why it's still not good enough. There is one scene in the end between the Maire and Sung Il that is one of the strongest scenes in the drama that explores his character deeply. I've mentioned before that I really hated Ahn, but he makes an interesting villain. It's the way he becomes and villain and the things that motivate him that are interesting. Finally, more than Choi Chul Woo, I find Bang Pil Kyu to be a terrifying villain, in a good way. Everyone else served their purpose in the drama, but didn't have a lot of development happening. Sung Hee had a little change where she becomes more flexible, hence less annoying.
Also another plus, the last con was just BRILLIANT! The music was very fitting.
The acting varied from excellent to average, but all were very fitting in their roles. I think those who played the characters I liked are those that stood out in their acting.
As for the things that annoy me, first is Choi Chul Woo. He's such an uninspiring villain. I guess he was just easy to hate and want to go down, but ultimately I just didn't care enough.
Mostly what I found annoying was all the red herring and have scenes that get revealed later the drama gives us. I mean all I was thinking *come on you're not fooling me at this point, this trick is getting old*. Yeah it was pretty repetitive. Also some story threads were left semi-unfinished. What happened to that person who got beat up? We never find out.
Still it was worth the watch for me. I enjoyed it, totally recommend it for the fun of it.
PS: The drama gives us a very interesting surprise in the end so do keep watching until the last minute.
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You watch most of the drama without knowing who's telling the truth and who's truly innocent. Every episode makes other people more suspicious without writing off the first person you were suspecting. Other than Eiki and inspector Ujou, I was suspecting everyone else of being suspicious, even dead characters. In that sense I loved the buildup of the mystery.
The romance department did not disappoint. The more you think that in Eiki's place you'll run away as fast as possible from our main suspect, the more you understand his fascination of her and get taken by it. Their scenes together were electrifying and their clashes and confrontations were exciting. Leads had so much chemistry from their first scenes together you can just feel it right away.
So when I have so much good to say about the drama, why didn't I rate it higher? Well to tell you the truth, up until episode 10, I had decided on a rating no less than 8.5-9 however episode 11 made me think otherwise. I won't spoil anything I'll just say the final reveal was a let down. The ending itself I like, but the revelation left me wanting something more. You can say it felt it took the safe route but as a result I just didn't care.
But all in all, I don't regret marathoning it. I love 90s dorama, they sure had the passion that we seem to lack in today's dramas. Also The buildup of the mystery was nicely done so as a mystery lover, its definitely is an enjoyable watch. Also watching Takenouchi Yutaka and Matsushima Nanako in their younger days is a pleasure itself.
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Writing wise, what most stood out is how people jumped to (the right) conclusion without substantive evidence. It made no sense.
Overall the characters were over the top. The female lead Nao claims she wants revenge but isn’t smart enough for it and has too much of a weak spirit for it. I didn’t have much sympathy for the Tsubaki because he was the type that takes wtv narrative that suits him and knowingly ignores everything else.
This story isn’t about love despite all the characters keep repeating it. It’s about obsessive attachments. The parents of the leads were more guilty about it, none ever owned up to their actions. In the flashback when Itsuki said “it was all my fault” I was like yup right you are about it. He dragged everyone in his actions and inactions, in life and in death.
It wasn’t all bad. I like the how Shiori took hold of her life. In a way, she was more independent and showed more growth than Nao. My favourite part of the drama was the interaction between Tsubaki and his grandpa. It was the most authentic performance and where real growth happened. Their conversation in the last episode was beautifully delivered, and summarized their relationship. Any points I give this drama would be for that part of the drama.
Don’t get me wrong, it was addictive so it’s not a drama you can easily drop haha
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Lovely dull movie
Not sure how to explain it, but I don't know why I ended up loving the movie. The story itself is boring, the setting is purposely dull, and the characters have a depressing view of the future. The romance couldn't get any more disturbing. Yet, I was glued to the screen and couldn't get enough of the movie and its characters.The heart of the movie is about characters with baggage looking to start over. Most characters seem jaded from life, yet have a tiny glimmer of hope that things will get better.
I have to say, I loved the direction in this movie. Through muted scenes and gray weather, it manages to bring you to the right mood. Right from the beginning, it sets the tone for you. We start the movie at the vocational school, which introduces most of the characters to us and their personality. I think it says a lot about the movie when you feel as if they are at a prison in the atmosphere of the scene.
The characters were all very flawed, and as I mentioned earlier, I found the romantic relationship disturbing. That doesn't mean I didn't get invested in it, but I would definitely not encourage such a relationship in real life. Starting with Shiraiwa, played masterfully by Odagiri Joe, he is there to start over while contemplating what went wrong in his life. He might seem very humble yet deep down has trouble believing he was wrong. He is very reserved, yet had this sincerity to him. When Satoshi comes into his life, he gets dangerously intrigued by her yet felt the need to resist. I wasn't a fan of satoshi. And the less I liked the character the more I fell in love with Aoi Yu’s performance of the character. She was different from anything I've seen her before, yet owned both the character and the movie. Her character is very explosive, playful, and fun at times, while violent and downright crazy at others. Saying she has baggage is an understatement.
Even though the rest of the cast had lower screen time, it still gave enough focus to each character for us to know them, as well as glimpses from their baggage. From the sales pitcher, to the retiree, to the ex-yakuza, we get a good understanding of their being, and how it relates to the theme of the movie.
It's not easy to recommend this movie because it's the type of movie you either love or hate. Or both. Personally, I loved it.
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