I became interested in this movie because my friend committed suicide reportedly of depression. There was no note left or symptoms detected beforehand. We were all shocked and sad. I thought watching this would be therapeutic as well as educational of the disease so we can beware of it when help is needed.
The film turned out to be very informative, supportive and heartwarming. It made me want to get married – to someone like the wife Haruko Takazaki (Aoi Miyazaki) in the movie. It would be so nice to have a supportive company! She is instrumental in the curing process as she accepted her husband Mikio (Masato Sakai) and tried her ways to cope with the illness (such as getting work) without exerting pressure on him. The most important thing was that she offered a different and reasonable perspective based on what his was and built a more positive one.
When he said he could not even cook (he usually made his own lunchbox), she said you are already a better cook than I was. When he did not know what to do for the day, she told him to take a nap. When he said he cannot do many things, she said it is OK not to be perfect. Haruko might appear to be a lazy person: she was not a good cook and almost always slept in. But on salient matters such as curing her husband, she was determined to have him choose between a stressful job versus divorce, or accepting her husband as who he was, or relieving his financial stress by her own way. She just did not give in and yet she did not put pressure on herself.
Her way of dealing with stress was going with the flow. Her believing in herself originally came from her husband so she tried very hard to help him get back on his feet. Apart from Haruko, their family was also very supportive in helping them.
What I have learnt from this movie on depression is that it already helps to tell others/talk about our problems. There might not be an immediate solution, but at least the stress would be out of our body. It would also serve as a learning opportunity for others. There seems to be a meaning for everything. Depression may be tough to deal with, but if we can find its meaning and make good use of it, maybe it is not at all such a misfortune.
The art-direction is superb. Their house itself is perfect in this setting with the cramped yet tidy interior, echoing the suffocating psychological state of the depressed patient. When Mikio's condition improved, they had a nice chat in the courtyard, symbolizing they had stepped out of that suffocation and added in more freshness for a boundless future.
We need to be aware that depression illness can be cured. It just needs more patience and positive attitude from the patient and people around. This is a romantic, heartwarming, bitter-sweet and educational type of entertainment. You will gain one way or the other watching it.
The film turned out to be very informative, supportive and heartwarming. It made me want to get married – to someone like the wife Haruko Takazaki (Aoi Miyazaki) in the movie. It would be so nice to have a supportive company! She is instrumental in the curing process as she accepted her husband Mikio (Masato Sakai) and tried her ways to cope with the illness (such as getting work) without exerting pressure on him. The most important thing was that she offered a different and reasonable perspective based on what his was and built a more positive one.
When he said he could not even cook (he usually made his own lunchbox), she said you are already a better cook than I was. When he did not know what to do for the day, she told him to take a nap. When he said he cannot do many things, she said it is OK not to be perfect. Haruko might appear to be a lazy person: she was not a good cook and almost always slept in. But on salient matters such as curing her husband, she was determined to have him choose between a stressful job versus divorce, or accepting her husband as who he was, or relieving his financial stress by her own way. She just did not give in and yet she did not put pressure on herself.
Her way of dealing with stress was going with the flow. Her believing in herself originally came from her husband so she tried very hard to help him get back on his feet. Apart from Haruko, their family was also very supportive in helping them.
What I have learnt from this movie on depression is that it already helps to tell others/talk about our problems. There might not be an immediate solution, but at least the stress would be out of our body. It would also serve as a learning opportunity for others. There seems to be a meaning for everything. Depression may be tough to deal with, but if we can find its meaning and make good use of it, maybe it is not at all such a misfortune.
The art-direction is superb. Their house itself is perfect in this setting with the cramped yet tidy interior, echoing the suffocating psychological state of the depressed patient. When Mikio's condition improved, they had a nice chat in the courtyard, symbolizing they had stepped out of that suffocation and added in more freshness for a boundless future.
We need to be aware that depression illness can be cured. It just needs more patience and positive attitude from the patient and people around. This is a romantic, heartwarming, bitter-sweet and educational type of entertainment. You will gain one way or the other watching it.
