Blue (II) (2002) User Reviews (12)

A beautiful Japanese movie

[ebiros2 · 7/10 · 12 September 2012]

When I watched this move, I felt that Japan is a beautiful country. Filmed in provincial cities of Niigata, and Takaoka (Toyama prefecture) Blue captures the lives of two high school girls from Spring to Autumn.

The movie is beautiful in many ways, but especially in the way each scenes are shot. Director Hiroshi Ando is a veteran of directing youth oriented movies, but also has an eye for sharp clean images.

Mikako Ichikawa who played Kayako Kirishima won the best actress award at the 24th International Movie Festival in Moscow with this movie.

The movie that's written, and acted by Gen-X writer and actors has all the subdued feelings of that generation.

Both Mikako Ichikawa and Manami Konishi are models, and are unusually tall for Japanese women, Ichikawa hitting 5'7", and Konishi at 5'6" tall.

Both Ichikawa, and Konishi has successful career as actors, and are familiar faces in Japanese TV now.

I liked this movie for the beautiful imagery. The small stories that's inserted as the scene changes were almost like moving poems. I wanted to see more of relation between Endo, and Kirishima but the movie just kept going without drastic change in the flow.

The movie is well crafted and is definitely worth seeing.

If you're interested in visiting the areas that this movie was shot, here are the locations:

Niigata City:

Mandaibashi bridge by route 7

Furumachi Mall

Niigata station (West side connector pass)

Keiwagakuen High School (The art room scene)

Takaoka City (Toyama prefecture):

Fushiki High school (Near JR Etchu-Kokubu station)

No English subs on DVD...

[snavecire · 8/10 · 12 May 2005]

When Blue had its too-short art house theatrical run, it was subtitled in English. Naturally I missed it, and recently picked up the DVD having heard raves. The DVD has no subtitles at all, which is somewhat baffling given that the translation work had already been done. Does anyone know of a source for a script, or an otherwise easily translatable source for the dialog? Several small theaters I've attended actually distributed typed scripts in English for films with spotty subtitles. If anyone had the dialog for Blue, I'd sure like to read it.

The movie's deliberate pace, calm tone and long uninterrupted takes (5-10 minutes in some cases) really set it apart from more conventional Japanese (and American) fare. Mikako Ichikawa, who may be known to some from her supporting roles in Cutie Honey and Jam Films 2's "Armchair Theory", is impressive. Her character's restraint and painful shyness comes across almost completely through her eyes. She seems almost impenetrable, yet fragile.

This story would have genuine appeal to the U.S. art cinema crowd. Anyone who enjoyed Ghost World could do a lot worse: Blue captures the outsider feel of Clowes' characters without the forced quirkiness.

Very good story but could have been edited

[o_lopez · 8/10 · 30 December 2015]

I watched the movie and my initial reaction is that I liked it. Though produced in a probably small budget the movie manages to capture beautiful portrait-like scenes, almost like the still life paintings central to the plot. The ambiance sound blends perfectly well with the film scenes, you become immersed in the film's world.

The spirit of the manga remains in the movie, some elements from the source material were changed but the movie's message is how destructive your decisions can be. We see Endo and Kirishima making decisions that will break the hearts of people they care about. They don't make those decisions with malice, they are just two young students.

The manga's minimalist art is translated into film successfully, not using a constant soundtrack, or quick edits. Instead the music is used subtly, only used in important milestones in the relationship of the main characters.

The acting and dialogue is minimal, the camera is detached and many times we're far from the actors' faces, so the actors make full use of body language, making scenes look like theater. The result is in my opinion delightful and adds tension toward the film's climax and other crucial revealing scenes.

Very good story, acting, photography, and soundtrack (both ambient and music). however some scenes could've been snipped that were not crucial to the plot.

subtitles

[japseyee · 6/10 · 26 May 2022]

To the person with the dvd with no subs!

Subtitles for this movie are available on the net! However, combining with your dvd could be tricky.

Your easiest option would be just to download the film, along with subtitles. Morally, you have purchased the film anyway.

Or you could rip your dvd using a program like handbrake, and then download subtitles and attempt to sync the two.

A suprisingly somber and beautifully shot film

[bluefilm_ · 7/10 · 20 June 2022]

I've had this movie on my radar for a while, only knowing the vague Wikipedia description (it gives a lot fewer details than on here as I write this) and seeing it on sapphic movie lists. I didn't know much about the plot, but thought it might make for a nice movie date with my girlfriend. To me surprise, this movie was a lot more solemn than I anticipated.

I think it does capture a certain yearning, especially when you're school aged, and for myself hit home. The movie as I stated, was a lot more somber, but I still think it hit a realism within it. The move itself was shot beautifully, the area was a perfect backdrop and from stills alone you can get the feel of the artistic lens powering it.

My only complaint is I do think certain scenes dragged on too long. I do realize they had a point though, and I'm sure my feeling that way is because of attention issues; but in that same note, the dragging had a realism and made you contemplate the scene more thoughtfully-- the composition, the nature, ect.

The slowness may deter people, and there isn't a ton of dialogue, but if you're willing to sit through a 2hr movie for more of a slow emotional piece with gorgeous scenery, then I'd recommend it. Maybe not for date night, however.

Long description for the movie

[dacicus-3 · 10/10 · 16 December 2005]

The way how this movie was made is breathtaking. From the decors to the actors play, this movie fares far better than anyone would expect from such a story. There aren't many scenes where u'll See a crowd, mostly because the setting for the movie isn't some big city, but rather some small province town. The movie is poetry in motion, calm, almost too peaceful to bare. On a side u have Kirishima who is pretty much an introvert girl. But Kirishima, despite being an introvert(she doesn't talk much in the movie), it's a person that follows her feelings, instincts and dreams. On the other side u have Endo who is an outcast because she broke the society's rules: she felt in love with an older, married man, she got pregnant and had an abortion. Endo says about herself that she goes with the flow, and that actually it is the reality of her character. Even in the movie finale, you will see in the message sent by Endo to Kirishima(a recorded videotape), the kind of person that she is. Between Kirishima and Endo you have Nakano(Endo's best friend)and Kirishima's lunch group(some other three girls). It is really interesting how the relationships are evolving. First Kirishima brings Endo to her group, then Kirishima sleeps with the love interest of someone in her lunch group. Maybe the evolution of those relationships is characterized by a phrase said by one of Kirishima's friend: "When we've split the money for the cake in four, then was good; when Endo came, still was good, but then, you(Kirishima) and Endo left.Three is not a good number". Then Endo presents Nakano to Kirishima, and the three of them are quickly become real good friends. Kirishima's love for Endo develops in steps, nothing sudden or unexpected. But there is so much sensuality in the relationship between the two girls that u can almost feel it. In the summer vacation, Endo gets a phone call from the guy who left her pregnant and she leaves Kirishima. When Endo comes back, she finds a different Kirishima. Nakano told Kirishima where Endo left for summer and Endo at her return try to hide the truth. Somewhere in the summer Kirishima meets again the guy that provoked the rupture between her and the lunch group. They talk and the guy says something very important: Kirishima is the one who gives the most in her relationship with Endo. But Kirishima also believes in second chances, and at Endo's return she gave her the chance to come clean. The braking between them is almost brutal after the lies told by Endo, and yet after a certain period the two of them makes up. But u can feel that something very important was lost. When Kirishima propose that the both of them should go to Tokyo and live together, Endo dodge her proposal. The finale of the movie finds us with a single Kirishima, and a videotape sent by Endo, a videotape that says through images "I just go with the flow"

A movie for soul and mind, a movie for someone who wants a "most likely to happen" story. And a movie that leaves with so many mixed feelings: melancholy, sadness, and yet a certain optimism and a feeling that all will be okay after a while.

i felt the peacefulness in my bones

[sinematalar · 8/10 · 23 August 2022]

A beautifully portrayed film that was based on a manga by Kiriko Nananan. The movie itself is poetry in motion, calm, and weirdly nostalgic which created a sense of serenity for me.

Every single scene during the movie is so soothing, so gentle and explains the innocent story of two girls falling in love, there is so much sensuality in the relationship that you can almost feel it.

Finishing the movie leaves you with so many mixed feelings: melancholy, sadness, and yet a certain optimism and a feeling that all will be okay after a while.

Blew

[remurmur · 1/10 · 5 January 2012]

Blue is one of those artsy films that portrays itself as smart and classy by being very slow and low-key. Which can be great, if done properly. But is utterly boring if executed poorly, which is the case for Blue.

The barely-there plot is simple and can easily be summed up in a paragraph. If you read a synopsis, you'll pretty much know what it's all about. But that's OK right? You don't need plot if you've got a solid character study. Well, that's also a problem, as the central romance revolves around two introverted girls with little personality and even less to say. I was completely unable to care about the characters, who barely seem to care about each other. Nobody ever really seems happy in this movie. Emotions are muted and smiles are rare. They never have a convincing reason to love each other, which I suppose is not unrealistic, but it's not interesting. Everything is so internalized that there's nothing to see.

Then there's the cinematography, which should be the saving grace but isn't. Scenes are well-structured and shot, but are constantly of such boring material that it doesn't matter. The editing is fit for a three-toed sloth, with scenes routinely lasting five beats longer than they should or having no reason for existing than to realistically depict the dull monotony of life. Occasionally, there's some great visuals to be had. There's a beautiful twilight shot towards the end of the two girls in front of a vending machine that illuminates one while leaving the other a silhouette. However, such moments are fleeting, and the vast majority of the film is visually bland. Also, there is almost no soundtrack, so it's not even an interesting film sound-wise.

If you're interested in this film, I suggest you read the manga first. It's got better pacing and is only a single volume long. The film adapts the basic story, but also changes quite a bit. The two have their similarities, but feel quite different.

I know there is sure to be a niche audience for this sort of thing, but it's not me, nor will it be the average viewer. It may resonate more if you're gay or can at least identify with the characters. For me though, it was just unforgivably boring. Know what you're getting into and approach with caution.

"like a real couple?"

[wecookpastaontuesdays · 8/10 · 25 August 2022]

I quite enjoyed the brevity in the dialogue. "Why are you lying to me?" and "You're horrible, Endo!" were quite straightforward. Even though Kirishima was a reactionary character, I liked how she was portrayed quite a lot.

The film was most definitely a little slow. 2h likely could've been condensed into 1.5h without losing depth. Many scenes felt like we got in too early and out too late, but the buffer let me process scenes as they came as well. It matched the lazy nature of Japan's summer.

The side characters were nice, as well. They weren't just there to prompt conflict. They had their own r/s to deal with and to comment on.

Overall, the film felt somewhat tragic in the end. Coupled against Japan's disappearing high school summer, the first love story is wonderful.

-- spoilers under here --

Kirishima ended up chatting with the boy she slept with earlier. I liked that. "i wanted to feel close". Very nice. He didn't really understand what was going on, but neither did she, and it was alright. It made it seem like he wasn't just for the plot in the beginning of the movie, or unnecessary commentary on teenager life that's becoming more common, which was nice. It's purpose felt seeable.

When Kirishima and Endo were crying together, but not comforting each other, that was good. That felt very symbolic of their entire r/s. They were both suffering, in general, and because of each other, but didn't know how to comfort the other.

Kirishima learning how to paint was very "Hayao Miyazaki" love story. She became a better person and learned what she wanted to do because of Endo, but Endo didn't learn much. At the end of the day, Endo choose the guy. He mattered more to her than Kirishima did.

Even though they both acknowledged that Endo liked the guy more, they talked about the life they could've had. That was sad. It was as if Kirishima was indulging in what could've been, you know? And Endo was letting her, because that was all they were going to have.

Loved how they kept going back to the beach. The ending film was bittersweet.

Love is a hard thing

[SaikiasCute · 10/10 · 25 June 2023]

After thousand of years, love is a deep and hard thing, even loving and staying in peace with your partner it's hard, you still feel some "pain" to think that you're not the right person or something.

This movie is not just about two girls in love and their problems, but love in general, you don't need a full reason to like someone, you just like and that's it, relationships don't have an instruction manual, when you love someone, you gotta do two things: love them and never hurt them, of course, not gonna be perfect, and that's love in his pure form.

I really like this film, not just the story but the cinematography, beautiful as well.

perfect in every way

[hollydoyle-83684 · 10/10 · 14 May 2023]

Within silences, there is meditation and multiplicity of meanings. Blue is not an indie coming-of-age movie that uses silence to masquerade itself as a bigger movie than it truly is. Silence is a key theme between Kirishima and Endo, and their ultimate source of conflict. They struggle with communicating their feelings for each other, because they're still wondering how to even articulate them by themselves. They don't talk about universities and colleges often, because they don't know what their futures as adults hold for them. But in silence, they often find themselves at their most vulnerable. A peaceful moment of silence, only interrupted by the sound of waves, leads to a kiss. When one of them is silent, the other starts talking about things they've experienced in their life, things they would never dare to talk about with other people. Silence in this movie is both love and trial, challenger and helper.

I really ejoyed

[Yuliet10 · 8/10 · 2 August 2022]

Even though I think it could had a better editions job, I really appreciate the effort from the director, he caught all my attention right on the main characters, the story envolved me, even the darkest parts.

This is not a movie for everyone, is kinda long, and you must enjoy japanese cinema, but I think it was a story aboyt innocent love (or sort kind of innocent), Kirishima and Endo are really cute, I understood completely every felling Kirishima was haveing when she found out the secret from Endo, I think it was one of the best parts. Also how both of them imagined to scape to Tokyo, to me it became a classic.