Merry Christmas! I realise I haven't posted in a while (December is manic - I've had about ten post ideas which I haven't had the time to finish - expect a flurry of posts soon) so hopefully I can make everyone a little happier today with a movie recommendation. Today I want to talk about Princess Jellyfish, a film I watched last night and absolutely loved. I've come to the conclusion that anything starring Suda Masaki is worth watching. Onto the review!
NOTE: I have no intention of glossing any important details, so there will be spoilers.
Based on a manga series, Princess Jellyfish revolves around jellyfish-obsessed girl Tsukimi and the other members of Amamizukan, a house which is effectively a safe haven for social misfits. As a child, Tsukimi was a girl who dreamed of being a princess, like most little girls do. She spent the majority of her childhood anticipating the day she got married, since her Mother promised to make a special jellyfish princess dress for her wedding day. But after her Mother died Tsukimi became painfully shy, so at twenty she lives in a boarding house with five other single woman who are happy enough with their restrictive lifestyles, even though they're painfully aware of the fact they're outcasts.
But things change for Tsumiki when she meets a woman who rescues her in a difficult situation. The woman stays the night in Tsukimi's room - and to her horror, Tsumiki discovers that this woman is actually a cross-dressing man, politician's son Kuranosuke. He's a man who doesn't see his hobbies as something to be embarrassed about, which is a far-cry from the women living in Amamizukan. To save herself from being thrown out of Amamizukan, Tsukimi manages to convince the girls that Kuranosuke is actually a woman called 'Kurako', but doesn't anticipate the way he barges back into her life over and over again. Nor does she anticipate falling for his older brother. But life's like that - and Kuranosuke may just be what Tsukimi needs to fix the state of her life.
Firstly, well done to this film for showing the world through the eyes of social misfits. Sometimes it's a little dramatic, but there honestly are some people so socially awkward that going outside or holding a basic conversation may be hard for them. I loved how this film cast a light on these people without ever really making fun of them. I especially liked how the film hardly suggested that these flawed people needed to change. Whilst the members of Amamizukan became happier with themselves throughout the course of the film, they stayed consistently themselves from beginning to end, and that made me really happy. There were makeovers - lots of them - but ultimately these characters were a treat because they accepted each other exactly as they were.
For the record, I'm just more and more impressed with Suda Masaki the more I see of him. He was fantastic as the king of bullies in No Dropping Out, and he's adorable if dim in Jimi ni Sugoi, but this is my favourite of his roles yet. I can't imagine the amount of dedictation it must have taken for his character to seem so at ease in dresses and high heels. Also, he makes for the most beautiful non-girl I've ever seen. Honetsly, I was happy with all the actors even before the film had started - I figure, you have to be brave to play an unattractive or bizarre character when it's far easier to play unrealistically beautiful 'normal people'. Practically everyone who acted in this film was brave for taking on stereotypically 'unappealing' and challenging characters, but Kuranosuke stands out as the character I definitely will not forget. He just resonated with me - although that isn't to say the others didn't! Sometimes being different is treated as a crime - these woman are bullying victims for that very reason, and their traumas and insecurities felt bitterly real.
Regarding the slightly romantic side of the story, it felt natural and sweet. The chemistry between Kuranosuke and Tsukimi was undeniable. The way they fixed each other was subtle but handled perfectly. I liked that Kuranosuke, whilst undeniably popular and confident in himself, was just as out-of-place in his world as Tsukimi was in hers. That's what made them so perfect together even though they were polar opposites. It was wonderful how, by the end of the film, even though Tsukimi was still a shy person, Kuranosuke was someone she could talk, smile and laugh easily with - huge steps for the girl who could barely say two words to a boy before meeting him. Despite the fact their 'romance' had no real conclusion, no confession or kiss or anything else, I was still left satisfied. I think everyone needs a Kuranosuke in their life - I want one.
Things were left a little two open in places for my taste though. Usually it was fine - Princess Jellyfish wrapped up most of the conflict with a simple, loose bow, which suits the story perfectly. There are just a few things that bother me. I won't bother going into those, why ruin all the good things I've already said?
To conclude, this was a simple, character-driven story. The friendships between these women and the budding romance between two slightly off-beat people were a pleasure to watch. An intricate plot wasn't really necessary here - it's a film about a minority of people who struggle to blend in or break out of what's comfortable. Therefore, it was all the more satisfying when they began to break the walls of their tiny, safe universe and try bigger and better things. Princess Jellyfish is an underdog story about protecting and fighting for what's important, which is all the better when you have your people to do it with you.
I really enjoyed Princess Jellyfish, it's one of the best films I've seen in a while. To finish, let me leave you with one last image of Kuranosuke. Happy holidays, everyone!
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