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My discovery of the Japanese Film Festival this year has been one of enlightenment and lingering feelings. I was genuinely surprised and taken aback by the sheer quality and diversity of the festival. That being said, I do walk away from this festival with a lingering sense of regret because I didn't see all the films that the festival had to offer. But being one of the lucky souls to catch this film, 'And Yet, You Are So Sweet (2023)' is not one of those regrets I have.
From left: Kyohei Takahashi and Hata Mei who are the two leads of this film.
There are many films that dominate the cinemas of today like superhero films, cinematic universes or gun-slinging assassins this film gives us a simple, lighthearted, "doki-doki" film that is like an anime come to life.
*Doki-Doki = is a term for the sound of a beating heart in Japanese sound symbolism.
This film can easily be mistaken for a cliche K-Drama-like rom-com with no substance but honestly, I thought this film had an earnestness about it that really had me invested in the story much more than I'd like to admit. There's this sense of nostalgia that follows films like these and it's strange to me because I've never been to Japan or had the pleasure to be in a school there but this film made their locations feel familiar to me somehow.
This film is heavily reminiscent of a Shojo anime and all its tropes. The slow-mo stares, those cheesy moments in the park, and those longing looks between the two of them. Anyone who is an Otaku would most probably find this rom-com flick enjoyable like I did.
Thank you all for reading this little snippet of my thoughts on yet another film the JFF has been kind enough to bring to the shores of my country, Malaysia. Till the next one!
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