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Synopsis
Kaoru Touno's family is falling apart. After the death of a sibling and his parents' divorce, he no longer feels any peace at home. Following a heated confrontation with his father, Kaoru runs out of his house and finds himself before a mysterious tunnel, which pulls him in. Bewildered by what he sees inside, he rushes to the exit, picking up a bird that looks identical to his deceased pet on his way out.
Upon emerging outside, Kaoru realizes that, despite him spending just a few minutes inside the tunnel, an entire week has passed. The bizarre experience leads him to remember the rumors of "Urashima Tunnel"—a passage that grants wishes in exchange for one's lifespan. Given the resurrection of his pet bird, Kaoru cannot help but wonder if another visit can help fix his messed up life.
However, when he returns to the entrance of the mysterious tunnel, Kaoru realizes that he has been followed by Anzu Hanashiro, a new transfer student in his class. She also knows about the rumors and asks him to help her with an experiment—it turns out that she, too, has a wish that only the tunnel can grant.
"Live in the moment"
"Make the most of your present"
We all hear these quotes, something about our precious time, something about the limit of life. But it just feels impossible, that no matter how much I laugh, cry or feel; there's always a regret that pains me, there's always something in the future that frightens me.
If there's one thing Kaoru Touno regrets the most, is his last words to his little sister, "I hate you too". He suffers over the fact that his little sister died while trying to catch a beetle for her brother. If there's one thing Anzu Hanashiro fears the most, is being not talented. Not talented enough to become a manga artist, not able to fulfill her deceased grandpa's dream. But they find a tunnel that's rumoured to grant any wish, in exchange for their now, their present. So they decide to work together and enter the tunnel, but the tunnel is its own world, with its own rules of time and space. They waste their present together, chasing in the tunnel to make their wishes come true. Touno, to get over his past and Hanashiro, to get a future. Both of them sympathize with each other's struggles, in the time they wasted together, forming a bond together.
This is a story about these two characters; one who's coming to terms with his past and one who's finding a future to fulfill her grandpa's dream. The tunnel is a labyrinth where time runs slower than the outside world. Our characters go inside the tunnel for their past and/or future, but one thing they ignore is that, spending too much past or future makes you forgot about the present. While we are hung up on our dreams and mistakes, the world around us moves away. And it can never be bought back.
The cute romance takes the spotlight, but the movie is too short to give a fleshed out development for its characters. As for the visuals, studio CLAP really did well. Every scene including the tunnel is mesmerizing. The music and songs are alright. I only wish the movie was a bit longer and gave more screen time elaborating their struggles.
I think this is a good movie. Though I wish it did a bit better at a few elements, it is about a boy coming to terms with his regrets of past and a girl finding the courage to overcome her fear of future. And the present they found together.
Conclusion
I think it's hard to live in the present, when so much of our past & future, define and is defined by this moment. When the way we lived and the path we chose define us; but it's more important to realize that this moment will never come back. We can never live in the past, and we never know if we live in the future.
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