2 NEW Video Appearances This Weekend | *FILM FRIDAY* 'Like Someone in Love' (2012)

LET'S FILM FRIDAY.

First off, a huge thanks for all the kind words on the latest video guys. To my shock and surprise, 'Why I Don't Watch Japanese TV' has gone on to become the best performing video on the Abroad in Japan channel so far this year, reaching 1 million views in the first 5 days after being featured on Youtube Trending.

I couldn’t be happier that all those weeks of hard work have delivered a video that viewers seem to really enjoy. The many hours of blue screen fun were totally worth it after all.

Also for those that missed this week’s Patreon exclusive video, discussing the making of the video you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/Ow-xr_wgzVk

So while there’s no Abroad in Japan video this weekend, I find myself featuring in two separate unrelated videos on both Tokyo Creative and Joey the Animeman’s super successful new channel Trash Taste.

On Trash Taste, I sat down with Joey, Connor (CDawgVA) and Garnt (Gigguk), collectively the three biggest Anime Youtubers in the world and we discussed life in Japan and life as YouTubers while drinking various flavours of Strong Zero for about 2 hours. It was a lot of fun to record and I recommend watching it or at least listening in while doing the laundry. It should be out at 5am Japan time on Saturday.

Trash Taste: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcmxOGYGF51T1XsqQLewGtQ

As for Tokyo Creative, I revealed some of the films and TV shows I’ve been watching recently to give viewers ideas for things to watch. That’ll be up Saturday evening!

Tokyo Creative: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TmvgkTb_5jzKcvx6Pt0Dw

Hopefully that’ll keep you busy until later next week, when I’ll be back with updates on the new video. But for now folks, it’s time for Film Friday!

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Like Someone in Love, (2012) Abbas Kiarostami

Trailer: https://youtu.be/CBIDYcFOg3A

Official Synopsis: Now in his retirement, sociology professor Tadashi Okuno hires Akiko - a college-age prostitute - and finds himself dealing with her volatile boyfriend, whilst under the guise of being her Grandfather.

Abroad in Japan Review: Nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or award at the 2012 Cannes film festival, I suspect a lot of people will watch ‘Like Someone in Love’ and dismiss the film for its relatively light plot and somewhat unconventional ending. But the unusual premise (as revealed above in the official synopsis) is so uncomfortable and intriguing that I spent half the film on the edge of my Amazon essentials office chair.

The movie is remarkably slow; at the start of the film there’s a 12 minute sequence of the Akiko simply staring out of a taxi window listening to messages from a distraught Grandmother. Later in the film Akiko and her befuddled client, Professor Okuno sit and talk at length in his sitting room for what might be a thousand years in real-time, with the underlying tension of the situation building throughout. The Professor is looking for a connection; to feel like someone in love. To Akiko though it’s just a job that she wants to get over with. Meanwhile her abusive boyfriend Noriaki is unaware but suspicious of her work as a prostitute, as the net starts to close in.

Now I’d be lying if I could convey with confidence what the film is ultimately about; perhaps it's the desperate plight of younger generations forced to work in unpleasant lines of work in a ruthless economy that doesn’t care who gets left behind. Perhaps it’s the pressures of Japanese society to marry and settle down fast. Or perhaps it’s loneliness and the longing for connection, no matter the cost.

Honestly, I haven’t reached my own conclusions just yet and I need to give it a re-watch to make sense of it all, so I can deliver a genuine critique of the film. There’s a lot to unpackaged here and I felt a range of emotions as the story unfolded.

But simply put, if you want to watch an old man find himself in a ridiculous situation so awkward you’ll feel like biting your fingers off, give ‘Like Someone in Love’ a watch.

Come for that premise.

Stay for the beautiful night time cinematography, slow-burning, realistic scenes, a frightening and explosive boyfriend and a perplexing ending that’ll likely leave you frustrated and confused.

This certainly isn’t your usual film.

‘Like Someone in Love’ is available on iTunes & Amazon