うさぎドロップ
Sabu (Hiroyuki Tanaka), 2011
As I wrote before, this year’s
Japanese Film Festival program boasted an abundance of tear-jerking dramas and
love stories. During volunteer shifts I had to opportunity to test the limits
of my endurance with several of these films, but Bunny Drop was one I actively went after (as did many: it sold out),
for no other reason than it stars Japan’s most famous child actress Mana
Ashida. The unbelievably adorable Mana-Chan was all over Japanese TV when I was
there this time last year, singing, dancing and charming everyone on variety
shows and New Year’s specials. Her acting resume continues to snowball, both on
TV and in film, and I was surprised to learn, she actually is a pretty amazing
actress.
Adhering to the Japanese Film
Industry’s now unshakeable Manga-Anime-Live Action sequence of adaptation, Bunny Drop is about a family who
discovers that their recently deceased Grandfather had a six year old daughter
that none of them knew about. How they failed to notice this (for six years, at
that!) is either a testament to Mana-Chan’s hide-and-seek skills, or more
likely, a damning comment on how we should all visit our grandparents more
often. Anyway, with the six year-old Rin now fatherless and the mother
seemingly out of the picture, thirty year-old, single office worker Daikichi,
much to his family’s shock, volunteers somewhat naïvely, to raise his six
year-old Aunty.
It’s a pretty conventional story,
filled with coming-of-age/suddenly-a-parent/odd-couple plot devices and clichés,
but I thought the film was a satisfying little one, thanks mostly due to the
main actors, Mana Ashida and Kenichi Matsuyama. They work together very well,
but it’s Mana-Chan who steals the show. Her performance, growing from quiet,
shy orphan to bright and lively youngster is a strong and quite believable one,
which for me, was never too sickly sweet (although I’m sure some would argue
against that). The film was however, surprisingly free of conflict. It feels
very “Safe” the whole time. It’s made clear that Daikichi makes sacrifices at
work, but these don’t seem to affect him negatively at all. In fact, giving up
his desk job to work in the shipping warehouse results in him making friends
who are more fun and reliable than the suits upstairs. Rin has trouble making
friends at kindergarten, but it’s almost an annoying inclusion, as we know that
no-one could resist that face for long. And if that wasn’t enough, Daikichi
even manages to get reasonably cosy with a young model love interest, without
even trying! It’s almost like this movie comes equipped with a free safety net.
Sub plots that would normally carry huge weight, including a visit from a Child
Welfare worker and the tracking down of Rin’s biological mother are dealt with
quickly and without mess, and surprisingly even without tears. The underdone
nature of such sub-plots results in an exceedingly linear film with very few
peaks and troughs. Rin and Daikichi’s relationship is one of unnaturally
constant understanding, with little to no scolding, discipline or even “I’m
never speaking to you again!” or “You’re not my real father!” moments, which
could easily be expected in this type of film.
While this might all sound like
huge criticism, I never actually found myself bored while watching the film.
It’s definitely not perfect, it’s not particularly original, and it won’t
change your life, but it’s just an easy, nice, heart-warming story. And it is
for these reasons which I’m sure just as many people will hate it as those who
love it. Maybe I’m just star struck by the pint-sized Mana-Chan, whose screen
presence is undeniable, but I still enjoyed this movie and I don’t care who
knows it.