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Ichiko (film)

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Ichiko
Theatrical release poster
Japanese市子
Directed byAkihiro Toda
Written by
  • Naho Kamimura
  • Akihiro Toda
Produced byNobuo Kameyama
Starring
CinematographyKosuke Haruki
Edited byAkihiro Toda
Music byMasamichi Shigeno
Production
companies
  • Basil
  • Cheesefilm Inc.
Distributed byHappinet Phantom Studios
Release date
  • 8 December 2023 (2023-12-08) (Japan)
Running time
125 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese

Ichiko (市子) is a 2023 Japanese thriller film written and directed by Akihiro Toda and starring Hana Sugisaki, Ryuya Wakaba, Yūki Morinaga, Daichi Watanabe, Shōhei Uno, Yuri Nakamura.[1] It was released on 8 December 2023.[2]

Plot

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Higashiōsaka. Natsumi Kawabe, a twice-divorced lone mother, worked at a bar and lived with her two little daughters in an apartment complex. The elder daughter, Ichiko, had no family register because Natsumi became pregnant with her new partner shortly after divorcing a violent husband, so she was unable to register the birth of the child due to the “300-day post-divorce issue“.[3] Tsukiko, the younger daughter, had muscular dystrophy, a progressive muscular wasting disease. The social worker in charge of the case, Koizumi, having an affair with Natsumi, became a frequent guest in her apartment.

As Tsukiko's illness progressed, Natsumi and Ichiko were burdened with caring for her, including oxygen inhalation, suctioning of phlegm, and assistance with toileting. One hot summer day, while Natsumi was at work, Ichiko was tempted to stop the oxygen. Natsumi and Koizumi buried Tsukiko's body on Mt. Ikoma and decided to enroll Ichiko, who was now eight years old, in elementary school as Tsukiko. Koizumi, who had since lost his job and started drinking alcohol during the day, began sexually abusing Ichiko, who was now a high school student. When Ichiko accidentally killed Koizumi, her classmate Kita Hidekazu spied on her from the balcony. Kita had a crush on Ichiko. After dark, they took the body to a deserted railroad crossing and laid it down.

Ichiko ran away from home and became homeless. She met Kiki Yoshida and started working part-time as a live-in newspaper delivery girl. Yoshida, who aspired to become a pastry chef, invited Ichiko to open a cake shop with her in the future, which Ichiko made her “dream”. Several years later, Kita came looking for Ichiko while she was working at a cake shop, but Ichiko turned him away, telling him to forget about her. On the day of a summer festival, she met Yoshinori Hasegawa, who knew nothing about Ichiko, and they began to live together.

They lived together happily for three years. The day before the Yodogawa Fireworks Festival, Hasegawa gave Ichiko a yukata. He then took out the marriage certificate and proposed to her. Ichiko was delighted, shedding tears. The next day, the TV news reported the discovery of an unidentified, skeletonized body on Mt. Ikoma. When Ichiko was packing her bag to disappear from Hasegawa's presence, he returned. Ichiko left her bag behind and fled, taking shelter in Kita's apartment.

A few days after Hasegawa filed a missing persons report, a detective named Goto came to his apartment and told him that a woman named “Ichiko Kawabe” did not exist. Surprised, Hasegawa visited the newspaper store where Ichiko worked and Kiki Yoshida to retrace her steps. Goto told him that the skeletonized body found on Mt. Ikoma might be Tsukiko Kawabe. At the bottom of the bag Ichiko had left behind was a health insurance card and a family photo of Tsukiko Kawabe. On the back of the photo was an address in Minami, Tokushima. He visited there and he found Natsumi living under the alias of Michiko Yamaura.

Hasegawa heard all about Tsukiko from Natsumi. He returned to Higashiōsaka and visited Kita's apartment, which Goto had told him about. Ichiko was already gone and Kita could no longer contact her, Hasegawa was able to ask Kita about Tsukiko’s high school days and the Koizumi murder. “I love Ichiko. I want to help her.” Both Kita and Hasegawa felt the same way.

A young woman named Fuyuko Kitami came to Kita's apartment to ask for Ichiko. She had met Ichiko on a social media. ”She said you could help me to kill myself. I don't have parents, I've been out of work for a long time, and I don't have any friends,” she said, holding out her health insurance card. Kita understood Ichiko's idea and got shivers. Ichiko called him and said, “I'm at the beach“. Kita and Kitami drove to a seaside town, where Ichiko was waiting for them. The next day, a car was found at the bottom of the sea in Shirahama, Wakayama. Inside, two bodies of a man and a woman in their 20s were found.

Cast

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Production

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The film was announced in July 2023.[4] The trailer of the film was released on 1 September 2023.[5]

Release

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Hana Sugisaki at Red Carpet of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival

The film was screened at the 28th Busan International Film Festival,[6] 36th Tokyo International Film Festival,[7] Gothenburg Film Festival,[8] Far East Film Festival,[9] Japanese Film Festival[10] and New York Asian Film Festival.[11]

Home media

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The film premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 27 February 2024.[12]

Reception

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Mark Schilling of The Japan Times rated the film 4 stars out of 5.[13] Subhash K. Jha of Times Now reviewed the film.[14]

Accolades

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Date Award Category Recipients Result Ref.
2024 78th Mainichi Film Awards Best Actress Hana Sugisaki Won [15]
47th Japan Academy Film Prize Best Actress Nominated [16]
Takasaki Film Festival Best Supporting Actor Yuri Nakamura Won [17]
Best Supervisor Award Akihiro Toda Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "杉咲花が「脚本を読んで絶対やりたいと思った」と語った役　ある女性の壮絶な半生を描く「市子」予告＆ポスター : 映画ニュース". 映画.com (in Japanese). September 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "今週公開の新作映画（12月8日付）". 映画ナタリー (in Japanese). December 8, 2023. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  3. ^ Due to the Japanese Civil Code (Law No. 89 of 1896), a child born within 300 days of the divorce notification is presumed to be the child of the former husband, regardless of the genetic relationship.
  4. ^ "杉咲花「精根尽き果てるまで心血を注いだ」　プロポーズを受けた翌日に失踪した女性の壮絶人生を描く「市子」12月公開 : 映画ニュース". 映画.com (in Japanese). July 27, 2023. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  5. ^ "すべては、生き抜くために。杉咲花×若葉竜也が共演する映画「市子」予告（コメントあり）". 映画ナタリー (in Japanese). September 1, 2023.
  6. ^ Rosser, Michael (October 4, 2023). "Busan 2023 line-up guide: New Currents and Jiseok competition titles". Screen Daily.
  7. ^ Schilling, Mark (November 11, 2023). "'Perfect Days' and '(Ab)normal Desire' turn heads at Tokyo International Film Festival". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  8. ^ Ntim, Zac (January 9, 2024). "Göteborg Film Festival Unveils Competition Titles Including Daniel Espinosa's 'Madame Luna' & Honorary Dragon Award For 'Borgen' Actress Sidse Babett Knudsen". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  9. ^ Rosser, Michael; Parfitt, Orlando; Dalton, Ben (September 17, 2024). "Udine's Far East Film Festival reveals 2024 line-up, Zhang Yimou to be honoured". Screen. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  10. ^ Japanese Film Festival: Adam Torel, Head of Third Window Films – Film Ireland Magazine, April 13, 2024, archived from the original on April 14, 2024, retrieved September 17, 2024
  11. ^ Center, Film at Lincoln (June 18, 2024). "NYAFF and FLC Unveil the Uncaged Competition Lineup and Special Guests for the 2024 New York Asian Film Festival". Film at Lincoln Center. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  12. ^ "【Prime Video】2024年3月の新着作品：『トップガン マーヴェリック』、2023WBCの新ドキュメンタリー、TOBEドーム公演ライブ配信など". ORICON NEWS (in Japanese). February 27, 2024. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  13. ^ Schilling, Mark (December 24, 2023). "'Ichiko': Hana Sugisaki transfixes with career-high performance". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on June 25, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  14. ^ Jha, Subhash K (June 19, 2024). "Ichiko: A Japanese More-or-less Moorless Rashoman That Doesn't Quite Hold". Times Now. Archived from the original on June 19, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  15. ^ "【毎日映画コンクール】杉咲花が『市子』で女優主演賞「映画に関わったみなさんと喜びを分かち合いたい」". ORICON NEWS. oricon ME. February 14, 2024. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  16. ^ "浜辺美波、杉咲花、吉永小百合ら5名が主演女優賞を受賞＜第47回日本アカデミー賞＞". WEBザテレビジョン. KADOKAWA. January 25, 2024. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  17. ^ "第３７回高崎映画祭　最優秀主演俳優賞・最優秀助演俳優賞". 高崎新聞. January 18, 2024. Archived from the original on March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
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