Haikara-san ga Tooru Movie 2: Hana no Tokyo Dai Roman

Had to create an account just to get this off my chest.

Main love interest is very passive in this second part to what would otherwise be an amazing story. While I adore the second love interest and think that he deserves the world, I definitely still prefer the main love interest for our main character. However, I can't help but feel that his actions fall short of how he is meant to feel. I like how things turned out but the things that had to happen in order for it to turn out that way feels cheap. I feel like I've been cheated out ... of a great ending despite getting what appears to be one. It's almost like Shinobu has forgotten that he is a living breathing human with AGENCY. Benio deserved so much more.

The first movie was amazing. A beautiful take on how opposing cultures/perspectives/backgrounds can come together and produce something breathtaking. Unfortunately, halfway through the second one, that was thrown out the window.

The one thing I can't stand about the second movie is how they took the concept of death so lightly and just let it be. As if they used death as a convenient way to advance the plot. It's frustrating as hell. The first movie was great, but the second was just so skewed. As a shoujo movie, it's all it's meant to be, and I embrace that element of it, it's great, but ... the way they just toy with the concept of death really gets to me. It hurts.

How one word ruined this movie for me (SPOILER ALERT!)

….

The word was “yes”

(Side note: I’m going to pick up some of the points I made in my review for the first movie so if you want to read this in order for this review to make sense please go ahead. If it still doesn’t make sense I apologize, I will try to organize my thoughts as good as possible since I still need to process what I’ve watched here).

Story 3.5/10
What I really like about the story is that it continues right where we left off so it doesn’t feel like we missed ... something and it’s easy to pick up on what is happening. But sad to say that’s clearly one of the best aspects about this entire continuation of this story which in other aspects is very wild and the pace is even crazier than in the first one. There were time skips too but the time skips in this part are so crazy it felt more like a summary than storytelling. Not to mention plenty of unnecessary scenes and interactions once again, when the focus should have been on something else (or rather our two main characters who didn’t feel like main characters this time. Even much less than in the first one). Some of the supporting characters that got much focus in the first movie barely were in the movie so I was wondering why they build this up. But even if it would have been done properly I wouldn’t be sure what to think of it. Because the decisions most of the characters make in this movie are so bad I can’t wait until I’m going to cover the characters to mention them because they made the story really awful.

But let me start with defending one of the main characters who (in my opinion) gets too much hate for his decision: Shinobu. Even if I still don’t fully understand him I feel like his choices are more understandably than the ones from other characters. Just to summarize: Previously he risked his life for his comrade to be saved by the not so noble woman Larisa who happened to pass through the woods to escape just to find Shinobu who looks exactly like her dead love of her life Sasha (I’ll get o this coincidence too). She saves him and helps him to recover just to find out he lost all his memories and she takes advantage of that and claims he’s Sasha so they could get married (to me it was never clear if they actually got married or if she was married to Sasha and just replaced him after his death, plus they never really mentioned how Sasha died which is kind of absolutely ragged from a writer’s perspective). Let’s leave aside how the odds are this could happen or it would work and let’s just say it did (again bad writing is to blame because as much cliche as it is it could work if done properly). So he has no idea who he really is but then their journey brings them to Japan as refugees (I haven’t done much research on this but I think it’s possible and accurate. Thanks to watching “Downton Abbey” I know the refugees could be send all over the world and lose everything, resulting in them having to lead an entire different life. Which we could might argue makes unbelievable they still were kind of rich and associated with their likes when they arrived, still having jewelry they could sell). It’s also not unreasonable to think by seeing familiar places and even faces he would start to remember his actual life and past. Although it was one of the faults both movies had in focusing on the wrong plotlines instead of giving Shinobu time to do that and give him one simple walk so he would remember. But this leads us to his decision: staying with Larisa because he feels responsible for her and he doesn’t want to leave her because she is sick. Which could be considered stupid but also noble. Personally I don’t really blame him for having at least an inner conflict about this considering the described time frame would have been years. So this was the woman he thought would be his wife for some years. He didn’t know she wasn’t the one he was truly in love with but his character was always portrayed as being loyal and showing responsibility. You can’t blame him for doing the morally right thing even if she wronged him. The fact that he didn’t hold it against her, not even once, shows what kind of man he is. And although it hurt Benio I can’t help but to feel a lot of sympathy for him because it wasn’t his fault and how would someone react in such a situation? If she wouldn’t have been severely sick it would have been different but as much as I hated he had to do it. personally I respect his decision. Maybe it’s because I once wrote a very similar situation (and then it wasn’t) in which my protagonist was deceived to believe he loved someone when in reality he was in love with someone else (although he literally had the feelings of another man. Sorry if this part is confusing to you). Although in the end when he learned he was deceived the moment she died he still felt the pain because you can’t just erase the feelings involved. Even if they were not real or his own. Rather it would be very unnatural or even cruel to just overlook them and be like: I don’t care because she tricked me. Even if we as audience might think that. This goes for both characters (sorry I took this example but I just wanted to point out why I can put myself into his shoes as a writer). And regarding his dead younger brother… it was pretty much a cliche but not the worst aspect. My main issue with his and Larisa’s arc would be once again to be blamed on the writers. Because he choose Benio 1.) After Larisa reassured him it would be fine and she died 2.) It was the same day of Benio’s wedding. I wish they would have had this conversation earlier and shown Shinobu’s struggle over a time period. Because they hinted at it before Benio ended it but since she made the decision the conflict almost seemed resolved until it wasn’t. And I hated the fact that they had to do all three on the same day: Larisa confessing/ apologizing, Shinobu’s realization and Larisa’s death. I’m not saying he should have been willing to stop the wedding but it all happened on the same day. I can’t help but blame the writers for this because there is no way this could work. It would have been much better to give us that instead of the unnecessary confrontation between Shinobu and Tousei. They could have made Shinobu realize he envies him any other moment too. But Shinobu’s conflict in this movie was probably the most relatable aspect because he just wanted to do what’s right while struggling to have hurt Benio, to lose her because he still loved her. If you could blame him for something it would be not asking what happened with Tousei and their wedding when he saved Benio out of the burning church. But I guess this is a catastrophe so people won’t think straight.

Characters 5/10
So I just covered Shinobu’s character along with his actions in the story so let me just say that he might be one of the reasons I was able to finish watching this movie. I do feel like they didn’t do him justice in both of these movies but what I’ve seen of him was mostly a great character with a lot of potential. Still making some questionable decisions but like I explained, with him I could really understand where he was coming from even though he did the wrong thing for the right reasons. One person I couldn’t say this about, however, would be our MC Benio who disappointed me so much in this movie I’d consider her among my most disliked main characters of all time. How she was loved by everyone so much is really beyond me. That being said… There are some aspects I appreciate about her character. Like her determination in the beginning or even making it easier on Shinobu and breaking off their engagement when he clearly struggled to do so. And I did feel sorry for her and her heartache. Which makes it even worse that there’s so much wrong with her decisions and actions in this movie it makes me wonder if it’s the same in the original and if I could feel different about any other version of her character. So for once it’s good she is hard working but she also became a Mary-Sue in this movie. Of course there are still things she can’t do but to me it’s just an appearance to cover up the fact she is more Mary-Sue than every other character and we should change the name for Mary-Sue into Benio. Mainly because of the fact she’s not only forgiven by all characters regardless of her actions, she is also loved and invincible, a building could collapse on her and she has not many wounds. It’s amazing (I apologize for my sarcasm here). Also in none of these movies does she face ANY consequences for her actions but other people do. The characters do much more for her than vice versa and yet she’s put on a pedestal by everyone, it’s ridiculous. There’s not one single character in this movie who doesn’t like her, they always end up loving her. Even Larisa while not saying much positive acknowledges Shinobu still love “that girl” and should be together with her. She was hostile to her in the beginning and then without any reason she admitted that. Wow. (Not to say that I like Larisa more). Also it’s interesting how Benio and her presence changed every character and helped them to develop yet she herself didn’t undergo any character development (at least not a positive one) and even the reasons for other characters to change were not because of something she did specifically but it seemed random and just because Benio was there. But my main reason for disliking her is the fact that she said yes. Let me explain a little further (I’m sorry for elaborating but I simply have to). I explained why I understood Shinobu’s reasons despite disagreeing with them personally but Benio’s decisions in the last half of the movie don’t make any sense to me whatsoever. Agreeing to marry Tousei so Shinobu wouldn’t be too worried (??) wasn’t even the worst. I’m generally not a fan of love-triangles and I don’t know what’s romantic about them. But I appreciate what Tousei did for Benio which is exactly what makes it even worse. Because he didn’t deserve this treatment. How easily she could say she loved him made me mad too. But yes of course, she realized when she almost died, she still thought of Shinobu, what a surprise. Honestly, the one aspect that made the first movie great to me, which made it feel really emotional – namely when she decided to wear the white gown symbolizing she would always be bound to Shinobu – made her decision to agree to marry Tousei even worse. Yes, Shinobu made a decision himself so she had every right to decide to also continue with her life. But she wasn’t over him yet. Plus it still made her words her heart/love would never belong to anyone else invalid. If you make a vow like this it’s as binding in my opinion (yes, maybe I’m a hopeless romantic and a little old-fashioned in that sense). I don’t know but the choices the writers made with this made absolutely no sense to me. They could have made Shinobu save her out of every other building for any other reason than her wedding. But even if we take that aside and blame it on her emotions pressuring her. Even if I could forgive this irrational decision one fact remains which might be the most horrible choice the writers made with the entire movie: Benio said yes. She was practically already married to Tousei because she said yes. To me either her realization or the earthquake should have happened before that to still justify her decisions at least a little. But this one word made everything that happened afterward very meaningless to me. Or at least I couldn’t stop thinking about that one little word (I never thought one word could ruin an entire story or character for me but here I am). At least when Shinobu got married to someone else he didn’t have his memories. Yes, I’m fully aware she thought he was with Larisa but that’s no reason to marry someone else. It absolutely isn’t. Getting over someone by being with someone else is never good or fair. You first get over a person and then you are ready for someone else IF you really have to do it.

Which brings me to Tousei who helped Benio so much I really appreciate it but even this is not a reason to marry someone just because the person loves you. I felt sorry for him but also I wish the writers would have just made him a support for Benio. And even if he had feelings their choice to let her go to him and ask him to marry her because he gave up his paper to save Shinobu’s family's mansion was very poor. This is not romantic it just sends the wrong message (like you can buy feelings or worse… just because you sacrifice something your feelings will be returned. Bad news: they won’t. Sometimes love is unrequited and no matter how much it hurts you shouldn’t just be an option to someone but their only choice). And I know at least that wasn’t his intention when he agreed to take his father’s place running the bank in exchange but it’s still stupid (which became completely invalid at the end but ok). Overall I liked him as a character but I don’t think he needed that focus from Benio nor within the story just to get destroyed like that (and then go like: “Who cares if the woman I love just left me for someone else on our wedding day although she already said yes to me. Because I still have my family/employees who love me”). Totally realistic and absolutely not demonstrating he was the most supportive character in the history of supporting characters. And I’m never someone who roots for the rival not even in this case but still, he didn’t deserve this horrible treatment. Eventhough he’s not my favorite character he deserved better.

The best part of this movie were probably Tamaki and Onijima who saved this train wreck of a movie for ma at least a little tiny bit. Their scenes were so cute together and absolutely don’t belong to aspects I would have cut (although I wonder why the scene with Onijima and Benio in the beginning was so stretched. I guess because of the Vodka because it was among the one distinguished traits Benio had. Her love for alcohol - even on the day after her real wedding – seriously, why did Shinobu or Tousei fall for her?). These two were gold /Tamaki and Onijima). And once more… I’d like to point out the characters almost completely left out in this movie when they were in the spotlight way too much in the first one (Shinobu’s grandparents, Benio’s lackey – why was he even there? Just to show off how awesome Benio is in recruiting him by being violent? How modern…).

Animation 6/10
Maybe it’s just me but I felt like even the animation was lacking compared to the other one. It was still fine but sometimes especially the faces seemed weird and drawn without effort. Guess they felt the same about this move as I did.

Overall 4/10
Before writing this review I scored it 5 but after writing it I had to reduce one because it really disappointed me and is the entire reason I can’t even recommend the first movie. Because after this flawed start the expectations were still so high… And even with the story turning out like this I feel the pace could have made a difference. Which makes me conclude that this story just isn’t meant to be out into two movies but would at least need 4 to be told properly if not even more. It felt very rushed and also MC became very unlikable and decisions were made. Unreasonable decisions. Not just from a human standpoint but even from a writer’s point of view (and we forgive pretty much almost everything when it comes to “creative freedom”). I wish I would be more fond of this movie and I’d rather only write positive reviews but here I am. I still like the first movie but if I ever watch it again I’d stop there and just pretend it has a sad ending or she’ll forever wait for Shinobu to return. Before I thought about watching the older anime version of this but I’m not sure of it anymore. Maybe I will give it a try just to see if it does better in delivering the story and characters (although I doubt my mindset on certain aspects/ writing decisions will change if they are adapted the same way). It’s a shame but unfortunately I can’t recommend this movie. I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you but thank you for reading my long rant.