Movie Review: A Whisker Away

The Bride says:

On my bed at night I sought him

whom my heart loves—

I sought him but I did not find him.

I will rise then and go about the city;

in the streets and crossings I will seek

Him whom my heart loves

Song of Solomon 3:1-4b

A Whisker Away is a Japanese animated fantasy romance that was released on Netflix on June 18th.

To be honest, this film went completely under my radar, maybe because the Covid-19 Coronavirus had overshadowed all of its marketing. However, I saw a friend of mine post a recommendation of it, and immediately I saw how the art style resembled that of a previous Japanese animated fantasy romance film I had watched and loved called Your Name (Japanese: Kimi No Na Wa). 

With my interest piqued, I proceeded to watch it albeit with some slight reservation for I wondered if it was just riding the coattails of the success of Your Name.

However, my trepidation was misplaced, for it was nothing like Your Name at all. Sure, it had fantasy. And romance. But that is where the similarities end.

A Whisker Away is a story about a girl named Miyo Sasaki or what her friends call her 'Muge' for her hyperactive, passionate, and stubborn personality and her quest to win the affection of her classmate called Hinode Kento.

And boy does she try...

There has never been a girl in the history of fiction who might have loved a boy more than Miyo. Every day, she tries to get his attention, playing pranks on him, making grandiose declarations of love, even when Hinode told her to stop in the past, and when that failed, resorted to ignore her as much as he can, very unsuccessfully.

Now to the one reading this, some might find this cute, others very obnoxious or even stalkerish. But from my perspective, it leans in the favor of the former. The filmmakers have done a masterful job of presenting Miyo as this stubborn, hard-headed annoying character but still a love-struck, charming, and somewhat naive goofball of a girl. That's quite a feat if you ask me.

You can find 'Muge' annoying, but you cannot come to hate her, and this is because of one and one single reason. Which is...

Her love is completely sincere.

Miyo sincerely loves Hinode.

As I watched her stumble around like a moron during the opening minutes of the film, embarrassing herself, her friend Yoriko, her love-interest Hinode and his friend in front of the whole school as some sort of daily ritual, I, too, thought her embarrassing, but the sincerity which she showed with every idiotic action, she made me like her immensely.

Even her friend, Yoriko, can see this sincerity of hers but is deeply troubled for her, even more so when she tells how she and Hinode had spent cuddling under fireworks at a night festival which couldn't have happened as seen from how the two interacted at school. Clearly, Miyo's love was making her delusional. But Miyo had no intention of letting her love for Hinode go away.

But that is what the romance aspect. Where is the fantasy?

Well, she can turn herself into a cat using a mask, she got from a bipedal talking cat in a kimono.

Now, you may go "heh?" at that, but be calm, the fantasy does not encroach on the story but it works with it like two wheels on a bicycle. It does not only have a practical purpose of making the story interesting or driving it but also it gives it a thematic and symbolic depth. Anything more and I would be giving away crucial information about the story, so I will leave it at that.

So, what about the story as a whole?

Well, it works... fine. A Whisker Away is an enjoyable flick. It is not an extraordinary story that will make you jump out of your seats. It is a simple story told sufficiently well. Why it does not reach the heights of a classic is because of the things which happen which I cannot write because of spoilers.

The best I can say is, the film starts to meander towards the end. It starts to lose steam. It tries to go for an epic finale that does not feel epic. The low point for the characters doesn't feel urgent or thrilling. It feels like 'oh, they are gonna win in the end' which kills the climax significantly.

In my opinion, this film could have been made better if either its length was cut down by a quarter or so and have it retain the focus it had like in the first half of it; or by lengthening it so that every stake and characterizations could be fleshed out properly and give its due diligence.

Now, don't let this stop you from watching it. It is my review, my perspective. Yours might be better than mine. Heck, it may become your favorite movie. So, give it a try.

P.S.: I say watch it just for the satisfying ending which has a great callback.

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