Mixed Doubles (2017) [Film Review]

Mixed Doubles; or, The Winner Takes It All
     Don't act spoiled! What you feel doesn't matter. You should shine! Don't run away! One step in front!
Tough days at work? Strained relations with other people? Don’t you just want to unwind yourself and forget about everything? Then, take that table tennis racket and join the ping pong competition together with the legendary Gakki and Eita in the movie Mixed Doubles.

Release Info

Directed by: Junichi Ishikawa Starring:Yui Aragaki, Eita, Ryoko Hirouse

Language: Japanese Original Title: ミックス。Runtime: 114 min

Synopsis
Tamako Tomita (Yui Aragaki) was forced by her mother (Yoko Maki) to practice table tennis and participate in many championships since childhood. After her mother’s passing, Tamako moves to a city and tries to live an ordinary life. She gets a job in a corporation and meets a nice boyfriend, Ejima (Koji Seto), who is a company’s representative at table tennis tournaments. It turns out that Ejima cheats on Tamako with a table tennis partner, Airi (Mei Nagano). Tamako quits the job and returns heartbroken to her hometown. Her father (Fumiyo Kohinata) encourages her to start giving lessons at a table tennis club which was run by her late mother. Tamako gives it a try and she meets Hisashi Hagiwara (Eita), a former boxer who tries to win back the favours of his family. In order to help promote the club and settle the score with her ex-boyfriend, Tamako decides to take part in a mixed doubles table tennis tournament.

Never Giving Up

Mixed Doubles (original title Mikkusu) is a 2017 Japanese production directed by Junichi Ishikawa (who is perhaps best known for his work Legal High drama). I had completely no idea about the existence of this movie until I accidentally saw a poster online featuring Yui Aragaki and Eita! I was all the more surprised when it turned out that apart from the great leads there is also an ensemble cast composed out of many recognisable J-movie/drama actors and actresses.

The movie is a well made mixture of light-hearted rom-com and sports drama. Thankfully, the script is not too cheesy and clichéd (however, who in the right state of mind would cheat on Gakki?). In addition, the overall tone of the film is very earnest and warm. It is a sweet story about finding self-confidence and love akin to Shinobu Yaguchi’s Wood Job! (2014).

Of course, Mixed Doubles would not be so enjoyable without stellar performances. Gakki and Eita have perfect chemistry on the screen and I wish we could get more movies with them. Furthermore, I loved Ryoko Hirouse’s appearance as a rebel hillbilly, Yayoi. Nevertheless, I completely lost it when I saw Kenichi Endo, Fumiyo Kohinata, Yu Aoi, and Mei Nagano in supporting roles (plus cameos from Kotaro Yoshida, Anne Nakamura, and Katsuhisa Namase). Also, am I the only one who thinks that the appearance of Yoko Maki was an in-joke reference to Saikou no Rikon fans? Yoko appeared in only two scenes, but she totally rocked as a crazy mom obsessed with table tennis. The cast of this movie is so perfect!

Recommendations
To conclude, Mixed Doubles may not be a zany comedy like Fumihiko Sori’s Ping Pong (2002), but it is a heart-warming flick which will definitely make you feel good. Go ahead and watch it with your family if you can. Even though I suck at table tennis, I wholeheartedly recommend Mixed Doubles.Overall score: 8/10

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