Always: Sunset on Third Street 2; or, All Folks Here Those of us who survived should be as happy as possible. As promised, I return to the world of Always: Sunset on Third Street with my review of the second part of the live-action trilogy made by director Takashi Yamazaki. Again, as I explained last week, please accept my apologies for the delay. Without further ado, let’s dive in.
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: ALWAYS 続・三丁目の夕日 Runtime: 146 min
Synopsis We reunite with the heroes of the first movie two years later. Mr Suzuki’s (Shinichi Tsutsumi) auto repair business thrives, whereas Chagawa (Hidetaka Yoshioka) does his best to raise Junnosuke (Kenta Suga). However, Junnosuke’s biological father (Fumiyo Kohinata) is unwilling to let go, so he pesters Chagawa about giving up the child, pointing out the writer’s poor living conditions. In order to prove that he can provide for Junnosuke, Chagawa decides to take part in the literary contest to win the prestigious Akutagawa Prize. At the same time, Chagawa struggles to meet with Hiromi (Koyuki) and disclose his feelings for her.
The Power of Word Allow me to say that if you enjoyed the original Always: Sunset on Third Street, then you get the same package with the sequel, in which all the conflicts and touching moments are repeated. This sequel is not a bad film by any means, but it really feels like a washed down version of the first movie.
Nevertheless, Takashi Yamazaki threw some wonderful additions into the mix. For example, we get the traditional opening zoom out from a radio in Suzuki’s house only to reveal that Tokyo is being invaded by the King of the Monsters himself! This is the section of the film over which Godzilla fans relentlessly glow over in the internet, and it is indeed a real treat to watch. It is almost as if back in 2007 Yamazaki made this as a trump card for Toho, trying to say, “Here I am guys. Give me a chance to direct a Godzilla flick!”
Of course, glory of the intro does not constitute an entire movie. I liked Chagawa’s struggle to raise Junnosuke, but we have seen that already. The Suzuki family houses a newcomer in form of a distant cousin, and she feels like a fish out of the water exactly like Mutsuko in the first film. Mutsuko’s romance in the sequel also feels a bit forced. Sill, a breath of fresh air was Mr Suzuki’s nostalgia for the war buddies, a subplot taken straight from Nobuhiko Obayashi flicks.
With regard to performances, evidently, Hidetaka Yoshioka and Shinichi Tsutsumi are the showstealers, but Koyuki, Tomokazu Miura, and Fumiyo Kohinata have a lot more to do this time round.
Recommendations All things considered, Always: Sunset on Third Street is a decent continuation, but it does on build upon the first movie. Instead, it kind of resets the characters and starts over to achieve the same happy ending outcome. Still, I don’t regret watching it.
Overall score: 7/10
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Forgive me, but I wanted to make a quick celebratory post about Godzilla Minus One winning an Academy Award for the Best Visual Effects. Yay! :) I know I’m late to the party, but I just wanted to say that this award was deservedly earned by the creative team led by director Takashi Yamazaki. It is really touching and refreshing at the same time to see a creator who had a specific vision for a cinematic icon he cares about, and he was able to fulfil his vision without the studio interference (and on a small budget). If you are (like me) hungry for more behind the scenes information about Godzilla Minus One, then please refer to the following videos I found on Youtube. The first one is, obviously, the grand moment of Yamazaki and the team receiving an Oscar. It’s so cute that not only the director, but also others had Godzilla action figures with them. These figures were the real awards for sure!
The second video is an after-ceremony interview with the press. It is interesting because Yamazaki refers to the prospective home video release of the film, and the attitude of Warner Bros towards Godzilla Minus One in view of their upcoming 5th Godzilla MonsterVerse flick.
This video, on the other hand, is a goldmine of information about the making of the film. Please set aside a free hour for yourselves and watch it. Yamazaki provides a lot of interesting details and funny trivia, which I don’t want to spoil.
In addition, I’m throwing in a bonus, which is a joint video of Yamazaki and Gareth Edwards. It’s nice that the two met each other, but I was expecting something more, like a bromance with kissing and hugging! Still, it’s awesome to see a guy who reintroduced Godzilla to American audiences ten years ago and a guy who reinvigorated the franchise in 2024.
Last but least, Yamazaki actually had a chance to interview Christopher Nolan due to the release of Oppenheimer in Japan, and the director had some warm words to say about Godzilla. Unfortunately, Yamazaki's questions were not translated to English.
All things considered, I think this is my final geek-out post about Godzilla Minus One. I have already watched Yamazaki’s Always: Sunset on Third Street parts 2 and 3, but I have yet to review them. Unfortunately, I have very little free time recently not only because of work, but also because of the fact that I seriously try my strengths at creative writing. As a result, this activity consumes the usual time I had for writing reviews. Still, I remember about the blog, and I don’t want to abandon it. Thank you for reading.
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Always: Sunset on Third Street; or, The Virtue of Selflessness Think of it logically… You and I aren’t related in the slightest. We are completely strangers. Continuing my obsession with Takashi Yamazaki, initiated by Godzilla Minus One, I decided to set aside some free time and check out the director’s previous cinematic endeavours. As a result, I am sharing my herein review of his 2005 movie Always: Sunset on Third Street.
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: オールウェイズ 三丁目の夕 Runtime: 133 min
Synopsis Tokyo, 1958. Japan is on the brink of technological advancements as TV broadcasts are becoming a nationwide thing, and the construction of Tokyo Tower is about to be completed. We follow the lives of inhabitants who live in a fictional neighbourhood called “Sunset on Third Street”. Mutsuko (Maki Horikita) is a young employee who arrives from the countryside to work in a car repair factory. Little does she know, the factory she is supposed to work at is actually a small repair shop owned by Norifumi Suzuki (Shinichi Tsutsumi), a bad-tempered head of a lovable family. Their neighbour is a good-for-nothing writer Ryunosuke Chagawa (Hidetaka Yoshioka). He devoted his life to the craft of writing, but now he runs a shop selling toys and sweets. Suddenly, a local bar owner Hiromi (Koyuki) asks Chagawa to look after an abandoned boy Junnosuke (Kenta Soga).
A Tiny Bit of Hope It should be explained at the beginning that Always: Sunset of Third Street is actually an adaptation of a popular manga series created by Ryohei Saigan in 1974, and it is still in publication today. There was also a short-lived anime show in 1990, but I couldn’t find any information about it, and the MAL profile has no fan discussion whatsoever.
Given the fact that Takashi Yamazaki operated on the basis of a pre-existing source material, it makes me wonder if the director was hired to do the job for the studio, or was he really passionate about the subject. Still, it goes without saying that (as in the majority of his other projects) he wrote the screenplay and supervised special effects.
The movie itself, in my opinion, feels like a heart-warming blanket for cinema enthusiasts who seek visual consolation after a day of hard work. This is exactly the type of uplifting, positive, and incredibly touching period piece that I needed at this point of my life. Some critics may claim that the film is too sentimental and utilises cheap tricks straight out of a TV drama, but I beg to disagree. Always: Sunset on Third Street presents a family-friendly tale about love and emotional connections set in the idiosyncratic period of the 1950s. This may have been a difficult period for Japan, but for some who lived back then, it is a sentimental time of old days long gone.
Apart from the story aspects, I have to praise the reserved cinematography by Kozo Shibasaki and top-notch production design that really captures that stylish post-war look of Japan. Evidently, some special effects had to be used for overview shots (and even comic gags, such as Mr Suzuki obliterating the entrance to his shop), but these are used sparingly and do not look dated. In addition, the music score composed by Naoki Sato is absolutely captivating.
With regard to performances, it is great to see Shinichi Tsutsumi in a non-serious comedic role as the father figure who discovers all the technological commodities like a TV set and a fridge. Hiroko Yakushimaru, Kazuki Koshimizu, and Maki Horikita are also wonderful as members of the Suzuki family. However, the real heart of the film is the outstanding performance of Hidetaka Yoshioka as Chagawa. His character’s tear-jerking story art is a must-see, and it is amplified by supporting parts done by Koyuki and Kazuki Koshimizu. Also, Tomokazu Miura has a small but heartbreaking part in the film, and the legendary Fumiyo Kohinata appears for one scene as well.
Recommendations All things considered, I greatly enjoyed Always - Sunset on Third Street and I do not regret giving this movie a try. I have heard a lot about this film for a long time, but never actually knew what it is about. Well, now I really want to check out the remaining two parts of the movie trilogy, also done by Takashi Yamazaki. Certainly, this movie is for keeps. Like, please Criterion wake up and give this film a proper physical media treatment.
Overall score: 10/10
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