"Yoru no Manimani" begins in a movie theater. A masterpiece that transcends "goodbye" as if swimming through the city lights.

Synopsis of "Yorunomanimani"

On the day that Shinpei, a somewhat reliant part-time worker, breaks up with his childhood friend and girlfriend Saki, he meets Kasumi at a movie theater. The two hit it off and spend the night together on the town. After a while, Kasumi starts working at the cafe where Shinpei has a part-time job. Shinpei is surprised to see her again, but when Kasumi asks him to help her investigate her boyfriend's infidelity, he ends up pretending to be a detective. Despite being pushed around by the forceful Kasumi, Shinpei gradually becomes attracted to her, but...

Index

• Stories about the night
• A fateful encounter at the movie theater
• "The Little Prince" adds a touch of sparkle
• A multi-layered story about "goodbye"

Stories about the night

Night. It is a precious and gentle presence that gently embraces the minds and bodies of many people, both now and in the past. How many people have been saved by the night in times of pain or suffering, or when they wanted to laugh, talk, and quietly share their joys and feelings with someone?

It is precisely because night is such a precious time that many artists have created works that are related to the night. I am sure that each reader of this article has a book or movie that they think of as the "night" in their mind, but in the last few years, when I think of night, the first thing that comes to mind is undoubtedly the work of director Teppei Isobe, who is based in Osaka.

"Yorunomanimani" ©belly roll film

Night has often appeared in Isobe's works since his first short story, " I Didn't Mean to Go to the Sea " (2016). The protagonists never stay in one place, but often continue to wander aimlessly. They engage in endless conversations, sometimes speeding up and sometimes slowing down on their bicycles, and eventually the sky begins to lighten. As if in response to this process, the worries and conflicts that have been building up in their hearts slowly melt away with the softening of the night darkness. This is one style that is unique to Isobe's works.

I am fascinated by the nights he depicts, and have been saved by them many times. I think Director Isobe himself has probably had his life saved many times by the nights that slowly deepen and then break into daylight.

A fateful encounter at the movie theater