Melancholy (Original title: Aishû Cinderella) | 2021 | 1h 54m
Genre: Crime/Drama/Mystery | Country: Japan
Director: Ryôhei Watanabe | Writers: Rikako Akiyoshi, Ryôhei Watanabe
Cast: Tao Tsuchiya, Kei Tanaka, Coco
IMDB: 6.0
My Rate: 8/10

Koharu feels like her life is getting more and more messed up as misfortune keeps coming one after another, until a man appears and seems to become an escape from the wounds she has been holding all this time. Unfortunately, that happiness is not as sweet as what is often portrayed in fairy tales.

Warning:

Violence scenes, profanity, sensual content, nudity

 
Synopsis of Melancholy:

Koharu grew up without a mother’s love, only with her father, grandfather, and younger sibling after her mother left when she was still a child. Now, she works in a field related to children and parents’ lives. This trauma makes Koharu grow up with the determination to break the cycle of pain she once experienced and not let other children go through the same thing.

Her life changes overnight. Her boss’s anger due to Koharu’s arrogant attitude, a fire that destroys her house, her grandfather falling ill, an accident involving her and her father, and her boyfriend’s betrayal with a senior at work all come crashing down one after another without giving her room to breathe. At her lowest point, Koharu accidentally meets Daigo, who is lying on the train tracks as a train approaches. After a long inner struggle, Koharu finally chooses to save him.

That encounter slowly brings a new warmth into Koharu’s life. Daigo, together with his child Hikari, brings the image of a family she never had. With that hope, Koharu tries to accept the role of a mother she has long imagined. However, that image slowly collapses as reality begins to show its true face.

Will Koharu be able to become the kind of parent she has always hoped to be?

 

Review of Melancholy:

Stepmothers are often associated with cruel figures who oppress others. But what if the reality is the opposite? That is the idea Melancholy tries to explore. Koharu, with her traumatic background, tries to become the perfect stepmother. Unfortunately, the “Cinderella” in her life is not as kind as it seems and slowly makes Koharu struggle to distinguish right from wrong.

The theme feels close to everyday life. Many people grow up with childhood trauma and try to break that cycle so it won’t repeat. But breaking trauma is not easy. Determination alone is sometimes not enough, because old wounds often pull someone back into them. The idea of an ideal family slowly turns into disappointment that makes someone choose to close their eyes just to survive.

The film opens with a scene that represents its title, Cinderella. Koharu, in a mysterious tone, wears a blue dress and glass shoes while walking through a school corridor. This opening scene later becomes an important part of the ending.

Interestingly, the film does not have a direct connection to the Cinderella fairy tale as commonly known. Koharu is instead placed in two roles at once: as Cinderella and as the stepmother of Cinderella herself. With the burden of her life, the presence of a “prince” feels like an escape. But does that figure truly bring happiness, or does it slowly turn Koharu into the person she once feared?

Character development is done well. Daigo, who initially appears perfect, slowly reveals another side of himself through small but interesting details. Likewise, Hikari is very endearing, as if feeding Koharu’s hope and illusion of the happy family she has always wanted.

The conflict develops slowly through simple scenes. The problems that arise feel like they play with both the characters’ and the audience’s psychology. The illusion of an ideal life slowly collapses and makes the characters question the beliefs they once held.

The ending may feel different from the ideal picture in most films. If imperfection usually turns into happiness at the end, Melancholy instead lets that imperfection remain alive in order to preserve the “ideal” meaning from the characters’ perspective. A bit uncomfortable, but it leaves a strong impression.

The acting feels natural and balanced. The chemistry between characters is also well built, especially through Koharu’s emotional changes, which are shown slowly but clearly.

From a technical standpoint, cinematography, transitions, and color composition are well executed. The music also supports the emotions in each scene. Small details like mosquito repellent, insulin, or a pencil case are presented naturally. They look simple, but quietly play an important role in the story.

However, this film may not feel comfortable for everyone. There is a strange feeling when the film starts questioning the “ideal” image that people usually believe in, as if forcing the audience to see that not all wounds can be healed in a beautiful way. This is likely one reason behind its low IMDb rating.

In the end, Melancholy is not just a story about family or childhood trauma, but about how someone tries to hold onto the illusion of an ideal life in the middle of reality slowly breaking it apart. The film may not offer the comfort of a typical fairy tale, but that is exactly where its strength lies. There is bitterness, discomfort, and silence left behind after it ends, as if reminding us that being “good” and “happy” is not always as simple as we imagine.

 
Memorable Scene:

A simple scene that carries a complex bitter feeling. The trauma Koharu tries to break ends up repeating itself in her life. The very act she has always hated is something she is forced to do when she is considered unfit to be a mother and is made to leave Hikari. Memories of her mother who once left her come back, as if Koharu slowly begins to understand the reason behind that decision.

There are many things we hate when we are young because we do not yet fully understand the adult world. We grow up believing we will never repeat the same mistakes. But as adults, life often leads us into situations we never imagined, until we realize that some decisions are not as simple as right or wrong.

 
Memorable Dialogue:

“A child’s future always depends on the mother’s effort.”

 
Ending:

Bittersweet Twist Ending

 

Recommendation:

Worth to Watch

 

(Aluna Uwie)