The
Parades | 2024 | 2h 12m
Genre:
Drama | Country: Japan
Director:
Michihito Fujii | Writer: Michihito Fujii
Cast:
Masami Nagasawa, Kentarô Sakaguchi, Ryûsei Yokohama
IMDB:
6.6
My
Rate: 8/10
Minako searches for her child after the Tsunami disaster hits, only to find out that she has died. The search doesn’t stop — Minako joins the other spirits in a parade to look for their loved ones.
Warning:
Contains suicide, smoking, and alcohol.
Synopsis:
Minako
wakes up in confusion after the Tsunami disaster strikes her. The memory of her
child makes her immediately run to make sure her child is safe. But no one
responds to her questions, until Minako starts searching on her own in the
ruins, still confused.
Minako
then meets Akira, who is driving around in his car. Akira takes her to an
amusement park where several other people are gathered. Minako finally realizes
that she has died, and so have the others in that place. They are there because
they have unfinished business.
Minako
eventually accepts the truth. But the search doesn’t stop. They try to help
each other finish their worldly matters.
Will
their spirits be able to move on to the afterlife in peace?
Review:
Imagine
your spirit being stuck in the world just because there’s something you haven’t
finished yet. The Parades portrays this gently yet painfully. The
spirits gather, not to scare, but to help each other release their burdens:
regret, leftover love, or words they never got to say.
The
film opens with a beautiful scene of Minako and her child playing on the beach
— bright colors that feel calming. But that calm shatters instantly. The
atmosphere shifts, the colors fade, and the music turns somber, leading the
audience into the film’s core premise.
Minako’s
panic becomes the center of attention before the other characters slowly
appear: Akira and the spirits who inhabit the amusement park. The amusement
park looks like any ordinary one, real with its lively atmosphere. Their
backgrounds are shown one by one, strengthening the foundation of the story
without pushing Minako out of her main role.
The
conflict isn’t presented head-on. The audience is instead invited to dive into
the characters’ inner turmoil — internal conflicts that scratch slowly, like
old wounds finally being faced. Each spirit tries to make peace with their own
feelings, making this journey feel more personal and human.
Near
the end, a small twist appears through the arrival of the last spirit. Their
presence reveals a hidden connection that adds emotional depth to the story.
The final scene is quite touching, especially with the after-credit showing
simple memories of the spirits before they part ways one by one. Sweet and
bitter in a single breath.
In
terms of acting, the cast delivers beautifully. The dialogue, expressions, and
even the small gestures feel sincere. The transitions between stories are
smooth, supported by camera movements, color palette, and music that
successfully build a mood as if we are standing in the quiet space of the
spirits — feeling their sorrow, and the sorrow of those they left behind.
The
Parades isn’t just a story about spirits who haven’t moved on, but a gentle
reminder that life should be lived wholeheartedly — so that when our time
comes, we don’t leave behind regrets that bind us.
Memorable Scene:
Every
scene where the spirits finish their worldly matters so they can go to the
afterlife is memorable. Each spirit carries a different burden, and every
moment shows their human side. It teaches us that everyone, even those who are
gone, holds stories that may not be visible but leave a deep imprint.
Memorable Dialogue:
“I wonder if things would've been different if we met when we were alive.”
Ending:
Happy EndingRecommendation:
Worth to Watch(Aluna)
 – A Story That Isn’t Finished Yet){kind=link}
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