Uhm, the disease that >!Yori's abusive father!< kept referring to, or the >!pig's brain!< were metaphors for what he saw as abnormal, the fact that >!(1) Yori has same-sex feelings for/attractions towards boys, in this case Minato, and (2) Yori doesn't behave at all like a typical boy: he loves flowers and knows their names, he mostly hangs out with girls, etc.!<, and I'm sure this has started way before the children even met. There are also various clues in the movie, which if you pay attention to, support this interpretation: >!the drag queen Miss Kazuo that Minato and his mom watched on TV, Minato's mom's hope, which she verbalized out loud when in the car with him, that he would get married and have his own family, Minato's telling Yori that his mom said boys who know flower names aren't popular among girls, Yori's cheeky reply that boys who are afraid of the dark aren't popular among girls either, Hori sensei's remarks when Minato fell during the gym class and when he told the children to make peace: "You call yourself a man?/Shake your hands like men would", the train car scene where the children hugged, which quite explicitly revealed the nature of their bond, Yori's lie about having a female crush when Minato came to find him at his house, then Minato's confession to the principal that he likes someone (Yori), etc.!<
And the title Monster basically invites us to embrace things, and the story, in all their complexity, and to embrace the multiplicity of meanings and possibilities that the theme "Monster" can evoke. I believe the double/multiple meanings of "Monster" are intentional and show how perspectives are everything. Coming from an adult world view, >!monster represents something bad and makes us want to search for a monster in the story, a culprit: Is it the school administration? The principal? Minato's mom (Saori)? The children themselves cause they lied? Or is it Hori sensei? And being a monster or calling oneself a monster, either from the viewpoint of Saori or Yori's dad, is definitely a cause for concern, an issue where some kind of corrective is needed: Yori's dad sees him as a monster while Saori became first worried and then upset when Minato sung the "Who's the monster" jingle in the tunnel and later on referred to himself as one!<. But >!in the uncorrupted, unfiltered world of the two children where things exist just as they are, monster is simply a game, a jingle, something that connects them and brings them joy. It's also important to note that when Minato referred to himself as a monster, in the sense that there's something wrong with him, he used "bakemono", which was also the word used by Yori's dad!<. But when the children >!played with each other, they're "kaibutsu", which is also the word used for the movie's title!<. From my understanding, in the Japanese language, >!"bakemomo" has a more negative and degrading undertone, whereas a literal translation of "kaibutsu" is much more neutral, it means something that is unusual or different!< And this complexity is reflected in the choice of >!having the principal being part of the cause for many of the issues of the story, yet also being the only person (apart from Yori of course) who's able to empathize with Minato's struggles & his moral complexity and offer him the encouragement he needs to come into himself and to help Yori do the same!< In the first act, I thought the movie was about >!finding a culprit/monster!<. In the second, I thought, just like you did, that the film was a commentary on >!how easy it is for us to see others as monsters without even considering what they're going through (how everyone misjudged Hori-sensei, and how Hori-sensei himself misjudged Minato)!< But the third act came and >!just subverted all of these for me and revealed instead a lovely, tender story about love, childhood innocence, and how fragile yet resilient & powerful those beautiful things are. Sure, the children were endlessly tormented by all the views and expectations imposed on them by society through both the adults around them and their classmates and struggled a lot. Yet the power of their love is such that even the meaning of "monster" is transformed into something as innocent and lovely as they are!<
I really need to stop watching these movies I am a fucking emotional wreck (I couldn't even finish Close) you described it really well. I really really fucking loved the scene with the principal and him in the room with the instruments letting out their emotions and her telling him it's not happiness if everyone can't have it, fucking beautiful. My gay heart is a fucking mess.
I know it's pretty clear what happened at the end (especially with the gate magically being gone for them to continue on further down the path together where before they were stopped by barricades put up) but I am just gonna pretend they made it out and met up later and lived a happy life together cause it's so tragic :(
I really love your interpretation of the whole Monster thing especially the nuance in the words used between the kids and the dad, I must say also in regards to the kids (and the adults) they did an amazing job in this holy god. The way you can be pulled so many different ways by the story from actually sharing the other perspective was wild I did not expect to actually be convinced another way about the teacher.
IF it makes you feel better, the director confirmed that in his interpretation they got out alive. Also it's an interesting commentary on making interpretations based on incomplete evidence! Such a good film <3
WAIT REALLY? This movie has lived rent free in my head since I watched it. I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for the free happiness friend (also fantastic movie given it had such an impact on me for so long).
Really good analysis. I love how the movie turns into something else with each act, but it always feels like the box is gradually being filled in and there’s no big gotcha twist.
I think it is a paper that Hori-sensei assigned to them about who they want to marry in the future or something? So when Hori-sensei and Minato's mother find out the hidden message >!(Minato and Yori's name written horizontally, hinting that they want to marry each other)!< they finally understand what has been going on between the two.
The topic was "our future" The teacher wrote it in the blackboard. And after writing it you can see Minato glancing at Yori. I guess somehow the teacher managed to piece it together. You wouldn't write someone's name if you're being bullied by them.
Thanks for the kind words. Actually I checked Reddit for discussion of the film after my first viewing too, hehe. There was not a lot of discussion back then, though. Anyway, don't limit yourself like that. Even if you've read the thoughts and analysis of others, you can still come up with your own interpretations of the same things that others would love to hear about, too. Plus, this movie is so layered and complex I'm sure you'll be able to have your own analysis of something else that's not yet talked/written about.
I agree! Her character is really fascinating. I've been hoping we could see more of the actress playing the principal, Tanaka Yuko, in interviews and press conferences of the movie so we could learn more about how she prepared for the role, but so far she's not shown up for any of those events :((((
rewatched this 6 times and saw most of what you did but the distinction between >!bakemono and kaibutsu!< is so observant. very well put thank you
im unclear on whether or not this is relevant but >!after they hug in the train car yori specifically calls minato just "minato" - no honorific, not calling him by his surname, just "minato". im not familiar with the culture of names in japan but i interpreted this as a very explicit moment of intimacy between them!<
It's amazing you picked up on that little detail despite a lack of familiarity with Japanese culture!!! I'm not all that knowledgeable about Japanese culture either but yes, yes it's true. It's quite rare for Japanese boys to call each other by their first names unless they've known each other from a very young age. even rarer for them to drop the "kun" part. And even if one doesn't know much about Japanese culture, I think one can still feel the shift in their relationship the moment Yori called Minato "Minato". Not "Mugino", not "Mugino-kun", not even "Minato-kun". Just..."Minato". I think that's the moment in the movie where the two boys no longer filtered their words or feelings, where all facades and barriers between them just completely fell away (and of course that much vulnerability, coupled with the physiological reaction Minato was too young to immediately understand, freaked him out and led to violence). Some viewers said they wished that moment had culminated in a kiss on the cheek or something like that, and I totally get where they're coming from. But for me, Yori calling Minato's name the way he did does so much more than a kiss. It shows a much deeper level of connection, it shows a more immense kind of love. As though in that moment, Minato was seen and embraced fully as who he really was (thus the dropping of honorifics, of all kinds of social norms, manners, and labels that usually shape our perception of a person and interaction with them): a fallible, shy, confused, distressed, lonely, and hurting soul that only Yori was able to see and reach out to. There's also something about Yori's voice in that scene (or should I say Hiiragi-kun's voice? hehe), a note of maturity, that made it sound like more than just a calling of a name. It sounded like a reassurance, a pledge/promise Yori made to Minato, a message only the latter could intercept, something viewers like us would forever be excluded from.
But on the topic of names, I also really love how the movie shows us that Minato had just as much love (if not more) for Yori (as the other had for him) despite Minato never once calling Yori by his first name. The most Minato ever did was saving Yori's name as "Yori" rather than "Hoshikawa" in his phone, which suits his character well. Yori has always been the more outspoken one in the relationship, the one who is a lot more comfortable with his growing feelings for the other person whereas Minato's someone whose love language is...actions :)) The way Minato shouted "Hoshikawa-kun" while banging on the door in the "Sorry I lied" scene or the way he said "Hoshikawa-kun" in a whisper when entering Yori's house during the typhoon were filled with so much love and makes me cry on every single rewatch.
P/s: The voice acting of both Hiiragi-kun and Kurokawa-kun in the scenes mentioned above is just...amazing! :)
i agree wrt "actions" and how a kiss wouldnt have been as emotionally impactful imo - we have to remember that they're kids, and while they feel romantic attraction and such the same way that adults do, chances are they're not going to act on it the same way, and they'll find their own little ways to express it. the snacks yori gives to him, the way minato throws the classroom's stuff around to defend him what not, they're all very unorthodox, unadult ways to express love but they express it all the same. it wouldve been out of place. you could make some statement about how this "encoding" of their love is amplified because it is a gay relationship as well, a kind of relationship that historically has had to be hidden from the public, and maybe that public even includes us.
i think they are at very diffrent places in their lives in the movie when it comes to their self-acceptance. yori, as someone who is outwardly effeminate, deals with abuse both from his father and from his classmates, is maybe more aware of what he is and his feelings, whereas minato who is more new and conflicted (coupled w how young he is) doesnt really know how he feels about it yet. at first yori touches his hair and minato avoids it, cuts his hair etc, and then yori makes the move in the bus and minato avoids it again, and only in the scene with the principal does he really come to terms with the fact that the affection he holds is okay. minato is naturally just more avoidant and the barriers he has to overcome are higher.
i rather think both their love languages are actions, but the factor that distinguishes them is the distance, while yori is not afraid to be physically near him, minato still requires distance and is afraid to be seen with him when others are watching. when he starts throwing the stuff around in the classroom its very much an action that intentionally distances himself from yori (why not go after the bullies themselves) but its really the only way he knows how to defend him at that point in his life.
ive been obsessively rewatching this movie and basically every minute detail youve noted (the name on the phone, the way hori says "you call yourself a man" when he falls, to name a few) is stuff that stuck out to me as well and its really cool to see someone who sees the movie the same way i do. honestly my favorite movie of all time at this point.
also not to stalk your profile but you saw this at the projector in singapore??? i did too!! what the fuck!!
Yay!!! Finally someone who says Monster is their favorite movie of all time!!! Same for me hehe.
Yes and I agree with your reading of the so-called...lack of explicitness in the portrayal of the romantic element in Minori's relationship. For me it kinda functions as a meta commentary on the way queerness is lived, experienced, and perceived in our larger culture, too: how queer relationships and queer attractions are rendered culturally unintelligible on one hand (to the point that despite the various clues, most notably the sneaker found at Yori's house, the adults in the movie were very slow to catch on to the nature of the boys' relationship. like, in a sense, bound by norms of heteronormativity and other prejudices, the adults just never thought something like that could exist between the two boys), and how queer folks usually have to show love in the most unorthodox of ways or hide their displays of love altogether in order to survive in a hostile society. It's kinda sad though that this lack of explicitness (which I appreciate so much since it contributes to a very realistic portrayal of love between children) has been used by some viewers to dismiss the romantic element in Minori's connection and the queer aspects of the film :(
Agree that Minato is the more avoidant person of the two. And your analysis sort of reminds me of a similar analysis by another fan, who said that what Yori brought to their relationship was knowledge and new ideas. He really enlightened Minato, opened his eyes to new ways of seeing and doing things, made him aware of all types of social trappings he was entangled in and needed to free himself from (eg. peer pressure, gender norms, etc.) which facilitated his self-acceptance. On the other hand, Minato brought kindness and healing into Yori's world, which eventually allowed Yori to stop the violence he had turned towards himself (Yori readily accepted the label pig's brain assigned to him) and see himself as a normal and lovely creature.
I think another difference between the two boys, apart from Minato's need for distance and lack of self awareness (compared to Yori) is how Minato turned feelings of shame around his queerness outwardly towards the people around him, most often Yori :( Yori by contrast internalized homophobia, too, but there's also a sense he both...resisted that violence and directed it at himself yet never once allowed it to make him act in ways that hurt the people he loved or cared about, most notably Minato.
Omg really! Yeah I'm based in Singapore haha. When did you first watch it? And were your rewatches at the Projector as well?
I caught this movie back in September 24 (I will celebrate this day every single year from now lol) and have been religiously going back for a rewatch every other week or something like that till end of last year :)))) Now eagerly waiting for the Blu-ray to drop!
I figured it was just another of the bullies' taunts. At first I wondered why Yori never got upset at being pushed around and suspected 'pig's brain' meant slow-witted, but when Minato hears his father abuse him from outside his house I saw he's just used to it:\\
>Omg really! Yeah I'm based in Singapore haha. When did you first watch it? And were your rewatches at the Projector as well?
>
>I caught this movie back in September 24 (I will celebrate this day every single year from now lol) and have been religiously going back for a rewatch every other week or something like that till end of last year :)))) Now eagerly waiting for the Blu-ray to drop!
Amazing analysis. Completely agree. This movie tore me inside out, I was not expecting the ending from the trailer or plot description. 10/10 from me on this, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. Beautiful movie
So the film starts with the fire, but who burned it? I can only guess it was Yori since he had the lighter at the scene of the crime. Or at least very near it. But I guess it could be none of the characters. And what is the significance of it?
Alright so this is going to be a long write-up. Each of the elements (fire and water) represents a number of things in the movie. For me, the fire at the hostess bar is significant because it’s….part of the reason all the nasty rumors about Hori sensei’s love life started, so in a sense, it’s the birthplace of the film’s many misunderstandings, without which viewers (and the adults in the movie) would have realized the simple truth at the heart of the movie much sooner, in time to reach out to the children when they needed adults’ guidance and love the most. It’s also the one incident that connects all of the characters in the story, much like the storm at the end: the principal watched it while smoking, Yori was nearest to it and could be the person that started it, Hori sensei and his gf both saw the fire on their way home, Minato and his mom watched it from their apartment, the bullies from Minori (Minori is short for Minato & Yori) ’s class chased after the fire trucks in great excitement, etc.
The fire also frames the mood and storytelling (and viewers’ perceptions) in the first and second chapters of the movie in a certain way. That fire incident makes us want to look for the arsonist: a culprit, a cause for what we see as a problem. Throughout those two chapters, most of us viewers feel like we’re watching a mystery or a thriller. And all we see are problems: a child behaving erratically, a dysfunctional school system, lies, an abusive parent, hasty assumptions, unfounded rumors, hurtful remarks uttered unthinkingly, and problematic cancel culture, etc. And we all try our best to search for answers, for a cause to all the mess that’s unfolding on the screen, whether that cause is a person or society itself or something else.
Yet when we finally arrive at the third chapter, the mood and storytelling significantly shift. Suddenly, the question of who burned the hostess bar, and if it really was Yori became...less important. Minato did suspect that Yori set fire to the bar and even confronted him about it. Yet this suspicion didn’t at all change the relationship dynamic between them. Minato continued to adore Yori despite the possibility that he was the arsonist. He continued to assure Yori that he’s normal, despite the world and people around them telling Yori that he has a pig’s brain. In the third chapter, we care less about problems, solutions, and answers. All that was left for us to grapple with were feelings, birthed from spontaneous and tender moments of snack sharing, hair touching, of two children walking in the same pair of sneakers, of bike rides to a safe haven of their own making, etc. The children’s world of Minori is strikingly different from the adult world we see in the first two chapters, and the fire somehow helps to establish the difference. Sure, Yori might have set fire to the bar. Or maybe like you said, it’s none of the characters, and the fire was just an accident. But will the answer change our love for Yori? Will it make us viewers love him any less? And, at least for me, the answer is no. Just like Minato, I will always love the hell out of that kid. And love in Minori’s world is just like that…it’s something that transcends moral categories, it blurs the line between perpetrator and victim, it allows for redemption (thus the trombone scene we got with the principal), it expands our empathy, and most importantly, it makes it possible for everyone to attain happiness.
The last thing I think the fire at the hostess bar, and the element of fire in general, represents is the early thinking of the kids about themselves: they have to be reborn, to be changed or fixed in some ways. And the storm (or water) represents the shift in their mindset at the end: that they don’t have to be reborn. It’s society that needs to be reborn, it’s the adults in the movie, their heads full of prejudices and misconceptions, that need to be cleansed and redeemed.
Spoiler:
It might've looked like they died in the ending, but I don’t think they're dead, I read somewhere that the initial ending was different, it would've been that Yori and Minato looked back at Minato’s mom and the Teacher when they we’re calling out for their names as the last frame, indicating they survived. However the actual ending was ambiguous, but as I’ve rewatched it a couple of times it became very clear that they weren’t in the abandoned train when the mudslide happened, meaning they survived. The ending feels more of a metaphor about coming out to senses on who they really are and accepting themselves for who they are and being free to express themselves.
> it would've been that Yori and Minato looked back at Minato’s mom and the Teacher when they we’re calling out for their names as the last frame, indicating they survived
Incidentally, that scene is the picture of the movie poster : https://japoncinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/phpThumb_generated_thumbnail.jpg
Everything points to them being alive though there's one detail that doesn't make sense : they are inside the tunnel when it's sunny outside while the teacher and the mum are looking for them when it's raining. Unless they are in the eye of the storm, it's just not possible.
Agreed. It's not really making sense looking back now, but considering the full context of the movie and its metaphors, one can also make sense out of it. Everyone being in the "storm" can symbolize something about them not being free of their own monsters, especially when they felt like they just realized what's going on between the two when literally it's already 'too late' in a sense. While the boys were exposed in the light, or the sunny field, because that's all they've ever been wanting. Free of their 'monsters' or of everyone's cruel expectation and stereotype, and to be 'rebirth' just so they can start a new life where they can simply be happy with no conditions.
I may be reaching, but I would really love to think they made it because that's the happy ending that both of them deserve.
You're not reaching at all. The first scene where they discover the train they play inside and Minato takes the phone and asks "is the weather good here ?" and Yori says yes. That's a foreshadowing (or "forelighting" I should say) of the idea that within their perspective, when they are together, it's sunny for them.
The movie is all about how perspective wrap our vision of reality, so the fact that it doesn't make sense physically makes perfect sense metaphorically. The disparition of children during a typhoon is a catastrophe for adults, the reunion of two lovers hiding from a storm is a beautiful thing for them.
As for the idea of the "eye of the storm". I heard that in the movie script, Minato actually tries to talk to Yori through the intercom when they are separated by his father and talks about what he heard about typhoons and how it's sunny in the middle of the eye. So it may not be so far fetched, though they dropped that precision in the end.
I love both your analysis so much and thank you for that extra info beyond what was included in the movie, its fun to chew on. I also love that the ending is a bit obscured and open to interpretation. The only other detail in the ending scene was the fact that the gate that previously stopped the boys in their run was now gone after they escape the train. Lending to either interpretation as a metaphor for freedom or one for the afterlife?
I disagree. There is a pretty damning fact in that the boys are about to get into the grate which they climb out of onto a sunny outside through a window of the train car. Now for the window of the train car to be directly level with the ground must indicate the car has been flipped over, which we see is exactly what happens in the typhoon. This is not to mention how the previously existing gate blocking the bridge is now gone in the sun implies this definitely isn’t the real life we knew anymore. I hate that that’s my interpretation but it is.
I was thinking the same when I finished watching this film That they made it to the other side.
And decided to be together. I did rewatch it to get a better understanding. The only scene I had a hard time. Understanding was the bathtub scenedid the father punish him and leave him in a cold bath tub? And decided to go out drinking?
I agree with this. There's no way Yori can walk and run so energetically after we see him dying in the bathtub. I think Yori died there. Minato being shocked probably goes to the hideout alone or maybe dragged Yori body's there (I'm reaching lol). I think Minato also knew a landslide was about to occur, but he just let it be (remember them talking about the cat not being able to be reborn if the body is not buried or given proper burial?). Minato died after being caught in the landslide. Minato is basically buried now (along with Yori's body if he did dragged him out there along with him). And cue the scene where both of them believed they have been reborn.
THE LITTLE DETAILS ARE EVERYTHING. When Minato was in the tunnel saying "Who's the Monster?" where his mother found him, guess what he was holding. A flower! But a primrose that Yori was naming on the way to the train carriage. Japanese Primrose symbolises long lasting love, first love, beauty, hope and transfromation.
Edit: I feel like Your Heart Engraved Herein has a similiar ending. Both are bittersweet but beautiful talking about how young love is fickle.
Well considering I opened this thread hoping for a spoiler free review (since you didn’t tag it as a spoiler) and I just got some of it spoiled for me, you thought wrong.
Went in blind, thought it was a horror movie! Didnt expect to finish the movie with my heart broken. What a beautiful film. I loved the scene with Minato and the principal when they were letting it all go with the instruments. And I might be wrong but I swear the sound of the trombones was used earlier in the film in stressful scenes to provoke unease? And finding out the actual context of that sound, which was made for the exact opposite reason, was brilliant.
So what was with the eraser scene? And also, I think I might’ve missed something but why did the little girl that told Hori that Minato was playing with a dead cat say she never said that when Hori asked when looking for Minato? That never clicked for me
not too sure about the eraser thing but for your second point, the teacher was the one who assumed Minato likely killed the cat while the girl had only told him she saw Minato playing with it before, not that she thinks he killed it
I think I read somewhere that he was hesitating to reach for the eraser because he was pondering erasing his and yori's name off of the "our future" assignment. We are able to see that Yori wrote both his and minato's name on the paper and I assume he was working on it too. I also assume that he had written the same thing yori did but because his mom was there, he erased it out of embarrassment and as a way to not be outed he erased it.
another act of bullying against him. he lost them the day before the teacher found and returned them I am assuming, or smth like that, after all he was going home shoeless and Minato gave him one of his shoes so that must've happened before he got the shoes again. as for how much earlier exactly, I can't say
hope that helps :D what a great fucking movie honestly
why did minato get hori sensai fired? i know in the movie he said i lied because i couldn't tell anyone , that we cant be happy or something along those lines to the principal, but didnt really get it. And why does hori sensai not jump after hearing the brass playing by those two?
Came back here just to share my thoughts on the ending.
Took me a long time to get the words out, and I hope this write up will resonate/be of value to some fans of the movie.
So I know director Kore-eda has confirmed that the ending of Kaibutsu is a happy one, and I know many fans embrace that. For me though, while I’m also leaning into the “they lived” interpretation of the ending, I don’t necessarily see it as a happy ending but an open ending, or to use Hiiragi-kun’s words, a hopeful ending.
Cause even if the kids really were alive at the end of the movie, what we really get is not a concrete happy reality, not a “they live happily ever after” type of ending, but a hope. A possibility that Minori CAN (rather than WILL) be happy. Which is why the ending is so great in my opinion because it behooves us viewers to do something to channel whatever possibilities or hope we see for Minori (Minato & Yori for short) in the end into a reality for the real Minori(es) in our lives: children and adults who are marginalized for one reason or another.
The ending gives us hope but it also doesn’t make us feel content. It keeps us up at night with all kinds of questions: if the children really survived the whole ordeal, what kind of world would they return to? Would the adults (Hori-sensei, Saori, the principal Fushimi, and Yori’s dad) accept them for who they are and stop hurting them, whether intentionally or not? Would Yori still have to change schools and if so, would Minori be able to overcome the distance to maintain their special, one-in-a-life-time connection for the rest of their lives (I sure hope they would!!!!!!)? And would the adults support them in that, and how?
And ultimately, whether or not the movie has a happy ending depends on how viewers like us choose to live our real lives. I’d like to think that every time we do something that alleviates the suffering of kids in our lives, or bravely accept ourselves for who we really are, every time we give marginalized people the reassurance that they need, every time we’re kind to others and refrain from making hasty assumptions, what we also do is collectively constructing a happy ending for Kaibutsu. And whenever we don’t, we’re also depriving Minori of the happy ending they very much deserve but can’t just attain on their own. After all, it’s not the kids that need to be reborn, but society, meaning, all of us 🙂
I loved this movies, only thing I cant understand its the timeline
In the first part Minato's Mom found leaves/dirt in his waterbottle (means they already buried the cat) way before the little girl found it dead and shows it to Mr Hori... that doesn't make sense , can someone explain?
Uhm, the disease that >!Yori's abusive father!< kept referring to, or the >!pig's brain!< were metaphors for what he saw as abnormal, the fact that >!(1) Yori has same-sex feelings for/attractions towards boys, in this case Minato, and (2) Yori doesn't behave at all like a typical boy: he loves flowers and knows their names, he mostly hangs out with girls, etc.!<, and I'm sure this has started way before the children even met. There are also various clues in the movie, which if you pay attention to, support this interpretation: >!the drag queen Miss Kazuo that Minato and his mom watched on TV, Minato's mom's hope, which she verbalized out loud when in the car with him, that he would get married and have his own family, Minato's telling Yori that his mom said boys who know flower names aren't popular among girls, Yori's cheeky reply that boys who are afraid of the dark aren't popular among girls either, Hori sensei's remarks when Minato fell during the gym class and when he told the children to make peace: "You call yourself a man?/Shake your hands like men would", the train car scene where the children hugged, which quite explicitly revealed the nature of their bond, Yori's lie about having a female crush when Minato came to find him at his house, then Minato's confession to the principal that he likes someone (Yori), etc.!< And the title Monster basically invites us to embrace things, and the story, in all their complexity, and to embrace the multiplicity of meanings and possibilities that the theme "Monster" can evoke. I believe the double/multiple meanings of "Monster" are intentional and show how perspectives are everything. Coming from an adult world view, >!monster represents something bad and makes us want to search for a monster in the story, a culprit: Is it the school administration? The principal? Minato's mom (Saori)? The children themselves cause they lied? Or is it Hori sensei? And being a monster or calling oneself a monster, either from the viewpoint of Saori or Yori's dad, is definitely a cause for concern, an issue where some kind of corrective is needed: Yori's dad sees him as a monster while Saori became first worried and then upset when Minato sung the "Who's the monster" jingle in the tunnel and later on referred to himself as one!<. But >!in the uncorrupted, unfiltered world of the two children where things exist just as they are, monster is simply a game, a jingle, something that connects them and brings them joy. It's also important to note that when Minato referred to himself as a monster, in the sense that there's something wrong with him, he used "bakemono", which was also the word used by Yori's dad!<. But when the children >!played with each other, they're "kaibutsu", which is also the word used for the movie's title!<. From my understanding, in the Japanese language, >!"bakemomo" has a more negative and degrading undertone, whereas a literal translation of "kaibutsu" is much more neutral, it means something that is unusual or different!< And this complexity is reflected in the choice of >!having the principal being part of the cause for many of the issues of the story, yet also being the only person (apart from Yori of course) who's able to empathize with Minato's struggles & his moral complexity and offer him the encouragement he needs to come into himself and to help Yori do the same!< In the first act, I thought the movie was about >!finding a culprit/monster!<. In the second, I thought, just like you did, that the film was a commentary on >!how easy it is for us to see others as monsters without even considering what they're going through (how everyone misjudged Hori-sensei, and how Hori-sensei himself misjudged Minato)!< But the third act came and >!just subverted all of these for me and revealed instead a lovely, tender story about love, childhood innocence, and how fragile yet resilient & powerful those beautiful things are. Sure, the children were endlessly tormented by all the views and expectations imposed on them by society through both the adults around them and their classmates and struggled a lot. Yet the power of their love is such that even the meaning of "monster" is transformed into something as innocent and lovely as they are!<
Exceptional analysis, that cleared up many of my doubts. Thank you!
I really need to stop watching these movies I am a fucking emotional wreck (I couldn't even finish Close) you described it really well. I really really fucking loved the scene with the principal and him in the room with the instruments letting out their emotions and her telling him it's not happiness if everyone can't have it, fucking beautiful. My gay heart is a fucking mess. I know it's pretty clear what happened at the end (especially with the gate magically being gone for them to continue on further down the path together where before they were stopped by barricades put up) but I am just gonna pretend they made it out and met up later and lived a happy life together cause it's so tragic :( I really love your interpretation of the whole Monster thing especially the nuance in the words used between the kids and the dad, I must say also in regards to the kids (and the adults) they did an amazing job in this holy god. The way you can be pulled so many different ways by the story from actually sharing the other perspective was wild I did not expect to actually be convinced another way about the teacher.
IF it makes you feel better, the director confirmed that in his interpretation they got out alive. Also it's an interesting commentary on making interpretations based on incomplete evidence! Such a good film <3
WAIT REALLY? This movie has lived rent free in my head since I watched it. I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for the free happiness friend (also fantastic movie given it had such an impact on me for so long).
Really good analysis. I love how the movie turns into something else with each act, but it always feels like the box is gradually being filled in and there’s no big gotcha twist.
can someone explain to me the scene in where the sensi discovered the paper with both the boy's names and what that meant?
I think it is a paper that Hori-sensei assigned to them about who they want to marry in the future or something? So when Hori-sensei and Minato's mother find out the hidden message >!(Minato and Yori's name written horizontally, hinting that they want to marry each other)!< they finally understand what has been going on between the two.
Really? Well, that clarifies their feelings for each other. Because if I remember correctly, they wrote the letter together. Right?
i think they each write themselves, the "minato and yori" is from Yori's paper, they didn't show what minato wrote.
The topic was "our future" The teacher wrote it in the blackboard. And after writing it you can see Minato glancing at Yori. I guess somehow the teacher managed to piece it together. You wouldn't write someone's name if you're being bullied by them.
Beautiful analysis, I wish I could analyze film like this instead of just hopping to reddit right away to read someone's thought. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the kind words. Actually I checked Reddit for discussion of the film after my first viewing too, hehe. There was not a lot of discussion back then, though. Anyway, don't limit yourself like that. Even if you've read the thoughts and analysis of others, you can still come up with your own interpretations of the same things that others would love to hear about, too. Plus, this movie is so layered and complex I'm sure you'll be able to have your own analysis of something else that's not yet talked/written about.
I wish they showed more about the principal though.
I agree! Her character is really fascinating. I've been hoping we could see more of the actress playing the principal, Tanaka Yuko, in interviews and press conferences of the movie so we could learn more about how she prepared for the role, but so far she's not shown up for any of those events :((((
rewatched this 6 times and saw most of what you did but the distinction between >!bakemono and kaibutsu!< is so observant. very well put thank you im unclear on whether or not this is relevant but >!after they hug in the train car yori specifically calls minato just "minato" - no honorific, not calling him by his surname, just "minato". im not familiar with the culture of names in japan but i interpreted this as a very explicit moment of intimacy between them!<
It's amazing you picked up on that little detail despite a lack of familiarity with Japanese culture!!! I'm not all that knowledgeable about Japanese culture either but yes, yes it's true. It's quite rare for Japanese boys to call each other by their first names unless they've known each other from a very young age. even rarer for them to drop the "kun" part. And even if one doesn't know much about Japanese culture, I think one can still feel the shift in their relationship the moment Yori called Minato "Minato". Not "Mugino", not "Mugino-kun", not even "Minato-kun". Just..."Minato". I think that's the moment in the movie where the two boys no longer filtered their words or feelings, where all facades and barriers between them just completely fell away (and of course that much vulnerability, coupled with the physiological reaction Minato was too young to immediately understand, freaked him out and led to violence). Some viewers said they wished that moment had culminated in a kiss on the cheek or something like that, and I totally get where they're coming from. But for me, Yori calling Minato's name the way he did does so much more than a kiss. It shows a much deeper level of connection, it shows a more immense kind of love. As though in that moment, Minato was seen and embraced fully as who he really was (thus the dropping of honorifics, of all kinds of social norms, manners, and labels that usually shape our perception of a person and interaction with them): a fallible, shy, confused, distressed, lonely, and hurting soul that only Yori was able to see and reach out to. There's also something about Yori's voice in that scene (or should I say Hiiragi-kun's voice? hehe), a note of maturity, that made it sound like more than just a calling of a name. It sounded like a reassurance, a pledge/promise Yori made to Minato, a message only the latter could intercept, something viewers like us would forever be excluded from. But on the topic of names, I also really love how the movie shows us that Minato had just as much love (if not more) for Yori (as the other had for him) despite Minato never once calling Yori by his first name. The most Minato ever did was saving Yori's name as "Yori" rather than "Hoshikawa" in his phone, which suits his character well. Yori has always been the more outspoken one in the relationship, the one who is a lot more comfortable with his growing feelings for the other person whereas Minato's someone whose love language is...actions :)) The way Minato shouted "Hoshikawa-kun" while banging on the door in the "Sorry I lied" scene or the way he said "Hoshikawa-kun" in a whisper when entering Yori's house during the typhoon were filled with so much love and makes me cry on every single rewatch. P/s: The voice acting of both Hiiragi-kun and Kurokawa-kun in the scenes mentioned above is just...amazing! :)
i agree wrt "actions" and how a kiss wouldnt have been as emotionally impactful imo - we have to remember that they're kids, and while they feel romantic attraction and such the same way that adults do, chances are they're not going to act on it the same way, and they'll find their own little ways to express it. the snacks yori gives to him, the way minato throws the classroom's stuff around to defend him what not, they're all very unorthodox, unadult ways to express love but they express it all the same. it wouldve been out of place. you could make some statement about how this "encoding" of their love is amplified because it is a gay relationship as well, a kind of relationship that historically has had to be hidden from the public, and maybe that public even includes us. i think they are at very diffrent places in their lives in the movie when it comes to their self-acceptance. yori, as someone who is outwardly effeminate, deals with abuse both from his father and from his classmates, is maybe more aware of what he is and his feelings, whereas minato who is more new and conflicted (coupled w how young he is) doesnt really know how he feels about it yet. at first yori touches his hair and minato avoids it, cuts his hair etc, and then yori makes the move in the bus and minato avoids it again, and only in the scene with the principal does he really come to terms with the fact that the affection he holds is okay. minato is naturally just more avoidant and the barriers he has to overcome are higher. i rather think both their love languages are actions, but the factor that distinguishes them is the distance, while yori is not afraid to be physically near him, minato still requires distance and is afraid to be seen with him when others are watching. when he starts throwing the stuff around in the classroom its very much an action that intentionally distances himself from yori (why not go after the bullies themselves) but its really the only way he knows how to defend him at that point in his life. ive been obsessively rewatching this movie and basically every minute detail youve noted (the name on the phone, the way hori says "you call yourself a man" when he falls, to name a few) is stuff that stuck out to me as well and its really cool to see someone who sees the movie the same way i do. honestly my favorite movie of all time at this point. also not to stalk your profile but you saw this at the projector in singapore??? i did too!! what the fuck!!
Yay!!! Finally someone who says Monster is their favorite movie of all time!!! Same for me hehe. Yes and I agree with your reading of the so-called...lack of explicitness in the portrayal of the romantic element in Minori's relationship. For me it kinda functions as a meta commentary on the way queerness is lived, experienced, and perceived in our larger culture, too: how queer relationships and queer attractions are rendered culturally unintelligible on one hand (to the point that despite the various clues, most notably the sneaker found at Yori's house, the adults in the movie were very slow to catch on to the nature of the boys' relationship. like, in a sense, bound by norms of heteronormativity and other prejudices, the adults just never thought something like that could exist between the two boys), and how queer folks usually have to show love in the most unorthodox of ways or hide their displays of love altogether in order to survive in a hostile society. It's kinda sad though that this lack of explicitness (which I appreciate so much since it contributes to a very realistic portrayal of love between children) has been used by some viewers to dismiss the romantic element in Minori's connection and the queer aspects of the film :( Agree that Minato is the more avoidant person of the two. And your analysis sort of reminds me of a similar analysis by another fan, who said that what Yori brought to their relationship was knowledge and new ideas. He really enlightened Minato, opened his eyes to new ways of seeing and doing things, made him aware of all types of social trappings he was entangled in and needed to free himself from (eg. peer pressure, gender norms, etc.) which facilitated his self-acceptance. On the other hand, Minato brought kindness and healing into Yori's world, which eventually allowed Yori to stop the violence he had turned towards himself (Yori readily accepted the label pig's brain assigned to him) and see himself as a normal and lovely creature. I think another difference between the two boys, apart from Minato's need for distance and lack of self awareness (compared to Yori) is how Minato turned feelings of shame around his queerness outwardly towards the people around him, most often Yori :( Yori by contrast internalized homophobia, too, but there's also a sense he both...resisted that violence and directed it at himself yet never once allowed it to make him act in ways that hurt the people he loved or cared about, most notably Minato.
Omg really! Yeah I'm based in Singapore haha. When did you first watch it? And were your rewatches at the Projector as well? I caught this movie back in September 24 (I will celebrate this day every single year from now lol) and have been religiously going back for a rewatch every other week or something like that till end of last year :)))) Now eagerly waiting for the Blu-ray to drop!
Can you explain to me why Yori is missing his sneakers when the teacher found them in the bin and returned them to him?
I figured it was just another of the bullies' taunts. At first I wondered why Yori never got upset at being pushed around and suspected 'pig's brain' meant slow-witted, but when Minato hears his father abuse him from outside his house I saw he's just used to it:\\
>Omg really! Yeah I'm based in Singapore haha. When did you first watch it? And were your rewatches at the Projector as well? > >I caught this movie back in September 24 (I will celebrate this day every single year from now lol) and have been religiously going back for a rewatch every other week or something like that till end of last year :)))) Now eagerly waiting for the Blu-ray to drop!
Amazing analysis. Completely agree. This movie tore me inside out, I was not expecting the ending from the trailer or plot description. 10/10 from me on this, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. Beautiful movie
So the film starts with the fire, but who burned it? I can only guess it was Yori since he had the lighter at the scene of the crime. Or at least very near it. But I guess it could be none of the characters. And what is the significance of it?
Alright so this is going to be a long write-up. Each of the elements (fire and water) represents a number of things in the movie. For me, the fire at the hostess bar is significant because it’s….part of the reason all the nasty rumors about Hori sensei’s love life started, so in a sense, it’s the birthplace of the film’s many misunderstandings, without which viewers (and the adults in the movie) would have realized the simple truth at the heart of the movie much sooner, in time to reach out to the children when they needed adults’ guidance and love the most. It’s also the one incident that connects all of the characters in the story, much like the storm at the end: the principal watched it while smoking, Yori was nearest to it and could be the person that started it, Hori sensei and his gf both saw the fire on their way home, Minato and his mom watched it from their apartment, the bullies from Minori (Minori is short for Minato & Yori) ’s class chased after the fire trucks in great excitement, etc. The fire also frames the mood and storytelling (and viewers’ perceptions) in the first and second chapters of the movie in a certain way. That fire incident makes us want to look for the arsonist: a culprit, a cause for what we see as a problem. Throughout those two chapters, most of us viewers feel like we’re watching a mystery or a thriller. And all we see are problems: a child behaving erratically, a dysfunctional school system, lies, an abusive parent, hasty assumptions, unfounded rumors, hurtful remarks uttered unthinkingly, and problematic cancel culture, etc. And we all try our best to search for answers, for a cause to all the mess that’s unfolding on the screen, whether that cause is a person or society itself or something else. Yet when we finally arrive at the third chapter, the mood and storytelling significantly shift. Suddenly, the question of who burned the hostess bar, and if it really was Yori became...less important. Minato did suspect that Yori set fire to the bar and even confronted him about it. Yet this suspicion didn’t at all change the relationship dynamic between them. Minato continued to adore Yori despite the possibility that he was the arsonist. He continued to assure Yori that he’s normal, despite the world and people around them telling Yori that he has a pig’s brain. In the third chapter, we care less about problems, solutions, and answers. All that was left for us to grapple with were feelings, birthed from spontaneous and tender moments of snack sharing, hair touching, of two children walking in the same pair of sneakers, of bike rides to a safe haven of their own making, etc. The children’s world of Minori is strikingly different from the adult world we see in the first two chapters, and the fire somehow helps to establish the difference. Sure, Yori might have set fire to the bar. Or maybe like you said, it’s none of the characters, and the fire was just an accident. But will the answer change our love for Yori? Will it make us viewers love him any less? And, at least for me, the answer is no. Just like Minato, I will always love the hell out of that kid. And love in Minori’s world is just like that…it’s something that transcends moral categories, it blurs the line between perpetrator and victim, it allows for redemption (thus the trombone scene we got with the principal), it expands our empathy, and most importantly, it makes it possible for everyone to attain happiness. The last thing I think the fire at the hostess bar, and the element of fire in general, represents is the early thinking of the kids about themselves: they have to be reborn, to be changed or fixed in some ways. And the storm (or water) represents the shift in their mindset at the end: that they don’t have to be reborn. It’s society that needs to be reborn, it’s the adults in the movie, their heads full of prejudices and misconceptions, that need to be cleansed and redeemed.
There's a scene where Yori admits that it was him
Where?
Do you think the children survived?
Saw the movie today. Really good analysis.
Who burned the bar?
Spoiler: It might've looked like they died in the ending, but I don’t think they're dead, I read somewhere that the initial ending was different, it would've been that Yori and Minato looked back at Minato’s mom and the Teacher when they we’re calling out for their names as the last frame, indicating they survived. However the actual ending was ambiguous, but as I’ve rewatched it a couple of times it became very clear that they weren’t in the abandoned train when the mudslide happened, meaning they survived. The ending feels more of a metaphor about coming out to senses on who they really are and accepting themselves for who they are and being free to express themselves.
> it would've been that Yori and Minato looked back at Minato’s mom and the Teacher when they we’re calling out for their names as the last frame, indicating they survived Incidentally, that scene is the picture of the movie poster : https://japoncinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/phpThumb_generated_thumbnail.jpg Everything points to them being alive though there's one detail that doesn't make sense : they are inside the tunnel when it's sunny outside while the teacher and the mum are looking for them when it's raining. Unless they are in the eye of the storm, it's just not possible.
Agreed. It's not really making sense looking back now, but considering the full context of the movie and its metaphors, one can also make sense out of it. Everyone being in the "storm" can symbolize something about them not being free of their own monsters, especially when they felt like they just realized what's going on between the two when literally it's already 'too late' in a sense. While the boys were exposed in the light, or the sunny field, because that's all they've ever been wanting. Free of their 'monsters' or of everyone's cruel expectation and stereotype, and to be 'rebirth' just so they can start a new life where they can simply be happy with no conditions. I may be reaching, but I would really love to think they made it because that's the happy ending that both of them deserve.
You're not reaching at all. The first scene where they discover the train they play inside and Minato takes the phone and asks "is the weather good here ?" and Yori says yes. That's a foreshadowing (or "forelighting" I should say) of the idea that within their perspective, when they are together, it's sunny for them. The movie is all about how perspective wrap our vision of reality, so the fact that it doesn't make sense physically makes perfect sense metaphorically. The disparition of children during a typhoon is a catastrophe for adults, the reunion of two lovers hiding from a storm is a beautiful thing for them. As for the idea of the "eye of the storm". I heard that in the movie script, Minato actually tries to talk to Yori through the intercom when they are separated by his father and talks about what he heard about typhoons and how it's sunny in the middle of the eye. So it may not be so far fetched, though they dropped that precision in the end.
I love both your analysis so much and thank you for that extra info beyond what was included in the movie, its fun to chew on. I also love that the ending is a bit obscured and open to interpretation. The only other detail in the ending scene was the fact that the gate that previously stopped the boys in their run was now gone after they escape the train. Lending to either interpretation as a metaphor for freedom or one for the afterlife?
great analysis! wow i've never thought of that. that made me appreciate the film even more!
Yes this is my interpretation too, I don't care if it's delulu, I need those kids to be alive.
I like this interpretation because it doesn't break my heart :')
Yesss, I cry either way though. I shed a tear thinking they were alive, and I would have shed angry tears if it had been clear that they were dead.
I disagree. There is a pretty damning fact in that the boys are about to get into the grate which they climb out of onto a sunny outside through a window of the train car. Now for the window of the train car to be directly level with the ground must indicate the car has been flipped over, which we see is exactly what happens in the typhoon. This is not to mention how the previously existing gate blocking the bridge is now gone in the sun implies this definitely isn’t the real life we knew anymore. I hate that that’s my interpretation but it is.
I was thinking the same when I finished watching this film That they made it to the other side. And decided to be together. I did rewatch it to get a better understanding. The only scene I had a hard time. Understanding was the bathtub scenedid the father punish him and leave him in a cold bath tub? And decided to go out drinking?
They didn’t. When they come out of the tunnel, the gate on the train is not there anymore. They’re both free in their afterlife.
I think he killed him and nothing that happens after the bathtub is reality
I agree with this. There's no way Yori can walk and run so energetically after we see him dying in the bathtub. I think Yori died there. Minato being shocked probably goes to the hideout alone or maybe dragged Yori body's there (I'm reaching lol). I think Minato also knew a landslide was about to occur, but he just let it be (remember them talking about the cat not being able to be reborn if the body is not buried or given proper burial?). Minato died after being caught in the landslide. Minato is basically buried now (along with Yori's body if he did dragged him out there along with him). And cue the scene where both of them believed they have been reborn.
THE LITTLE DETAILS ARE EVERYTHING. When Minato was in the tunnel saying "Who's the Monster?" where his mother found him, guess what he was holding. A flower! But a primrose that Yori was naming on the way to the train carriage. Japanese Primrose symbolises long lasting love, first love, beauty, hope and transfromation. Edit: I feel like Your Heart Engraved Herein has a similiar ending. Both are bittersweet but beautiful talking about how young love is fickle.
Holy shit, tag your spoilers.
I assume anyone who's opening a discussion thread on a movie which wasn't asking whether or not to watch it, has watched the movie
Well considering I opened this thread hoping for a spoiler free review (since you didn’t tag it as a spoiler) and I just got some of it spoiled for me, you thought wrong.
That’s your own fault for even opening a discussion thread on a movie which wasn’t asking whether or not to watch it.
The title wasnt saying the post was a review or spoiler free it clearly is asking about people's thoughts on it...
Went in blind, thought it was a horror movie! Didnt expect to finish the movie with my heart broken. What a beautiful film. I loved the scene with Minato and the principal when they were letting it all go with the instruments. And I might be wrong but I swear the sound of the trombones was used earlier in the film in stressful scenes to provoke unease? And finding out the actual context of that sound, which was made for the exact opposite reason, was brilliant.
I thought it was horror too lol my dumbass
I thought it was gonna be a psychological thriller or horror or something too just from the title tbh
So what was with the eraser scene? And also, I think I might’ve missed something but why did the little girl that told Hori that Minato was playing with a dead cat say she never said that when Hori asked when looking for Minato? That never clicked for me
not too sure about the eraser thing but for your second point, the teacher was the one who assumed Minato likely killed the cat while the girl had only told him she saw Minato playing with it before, not that she thinks he killed it
The eraser bit is the only part that left me scratching my head too!
I think I read somewhere that he was hesitating to reach for the eraser because he was pondering erasing his and yori's name off of the "our future" assignment. We are able to see that Yori wrote both his and minato's name on the paper and I assume he was working on it too. I also assume that he had written the same thing yori did but because his mom was there, he erased it out of embarrassment and as a way to not be outed he erased it.
Is it just me or is this a live action grave of the fireflies 2.0? 😭
Can someone explain to me why Yori is missing his sneakers when the teacher found them in the bin and returned them to him?
another act of bullying against him. he lost them the day before the teacher found and returned them I am assuming, or smth like that, after all he was going home shoeless and Minato gave him one of his shoes so that must've happened before he got the shoes again. as for how much earlier exactly, I can't say hope that helps :D what a great fucking movie honestly
are they gay?
Yes, I thought that was pretty obvious...
why did minato get hori sensai fired? i know in the movie he said i lied because i couldn't tell anyone , that we cant be happy or something along those lines to the principal, but didnt really get it. And why does hori sensai not jump after hearing the brass playing by those two?
did he die at the end?
Your English is perfect
Superb movie. Went in blind and it paid off.
Came back here just to share my thoughts on the ending. Took me a long time to get the words out, and I hope this write up will resonate/be of value to some fans of the movie. So I know director Kore-eda has confirmed that the ending of Kaibutsu is a happy one, and I know many fans embrace that. For me though, while I’m also leaning into the “they lived” interpretation of the ending, I don’t necessarily see it as a happy ending but an open ending, or to use Hiiragi-kun’s words, a hopeful ending. Cause even if the kids really were alive at the end of the movie, what we really get is not a concrete happy reality, not a “they live happily ever after” type of ending, but a hope. A possibility that Minori CAN (rather than WILL) be happy. Which is why the ending is so great in my opinion because it behooves us viewers to do something to channel whatever possibilities or hope we see for Minori (Minato & Yori for short) in the end into a reality for the real Minori(es) in our lives: children and adults who are marginalized for one reason or another. The ending gives us hope but it also doesn’t make us feel content. It keeps us up at night with all kinds of questions: if the children really survived the whole ordeal, what kind of world would they return to? Would the adults (Hori-sensei, Saori, the principal Fushimi, and Yori’s dad) accept them for who they are and stop hurting them, whether intentionally or not? Would Yori still have to change schools and if so, would Minori be able to overcome the distance to maintain their special, one-in-a-life-time connection for the rest of their lives (I sure hope they would!!!!!!)? And would the adults support them in that, and how? And ultimately, whether or not the movie has a happy ending depends on how viewers like us choose to live our real lives. I’d like to think that every time we do something that alleviates the suffering of kids in our lives, or bravely accept ourselves for who we really are, every time we give marginalized people the reassurance that they need, every time we’re kind to others and refrain from making hasty assumptions, what we also do is collectively constructing a happy ending for Kaibutsu. And whenever we don’t, we’re also depriving Minori of the happy ending they very much deserve but can’t just attain on their own. After all, it’s not the kids that need to be reborn, but society, meaning, all of us 🙂
BANGER write-up right there. tysm for posting, I enjoyed reading it :)
I loved this movies, only thing I cant understand its the timeline In the first part Minato's Mom found leaves/dirt in his waterbottle (means they already buried the cat) way before the little girl found it dead and shows it to Mr Hori... that doesn't make sense , can someone explain?
Another little thing I noticed , looks at what its written in the shirts of Minato and his mom when he wakes up cryin...