Movie Review: Kita Kita ( I See You)

Well first off let us acknowledge the amazing wordplay. Years of Japan pop culture knowledge tells me that they too love word plays as well. If you're a native English speaker Kita both means see and you (hence the english title). It's at the same level with Bukas bukas (Open tomorrow). Ingenious. I bet their Japanese cast approves

+ Quickie Plot +

Lea is a Filipina tour guide based in Sapporo (less known vs Tokyo or Osaka unless of course you are kind of obsessed with Japan) who, after years of waiting for her fiancé to finally marry her learns she was being cheated upon with another friend of hers. The story with her past ends there and hers with Tonyo starts as soon as she loses her sight* (temporarily).

Living overseas with no one around and blind is just too much to bear, transforming her amiable personality earlier to a grumpy loner. One day someone came to her life (literally) a man named Tonyo, her new neighbor who kept on bringing her food and futile attempts to make her talk. After a while she warms up to the friendship. She even accepts being his tour guide even though she herself cannot see.

Early on we see some instance when Tonyo seemed to have a physical ailment which he can conveniently hide to Lea. I am glad they didn't go with the route of him being sick and dying but instead through an accident. Either way he is going to die prematurely and only after Lea is able to see. Last parts explained how and why he mysteriously appeared in her life. It was a bit stalker-ish but no fret, this is a better reveal than what happened to the movie Passengers. In here, Lea didn't have the time to be angry nor feel betrayed. Again, they could have easily done that route where the climax involves the ff steps:

Lea finally admits to herself she loves Tonyo.

She would realize that she was being stalked.

She would get angry and would refuse to see nor talk to him. She would also have a lengthy tantrum on the "betrayal".

He would do ridiculous attempts to please her again.

The only one that works is the one that sends him to the hospital.

She would realize she truly loves him.

He either dies in the end or he miraculously heals (depending on the intent of the director now).

But no. Those things didn't have to happen just to garner sympathy with the viewers. We've already seen that scenario (with different combinations) over and over amongst different genres it begs to rest. For Kita Kita to not have done any of that is truly refreshing. I liked that it's simple, none of them have weird unbelievable quirks.

Recommendation:

1. If you're here to see the main girl character who has traits that is borderline embarrassing, this is not it.


2. Do not expect to get a makeover ending where the guy becomes hot.


3. No handsome cameo in the end.


4. It's as simple as it gets. There are no lengthy dramatic conversations, no stupid public declarations of love, no screaming under fake rain.

 

 

*Temporary blindness is new to me. I am no medical doctor but let's just assume it is (weird unknown afflictions are a trend lately, let's just accept it for now).