Akegata no Wakamonotachi (2021)

Melancholic Youth Drama

Based on a novel by Katsuse Masahiko, Matsumoto Hana's “The End of the Pale Hour” follows an unnamed protagonist that just graduated from college and is about to enter the workforce. He meets a young woman, and we follow him as he falls in love, makes friends and struggles with his monotonous life.

Kitamura Takumi perfectly portrays the young man's enthusiasm, growing disappointment and apathy over the years. His portrayal feels genuine, and the male lead's relatable struggles make it easy to connect with him, even if his character is quite the passive guy. Kuroshima Yuin is excellent as his love interest, and they both had very convincing chemistry. Inoue Yuki as the Naoko, our main lead's upbeat friend, was easily my favorite character. Their friendship made for some heartwarming moments.

The End of the Pale Hour is an empathic depiction of heartbreak, growing up, and a realistic portrayal of the struggles that come with working for a big corporation and finding your place in the world. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. While the first half was light and sweet, the later half shifts in tone as our male lead has to face reality. Personally, I thought the twist was well done and gave this movie another interesting layer. Apart from the wonderful performances of the cast, I also really enjoyed the soundtrack that matched the youth theme and melancholic atmosphere of the story.

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