April Story (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3

Thus marks the beginning of April Story, a gentle fairy tale from director Shunji Iwai that returns to the lighthearted tone of his debut feature Love Letter after the dark gritty fantasy that was Swallowtail Butterfly. The 64-minute film chronicles Uzuki's adjustment period at Musashino University. An awkward introduction where she can't seem to explain her reason for choosing Musashino doesn't earn her any new friends, except for a blunt classmate who drags her into the fly fishing club. Even there, she embarrasses herself by naming the wrong Brad Pitt movie that features fly fishing (clue: he doesn't get killed by a bear at the end). Meanwhile, Uzuki tries to adjust to her new life in Tokyo, but not only can she not fit everything she wants in her apartment, her neighbor won't talk to her with an open door, and she can't even go out without encountering shady characters. However, with one single encounter, Uzuki is reminded of why she chose Musashino...

Originally conceived as a short film, April Story is, unlike Love Letter and Swallowtail, remarkably simple. In an almost documentary fashion, Iwai simply follows Uzuki around as she deals with a new school and a new environment until her reason for choosing Tokyo and Musashino is finally revealed. Iwai indulges in details rather than narrative, an approach that Iwai has always indulged in a little too much in his previous films and might alienate viewers who prefer their films with plots and character developments. But unlike his previous films, where Iwai's self-indulgent use of details detracted from the plot, April Story benefits from its immense details because of its nature as a character study.

In addition to his attention to details, Iwai also sticks close to his personal style, opting for a dreamy visual look that matches the fairy tale tone of his film. From the sight of falling sakura petals along an empty street to Uzuki running in the rain under a red umbrella, suburban Tokyo has never looked more beautiful. But the real star of the film is Takako Matsu. As the focus of the film, Matsu, who was still college age at the time, brings a charming innocence to Uzuki. Despite her initial awkwardness and her character's ulterior motives, her character is easy to relate to because she is so awkward. Uzuki may just be another young fish out of the water in big, bad Tokyo, but it's Matsu's performance that keeps Uzuki a compelling enough character to warrant the focus.

Cynics may expect April Story to be about darker aspects of college life. After all, Iwai depicted the horrors of high school life in All About Lily Chou-Chou and Love Letter. But in the end, April Story is just a simple story about a new beginning that is easy to relate to. No one can nor should expect Iwai to pull off another Love Letter or Swallowtail in a scant 64 minutes. What Iwai does pull off here is a fairy tale come true. But unlike other cinematic fairy tales, the film feels true thanks to its authenticity. Even when Iwai gets a little liberal with saccharine-filled moments towards the end, there is not one false note of sentimentality; every emotion is earned, and smiles are practically guaranteed when the screen goes black. College may not be that sweet in real life, but Iwai and co. certainly convince you that it might be. Just for that, April Story may just be one of the best college movies ever made.

by Kevin Ma