Character is a solid movie with a talented cast.
The plot of Character follows aspiring manga author Yamashiro Keigo. We are introduced to Keigo as he works hard to produce some work to attempt to get published. Unfortunately, despite being gifted as an artist, Keigo's work is rejected brutally due to him not being able to convincingly create solid villains. He's just way too nice. The protagonist then decides to return to being a mangaka's assistant and almost gives up on his dream entirely. Then, as luck would have it, Keigo is sent out on an errand by his boss which changes everything. He is tasked with drawing a mansion and manages to complete his task. Unfortunately, after one of the neighbours complains about the loud classical music emanating from the mansion, Keigo has to attempt to contact the homeowners. After gaining no response from the bell at the gate nor at the door, our poor protagonist steps through the unlocked door. What he finds inside shakes him to his very core. Keigo slips in what turns out to be a large pool of blood and he discovers the poor unfortunate, family of four that have become the victims of a murderer. The bodies had been posed to look like they were eating at their dinner table. Shocked by this discovery, Keigo also witnesses movement outside the mansion. He catches the glimpse of the cold-hearted murderer as he walks calmly away.
I have a few issues with Keigo's discovery of the crime scene. Firstly, the classical music that is playing takes away from the shock value of the corpse's reveal. It just makes the scene less intense and as a result the scene is far less impactful than it should have been. Secondly, it's awfully convenient that the killer didn't spot Keigo when he could have simply caught him with a turn of the head.
These events are traumatic for Keigo and yet, when questioned by the police he lies about having seen the killer's face. This is quite the fascinating development as we were told that Keigo was too nice to be able daw villains and yet he is fully capable of deception if he has something to gain by doing so. This morally questionable decision actually leads to Keigo becoming a published author as he creates the manga 34, with the villain, Dagger, based on the murderer he observed leaving the crime scene. Ultimately, I think that this makes Keigo a much more interesting character to watch as he's human and not infallible.
Keigo's lies have unfortunate consequences for our protagonist. His manga garners the attention of both detective Seida and the killer from the crime scene he stumbled upon. Both swiftly become fans of Yamashiro's work in different ways. The killer actually copies murders depicted in the manga down to the last detail and stalks Keigo. Detective Seida uses the manga to solve the aforementioned murders and despite feeling that Keigo is withholding information from him, supports his dream. Of course, the biggest consequence of Keigo's actions are the poor, unfortunate victims that were targeted by the killer in order to replicate the manga. That's something no one that has a conscience wants.
During this time, Keigo is working himself to the bone in order to keep up with publication deadlines and deliver his fans the best quality work he can muster. His personality shifts due to sheer exhaustion and the knowledge that the killer is out there and copying his art. He lashes out at his wife due to all of the pressure and the two become distant for a while. It's only after he learns that his wife is pregnant that he does a face turn and informs Seida that he lied about seeing the killer's face. He also makes amends with his wife and decides to end the publication of 34.
As I noted previously, Keigo is an interesting character as he's flawed and very capable of making terrible and rash decisions that have consequences for both him and those around him. This makes him fascinating to observe despite disagreeing with a lot of his actions.
Naturally all of this builds up to an exciting climax and an inevitable showdown between the protagonist and the antagonist which is very entertaining to watch unfold. The way the movie ends might not be to everyone's personal tastes but, it's done in a way that feels somewhat fitting.
Without fascinating characters, the plot would be meaningless, and Masaki Suda brings his A game to ensure that Yamashiro Keigo is a worthy protagonist. I've already stated that Keigo's moral journey is fascinating, and he has a great character arc that Suda portrays wonderfully. From the quiet, unassuming, nice guy at the beginning to the exhausted, paranoid and terrified manga author towards the middle and end of the movie, Suda does a splendid job with the material he had to work with.
Of course, it wouldn't be one of my blog posts without mentioning Shun Oguri. Detective Seida is my favourite character throughout the movie and Shun played a big part in that. The most competent member of the police force, Seida comes across as intelligent and dedicated to enforcing justice and catching the killer. He's not just a one note character however, as we discover that he used to be a street racer before becoming a detective. It's this slightly illegal past that makes him support Keigo and believe in his ability to do good in the world. I love the fact that he encourages Keigo to continue being a manga author and that he reads every single issue of 34. He's also involved in the most heart wrenching scene in the movie. What can I say? I've never seen a bad performance from Shun Oguri.
Shido Nakamura does a fine job as Detective Makabe. Unlike Seida, Makabe follows the police chief's instructions to the letter. This is something which has ramifications for the police force as they are made to look incompetent. He's a dutiful detective and he sticks up for Seida after an officer bad mouths him due to his petty criminal past. Him and Seida form an effective partnership that leads to a genuinely funny scene that involves a criminal attempting to flee from the pair. Makabe could have faded into obscurity if not for the mature performance of veteran, Shido Nakamura.
I have mixed feelings about the killer. Don't get the wrong idea, I like Fukase's performance. He brings a great level of genuine creepiness and is quite unnerving. The strange way that he rolls his shoulders is a great touch that adds to the fact that viewers would think that there's something not quite right about him. His facial expressions are also on point and his acting at the end of the movie is brilliant. Despite all of that, what I take issue with is the fact that while he's creepy, he's not very physically imposing. He looks like a reasonably sized adult could overpower him quite easily. I just have a hard time seeing him being capable of murdering a guy with a bigger build unless he took them by surprise with his knife. Hopefully, I don't come across as being too harsh, but I wanted to be honest.
In regard to the cinematography, the fact that the crew were able to match the camera shots with the manga panels is quite awesome. The movie has several lovely shots such as the killer sitting in his room with a crimson wall filled with drawn on smiley faces. The lighting is put to good use making scenes that much more noteworthy such as the darkness of the first crime scene making it seem more authentic.
The mangaka artist who lent their talent to this movie deserves a ton of praise. The artwork of 34 is simply majestic and makes me wish that it was a real existing work. I cannot understate just how beautiful the manga looks and I almost dare suggest that it's worth seeing the movie for alone.
Overall, Character is a solid movie that I would suggest for anyone that's a fan of crime dramas or thrillers. It's not a perfect movie by any means but, it's solid enough to be an enjoyable experience. I wouldn't recommend it for those that just want a fast-paced action-like experience as it's slow paced. Also, a lot of the murder occurs off-screen and so, if you just wanted to see a killer murdering people, there are other movies out there that fulfil your needs.
Without fascinating characters, the plot would be meaningless, and Masaki Suda brings his A game to ensure that Yamashiro Keigo is a worthy protagonist. I've already stated that Keigo's moral journey is fascinating, and he has a great character arc that Suda portrays wonderfully. From the quiet, unassuming, nice guy at the beginning to the exhausted, paranoid and terrified manga author towards the middle and end of the movie, Suda does a splendid job with the material he had to work with.
Of course, it wouldn't be one of my blog posts without mentioning Shun Oguri. Detective Seida is my favourite character throughout the movie and Shun played a big part in that. The most competent member of the police force, Seida comes across as intelligent and dedicated to enforcing justice and catching the killer. He's not just a one note character however, as we discover that he used to be a street racer before becoming a detective. It's this slightly illegal past that makes him support Keigo and believe in his ability to do good in the world. I love the fact that he encourages Keigo to continue being a manga author and that he reads every single issue of 34. He's also involved in the most heart wrenching scene in the movie. What can I say? I've never seen a bad performance from Shun Oguri.
Shido Nakamura does a fine job as Detective Makabe. Unlike Seida, Makabe follows the police chief's instructions to the letter. This is something which has ramifications for the police force as they are made to look incompetent. He's a dutiful detective and he sticks up for Seida after an officer bad mouths him due to his petty criminal past. Him and Seida form an effective partnership that leads to a genuinely funny scene that involves a criminal attempting to flee from the pair. Makabe could have faded into obscurity if not for the mature performance of veteran, Shido Nakamura.
I have mixed feelings about the killer. Don't get the wrong idea, I like Fukase's performance. He brings a great level of genuine creepiness and is quite unnerving. The strange way that he rolls his shoulders is a great touch that adds to the fact that viewers would think that there's something not quite right about him. His facial expressions are also on point and his acting at the end of the movie is brilliant. Despite all of that, what I take issue with is the fact that while he's creepy, he's not very physically imposing. He looks like a reasonably sized adult could overpower him quite easily. I just have a hard time seeing him being capable of murdering a guy with a bigger build unless he took them by surprise with his knife. Hopefully, I don't come across as being too harsh, but I wanted to be honest.
In regard to the cinematography, the fact that the crew were able to match the camera shots with the manga panels is quite awesome. The movie has several lovely shots such as the killer sitting in his room with a crimson wall filled with drawn on smiley faces. The lighting is put to good use making scenes that much more noteworthy such as the darkness of the first crime scene making it seem more authentic.
The mangaka artist who lent their talent to this movie deserves a ton of praise. The artwork of 34 is simply majestic and makes me wish that it was a real existing work. I cannot understate just how beautiful the manga looks and I almost dare suggest that it's worth seeing the movie for alone.
Overall, Character is a solid movie that I would suggest for anyone that's a fan of crime dramas or thrillers. It's not a perfect movie by any means but, it's solid enough to be an enjoyable experience. I wouldn't recommend it for those that just want a fast-paced action-like experience as it's slow paced. Also, a lot of the murder occurs off-screen and so, if you just wanted to see a killer murdering people, there are other movies out there that fulfil your needs.
I'd just like to thank everyone who reads these posts. I appreciate each and every one of you!
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