Boys On The Run is a bleak, yet compelling drama.

 

I went digging into the past for the subject of this blog post. I enjoy looking back on anime, dorama and movies that were often either overlooked or underappreciated both back then and now. There was a movie released back in 2010 that was based on the manga, Boys On The Run, by extremely talented mangaka, Kengo Hanazawa. Hanazawa would also go on to have success with subsequent manga, I Am A Hero and Under Ninja. The movie adaptation was helmed by Daiuke Miura, who both directed and wrote the screenplay. 

Boys On The Run focuses on the story of Toshiyuki Tanishi. Tanishi is a socially awkward toy vending machine salesman who has no luck with women and so, being sexually frustrated, spends a large amount of time watching AV and pleasing himself. Things seem to be on the up when he meets Chiharu Uemura, a beautiful lady whom works at the same company. Tanishi falls head over heels for Chiharu, but due to his awkward nature, attempts to be nice and kind to her in an effort to get close. Meanwhile, he also happens to encounter the rich, charismatic salesmen, Takahiro Aoyama, who works for a rival company. Lies, mishaps and deception occurs leading to Tanishi taking up boxing to right a wrong in his eyes and take out the deceptive antagonist. 

It's not a happy tale in any stretch of the imagination. The protagonist is a social outcast of sorts, the socially awkward, nerdy looking guy that has no luck. He screws things up unintentionally, due to not being adept at socialising and saying the wrong thing because he thinks that it's what Chiharu, for instance, wants to hear. In reality, he doesn't mean the things he says, with the exception of him being in love with Chiharu, something which he doesn't say to her until it's too late. He also builds up this image of her being the perfect woman in his mind, until for that to unravel as the movie progresses. He had a chance to bed her at the hotel, but is far too nice to go through with it and after a miscommunication involving an incident with Chiharu's neighbour, the pair don't speak for a long time. Whilst the situation doesn't look good and it's easy to see why Chiharu felt the way she did, it all could have been cleared up with some form of communication. It's at this point where Chiharu's true nature comes to light and she's not the person whom Tanishi had thought she was. So many lies, all that hurt Tanishi follow and no matter what the poor guys does, how many times he apologizes, she is still a piece of work. 

Daisuke Miura has always had a pretty straightforward approach when it comes to movie-making. It's what he has since built his reputation on and his style lends itself well to a movie like Boys On The Run. The low key and simplistic framing of the movie, complete with the traditional camera techniques and shot selection, help give the movie a gritty, rawness that could make it feel like a documentary at times. This contrasts nicely with some of the more obscene scenes and Tanishi's misfortune, but also lends credence to his authentic social awkwardness that comes across as realistic. I say this as someone who is socially awkward myself. 

There's not much actually boxing in the movie and when it does happen, it's very much in the latter stages and the only fight scene happens at the climax. It's a pretty well shot scene, as every punch and kick thrown is perfectly framed in the centre of the screen, making the action easy to follow. It's also not bad, meaning that it's not overly-choreographed. Sure, it's a little simple, but it gets the job done and is actually quite emotional, with the drama of the scene being emphasised more than the fight itself with Tanishi being very emotional. 

Kazunobu Mineta, despite his flaws as a human being, did a fantastic job in the leading role as Toshiyuki Tanishi. He brings a certain believability to the role, especially as far as the socially awkwardness of the character is concerned. He really made me feel bad for him. 

Overall, it's a pretty solid and emotionally charged drama that is not recommended if you're in a less than stellar mood. If you're in a good frame of mind then, I do recommend giving it a watch as it is an oddly compelling movie to watch despite being a bit bleak.