Baby Walkure 3: Nice Days is a brilliant threequel!

 

It's finally time. Previously, I have covered several of Yugo Sakamoto's directorial works, including 2 of the Baby Assassins/Walkure movies. Whilst I didn't enjoy the second one quite as much as the first, I still was excited when a third movie was announced, especially with Kensuke Sonomura's involvement in the action. I can safely say that the third movie, Nice Days, was anything but a let down! 

After having swiftly completed their latest contract killing, our charming protagonists, Chisato and Mahiro find themselves on vacation in Minasaki. After having a bit of fun on the beach, their very first vacation is unfortunately cut short when they get a new job. The target this time is a man by the name of Matsuura, and the girls track his location to the near passport embassy. Unfortunately, by the time that they get there, another assassin is already holding Matsuura at gunpoint. Our favourite gal pals find themselves squaring off against a rather formidable foe in Kaede Fuyumura. 

The rather bleak passport embassy sequence sets a tone that is in stark contrast to both prior movies, setting up high stakes and adding motivation for both Chisato and Mahiro, the latter especially. I was honestly rather shocked that things transpired the way that they did as it was a departure from prior events. Having Mahiro use the tactics that have brought her victory after victory previously, only to have them fail her this time, sets up a delicious tale of revenge. It also helps establish Kaede as a man on a level above all their adversaries. A bold choice, but a welcome one nonetheless, even if I love Masanori Mimoto. 

Despite the much darker overall tone, the comedy that was present in both of the first two movies is still present and used to good effort. A lot of the comedic heavy lifting this time around is done via the interactions between Chisato and newcomer to the franchise, Iruka Minami. After our protagonists fail to take down Matsuura thanks to Kaede's intervention, Iruka and her partner, Riku Nanase, two senior assassins, are sent by the guild as back-up. This results in some hilarious bickering between Chisato and Iruka. Some of Akari Takaishi's mannerisms are over-the-top, but maybe that was purposeful as she berates and argues with Iruka. Iruka meanwhile is a bit of a tsundere. 

As far as Chisato and Mahiro go, the movie does a wonderful job at exploring their ever deepening relationship. Between the brilliant action sequences, we get some rather endearing and touching moments between the two. We seem them at their emotional and vulnerable moments, opening up to one another. They are partners through and through, I'd wager that they'd never pair up with anyone else for any job. Even the antagonist, Kaede, admits to Mahiro that he's jealous that she has Chisato as a partner as he has always worked solo. There's also a recurring theme about maturing into actual adulthood which is handled quite nicely.

Having been a fan of Yugo Sakamoto's previous directorial endeavours, his overall improvement and growth has been astounding and heart-warming to witness. His signature peculiarities are still very much prevalent throughout the movie, case and point the rambling comedic moments, but he appears to have overcome his weaknesses. He also managed to keep the overall tone much more consistent and rather organic throughout. Some wonderful usage of wide shots as well as some pretty green tinged interior lighting helps breath life into scenes. 

Okay, let's get into the main attraction. Kensuke Sonomura has long been one of my absolute favourite action directors and choreographers. His unique style of action gives his work such a beautiful artistry in terms of the sequences he puts together. Nice Days gave him the opportunity to put together some thrilling fight scenes. Mahiro still gets the bulk of the action and rightfully so, with her facing off with Kaede more than once. What I love about the sequences specifically is the way they are used to tell a story in their own right, with Mahiro adapting and learning from the opening fight to overcome the odds in the end. Chisato was much more involved this time as well, with plenty of shootout action and some nice hand to hand/melee work as well. Akari Takaishi's progress has been another thing that has been a great joy to see unfold. She's become adept at action sequences and having Saori Izawa there as well as Kensuke Sonomura can't hurt one bit. Riku Nanase also gets some rather fun sequences, including a fun one on one against a skilled assassin and him facing several adversaries at once. It's fun, inventive stuff. Iruka Minami also has her part to play in various shootouts. 

Saori Izawa stole my heart in the first Baby Assassins movie and that can be said for Nice days as well. Her acting was on point with her showing some gravitas in the emotional, poignant moments and being extremely lovable throughout. She's really come into her own as an actress, proving that she's more than just a stuntwoman. That being said, she still kicks a lot of ass in the fight sequences as she always did. Love watching her work. I think a major reason as to why Mahiro appeals to me so much as a character is the fact that she is extremely socially awkward. Her social anxiety is extremely palpable and is handled incredibly well, never being too on the nose, making her extremely relatable to me personally. 

Akari Takaishi also did a delightful job in the role of Chisato. She too managed to convey a wide array of emotions whilst also being leant on as a major part of the comedic elements of the movie. Her chemistry with Saori Izawa makes their on-screen friendship seem believable. As mentioned previously, she also managed to handle the action sequences exceptionally well and didn't seem out of place at all. I felt for her when she had her own subplot involving her forgetting Mahiro's birthday. Her panic was fun. 

Sosuke Ikematsu portrayed quite the interesting antagonist in Kaede Fuyumura. From the start, he is established as a major threat and his screen presence is able to convey a menace that might be a bit more than slightly unhinged. It could potentially have been hinted at that he had some form of autism, which would make certain scenes shared with Mahiro mean that much more. 

Atsuko Maeda was fun in the role of resident tsundere assassin, Iruka Minami. She was the annoyed at everything kind of senior, always butting heads with Chisato in a comical manner. She too gets an emotional moment of her own as she explains why she comes across as abrasive and it's actually quite a nice scene with her coming across as awkward in an endearing manner. 

In contrast to Atsuko Maeda's abrasive tsundere assassin, Mondo Otani brings a certain easy-going, calming charm to the role of Riku Nanase. He managed to make me laugh in his own comedic scene when he says he's a great actor before proving the exact opposite. I loved his quirks being that he's completely obsessed with fitness and muscles, refusing to eat, drink or do anything that's bad for muscles. I also laughed when he just straight up stated his backstory almost straight away in his first real scene of dialogue. It was good stuff. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Baby Assassins/Walkure 3: Nice Days and definitely preferred it to the second movie in the series. Yugo Sakamoto's improvements in the direction helped establish it as the best overall movie he's made so far. Mahiro continued to be relatable and the main duo feels like people we as an audience have come to know and appreciate. Besides from the drama series, I'm not sure if there will be more of the franchise and if not, Nice Days is a fitting end. It's an easy recommendation from me!