''Amiko'' ( ja, あみこ) is a 2018 Japanese coming-of-age drama film. It was written, directed, and produced by Yoko Yamanaka.

Synopsis

Amiko is about a high school girl named Amiko who has a crush on a boy named Aomi after they bond over their shared love of Radiohead and dislike of their boring hometown. After Aomi moves from their hometown,

Nagano Nagano may refer to: Places * Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan ** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture *** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics *** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano *** Nagano Universi ...

, to

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

, Amiko learns that he is living with his girlfriend. She goes to Tokyo to confront him, and learns about herself along the way.

Cast

* Aira Sunohara as Amiko * Hiroro Oshita as Aomi * Maiko Mineo as Kanako

Production and release

Director Yoko Yamanaka created the film at 19 years old, after dropping out of film school, and rest of the crew was similarly youthful, ranging from 18 to 20 years old. They created the film on a budget of $2,500, and part of that budget was spent repairing a car Yamanaka crashed on the way to the set. They rarely had permits for the locations where they shot footage and were sometimes chased away. The film debuted at the

Pia Film Festival The (also known as the PIA Film Festival or PFF for short) is an annual film festival established in 1977. According to film scholar Jasper Sharp, the festival "not only ranks as a vital hotbed from which the careers of some of Japan's most talen ...

, and has been screened at several others including the

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

Japan Cuts JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film is an annual festival of modern Japanese cinema held at New York City's Japan Society. The festival was first held in 2007, growing out of the Japan Society's popular bi-annual series, ''New Films from J ...

, the

Hong Kong International Film Festival The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), is one of Asia’s oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies, filmmakers from different countries in Hong Kong. HKIFF screens around 230 films ...

, and the

Fantasia International Film Festival Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...

Critical reception

Many critics were quick to point out the film's high quality, despite its low budget. /Film said that its small budget fit with the youthful atmosphere it was trying to convey, closing their review by saying that the film is "a short burst of angst". Keno Katsuda of ''Women and Hollywood'' wrote that the film challenges "conventions of passive Japanese femininity". Clarence Tsui of the ''Hollywood Reporter'' seemed to be especially impressed with Yamanaka's camerawork and Sunohara's performance. Multiple reviewers said it can be seen as similar to ''Lady Bird'', but noted that while it centers on an acerbic teenager, the film is not at all about the titular character's relationship with her mother because there are no parents in this film.

References

{{Authority control 2018 films 2010s Japanese-language films 2010s coming-of-age drama films Films set in Nagano Prefecture Japanese coming-of-age drama films 2010s Japanese films