Asako I & II

Movie

2018

1h 59m

PG-13

Japanese

Drama, Romance

User Score:

6.9

Critic Score:

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Asako lives in Osaka. She falls in love with Baku, a free-spirit. One day, Baku suddenly disappears. Two years later, Asako now lives in Tokyo and meets Ryohei. He looks just like Baku, but has a completely different personality.

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Asako I & II

PG-13

Movie

2018

1h 59m

Japanese

Drama, Romance

Play Trailer

Watch on Hoopla

WATCHMODE

6.9

IMDB

CRITIC SCORE

Where to watch

Available in 1 other country.

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Cast

Asako

Baku / Ryohei

Maya

Haruyo

Kushihashi

Okazaki

Hirakawa

Eiko

Art Exhibition Employee

Ryohei's Colleague

Theater Employee

Cry Woman

Directed By: Ryūsuke Hamaguchi

Written By: Ryūsuke Hamaguchi (Screenplay), Sachiko Tanaka (Screenplay), + 1 more

Featured Comments/Tips

manicure says...

2 years ago

The restrained tone and neat direction want you to believe there are captivating subtexts to be found underneath, but it all boils down to an average romantic drama with the gimmick of two identical boys with opposite characters. The moments where more than two people interact are the most interesting, while introspection is minimum when focusing on couples or individual characters. The plot unfolds mechanically and only by sudden hiccups, with thin and static characters having sudden changes of heart when convenient. Not a terrible movie, but I doubt anyone would have tried to find deep meanings if it wasn’t presented as an Asian sensation at a festival.

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drtfx7 says...

3 years ago

Asako I & II is the most unapologetic reflection of the treacherousness of love. Hamaguchi distinguishingly brings Asako, a shy girl who keeps to herself, to life and gives her the insurmountable task of understanding love as a human. She, as anyone in this pursuit will, makes some hideous choices that few would find palatable. However, she accepts her fallibility and embraces her humanity. Hamaguchi builds an impassioned mess of modern romance that enchants with its haunting after-thoughts.

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Saint Pauly says...

6 years ago

If you go to see _Asako I & II_ expecting a movie, you risk being disappointed. But if you approach it as an anime, you'll be more open to the awkward directing, the abrupt editing, and the clunky innocence that saves this film despite its silly ending. #recommend

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OMEGANCQ says...

6 years ago

The original title of the movie,"寝ても覚めても" actually means "in dreams or awake". Don't some scenes feel kinda dreamy? Actually not a single shot in the movie features any strong daylight: scenes either take place indoor, at night, under heavy overcast or under heavy filter, giving you that dreamy, gloomy look. In the final scene as they run along the riverside, sunbeams started to come through the clouds and sparkle on the water and trees, and houses, as if all the dreaming is finally over, and our protagonists have both grown. Im not saying "Asako 1&2" is a bad title for this excellent movie, but knowing the original title definitely make it bit juicier.

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Featured User Reviews

dgw

5/10 5 years ago

I give this a carefully calculated **5.49**/10. Yes, it's not 5.5 so I can "round down" to 5 instead of going up to a 6.

While I can agree with @saint-pauly to a certain extent that the film feels more like an anime than a movie (whatever that means, given that anime movies exist)… More

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