カラオケ行こ！

Excellent Kansai-ben, Enjoyable Movie

All of the characters speak Osaka-ben very organically and authentically, and tbh I almost want to watch the movie a second time just for that! I actually found it harder to understand than a lot of) カーネーション or スカーレット or other Kansai shows I've watched. The only thing I found harder in Carnation was the 伯父さんたち - whose speech is less stereotyped, but similar quality to the yakuza folks in this movie. It was sometimes difficult to understand without subs, but not to the point that I couldn't follow the story.

The story is touching, and I felt like all the actors were excellent. I have to imagine the manga or anime have more room to breathe - something I think the film would have benefitted from - but even then this movie did a solid job of juggling the two intertwined storylines, and the protagonists relationship was very endearing, if unrealistic. I'd definitely consider watching a sequel if they make one

I think it's fair/possible to say there are some BL undertones to the movie, but it's definitely not a romance.

What a Wholesome Story!!

This was so fun and wholesome!! I was smiling like an idiot by the end haha :D

The premise itself is intriguing, but what holds the story together is it quiet storytelling, delivered through the development of an unlikely yet truly heartwarming friendship between its protagonists Narita Kyouji and Satomi Oka. Their camaraderie is going to melt your heart right from their first scene together, and as their relationship develops, their bickering starts feeling so natural and fun to watch :D The movie's ending is satisfying yet it leaves you wanting for more. (I'd love to watch a sequel if they make one!!!)

On the language front, as someone who watched it with Japanese subtitles, I found the movie quite easy to watch and understand if you are around the ~N2 level. One heads-up though, since the story is supposedly set in Osaka, both the characters speak Kansai-ben, and if you're hearing it for the first time, it might take some time getting used to the language patterns (however, once you get used to it, it's pretty understandable). I think the movie did help me understand Kansai-ben in a better way :D

Overall, I'm glad I gave this movie a shot (I have been always been a fan of Nogi Akiko san's screenwriting) and I hope to read the manga and watch the anime adaptation in the future too :)

Highly recommend!