Japanese lit.’ From Season to Season’ & Shanghainese Wugniu : lit. ‘Necessities of Life in Youth ‘ is a 2018 anime / donghua anthology drama. Directed by Li Haoling, Jiaoshou Yi Xiaoxing & Yoshitaka Takeuchi. Produced by Noritaka Kawaguchi. A Japanese -Chinese co-production released in Japan & China on August 4, 2018.
The film is based on the tradition of ‘four basic necessities of life’, like each other & divided into three storylines.
“The Rice Noodles” focusing on food. A small boy remembers the flavor of the San Xian noodles he shared with his grandmother. It became one of his favourite foods & he revisits his past.
“A Little Fashion Show’ focusing on clothing. Two sisters. The elder is a model with her good height. The younger one bakes & is good at stitching. After their parents demise, they support each other. Younger one starts designing clothes for her elder sister.
“Love in Shanghai” focusing on housing & transportation. Taking place in a shikumen in Shanghai from 1999 to the modern day. Li Mo, Pan & Xiao Yu are classmates. Xiao Yu ‘s father wants her to study in a far off school. But she doesn’t want to transfer.
Li Mo studies hard & gets into that school. Xiao Yu, a better student than him has failed. Li Mo then shifts with his parents & loses touch with Xiao Yu. Later, Pan informs him that she is studying abroad.
Li Mo becomes an architect. While moving his stuff, he comes across a cassette where Xiao Yu has revealed her feelings. Now he knows she failed at the entrance test because she couldn’t be away from him.
Managing a motel, he looks up to a guest & says , ‘welcome’ mechanically. Suddenly breaks up in a smile, after looking at the guest.
Rotten Tomatoes has given 80% approval. Kim Morrissy saaid, ‘It may be from a masterpiece , but I am glad it brought the talented artists at CoMix Wave Films together to portray this sentimental image of China’s beautiful cities’.
Perfect for a relaxing afternoon.
Asian Entertainment 