The romantic drama "She Taught Me Serendipity," directed by Ohku Akiko, resonates with her unique blend of humor and sentimentality. The cinematic expression of a novel by Fukutoku Shusuke, the film infuses universal themes and relatable characters, blending them to achieve a distinct style.
Akiko, in a recent interview at the Tokyo International Film Festival, revealed the work to be more autobiographical than usual, viewing it as her narrative. A shift from her typical focus on twenty-something heroines, this film's protagonist is a nerdy male college student, Konishi, portrayed by Hagiwara Riku. This is a novel experience for Akiko, having never centered a feature film around a male lead before.
Despite Konishi being the main character, he shares significant screen time with two independent women - Kawai Yuumi's character Hana, a fellow classmate embodying idiosyncratic oddities, and Ito Aoi's Sacchan, a budding musician and coworker with a hidden affection for Konishi. Akiko wanted to capture the essence of the women characters, highlighting the emotional impact from the male character on them.
To authentically portray the vivacious yet vulnerable Sacchan, Akiko scripted a considerable monologue that Ito delivers in an impressive single take. Akiko shares that she was drawn to the lengthy lines in the original novel, choosing to keep the essence intact in her script. It significantly contributes to making the film stand uniquely apart from conventional formulas.
Akiko elucidates that the film's underlying message is the vital awareness of causing someone emotional hurt. She suggests that the protagonist, Konishi, will carry on the memory of having caused pain, a message she believes resonates universally.
After the film's worldwide premiere at TIFF, Akiko spent time interacting with fans and signing autographs. One memorable encounter was with a girl from China who expressed that the day had been the most exceptional secret of her life.
