After the Restart (2020)

WORTH EVERY SECOND

I just randomly selected a movie to watch, but it left me satisfied after watching it.

Most of the story is set in the countryside far from the toxic urban culture. Though I have seen some BL series and movies of the same setting, I still loved the old-fashion and nostalgic ways in the countryside. Many Japanese culture were reflected in the story like table manners, matchmaking, filial piety and many more. It added local color to the story, which I really enjoyed. What's more to it were the shots of sceneries and landscapes which are really wonderful.

The actors were fit to their roles. They were cute and innocent. They were very effective in delivering this light hearted BL movie. The conflicts were mostly internal and personal, even jealousy was very light . In short, the movie was really not toxic to watch.

The music were great too, perfect to the ambiance of the story.

Overall, I give it a 10. I am very happy to have come across this movie when I was just supposed to kill time. It gave me more than entertainment - life lessons and reflections as well.

If you are looking for a light drama about friendship, family and love, then this is just the perfect movie for you.

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A quiet, beautiful movie

I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie, mainly because I watched it without reading anything about it beforehand. Right away, the peaceful, quiet pace of the movie grabbed me. The vibe reminds me somewhat of the Hayao Miyazaki movie "Only Yesterday." The plot is a bit different but there are a few vague similarities and the tone is similar.

This movie is low drama. The problems that the MC, Mitsoumi, faces are simple, internal issues that we can all relate to: feeling aimless, having to face change, figure out your priorities all over again when things don't work out. His friendship and eventual romance with Yamato is heartwarming and feels organic. Although I do love BL dramas and their silly tropes, this isn't that type of film. This reads more like a soothing indie film. While watching I felt calm and somewhat mesmerized. There are some truly beautiful scenery shots of the countryside and the music is quiet and rustic. I highly recommend this movie if you are feeling unsettled or need to calm down. I loved every minute of it.

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Thought Provoking

This is a story that explores many themes. It's a slow moving story. It's about love and healing but so happens the two main characters who fall in love are two men in their mid to late 20's. It's not a coming out story, doesn't address homophobia ect. I don't think the work gay was used or do we even know if either person ever had a relationship in the past with same sex though it seems not. Filming was beautiful and set in a lovely country town. Starts with one of the main characters returning home after leaving a unsatisfying job in Tokyo to return to the small town he grew up in. He doesn't have the best relationship with his dad because he rejected the small town and his dad professional business making furniture to pursue the big city life. Second lead is a man who was adopted as a young adult to a older person who owns and runs a farm. They both form a bond of friendship, grown, learn and the relationship grows as they learn to let go and learn to love. It's really a beautiful story. One of the mains is a well known Japanese actor too. Not a sexy film but a emotional, loving, and sweet film. So glad to see films that aren't dark and tragic or overly dramatic. It's a slow ride but a nice one into their lives.

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a countryside slice of life

Overall: this is a nice slice of life story set in the countryside. Now available on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/2623/restart-after-coming-back-home-2020

Content Warnings: non con kiss (sleeping)

What I Liked
- the countryside setting
- felt realistic, people trying to figure things out
- I generally don't like a carefree happy golucky personality with a reserved/sullen one but there is character growth and more than what first meets the eye

Room For Improvement
- it did feel a bit slow in places
- the non con kiss
- lack of communication (though they did have some good conversations at the end)

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Simple and Humble.

This is one of those simple movies that is buoyed solely by the emotional appeal. It invokes us to think and I loved its quiet production.
Mitsuomu, aspiring for a 'cool' job, moved to Tokyo years ago. He returns back to his hometown, now disillusioned and hopeless. Everyone expects him to take over his father's furniture craft (a job he had ridiculed before), putting him at odds with him.
However, he meets Yamato, an orphaned boy who was adopted by his Grandfather. His optimistic and lively demeanour soon changes Mitsuomu's view on life.
The relations between the grandfather and Yamato and Mitsuomu and his parents are the very backbone of the movie, despite not being strongly stressed on. Their rapport with each other was slowly built bit by bit. Romance is not a prominent aspect, but they were really heart-warming to watch.
I did wish that they showed scenes of Mitsuomu evincing his interest in Carpentry. It was told in passing and did not seem convincing enough.
Overall, it's a really pleasant watch.

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a well written story of a life, lived by two young man

I never wrote a review for a movie. I'm not a Bl movie expert, I've just seen some of them.
It is the first movie when I don't miss the intimate scenes. The story of each man is so natural, full with everything that life offers: happiness, bitterness, doubts, questions, insecurity, soul's scars, love, curiosity, sometimes a bit of naivety.
I loved watch them, how they interacted, I loved reading their thoughts. The supporting actors did also a great job by adding more information the main characters's life.
Both main actors are beautiful, the chemistry between them is wonderful and it gives to the characters more life, it makes them real.
The story is a beautiful one , well anchored in real life.
About the music, it didn't impress me so I can write about it. But this may be because I really enjoy the story, so I didn't pay attention to the music.
And, for me, the ending was the perfect one!
Bottom line - It is a good movie worth watching.

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Beautiful from beginning to end

This is pure sweetness and love. The film explores themes of abandonment, failure, trust, and, ultimately, love and self-acceptance. The acting was first-rate, there wasn't a false note entire film. The music was unexpected, but somehow perfect too. The writing was understated and soft, and yet carried emotional weight. The leads reminded me of the characters from the film version Life-Love on the Line, my other favorite LGBTQ+ film from Japan. These are important stories to tell, and yet, this film doesn't make them exceptional - they're just human. Which is even better.

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beautiful!

This movie follows the journey of Mitsuomi, who decides to leave his office job in bustling Tokyo and return to his hometown. Upon his arrival, he encounters the warm and friendly Yamato, whose bright personality leaves a lasting impression.

The storyline is light and enjoyable, offering a well-thought-out plot that leaves a heartwarming impact. Unlike many films, it doesn't rely on unnecessary sex scenes to captivate viewers. Instead, it beautifully portrays the tale of two individuals seeking to mend their emotional scars and discover healing within themselves.

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A sweet story that will warm your heart

"Restart After Come Back Home" sits at the very top of my rewatch list, it is a gentle and comforting story that I never get tired of revisiting from time to time.

I have to admit I am a bit biased towards a countryside setting, it feels quite nostalgic and I always appreciate the beautiful scenery.

I am not by any means a cinephile and I am not familiar with the technical vocabulary. However, as a layperson, I can say that I really liked the photography and its colouring. I also found the pared back filming tecnique really lovely and suited to the tone of the story.
The score is very nice and fitting, I especially liked what I think is the main theme with its "flute-like" melody.

I am a sucker for a good grumpy/sunshine pairing and I think they handled the relationship development quite well. We get to know the sunshine character's backstory and see what lies under his always-happy façade. Conversely, we see the grumpy character slowly showing his sweet side and his fierce loyalty.
We even got a couple of pecks, which is always a pleasant surprise in a Japanese BL.

I really liked Furukawa Yuki and Ryusei Ryo's acting, they were especially good at conveying subtle emotions with their eyes and expressions. I have to say that the scene at the Tokyo playground always gets me teary-eyed.

I highly recommend this little gem of a movie!

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