Shunichiro Miki

There's hardly a coherent plot, instead you get a collection of sketches and characters centered around a small rural village where strange things are happening in the surrounding woods. People suckle on strange foods, giants roam among the regular people and a mysterious dream machine has everyone hoping they can find some happiness in their dreams.

Miki's world is filled to the brim with explicitly absurd elements that are to be accepted without any obvious explanation. Things might get a little too repetitive near the end and Miki isn't the most gifted director, but he's certainly a creative force whose particular signature is incomparable to anything I'm familiar with. If you love oddities and you're open to Japanese weirdness, this is a film that must be seen.

A group of kids is staying in the Sorasoi Hotel, which stands close to the beach. They joined a dance group hoping to participate in a yearly dance event, even though they aren't all that skilled. But their tutor motivates them, and as they get better at dancing, they grow closer as a group.

Ishii's quirkiness surfaces from time to time, but this is more of a lighthearted drama where kids learn about life during a summer holiday. There are traces of Ogigami's Glasses here, but the acting isn't as good and the presentation feels a little cheap. A nice enough film, but hardly a stand-out.