Haruka, Nostalgia

One of Ôbayashi's lesser films, coincidentally also one of his longer films. The film is a rather predictable drama that wallows in nostalgia (hence the title), but brings very little of Ôbayashi's trademark elements to set itself apart from its peers. The result was a bit too long and indistinct for me.

Ayase is a popular writer who produces "ice-cream" novels (sweet and simple stories that melt away into nothing). He decides to return to his old town. Once there he runs into the ghosts of his past (most notably a young girl who he once loved), which forces him to reflect on his life and the choices he made.

The setting is nice, the performances are decent. There are one or two more typical Ôbayashi moments, but for the most part it's a relatively basic drama that deals with predictable topics to which Ôbayashi can't all that much. It's not a terrible film, but I definitely prefer Ôbayashi's more unique films.