Saint Oniisan
2018 / 71m - Japan
Comedy, Fantasy
3.0*/5.0*
Saint Young Men poster

Watches

June 18, 2019

3.0*/5.0*

Live-action adaptation of the manga. I loved the anime version of Saint Young Men, the translation to live-action is obviously a bit trickier. It doesn't help that all the sketches play inside the same little flat, but at least the dry, good-natured, and down-to-earth comedy is still very much intact.

Jezus and Buddha are two respected deities, but they also need a vacation from time to time. They hook up together in Tokyo, where they share a little apartment. They don't do much besides ponder life's biggest questions, but they also explore the mundane pleasures that humanity invented.

It's a delightfully absurd premise, and with Matsuyama and Sometani as leads the performances are perfect. The setting's a little limited though and the comedy gets a bit too repetitive. The anime had a little more to offer, but if you prefer to look at real humans, this film offers up a nice alternative.