Furimukeba Ai
1978 / 92m - Japan
Romance
2.5*/5.0*
Take Me Away! poster

Watches

March 03, 2022

2.5*/5.0*

A very simple romance from the hands of Obayashi. There are some minor quirky details, but people who got to know Obayashi through his wilder films might be surprised how straightforward Take Me Away truly is. The romantic back and forth between the two leads is the main focus of the film, and that's about it, really.

Kyoko runs into Tetsu during her trip to San Francisco. Tetsu is a resident there and the two seem to be hitting it off right away. Kyoko is madly in love with Tetsu, but he seems somewhat reluctant to commit. They decide to meet up in Tokyo once Kyoko's vacation is over, Tetsu never shows up. Disappointed, Kyoko travels back to the US to find out what happened to him.

The cheesy 70s soundtrack and somewhat cringy US setting aren't too appealing, the meant-to-be lovers who keep missing their window of opportunity setup isn't too original either. The lead characters are charming though, and some interesting visual details do help to elevate the film, if only a little. Far from Obayashi's best, but not too bad.