INDEX
The World Through the Boy’s Eyes
‘My Sunshine’ begins with the first snowfall. A boy playing baseball suddenly stops and gazes at the flakes falling from the sky. His excitement at seeing the first snow, which flutters through the bright sky, and his intense focus on it, are reminiscent of the gaze of Yura (Yura Sato), the protagonist in Hiroshi Okuyama’s debut film ‘Jesus,’ who watches a small Jesus (Chad Marea) that only he can see. For him, the first snow is as special and unique as the divine presence visible only to Yura. This gaze evokes memories of the audience’s own childhood, when everything was new and wondrous. It draws you into Hiroshi Okuyama’s new story of “me.”
The boy, Takuya, is injured from his less-favored ice hockey and becomes captivated by the graceful skating of a girl named Sakura, who is practicing figure skating. Before long, Takuya finds himself mimicking her movements. Seeing this, Sakura’s coach, Arakawa, starts to train Takuya and eventually proposes that Takuya and Sakura begin practicing ice dance as a pair.
The freshness of the performances by Kei Takashima, making his debut as Takuya, and Kira Nakanishi as Sakura is striking. Additionally, Sosuke Ikematsu, who plays Coach Arakawa, and Tatsuya Wakaba, who portrays Igarashi, Arakawa’s lover, deliver outstanding performances. Ikematsu, known for his compelling portrayal of a complex yet harmonious relationship with the character Umi (Sena Izumi) in the drama “Umi no Hajimari” (Fuji TV), embodies the role of the ideal coach with kindness and nurturing in this film as well.
Moreover, the interactions between Wakaba and Ikematsu, who bring a different ambiance compared to their previous works such as the drama “Unmet: Diary of a Brain Surgeon” (KTV/Fuji TV) and the film ‘Over the Town’ (2020), convey a deeper affection through their few but meaningful words. In the limited scenes, they effectively portray an adult romance that does not pale in comparison to the “straightforward love” of the children, as described by Arakawa.
