‘Worlds Apart’: A Chronicle of Two Unlikely Cohabitants

Depiction of ‘Worlds Apart’ in Film: Insights from a Popular Manga

The movie ‘Worlds Apart’ is based on the manga of the same name, which began serialization in the manga magazine “Feel Young” in 2017 and garnered many manga awards, including fourth place in the “Manga Grand Prize 2019” and fourth place in the “Onna” section of Takarajima Publishing’s “This Manga is Amazing! The story centers on a junior high school student, Asa, whose parents suddenly died in an accident, and her aunt, Makio, a girl novelist, who has taken her in. The film beautifully depicts the delicate conflicts that people living in today’s society are faced with.

In the manga, the emotional descriptions of the characters interspersed with monologues add depth to the work itself, and the author Tomoko Yamashita’s attitude of delicately and sincerely dealing with human emotions and society can be felt. However, the film does not include voice-overs that could be substituted for monologues, and succeeds in depicting the subtleties of emotions almost exclusively through human interaction.

In an official interview, director Natsuki Seta said that she had to write the script before the manga was completed, and “by depicting life in the present tense, like a sketch, I aimed to gradually reveal the feelings and relationships in various forms. This film vividly depicts the relationships between Asa and Makio, as well as their own emotional transitions.

Deepening Bonds Through Mutual Respect for Individuality

After the funeral of his parents, Asa (Ikoi Hayase) moves in with Makio (Aragaki Yui), whom she has almost never met before. Makio, who is not good at tidying up, lives in a messy house and withdraws to her room when she concentrates on writing, is an “adult not bound by roles” whom Asa has never come into contact with before, and the two begin to explore and live together.

Asa and Makio grow closer to each other when Daigo (Kaho), Makio’s friend since junior high school, comes over to their house to make dumplings with them, but in the film, Asa lashes out at Makio twice.

The first time is when they visit an apartment to sort out the belongings of a deceased family member. When Makio takes Asa in, he tells her that he truly dislikes her mother, Misato (Yuko Nakamura), as if half declaring that he wants her to like him.

The second time is when the existence of the diary that Jisato was going to give to Asa, which Makio had not been able to confide in her, is unintentionally revealed.

While Asa was honestly angry at Makio, Makio expressed his own thoughts, which were somewhat less than comforting, giving the impression that the two were somewhat at odds even for an argument. The two do not resolve anything through their discussion, and before long, the tension dissolves and they return to their normal routines.

Asa and Makio are different people and therefore have a falling out, but in the end, they do not change each other and are mysteriously able to start living together again.

Influence of Others: Resonance in the Heart

Asa joined the light music club in high school and wrote lyrics, and “echo” is the key word of the lyrics. The key word in the lyrics is “echo,” which means “reverberation.” This motif beautifully illustrates that interaction with the people around us gradually affects our inner selves, and that we and others are in fact beings that resonate with each other without boundaries.

Asa didn’t shed tears immediately after losing both parents. Perhaps it was because the sudden and abrupt separation didn’t feel real. Gradually, she began to feel the loss of the person who had loved her the most, but this wasn’t so much when thinking about her mother, Misato, but rather born out of a sense of loneliness that there was no one like Makio or her close friend Emiri (Rina Komiyama) who valued her the most.

Makio also says, “I don’t want to change the feeling of hating my sister,” as if talking to herself at the end of the film. Makio, who had been indulging in creative writing since she was a girl, had felt a certain hatred toward her older sister who interfered in her life, telling her to “look at reality” and “no one will love you if you do that.

However, the film does not force him to end his hatred for Jitsuri. The film does not force Makio to end his dislike for Misato, because the feeling of hatred for someone can sometimes become a pillar of identity and a reason for making that person who he is.

Evolving Dynamics: Relationships and Inner Turmoil in Reflection

The name “Asa” was chosen with the meaning of “something new and beautiful that always comes.” Indeed, new encounters are refreshingly beautiful, much like the morning sunlight streaming through a window. However, they also carry an uncertainty of what might happen next, which can bring along anxiety and pain.

For instance, today you might argue with someone important to you, or your words alone might change someone’s feelings and thoughts. Watching Asa and Maki in the movie, I realize how in everyday life, the distance with others and my own feelings are constantly changing and resonating with each other like waves, moment by moment.

As we live while interacting with various people, we may suddenly realize the multitude of things that influence us and the multitude of things we influence ourselves, which might come as a revelation.

However, the reason why the relationship between Asa and Makio is so endearing is because Makio told Asa, “I don’t know whether I can love you or not. But I will never trample on you.” As if following his somewhat fastidious determination, Makio discovers his own way of treating and even loving Asa.

Asa has a childlike innocence and talks while moving around in a daze. Makio listens to her while following her with his eyes, and after following her, the camera captures her and Makio in the same frame.

The camera moves rhythmically to capture Makio’s eyes on Asa and the landscape in which they exist.

The film ‘Worlds Apart’ gently observes Asa and Makio as they continue to face the ever-changing other and their own selves, and also embraces our own sense of inadequacy as we watch them.

‘Worlds Apart’

Cast：Yui Aragaki, Hikaru Hayase
Kaho Komiyama Rigisa Nakamura Yuko Hena Irei Erika Takizawa
Someya Shota, Ginko Chou, Seto Kouji
Director/Screenplay: Natsuki Seta
Original Story: Tomoko Yamashita “Diary of a Different Country” (Shodensha FEEL COMICS)
Music: Masakatsu Takagi
Song: “Asa no Uta” (lyrics and music by Eriko Hashimoto)
Production: “Nikkoku Nikki” Production Committee
Distribution: Tokyo Theatres, SHOWGATE
Production: Django Film
Ⓒ2024 Yamashita Tomoko/Syodensha/”Diary of a Different Country” Production Committee

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