HIS - THE QUEER'S PAIN & SINS VS THE WORKING WOMAN

"His" has such a lovely story. The sweet taste of love, family lingered on one's tongue long after finished watching it.

The film is slow; frames are sometimes left standing still, perhaps for one, or two more seconds than usual after the main actions in said scenes are done. It creates an overall calming atmosphere - one that truly suitable for healing. And this movie is all about that: healing.

"His" is a realistic movie, almost down to every details. The flawed protagonists, the society's judgment, the working woman's dilemma... It feels real, yet with a touch of lucky elements from the writers to create a very satisfying happy ending - one that the characters and so many like them deserve.

I highly recommend watching "His". Please go and watch it if you haven't then come back for this next part. Or you can just enjoy reading all the spoilers before watching it haha.

Overall, I rate this movie a 8/10 on personal scale. The cinematography is minimalistic, most of the visual feels akin to real life, which works very well with grounded plot and complex characters.

+ The flawed protagonists: (the queer's pain & sins)

Nagisa WAS a selfish hoe. I don't blame him for leaving Shun to chase after his dream in the beginning. But whilst being confused about his own feelings/ sexuality, Nagisa dragged Rena into his life only to hurt her afterward... It was shit. Shun was a shitty man.

But thanks god was the movie filled with self-awareness. Nagisa realized his mistakes and decided to pay for it by letting Rena win the case, whom therefore got the rights to raise Sora. He loved his daughter, but at the same time, he knew that Rena loved hers too. And Nagisa had hurt the woman more than enough through lying, cheating though she truly loved him. He owned Rena at least that chance to spend time with her daughter, whom she gave birth to as result of a gay man's desire to be accepted by society.

(Shun my baby is pure gold)

Shun's longing for Nagisa was so goddamn heartbreaking. He never said that he missed Nagisa yet still wanted him back after years of their mouths not speaking.

That moment, when he looked at unsent letters in the drawer, when he took in the long gone scent of his once lover from that old sweater... At that time, even though Nagisa was living in the same house as him, still, Shun didn't want to disturb this newly divorced man and the daughter with his own emotional turmoils. So he held onto the past, to good old time when they were lovers. The memories linked to the sweater must had stuck with him, long after Nagisa's scent faded away.

Shun forgave the man's faults eventually, letting Nagisa into his heart again after a long scene of confronting and apologizing. I especially enjoy the fact that Shun didn't just let Nagisa had his way despite desperately craving the man. Instead, Shun waited for that well deserved apology and self confronting from Nagisa.

+ The society's judgment:

Society was shown not to be so friendly at first and still, through Shun's flashback, Rena's lawyer & her mom as well. But lucky for them the people of Shikawara was friendly and accepting enough for the two man to make a home there. That was super accurate as there are always this and that kind of people in society. But it's also that touch of lucky elements I talked about. That twist of reality from the writers to create a very satisfying happy ending - one that the characters and so many like them deserve.

+ The working woman's dilemma:

Rena was a hard working woman. She was passionate, career driven and independent. But life has always been unfair. It was hard to balance out taking care of both her career and her child without the help of another party. The scene in which Rena was drunk and let Sora left the house with little to no attention; also the fact that she can't tell her child's favourite dish was antagonizing. At the time, her career was important to her, so she had someone to carry the burden of raising a child for her.

Rena could not be both a successful working woman and a good mom all on her own.

At first, she leaned on Nagisa the house husband. He was perfect for the job, but then they were divorcing. After he moved out, Rena's mother came into picture, but that lady's old raising methods was a little too strict for an energetic Sora.

So in the end, Rena came to an agreement with her former husband: that both her and the gay couple would help each other out on raising that child.

So in the end, Rena learned to share the burden and the joy of raising Sora. (She also did her best to understand that kid and put in more time and efforts too.)

The ending scene with three of them and the child was so damn heartwarming.

Note: the detail in which Rena told Shun, that she didn't know how to ride a bike is prolly a hint that her mother didn't spend much time with her as a kid. Therefore, Rena lacked the knowledge of how to be a good mom.

Bonuses (my fave scenes):