Spring is the season of meetings and partings.
~ "Monosasu Cinema" with a spring theme ~

We are finally seeing more warm, sunny days.
According to the calendar, it is the "Keichitsu" season, when the soil gets warmer and insects wake up from hibernation and emerge from the soil. The cherry blossom buds are starting to take on color, and it will soon be time to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Spring is a season of encounters, partings, and life's dramas.
I feel excited, and also a little sad...
During this spring season, it might be a good idea to watch a movie that will amplify your excitement and thrills.

This time, we asked our members to introduce us to movies that are inspired by the theme of "spring."
From works that will make you laugh out loud to ones that will really touch your heart.
We have a selection of works perfect for the arrival of spring.

The movie we will introduce this time

Life is full of encounters!
"Before Sunrise / Distance to Lover"

Director: Richard Linklater "Before Sunrise" (1995) ( Amazon )

A story about an uncool American guy and a slightly pretentious European girl.

The two are instantly attracted to each other after a chance encounter on a train to Paris.
As they talk about each other's values, they slowly and awkwardly close the distance between them within the limited time they have.

Life is full of encounters. Some of them are even sweet when you think back on them!

On our first date, we went out to eat.
Huh? Aren't we supposed to go home at 10pm? Are you having fun?
I feel like we're getting closer. Is this love? I already like you.

v It's not a vulgar story, but the joy of meeting new people,
I think it's a movie that will make your heart race.

There is a line at the beginning of the movie that goes like this (my vague recollection and rough translation):

For example, if you get married, time passes, and you hit a plateau in your marriage, you might think:
What would have happened if I had ended up with that person, if I had stayed with the person I liked then?

By inviting you off this train now, I'm limiting the time you spend daydreaming.

Come on, let's go for it.

Have fun and enjoy your spring encounters!

The spring breeze is heartbreaking, as expected from the world of Isaka "Coin Locker Duck and Duckling"

Director: Yoshihiro Nakamura "Coin Locker Duck and Duckling" released in 2007 ( Amazon )

The title is quite impactful, and as a fan of the original author, Kotaro Isaka, I like to read the novel and then watch the film adaptation.

In fact, this work contains a trick that was said to be impossible to film,
The sadness and detailed structure that are unique to Isaka's world are beautifully expressed,
You will be drawn into the story.

Although the story takes place in spring, it is still chilly in Sendai, Tohoku.
Shiina moves from Tokyo to Sendai to attend university.
As he was clearing away cardboard boxes outside his apartment and humming Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind," he was called out to by a man who lived next door, introducing himself as Kawasaki.
Perhaps this is the connection that Bob Dylan created.

Kawasaki invites Shiina to give a copy of the Kojien dictionary to Dorji, a Bhutanese man who lives in the same apartment building and has become a recluse after losing his girlfriend, in order to cheer him up.
The method was the unexpected "raiding of a bookstore."
What a strange invitation.

As the story progresses, the mystery behind the attack is solved, and at one point you realize that all the hints are connected.
That is so sad.
I can't say much about it because it would be a spoiler, but please check it out.

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?

After watching the movie, you'll surely find yourself humming "Blowin' in the Wind."

Spring is a party! Let's laugh with a beer in hand! "The World's End: Drunkards Save the World!"

Director Edgar Wright, "The World's End" (2013, Amazon )

When you think of spring, you think of banquets.
When you think of a banquet, you think of alcohol.
So, let me introduce this movie to you.

"Going bar-hopping to 12 bars in one night with five people" is something I was never able to accomplish during my student days.
The five men, now old men, get together again and decide to try again in their hometown.

We start our bar crawl, heading for the 12th pub, "World's End".
The people in the town seem to be acting strangely. There are people you know who are supposed to be dead, and people you've had trouble with are leaking blue liquid...
Although he realizes that the people in town are not human and feels something is wrong, he decides to continue bar hopping.
It's a British sci-fi comedy film.

The men, desperately heading towards "World's End", get drunk and start fighting the changed townsfolk. That alone is impressive, but the fighting ability of one unexpected person is so abnormally high that it makes you laugh.
Before you know it, even the monuments in the city start moving, and it's so chaotic that you might wonder if you're drunk just watching.

The mastermind behind the story is the alien who suggests that if they donate their DNA, they can be cloned and live young and happy forever, but it's refreshing to see them refute the suggestion by saying, "I am the only one who exists." This is a movie that you can watch on impulse rather than with a deep thought.

There is a lot of beer. People are drinking a lot.
Why not grab a beer during your spring feast?

By the way, I don't drink alcohol at all.

My favorite movie that makes me want to be kind is "Doraemon Returns."

Directed by Ayumu Watanabe and others. Includes "Doraemon Returns" and two other films. Released in 1998 ( Amazon )

The word "spring" brings to mind "meetings" and "partings."
Also, the Doraemon movie that comes out every spring. Even now that I'm an adult, I still look forward to it.

Among them, the one I recommend for spring is "Doraemon Returns." It's a masterpiece that needs no introduction, but I've included it as one of my recommendations this time.

One day, Doraemon has to go back to the future. Nobita throws a tantrum, but as he sees Doraemon's heartache, he decides that things can't continue like this. On the night before they are to part, Gian starts a fight with Nobita, but Nobita stands up to him on his own, saying, "Doraemon can't go back to the future in peace!" Doraemon watches as he returns to the future...

Because he is such an important person, he looks forward so as not to worry them. He feels lonely, but he looks forward. Nobita's kindness and bravery are touching. This movie directly conveys the "strength" of being considerate of others' feelings.

Every time I watch this movie I cry my eyes out, but afterwards I feel like I should be a little more considerate and kinder to the people around me than usual. It's a movie I love.

By the way, Doraemon, who returned to the future, comes back to Nobita due to a certain incident (his secret gadget called "800 Lies" will make Nobita cry again).

Thank you as always, Doraemon.
If you haven't seen it yet, you should definitely check it out!

From classic 90s romance movies, to film adaptations of novels that were thought to be impossible, to crazy comedies and nationally popular anime, a variety of films were introduced with a spring theme.

Movies make you laugh, feel heart-warming, or feel sad; they are nourishment for the soul.
Spring is just around the corner. Fill your heart with movies and enjoy this spring to the fullest!