International_Bright_Old_Thing

The '1001 Movies To See Before You Die' book says the inattentive might think Tokyo Story is banal - that is EXACTLY the Emperor's New Clothes argument - if you can't see how great it is, you must be an idiot. Do not be fooled.

When I was younger I had an old-style camera in which the viewfinder was not connected to the lens, so you had to make your own adjustment to get the framing right. At a party, where alcohol may have been involved, I got it wrong and got a set of stills of heads and shoulders but mostly ceilings... Ozu's early films had some variety and movement but by the time he got to this, his films looked like my bad set of photos - still, with too much ceiling. Basically he'd given up trying and just parked the camera at a height he could sit down and pointed it up at his actors.

As for the plot, it takes over two hours to say that middle-aged people are busy and old people are lonely. If that's such a revelation that you really need it explained to you at length, go ahead and watch it. Otherwise, you could make better use of your time, like stare at a painting for two hours - it'll be more colourful, lively and better-framed.

A 1986/Showa era middle-aged man, Ichiro Ogawa, finds himself in 2024/Reiwa Japan. At first utterly baffled, almost every word out of his mouth causes offence, but he starts to learn about modern life and behaviours.

Much of the plot revolves around the Ogawa family's future - and past - and Ichiro's clumsy efforts to avert his teenage daughter's 'hanky-panky', as he bounces back and forward in time, with additional stories particularly in the modern timeline.

There are quite a few Japanese pop culture references, but the plot is never dependent on these, so no matter for other viewers. The series maintains a rapid pace, both comedic and dramatic. Just hold your nose so your ears don't go 'eeee' - it can be a bumpy ride, especially when they break into song, but it's warm-hearted at its core.