Always san-chôme no yûhi

This movie is like a folk tale about the '50s Japan when it was experiencing rapid recovery from the carnage of WWII.

Roku-chan (Maki Horikita) is a newly graduate of high school. She's coming to Tokyo to find a job from Aomori. She finds a job at Suzuki automobile shop where she meets Norifumi, and Tomoe. Ryunosuke Chagawa is an aspiring novel writer. He's aiming to win the prestigious Akutagawa award, but for the time being, runs the candy store he inherited from his grandmother and writes novels for the boy's magazine. The story revolves around Roku-chan, the Suzuki family, and Chagawa, in the back alleys of downtown Tokyo.

This is the best made of the trilogy (so far) in terms of story, and production. Acting is the most natural, and special effects and props, most restrained.

Based on a comic by Ryohei Saigan, the story is about people's life in the Showa period of Japan. It's like watching a museum of that era with live people moving about it.

The actor who was doing the role of Chagawa seems to be over acting, and all the characters seems to be just wearing the Showa mask except for Hiroko Yakushimaru who played Tomoe. I can feel realism from her acting. Shinichi Tsutsumi was also over acting, and Maki Horikita didn't convey flesh and blood country girl who came out to Tokyo no matter how much she spoke the Tohoku dialect.

So I couldn't shake the feeling that I was watching a museum display in action. Everybody tried too hard to make it look like the Showa period which made it look unauthentic.

But out of the three movies of this title, this one is the best made of the bunch.

Beautiful, simple and fantastic movie about everyday difficulties and joys. Saw it twice and wept as much the second time. Although over two hours long there was never a second of boredom. Extra cred for making Tokyo in 1958 so realistic, still without skyscrapers and metros! Characters was very well chosen. Even the kids are real professionals here!

The main plot is about two stories waved together skillfully. A young "has-been" novelist meets a young boy who was abandoned and is been forced to take him in for the time being. A girl from the countryside takes a job in the big city, Tokyo, at what she thinks is a big automobile company (Suzuki auto). But nothing is what it seems! It's about love beyond family ties, but never the less easy.

This film has a nostalgic feel even for those who have not lived in that time period, and at no time does it feel forced or unsympathetic. This film has a lot emotion - it will make you laugh, it will make you cry.

This film has won so many awards and it deserves every single one of them. Set in Tokyo in 1958 at the time of the construction of the Tokyo Tower, the story depicts a few families in that neighborhood and the things they go through. It has both comic turns and, once in a while, sad references. It is also overtly sentimental at times, but the emotional power of the film never wanes, and it is just a feel great film. The acting is excellent. There are real glimpses into the meaning of family, love and caring, and just generally sharing your time together. If you think you are going to watch this film and promise yourself you will not be sucked in by its sentiment, you are missing the point. Its supposed to make you laugh and cry. Although Tokyo has demonstrably changed since 1958 (I went there in May 2008, you wouldn't be able to find traces of this existence), this is a period film which just works wonderfully. It was so successful, a sequel was done. I'm going to watch that, since, based on this film alone, I want to see what happens to these characters from here. That is how great the film is, that one film alone is not good enough to let these characters go. Simply a triumph that deserves all the success it has achieved.

This movie is based on 2 things, technology and nostalgia.

Computer graphics reappear the scenery of Tokyo 40 years before,it's so wonderful and filled with humanity.Current Tokyo city might be not so beautiful and humanity lost anywhere,so almost scenery evokes nostalgia.

Although the story is not so rich, fine episodes are often planned. The character of the doctor who lost wife and a child in war is excellent.The figure of the Japanese who were gazing at the future being captured in the past for a while, calls sympathy.

If you have never been to Tokyo City in 1960's,you can go now by seeing this movie.