Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2012

Up-and-coming 31-year-old filmmaker Rikiya Imaizumi, from Fukushima prefecture, has written, directed and edited a movie that is part inside joke, part collection of love stories, and part comedy. The flick had its premiere at the prestigious Yubari International Film Fest this year and was reasonably well received.

Its commercial potential, however, appears limited despite starring mega-famous Japanese tarento Moto Fuyuki. The work draws some inspiration from the TV icon’s actual 60th birthday, which arrived recently.

The multi-layered plot centers around Takada (Fuyuki), a successful novelist who begins experiencing writer’s block after his wife passes away. To make matters worse, Ando (Haruka Uchimura), a young female writer starting to surpass him in her career, asks him for advice on love. When the mama-san of a snaku Takada drinks at throws him a 60th birthday party things turn more complicated. He gets involved with Saya (Hitoha Komiya), a woman the age of his grown children—who are also struggling with romantic troubles, by the way. Throw in another twenty-something with love issues and you have seven relationship stories woven together. A further inside joke is that Komiya plays a character of the same name as the short film Saitei (The Worst), which Imaizumi made in 2011.

An interesting if not wholly successful dramedy. One looks for good things from Imaizumi in future. English title: I Catch a Terrible Cat. (130 min)