Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2011

Japanese comedies these days, under the influence of genre-leading director Satoshi Miki, have tended towards a self-consciously over-the-top absurdity that leaves behind any hint of realism. Fortunately, this isn’t the case here, despite a healthy dose of absurdist parody. Teruhiko (Takayuki Yamada) has just woken up from a blow to the head that has affected his memory. He discovers an engagement ring on his person and decides he must find the woman he intended it for, whom he can no longer remember. He sets about investigating his own life, and much to his chagrin discovers he was a playboy with three women on the go. Naturally the three are massively different, one being an intelligent nurse, another a goofy sex worker and the last a nerd who plies him with food she’s cooked. Are any of these three his true love or could it be another woman? While there are many laughs here, the script also has more touching moments and a poetic side. Check out this nice balance between comedy and identity search. (108 min)