This movie works. Julia was great throughout the movie acting well with good diction and showing the right emotions. Gerald works well too once you get over his accent. The few secondary characters never seemed like caricatures and only helped the plot to move just fine.
Japan wasn't as much a setting but rather its own character. The quiet nature of Saga was used well highlighting a very clear duality specially when compared to the known Philippine lifestyle. The movie is well paced striking comedy and dramatic beats at the right time. While some scenes are slow, it never felt like it dragged and the dead air is used just the right amount to give certain scenes impact when it lands.
The relationship development between the 2 leads never felt too farfetched and their character arcs are circled out well. They both act as a foil to each other to show character depth and complexity. Regardless of what you think about the ending the resolution is warranted, for me at least. This is because the main motivation and driving force between the characters were never really meant to coincide with one another. Different people. Different lives. After all, escapism doesn't need to be resolved by romance but rather it relates to finding oneself amidst the chaos of the world.
