defense & offense: love fight (cont)
5 Mar 2011 03:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaigouContinuing with shots from Love Fight, but still minimal spoilers. (Basically, you won't see anything here that isn't covered or implied in the synopsis.)
Things continue apace for Minoru, who now has his own cheering (and co-student) section in Kyoko. Including the obligatory pack-your-lunch moment... and proof that Kyoko is even more of a complete romantic than previously implied. It probably says something about Minoru that he's just as delighted with the totally sappy lunch as Kyoko is to give it to him.
It probably also says something that although we see Kyoko supporting Minoru in training (such as holding the punching bag steady for him), and we do see her practicing the punches once or twice as well as the standard jump-rope aerobic exercise, we don't see her in the ring. For that matter, I don't think she's ever shown with boxing gloves on, either. But she's willing to stand by and look excited on Minoru's behalf when he finally has a chance to get into the ring with the coach.
What I didn't bother to screenshot is a fourth rendition of the "let's bully Minoru" game, this time at the school. Aki clues in on the chase and goes to intercept, but Minoru's had enough of it. He doesn't want yet another fight, so instead he shoves Aki into a nearby locker, and climbs in after her. You just know that it's one of the rules of j-drama land (much like k-drama and tw-drama and, hell, pretty much any adolescent drama) that the locker won't open from the inside. Hijinks ensue (no, not that kind, this movie had a PG rating) and Kyoko's entrance onto the scene and discovering Minoru trapped is to ungracefully blurt out just enough info about Minoru's training to perk up Aki's ears.
Shortly after that, Minoru gets his first time in the ring with Joe, and in celebration, Kyoko and Minoru go out for okonomiyaki (possibly one of the few clues that this is all happening in the outskirts of Osaka, since I don't have an ear for the dialect to pick up any hints that way). The assistant coach (an aspiring boxer as well) finds them with news that there's a girl at the studio, beating the crap out of the punching bags.
I'd offer the chance to guess, but Minoru gets it in one.
Joe, meet Aki.
Yes, that expression does capture perfectly his reaction. He's not disapproving, just a little surprised, somewhat baffled, and intrigued at the same time. Aki, meanwhile (as evidenced by her expression) just thinks this is the absolute best.
In fact, she's so excited about it -- and that Minoru's doing it -- that she's decided to quit ballet, and take up boxing instead. Minoru is less than thrilled. (I'd go so far as to say he's completely crushed.) Aki doesn't appear to register his reaction, or if she does, she purposefully ignores it.
Although the movie doesn't get into the nitty-gritty ultra-realistic aspects of training, it does provide enough to show that it's not just putting on gloves and wailing on someone. A particular passage that's repeated with Minoru, here with Aki, and then later with Junko, is the careful process of wrapping one's hands.
I suppose it's possible to do it oneself, with enough practice, but the coach's careful preparation and instruction really characterize his gentleness, and his care for his students. Takao Ohsawa plays the part with a kind of quiet, wry humor that hides a simmering intensity, and in a way it's his background presence that gives the movie a lot of its heart -- compared to Minoru being the movie's over-thinking, anxious brain and Aki being the movie's cheerful fiery brawn. The script reflects the way he treats each of his students -- responding to them as individuals, not teaching them in identical ways -- but the other half of that is Ohsawa's skill as an actor, to infuse those subtle line-changes with meaning.
That look, above, on the right, is Aki's Look Of Joy.
Joe's kept on his toes by her constant advances, but he knocks her down a few times, too. She's completely self-taught and just goes in with fists swinging (though he does chide her about instinctively kicking, pointing out that she'd break his jaw if he hadn't ducked; Aki takes it as correction, makes the note, and carries on). Joe ultimately gets her off-balance and backed into the corner, but she's ready to keep going. He's affable, but firm, and follows it up with a quick scruff to her head.
Minoru is somewhat distraught watching the in-ring practice (and this is where he's stepped down a little from the worst of his aghast expression), though it's not clear whether he's distressed about anyone encouraging Aki's violent streak, or if he's more upset by the attention she's getting from the coach. (Kyoko is just plain sulking.)
Aki, however, is having the time of her life.
...as opposed to Minoru, when it's his first time actually boxing with the coach. This is not the look of someone cheerfully throwing himself into the next flurry of punches.
This is Junko, who appears around this time. She requests basic training as preparation for a role she's playing in a movie. It's only hinted at, completely non-verbally, but there seems to be a history between Junko and Joe.
Minoru is the only one around when she first arrives, and they seem to develop a sort of big-sister, little-brother relationship (or maybe, given the ages, an aunt-nephew relationship, mirroring the quasi-uncle/brother relationship developing between Aki and Joe).
I find it rather interesting that when Joe steps into the ring, he's focused (as makes sense for someone who's done this professionally for years). When Minoru is training, he mostly looks worried. Only Junko and Aki are regularly seen with big grins while they train. And I don't think this is supposed to mean that they take it less seriously; Aki alone demonstrates easily, grin or not, that she quickly begins taking boxing far more seriously than even Minoru. I think the camera's attention to their pleasure is supposed to tell us that they enjoy it, as part of taking-it-seriously.
In contrast to the excitement we see in Aki and Junko, Kyoko makes a slow transition from staying just a few steps behind Minoru (and being all excited for him with each new step) to... being somewhat at a loss, with these two women in the studio beside her. When she's not sulking over Minoru's focus on Aki, she's pretty consistently got this expression. She's out of her depth, and all the romance in her little traditionally-gendered heart isn't helping in the least.
Although we don't see it explicitly, I got the sense that Kyoko is perceptive enough to pick up that the whacked dynamics of Minoru's friendship with Aki is not the only reason Minoru and Aki are friends. Minoru's growing friendship with Junko is a quiet underline to the fact that he may be a gentlemanly romantic type, but the women he responds to, maybe even 'likes', are strong women who take the initiative.
Minoru's not really a schmuck, mind you, or a dweeb. He's a bit of a coward, definitely a pacifist, a strong bit of the romantic. When we see him one-on-one with Aki, he demonstrates that he's perfectly able to hold his own against her forceful personality; he only really falters in the face of physical violence, but he's quite able to yell back at his best friend. Despite his insistence that he's tired of having Aki defend him, I think the issue is far more complex than that. It's appreciation and a bit of apprehension with a twist of attraction, and I think Kyoko pegs that almost as quickly as the adults.
Speaking of the adults, the movie shows their reconciliation in little scenes like this one, where Joe's on the roof mending some boxing gloves. It's not exactly spelled out, so it's not a complete exposition dump (the movie is really good at this kind of thing, saying just enough to give you the gist but not so much anyone has to preface a line with, "you already know this, but..."). At some point in the past, Joe and Junko were an item, and had agreed to meet up. Except, as comes out in their talk, Junko had been waiting inside while Joe was outside, and both thought the other had decided not to meet.
Their reaction -- good-natured laughing -- fits with the kind of humor that maturity brings. It doesn't rebuild anything, or necessarily re-start anything, but it provides closure for something left in the past for too long.
Joe's focus is slowly shifting to Aki more than Minoru. Not because she's cute or a girl, but because he sees a lot of potential in Aki. Minoru has too many demons of his own to battle first. Joe has no illusions -- another sign of the writing of a good coach -- and his comments help the viewer pick up that the two friends have completely offense styles. Aki is almost entirely offense, and Minoru is almost entirely defense.
When sparring, Aki is a little put-off by how easily he gets past her to exploit the opening by thumping her on the forehead. If that seems kind of patronizing, it's not. He's showing the skill of a damn good coach, and sometimes that includes letting the student know they're not good enough yet. In a way, I think Aki is also sometimes off-balance with him because he's the first she's met who's more than just her match. Joe doesn't abuse that, but uses her natural energy to stretching her potential, by taking her to another gym to spar with a female boxer closer to her age and build.
Aki gets beaten, of course, but she's also exhilarated. Kyoko had come along to videotape for reasons of her own, and the continuing intensity Aki shows -- despite taking some solid blows from her opponent -- only freaks Kyoko out. If there was any romance in the notion of boxing, that romance is pretty much blown for Kyoko. Her panicked, dramatic departure isn't even noted by Joe, who's busy giving Aki a few tips and some water, mid-fight.
Thus you get the détente, which you probably knew was coming. Kyoko uses her disillusionment with boxing to cajole Minoru into focusing on her hurt feelings rather than Aki... and at the same time, Aki and Joe are returning from the practice match. Whether Joe realizes it or not (and he's written and played with enough depth that I doubt he misses it), in a way he's also bringing Aki in closer, much like Kyoko is trying to do with Minoru (but her inexperience makes her far more ham-handed about it).
For instance, the shot on the right shows Aki's hand to her face. It's because only a minute before, Joe had noticed the growing welt on her cheek from a good punch, and brought out balm. Like any good coach, he applied it without asking permission or any fanfare at all, because taking care of the student is the teacher's duty. Aki, though, is a little startled, but I'll save the specifics of what I think that means for the spoiler-post, after this one.
The coach from the other gym reappears, now, with an offer that Joe can't really decline, because his studio desperately needs the money. The director for Junko's movie wants to do a mockumentary with his movie's main star, including a staged fight in which this idol-star will successfully defeat a former national champion (Joe). The director will pay, and Joe could use the money, but he's not sure he cares for the terms. While Joe's mulling this over, he's still there for his students, including a quiet chat with Minoru on the roof-top.
But getting paid means losing to the piper.
...and that's where I'll leave it. The rest is for you to watch, unless you already have (or will and don't care about spoilers), in which case read the next post, at http://kaigou.dreamwidth.org/417316.html. If you'd rather avoid spoilers, stop here.
Things continue apace for Minoru, who now has his own cheering (and co-student) section in Kyoko. Including the obligatory pack-your-lunch moment... and proof that Kyoko is even more of a complete romantic than previously implied. It probably says something about Minoru that he's just as delighted with the totally sappy lunch as Kyoko is to give it to him.
It probably also says something that although we see Kyoko supporting Minoru in training (such as holding the punching bag steady for him), and we do see her practicing the punches once or twice as well as the standard jump-rope aerobic exercise, we don't see her in the ring. For that matter, I don't think she's ever shown with boxing gloves on, either. But she's willing to stand by and look excited on Minoru's behalf when he finally has a chance to get into the ring with the coach.
What I didn't bother to screenshot is a fourth rendition of the "let's bully Minoru" game, this time at the school. Aki clues in on the chase and goes to intercept, but Minoru's had enough of it. He doesn't want yet another fight, so instead he shoves Aki into a nearby locker, and climbs in after her. You just know that it's one of the rules of j-drama land (much like k-drama and tw-drama and, hell, pretty much any adolescent drama) that the locker won't open from the inside. Hijinks ensue (no, not that kind, this movie had a PG rating) and Kyoko's entrance onto the scene and discovering Minoru trapped is to ungracefully blurt out just enough info about Minoru's training to perk up Aki's ears.
Shortly after that, Minoru gets his first time in the ring with Joe, and in celebration, Kyoko and Minoru go out for okonomiyaki (possibly one of the few clues that this is all happening in the outskirts of Osaka, since I don't have an ear for the dialect to pick up any hints that way). The assistant coach (an aspiring boxer as well) finds them with news that there's a girl at the studio, beating the crap out of the punching bags.
I'd offer the chance to guess, but Minoru gets it in one.
Joe, meet Aki.
Yes, that expression does capture perfectly his reaction. He's not disapproving, just a little surprised, somewhat baffled, and intrigued at the same time. Aki, meanwhile (as evidenced by her expression) just thinks this is the absolute best.
In fact, she's so excited about it -- and that Minoru's doing it -- that she's decided to quit ballet, and take up boxing instead. Minoru is less than thrilled. (I'd go so far as to say he's completely crushed.) Aki doesn't appear to register his reaction, or if she does, she purposefully ignores it.
Although the movie doesn't get into the nitty-gritty ultra-realistic aspects of training, it does provide enough to show that it's not just putting on gloves and wailing on someone. A particular passage that's repeated with Minoru, here with Aki, and then later with Junko, is the careful process of wrapping one's hands.
I suppose it's possible to do it oneself, with enough practice, but the coach's careful preparation and instruction really characterize his gentleness, and his care for his students. Takao Ohsawa plays the part with a kind of quiet, wry humor that hides a simmering intensity, and in a way it's his background presence that gives the movie a lot of its heart -- compared to Minoru being the movie's over-thinking, anxious brain and Aki being the movie's cheerful fiery brawn. The script reflects the way he treats each of his students -- responding to them as individuals, not teaching them in identical ways -- but the other half of that is Ohsawa's skill as an actor, to infuse those subtle line-changes with meaning.
That look, above, on the right, is Aki's Look Of Joy.
Joe's kept on his toes by her constant advances, but he knocks her down a few times, too. She's completely self-taught and just goes in with fists swinging (though he does chide her about instinctively kicking, pointing out that she'd break his jaw if he hadn't ducked; Aki takes it as correction, makes the note, and carries on). Joe ultimately gets her off-balance and backed into the corner, but she's ready to keep going. He's affable, but firm, and follows it up with a quick scruff to her head.
Minoru is somewhat distraught watching the in-ring practice (and this is where he's stepped down a little from the worst of his aghast expression), though it's not clear whether he's distressed about anyone encouraging Aki's violent streak, or if he's more upset by the attention she's getting from the coach. (Kyoko is just plain sulking.)
Aki, however, is having the time of her life.
...as opposed to Minoru, when it's his first time actually boxing with the coach. This is not the look of someone cheerfully throwing himself into the next flurry of punches.
This is Junko, who appears around this time. She requests basic training as preparation for a role she's playing in a movie. It's only hinted at, completely non-verbally, but there seems to be a history between Junko and Joe.
Minoru is the only one around when she first arrives, and they seem to develop a sort of big-sister, little-brother relationship (or maybe, given the ages, an aunt-nephew relationship, mirroring the quasi-uncle/brother relationship developing between Aki and Joe).
I find it rather interesting that when Joe steps into the ring, he's focused (as makes sense for someone who's done this professionally for years). When Minoru is training, he mostly looks worried. Only Junko and Aki are regularly seen with big grins while they train. And I don't think this is supposed to mean that they take it less seriously; Aki alone demonstrates easily, grin or not, that she quickly begins taking boxing far more seriously than even Minoru. I think the camera's attention to their pleasure is supposed to tell us that they enjoy it, as part of taking-it-seriously.
In contrast to the excitement we see in Aki and Junko, Kyoko makes a slow transition from staying just a few steps behind Minoru (and being all excited for him with each new step) to... being somewhat at a loss, with these two women in the studio beside her. When she's not sulking over Minoru's focus on Aki, she's pretty consistently got this expression. She's out of her depth, and all the romance in her little traditionally-gendered heart isn't helping in the least.
Although we don't see it explicitly, I got the sense that Kyoko is perceptive enough to pick up that the whacked dynamics of Minoru's friendship with Aki is not the only reason Minoru and Aki are friends. Minoru's growing friendship with Junko is a quiet underline to the fact that he may be a gentlemanly romantic type, but the women he responds to, maybe even 'likes', are strong women who take the initiative.
Minoru's not really a schmuck, mind you, or a dweeb. He's a bit of a coward, definitely a pacifist, a strong bit of the romantic. When we see him one-on-one with Aki, he demonstrates that he's perfectly able to hold his own against her forceful personality; he only really falters in the face of physical violence, but he's quite able to yell back at his best friend. Despite his insistence that he's tired of having Aki defend him, I think the issue is far more complex than that. It's appreciation and a bit of apprehension with a twist of attraction, and I think Kyoko pegs that almost as quickly as the adults.
Speaking of the adults, the movie shows their reconciliation in little scenes like this one, where Joe's on the roof mending some boxing gloves. It's not exactly spelled out, so it's not a complete exposition dump (the movie is really good at this kind of thing, saying just enough to give you the gist but not so much anyone has to preface a line with, "you already know this, but..."). At some point in the past, Joe and Junko were an item, and had agreed to meet up. Except, as comes out in their talk, Junko had been waiting inside while Joe was outside, and both thought the other had decided not to meet.
Their reaction -- good-natured laughing -- fits with the kind of humor that maturity brings. It doesn't rebuild anything, or necessarily re-start anything, but it provides closure for something left in the past for too long.
Joe's focus is slowly shifting to Aki more than Minoru. Not because she's cute or a girl, but because he sees a lot of potential in Aki. Minoru has too many demons of his own to battle first. Joe has no illusions -- another sign of the writing of a good coach -- and his comments help the viewer pick up that the two friends have completely offense styles. Aki is almost entirely offense, and Minoru is almost entirely defense.
When sparring, Aki is a little put-off by how easily he gets past her to exploit the opening by thumping her on the forehead. If that seems kind of patronizing, it's not. He's showing the skill of a damn good coach, and sometimes that includes letting the student know they're not good enough yet. In a way, I think Aki is also sometimes off-balance with him because he's the first she's met who's more than just her match. Joe doesn't abuse that, but uses her natural energy to stretching her potential, by taking her to another gym to spar with a female boxer closer to her age and build.
Aki gets beaten, of course, but she's also exhilarated. Kyoko had come along to videotape for reasons of her own, and the continuing intensity Aki shows -- despite taking some solid blows from her opponent -- only freaks Kyoko out. If there was any romance in the notion of boxing, that romance is pretty much blown for Kyoko. Her panicked, dramatic departure isn't even noted by Joe, who's busy giving Aki a few tips and some water, mid-fight.
Thus you get the détente, which you probably knew was coming. Kyoko uses her disillusionment with boxing to cajole Minoru into focusing on her hurt feelings rather than Aki... and at the same time, Aki and Joe are returning from the practice match. Whether Joe realizes it or not (and he's written and played with enough depth that I doubt he misses it), in a way he's also bringing Aki in closer, much like Kyoko is trying to do with Minoru (but her inexperience makes her far more ham-handed about it).
For instance, the shot on the right shows Aki's hand to her face. It's because only a minute before, Joe had noticed the growing welt on her cheek from a good punch, and brought out balm. Like any good coach, he applied it without asking permission or any fanfare at all, because taking care of the student is the teacher's duty. Aki, though, is a little startled, but I'll save the specifics of what I think that means for the spoiler-post, after this one.
The coach from the other gym reappears, now, with an offer that Joe can't really decline, because his studio desperately needs the money. The director for Junko's movie wants to do a mockumentary with his movie's main star, including a staged fight in which this idol-star will successfully defeat a former national champion (Joe). The director will pay, and Joe could use the money, but he's not sure he cares for the terms. While Joe's mulling this over, he's still there for his students, including a quiet chat with Minoru on the roof-top.
But getting paid means losing to the piper.
...and that's where I'll leave it. The rest is for you to watch, unless you already have (or will and don't care about spoilers), in which case read the next post, at http://kaigou.dreamwidth.org/417316.html. If you'd rather avoid spoilers, stop here.