Bandage
Director: Kobayashi Takeshi
Starring: Akanishi Jin, Kie Kitano, Anne Watanabe,
Despite the fact it was heavily marketed around the music, the movie is rather about the relationship of Natsu (Akanishi) and Suzuki (Kie). The movie begins with Lands preparing for act, later on its revealed it was some kind of audition or a competition (think Idols or x Factor). However that wasn’t visually revealed. Immediately (if you liked to nitpick) the editing is totally off. I think in the original cut it was supposed to be different, I think it was supposed to be LANDS preparing then the opening sequence with the cast names. But in this it was mashed up, maybe for the time limit but to do that it seems pretty stupid. Two girls are on a playground, discussing Lands about how they stayed on that talent show. Not much here but in this scene its revealed how Suzuki discovered Lands thanks to her friend Miharu (Anne). Miharu gives her a CD from Lands, the reason why is kind of weird. It has to do with the situation that Miharu is in and why she is giving it. If you think about it that doesn’t make sense. So the next thing you know, Suzuki meets Miharu in a CD shop. Now throughout the movie there is always a notification of how many time has passed since the last scene in the movie timeline. In this there was nothing, they just randomly said it was “a long times no see” (referring to the characters). Suzuki wants to buy the new CD from Lands, since she is a fan Miharu asked her if she wants to go to a concert. Of course she says yes, but it wasn’t shown visually. I wonder how long this movie actually is cause it seemed there was a lot of stuff cut out. Suzuki listens to the CD; the first song was Hatachi No Sensou. In this scene she cries, that would be explained why later on. But initially it makes this beginning pretty confusing. The girls got the tickets and went to the concert. The second song was Olympos, performed by LANDS (duh). After the show the female Piano Player Arumi (Shibamoto), argues with Kenji (Kasahara) about how he made a mistake, Ryuji (Nobuaki) backs Kenji by telling that she’s being a pain all day. She says stuff back which pisses off Ryuji; he asks if he can punch her. Kenji asked if she could be nicer to which she replied that Rockers aren’t supposed to be nice. Then walks away, in the hallway she meets Natsu who is intentionally trying to hug and maybe kiss her. She pushes him Away, which resulted Natsu to go “fucker, f***”. Let me point out that it’s not much of a change from Jin himself. He actually plays a more extremer version of himself. Let’s say he plays the Jin that the tabloid is making him to be.
Suzuki and Miharu are sneaking to the back stage, Suzuki bums into Kenji making her drop a contact lens, Kenji helps to find her contact, she shows her the other one but Natsu the dumb ass he is bums also into her and drops the other one. In this scene it’s revealed that Natsu starts to like Suzuki, first he was acting as an ass but when he saw the face of Suzuki he volunteer to help. After they found one of the contacts (and the other one was shattered) Natsu invites the two girls to a drink. Later the manager Yukari (Ayumi) finds out that the girls are not part of the staff or anything related to the band and asks them to leave. She asks why Natsu bring strangers into their night out. Natsu then came with an excuse that Suzuki is a relative. This is odd, because in the movie they knew Natsu liked her. If she was supposed to be a relative wouldn’t that be strange. Any way Natsu tells her to wait somewhere. He will pick her up, now he was supposed to be bringing her home. But while driving he came with an excuse that he has no gas. So he drove back to his apartment. Now this is probably a scene in which fan girls never dare to imagine. Natsu was trying to get Suzuki in bed; first off all this was almost a rape scene. Secondly he is some 20 something guy, she is Underage. Was Natsu supposed to be a pedophile? Any way Natsu rambles about how Rock is sex etc. Suzuki leaves but Natsu followed her. This time he was for real and promised that he will bring her home. While driving Jin… uh I mean Natsu came with an idea to exchange diaries. He drops her off and gives her the diary; they promised that they will meet again a week later.
A week later they meet again. Natsu forced her to come with him, he takes her along to a closed of studio to see the rehearsal. Bandage was performed, I thought yay but it wasn’t the whole song… Now I think about it none of the songs that were performed completely… I wonder if that’s with other movies too. Yukari arrives to the studio; she sees Suzuki and asks her to leave. Why? Well she doesn’t like Natsu bringing girls during work time… The three argued, Suzuki demanded Natsu to go back to the studio, he agreed but Yukari got pissed off. She is the Manager but Natsu actually goes back because Suzuki asked him. Of course there is some jealousy aura floating around so she left. Threatening to not support Lands. The next day, Natsu calls Suzuki to check on Yukari, after the last meeting they haven’t heard anything of her. Natsu is worried that she might be dead. Suzuki decides to visit, when arriving Suzuki discovers that Yukari has a high fever. She planned to call the ambulance but someone already did. Later on in the hospital, the doctor says that Yukari has the Mumps? I’m not a Native English speaker so I don’t know. But Yukari has to stay in the Hospital, so Suzuki has now to help Yukari with the manager Job. Natsu shows and reveals that he is the one that called the hospital.
The flaw in this is how did he know that Yukari was sick, when Suzuki entered the apartment the door was open but did he have a key? It was never explained, maybe it did but it was cut out.
Suzuki is now taking over the manager job, with photo shoots and interviews she was there. One day she was right about the leave the studio, until she notices that Yukiya (Kengo) was still there. Yukiya was practicing on Hatachi no Sensou Y’s Edition. He says that he likes robotic sounds. The next day Suzuki was talking to Yukari on how she was moved by Yukiya’s talent. Yukari says that Yukiya is also a great singer and that eventually he will sing to because he is the one that’s the most popular in the group and that Natsu who is the leader will eventually get sick of it.
10 months later, Suzuki has finished her school (apparently) and got a job at the agency. She became the second manager of LANDS. I kind of get why Yukari said that Natsu eventually get bored of it, he is the **** leader and lead singer and all he gets to do is just singing. Natsu eventually feels he has to do something so he takes Suzuki along to listen to a song he wrote. In the scene where he sings the song in the car to Suzuki, when Suzuki says that was great I felt it strongly reflects the real life of Jin. When Natsu smiled it immediately got me thinking about the firs press conference in LA. Like Jin Natsu was hold back by the agency, but not because he was forbidden to do anything but because wasn’t put too good use. When Jin had his first concert and the press conference that followed you see that was happy to be praised for him alone.
The next thing they do is letting the managers hear the song, Yukari is being a **** for some reason she something against Natsu, and she was arguing that the song is too long. Yes that was not the reason why she was a ****. She says why the hell Natsu would write such a serious song? I’m like why the f*** wouldn’t he? Yukari calls Arumi for the arrangements. Sometimes later we get to hear Genki Ska version. They didn’t edit the song like how Yukari wanted and they all look at Natsu on what he thinks. He says its fine either way. Arumi is pissed and argues with Yukari about how she doesn’t understand music etc. She says that Natsu’s demo was the best. Yukari shows yet again that she is against him.
Anyway moving right along, Genki was proved to be successful what follows their success. From magazines covers to concerts. Then comes the next song which is Yuuki, Yukari doesn’t think this song does well but the producer still proceeds. They shot the PV for Yuuki; I think the scene from Natsu doesn’t fit with the song. I know they are rock stars but please be considerate of the song. Natsu start to look at himself in the mirror and questions himself who he is. There is something bothering him, but why? Remember what I said they weren’t using him at all before he wrote Genki; this was after he wrote Yuuki. This doesn’t make sense at all you would have expected him to be more confident about him but that scene made me confused. After a party, Yukiya and Suzuki brought Kenji and Natsu back home. Yukiya offers Suzuki to bring her home; Suzuki tells that she thinks Yukiya has a great talent. Yukiya asks her what she sees in him, it’s because of the aura. Yukiya then said he doesn’t believe in such things. He proceeds by asking: “do you know loneliness” “do you see loneliness” “do you what color loneliness is” Suzuki replied that she doesn’t know and Yukiya says he will show it to her. Then comes a quite long scene on the beach, it served as a trick to Kiss Suzuki and to tell her that she is cheating on Natsu and that she ruined LANDS.
WHAT THE FUDGE??? Until this point there wasn’t anything indicating that they were dating, also what did she do to ruin Lands? Yes Natsu has feeling for her, but that’s not her fault. Is it because he was suddenly writing the songs? The manager was not using him as an artist that’s why he started to write songs. Ugh the next we see Land failing at coming on number one with Yuuki, the manager wants to change singers but the producer argues that they can’t do that. Later that evening Arumi says that he should make up his mind does he want to change the band or stay as it is? He says he wants to stay; they agree but on one condition said Arumi… Break up with Suzuki… WHAT THE HELL DID SHE DO????? Oh wait she acknowledge that there is nothing wrong with her, but something is wrong with Natsu. She says that if he doesn’t change that she and Yukiya will leave the band. Then Yukiya says again to break up with Suzuki or Asako as she is also called. Natsu then got pissed off and says that Suzuki has nothing do with all of this. Yukiya then says that he kissed her to which Natsu punched him in the face.
Let me take this moment, up till this point there weren’t any indication that there is something wrong. Yes Natsu did feel something for Suzuki but nothing in the movie shows that what he is doing with her outside work affected the bands condition. You know the fact that he sees something because of how he always listens to her or goes to her for Genki. But they didn’t explore the love thingy enough. The fall of the band could be better explored, but they never got to it. To Suzuki it’s all strange, when Natsu visit her she says to her mother that Natsu and she are not dating but in Natsu’s mind they are and thus why he proposed to her.
Suzuki, who seems the smart one between them, said they weren’t dating. Why did the others thought they were? Natsu’s feelings for her weren’t that explored in the movie which resulted the band almost break up. Suzuki asks if something happen to which Natsu said he started to hate himself.
Kenji is over thinking to leave the band after the failure but Ryuji is saying not to go.
In Natsu’s apartment, Suzuki shows up because she was worried. Natsu asked if she kissed Yukiya, now she says it’s none of his business. Natsu then said she is a cheater… Natsu is very delusional they weren’t dating at all. So why is she cheating on her if there’s nothing in the first place??? He then holds her and says “be with me”. The suddenly Natsu starts to behave bad, drinking then throwing things at Suzuki. He then tries to rape her she slaps him in the face he slaps her back.
You know then he starts again to say how deceitful she is, and that’s why everything falls apart… LIKE HOW???
Damn yo, the guys in Lands got serious mental issues. Suzuki tells Natsu on how she first listened to Lands. That she cried while hearing Hatachi no Sensou, she could relate to the song. Natsu then kisses her but immediately asks her to leave.
Yukiya and Arumi are talking to the new record company, Yukiya first say on how Natsu was confident but useless. The name of Lands comes from the fact that Natsu sees the world as one piece. It’s their foundation their basis, the guy asks if what they want, would they change labels or not. Yukiya is not certain about it.
Yukari walks into the studio, seeing Natsu playing the guitar. She says that Suzuki quits and asks what happened. Natsu doesn’t answer but asks what will happen to Lands.
She says that if Yukiya leaves then they will release a final single then the band would lose support. She then says how talented Yukiya is… Yeah I don’t believe any **** about that, they keep saying how big his talent is but never shows that in the movie… Natsu says that both Arumi and Yukiya are leaving. Yukari is shocked, but some moments later Yukiya says they will stay if they are allowed to do what they want. Lands won’t disappear. Kenji doesn’t grasp what’s happening; at this point I noticed how awfully allot Kenji looks like Bruce Lee…
Yukari play the drums, to which Ryuji who is the drummer was impressed. Arumi then tells them that Yukari used to be a drummer of another band. Yukari says she rather be a manager, then asks Yukiya to play something by Lands.
HATACHI NO SENSOU>> this was the best part of the movie.
The rest of the movie was about Suzuki meets her friend Miharu again after sometime. She discovers that Miharu has been active in a band. Suzuki decides that she going to be the manager of them and Yeah two years later they signed a record deal. Yukari is still manager, but now with the other record Label. Yukari invites Suzuki to watch her artist recording, when Suzuki goes to the studio. She sees Natsu singing Hatachi no Sensou indicating that Lands never broke up…
My verdict:
Though I liked the songs, the concept and the cast, I still was disappointed. The movie was about the fact that there was a band boom in Japan in the early 90’s. It was about their rise and fall, I felt the reasons for Lands failures in the movie was weak and not explored to enough to call it a big deal like how they were making it to be.
Also when the movie was promoted they kept brushing this movie as if Jin was the big star, his character wasn’t interesting at all and Kie was more the lead then Jin. It was more about her how she is doing her job…
You know the cast was fine, the songs too, the directing I understand, but who did the editing? Who was the person behind the camera? The editing was awful and in the beginning in the movie with Suzuki and Miharu on the play ground the scene was too damn shaky. That couldn’t be blame to the director but to the respective editor and cameraman or camerawoman.
Any my grade for this movie would 2.5 out of 5 If it weren’t for Jin I would give it a lower grade.