Ikinai

Forget about a travel agency because this is a completely different kind of trip with a completely different motivation for its participants. The goal here is not relaxation, desire for knowledge, or adventure. The participants of the trip are victims of the local value system and traditions, and they are unhappy, unproductive, and unnecessary. To save face (which is the most important from a social perspective in Asian society), they bought a ticket for a journey that is supposed to solve all their problems. They go toward their destiny with the sound of karaoke and determination on their faces. If you expect a geyser of jokes and silly remarks, forget about it. This is not a comedy in the usual sense of the word, but rather a tragicomedy where humor stems from the absurdity of what is seen and from the confrontation with a typically Japanese way of thinking. Interesting, provocative, and in some parts uncomfortably relevant to the world. Overall impression: 85%. (22.01.2013)