Phases of the Moon
Spoiler-ful Tsuki no Michikake summary. Warning that it's quite a long post ahead 😅
Click to viewIt helped that I read the novel before watching the movie so I already knew the difference between the two.
I must admit that I was touched more by the movie because of the cast's acting, so I bet you should also prepare a good tissue or towel because this movie is pretty much a tearjerker.
Both the novel and movie tell a series of flashbacks from different decades. Kinda forgot the years in the novel, but in the movie, the 'present' is 2007, and the flashbacks were from 1980, 1981, and 1999.
It's already a premise that this is a story of 'reincarnation.' Before knowing this novel, I watched videos and read about reincarnations in children. They are not 'unbelievable', in fact, they fascinated me so you can say I low-key believe in reincarnations as well.
Going back, let me introduce the characters:
The "Ruris" 😆
Masaki Ruri (Arimura Kasumi): the 'original' Ruri.
Osanai Ruri (Kikuchi Hinako): the second Ruri
Nozomi : the third Ruri in the novel
Midorisaka Ruri: the fourth Ruri in the novel, the third Ruri in the movie
Osanai Tsuyoshi (Oizumi Yo): second Ruri's father.
Osanai Kozue (Shibasaki Kou): second Ruri's mother who died with her
Misumi Akihiko (Meguro Ren): the original Ruri's lover
Masaki Ryunosuke (Tanaka Kei): the original Ruri's a**hole husband
Midorisaka Yui: Osanai Ruri's best friend and Midorisaka Ruri's mother
As you can see, one of the major difference is that in the novel, Ruri was reincarnated three times (death likes her, eh? 😞) while in the movie, she was reincarnated twice.
Summary:
"I want to meet you again even in another life."
The year is 2007. Widowed Osanai Tsuyoshi met up with Midorisaka Yui at a hotel in Tokyo, bringing a certain painting with him. Midorisaka Yui was the best friend of Osanai Ruri back in high school. The camera she handed to Osanai Tsuyoshi brought in flashbacks of his time with his family.
Osanai Tsuyoshi married Kozue in 1980. They had a daughter in 1981. Kozue named named her 瑠璃 (Ruri) from 瑠璃もはりも照らせば光る (lapis lazuli and crystals shine when lit up), a proverb that means great talent will stand out anywhere. She said that she dreamt of that name.
The Osanais are a picture of a happy family. Until one day, Ruri, aged 7, had a high fever of unknown cause. Since then, Kozue noticed the changed in her daughter - that Ruri suddenly matured. She's the typical mother who can easily notice changes in her children and this caused her lots of worries in the novel. Tsuyoshi, on the other hand, I guess is the typical type of man who doesn't overthink, and as such still sees his daughter as the sweet child that she is (Kozue mentioned in the novel that Ruri 'acts' in front of them, but Tsuyoshi just shrugged that off). Other hints that Ruri changed is that she hummed an old song and even named her stuffed toy "Akira." Then one day, Ruri suddenly disappeared. Tsuyoshi found her at a record shop in Takada no Baba. Since she made her parents worried, she promised that she won't go off alone again, not until after she graduates high school.
Time passed and Osanai Ruri turned 18. It was year 1999. It was also the year, Osanai Tsuyoshi lost his wife and daughter in an accident.
Back to the present. Midorisaka Yui came to the hotel with her daughter, Ruri. Osanai was surprised that she named her daughter "Ruri." She then said that she had a dream when she was pregnant; that her dream told her to name her child "Ruri." They somehow talked about the man in the painting, which Osanai Tsuyoshi brought. It was a painting of Misumi Akihiko. Then a flashback of Osanai Tsuyoshi meeting Misumi Akihiko played.
A year (or two?) after he lost his family, Osanai Tsuyoshi was visited by a certain Misumi Akihiko. Akihiko confessed that he knew that Osanai's wife and daughter were about to go to him on the day of the accident. He got a call from Osanai Ruri before and even knew that she went to Takada no Baba when she was 7 years old. Misumi then started telling Osanai about a certain Masaki Ruri.
Flashback to 1980.
University student Misumi Akihiko met Masaki Ruri on a rainy day at a record shop at Takada no Baba where he worked part-time. To make the story short, they fell in love. But since Masaki Ruri is married (it's definitely an affair as they spent nights together *winks*), she tried to fight her feelings and leave him for good. But Misumi promised that he would always wait for her at front of Takada no Baba station. Masaki Ruri said she won't forget his words.
Misumi did wait for her everyday at front of the station where he used to see her. Then one day, she died. Misumi found it hard to accept her death and still go and wait in front of the station, or go to places where they used to hang out.
Back to Osanai and Misumi.
Misumi finally told Osanai that maybe Osanai Ruri is a reincarnation of Masaki Ruri. However, Osanai won't hear anything of it.
Needless to say, Osanai Tsuyoshi is someone who does not believe in reincarnation, and kept denying that his daughter was a reincarnation of a certain Ruri.
Back to 2007.
Midorisaka Yui then talked about Masaki Ryunosuke. Apparently, Osanai had worked with him in the past, and Midorisaka Yui revealed that Masaki Ryunosuke was the husband of Masaki Ruri. Then she talks about Masaki Ruri and Masaki Ryunosuke's relationship. (I guess she heard this from Osanai Ruri?)
Masaki Ryunosuke. As I described above, he's quite an a**hole of a husband. But his toxic attitude came from the fact that he's a perfectionist and he wants his life to be perfect. He already got his life plans laid out - he graduated and got architecture license at the age he wanted as planned, got married to a beautiful woman as he planned. The next in his plan was to have children right after he got married. But things didn't turn out as he planned as Ruri can't get pregnant. Time passed by and Masaki Ruri eventually felt worn out of their relationship; of the pressure of having to get pregnant. It was mentioned in the novel how rough he is during s*x just so she could get pregnant, and even said how she sucked at bed. Total jerk.
*When reading the novel, I was turned off at Ruri at first for having an affair with a younger man, but if you have that kinda jerk of a husband... Also, it was eventually revealed in the novel that Masaki Ryunosuke had an affair of his own. Yeah, he cheated first. That might've been the final straw for Ruri.
One of the difference between the novel and the movie as well is the death of Masaki Ruri. Though in both, she died after getting hit by train, in the novel, she was somehow caught in a fight at a station (she was not directly involved) and was pushed to the tracks(?) thus the train hit her. In the movie, after her argument with her husband, she ran away, and lol her husband chased after her (seriously, Tanaka Kei was damn scary but I wanted to punch him). She got hit by a passing train while trying to run away from her husband.
Then another difference is the death of Osanai Ruri and Kozue.
In the movie, Masaki Ryunosuke saw Osanai Ruri (18 years old) for the first time and heard her humming the song his wife used to hum. Since he worked with Osanai Tsuyoshi, I guess he eventually knew things about Osanai Ruri. It might be because of those stories plus his gut feeling that he knew that Osanai Ruri is Masaki Ruri.
One day, he confronted Osanai Ruri and it became clear to him that she is indeed Masaki Ruri. He pushed her to tell him about the man called Misumi Akihiko. I guess even years after his wife's death, his ego couldn't accept that he lost to a certain man 🤷 Osanai Ruri somehow escaped him with the help of Midorisaka Yui.
Osanai Ruri went home and immediately asked his mother to let her meet Misumi Akihiko. She was afraid that Masaki Ryunosuke might do something to him. Her mother agreed and they immediately drove to where Misumi Akihiko is. And lo, Masaki Ryunosuke was following them (!). This made them panic that they went out of lane and got hit by truck.
So apparently, in the movie, Masaki Ryunosuke caused the deaths of two Ruris. It's safe to say that he's the villain of the story 🥴
In the novel, after his wife's death, Masaki Ryunosuke entered a period of slump but somehow recovered. He did not cause the deaths of the original and second Ruris, but he did cause the (he was somehow involved) death of the third Ruri, Nozomi (the daughter of his boss). Nozomi is around 7-8 years old, and was actually clingy to Masaki Ryunosuke at first. But after she got a high fever, her Masaki Ruri's memories awakened and she remembered who Masaki Ryunosuke is. It was eventually revealed to Masaki Ryunosuke who she is and just like in the movie, he pushed her to tell him where Misumi Akihiko is. This became a case of pedo kidnapping, and somehow they both caught up in an accident, killing Nozomi.
Back to the movie.
Midorisaka Ruri finally spoke, and she revealed herself to be a reincarnation of Masaki Ruri, and that she was Osanai Ruri in the past. Osanai Tsuyoshi still refused to believe and told her not to make fun of adults. Then Midorisaka Ruri repeated Osanai Ruri's words to her father when he found her at Takada no Baba - that she was sorry, and she's happy to be born as their daughter. They had a hugging a moment, and Midorisaka Rui told him that reincarnations can happen to anyone, not only to her.
At the end of the movie (it was also hinted in the novel), that Kozue might have been reincarnated. (The name slipped past me, gotta search the novel, but it was child of his mother's caretaker?).
As for Midorisaka Ruri, she went to meet Misumi Akihiko in the movie. It was somehow implied that she indeed met Misumi Akihiko who kept waiting for her, symbolized by a young Misumi Akihiko and an alive Masaki Ruri hugging in the rain. She struggled more in the novel, though. A 7-year-old coming to his workplace, desperate to meet him (it legit made me cry). They eventually met, with Misumi telling her "Ruri-san, I've always been waiting for you."
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Thoughts (mostly about Ruri):
My thoughts while reading the novel: How many times does she have to die? 😅
It was tragic that Ruri had to experience deaths many times. The novel also gives a hint that she's somehow suicidal, telling Misumi how she "wants to try dying once." Her past life was tragic so she chose her parents in her next lives where she's sure to experience happiness; but girl, do you have to die again. Twice.
When her 3rd reincarnation finally met Misumi Akihiko, I was like "Finally!" so I guess other readers also felt the same relief (?) that "Ruri" finally met the person she wished so much to meet again. Ruri's reincarnation finally achieved her "mission." I somehow read that 'reincarnations' eventually forget the memories of their past lives as they age. Osanai Ruri also felt that so she wanted to meet Misumi Akihiko as soon as possible. Thus the next reincarnations also started to seek him when their Masaki Ruri memories awakened.
There are many more to say about the movie and novel's message. But I'm afraid this post won't end so I'll cut it here 😅
Like I said, you'll shed tears in this movie, mostly from cast's crying 😅
I like Oizumi Yo at a certain level since he's funny but this movie proved again that he's a great actor who can take heavy roles. I've always loved Shibasaki Kou ❤ Arimura Kasumi has this wholesome adult sexiness. The kids are also great. Tanaka Kei was scary. And Meme? Dramas suit him (congrats on your first bed scene😆) I'm also religiously watching "silent" and "Mai agare" and what can I say, every drama role suits him. I hope to see more of him! Kieta Hatsukoi season 2 please 🙏
Oh, there's "My Happy Marriage" next year! I'm currently reading the novel. I bet Meguro Ren will nail his role again!
Will watch From Siberia With Love next, since it's automatic for an Arashic 😁