They found love in a hopeless place

CHENNAI: If you are familiar with Japanese comics, you may have heard of Gegege no Kitaro. The final day of the three-day Chennai Japan Film Festival ended on a high with the screening of The Wife of Gegege on Saturday. This film is an autobiographical account by the wife of Mizuki Shigeru, who is a well known and bestselling manga artist. The movie is set in the early 1960s and showcases the love story of a woman, Nunoe, who marries a manga artist, Shigeru, who lost his left arm in the war.

The couple get married just five days after being introduced at a matchmaking meeting and move to Tokyo. The film depicts the struggle and strife they face as they begin a life together in abysmal poverty. There are moments in the film where your heart goes out to the newly weds. You cringe when they cringe, you cry when they cry and you feel cheery when they feel cheery. The film takes you on the journey with them.

It gives you a glimpse of old Tokyo and also what it meant to be poor in a bustling metropolis. Shigeru was one of those people. He goes on to become very successful after publishing the manga series featuring Yokai (supernatural beings). Despite all the hurdles that are thrown their way, they manage to get past them together. They face every obstacle together without flinching. They say that sometimes it boils down to those who come into your life and never leave. This is a film that personifies that statement. Love blossoms in the most hopeless times and gives people the courage to fight. The same happened with Shigeru and Nunoe. Every day was a challenge but they managed to get through it with each other’s support. I left with a heavy heart but with a deep sense of satisfaction that their dedication to one another paid off in the end.

Vicarious moments

There are moments in the film where your heart goes out to the newly weds. You cringe when they cringe, you cry when they cry and you feel cheery when they feel cheery.