A new term just started at Higashigaoka Junior High School and from the outside, it could look like a normal school day. Truth is the whole school had barely recovered from what happened at the end of the last school year when one of the students, Noguchi, attempted to take his own life and subsequently moved to another town.
Some students are still struggling with the aftermath of their classmate's action and the arrival of the new homeroom teacher, Marauchi sensei, will cause more disarray.
Marauchi sensei is a quiet, reflexive man who gets immediately poked by some of his students as soon as they find out he stutterers...that doesn't seem to bother him a bit but he will be soon criticized by both teachers and parents because of his decision of re-instating Noguchi's desk in the class.
Confused at first, the classmates quickly start to get frustrated and angry at Marauchi's apparent indifference towards the students' feelings.
The school also arranged for three 'blue bird' boxes to be set in different zones of the school for kids to write about their troubles and issues as a way to release their worries.
Once a week a committee of students and professors will open these boxes and discuss the content of the letters...just to discover that they've only been used as trashcans.
One of the quietest kids in Marauchi's class, Sonobe Shinichi, is eaten inside by remorse...he thinks he is also to blame for Noguchi's decision as he never stepped in to stop the class from teasing him.
Sonobe questions his classmates' (along with his own) behavior towards Noguchi, feeling he should have understood the boy was putting on a brave face while slowly breaking inside.
My Opinion👍👎
The title refers to Maurice Maeterlinck's same-name playwright where two siblings help a fairy to find the blue bird of happiness and that's the aim of the blue boxes placed in Higashigaoka Junior High School: to give the students a chance of expressing their thoughts and worries in an anonymous way.
Unfortunately, the purpose does not have the desired effect and the boxes are used as trashcans.
Marauchi's approach might look too severe and unconventional but it is far more successful than the blue boxes; every day, the professor would look at Noguchi's desk and wish it good morning while completely ignoring his class.
Out of anger, remorse, and frustration, the kids have very different reactions towards this behavior but almost all agree that since they've already repented they should let the past in the past and move on.
Only Sonobe seems to be unable to get over it and that will lead him to a breakdown point where Marauchi finally explains why he so strongly wanted Nogushi's desk back in the class.
Such harsh conduct might appear too much for such young kids but do raise good points of discussion, one above all is the question of whether it is better to reflect on your wrongdoings, repent and move on with your life trying to be a better person or should the burden of your mistake be a constant reminder of the hurt you inflicted?
The movie focuses more on internal struggles and emotions so there are not many dialogues. From one point of view, the purpose has been achieved and I was really impressed by Marauchi's class reactions when, during his last lesson, he gives them the opportunity to either write an essay to express how they truly feel or to simply study, if they think they've already repented enough.
On the other hand, I found all those long silent sequences a bit too burdensome and not needed in such great quantity.
It DOES NOT pass the Bechdel-Wallace test
1. There must be at least two women (and the names must be known) ❌
2. The women have to talk to each other ❌
3. The topic of conversation can be about anything except men ❌
Rating: 4/5
Ph: mydramalist.com
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