Best friends Yuta and Kou are about to graduate high school in a near-future Tokyo where the threat of a catastrophic earthquake pervades daily life. One night, they pull a consequential prank on their principal, which leads to a surveillance system being installed in the school. Between the oppressive security system and a darkening national political situation, Kou feels increasingly frustrated with the world while Yuta seems completely unaware. Finding an empathetic ear in a passionate student activist, Kou’s political consciousness blossoms. Assuming that Yuta would never understand his newfound interests, Kou begins to avoid his friend. For the first time in their lifelong friendship, the two are forced to confront differences that they never had expressed before.

For in-depth thoughts on Happyend, please see my colleague Cameron Ritter’s review from its original festival debut here.

Video Quality

Happyend arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Film Movement with a favorable 1080p presentation that deftly captures the intended aesthetic of the film. This is a visually distinct film with an occasional reliance on surveillance footage to complement the main reality of the film. Regardless of the point of view, everything looks pretty great. There is a striking amount of detail in close-up shots, along with wide shots of the backgrounds. Colors are confidently saturated with deep complexity, even if the film itself is not exceptionally vibrant. Skin tones look natural, and there are some notable facial details present. Black levels are solid with no serious instances of crush, and highlights avoid clipping. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies were not spotted. Film Movement has done quite well with this one.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track in the original Japanese that sounds great. The movie is largely driven by dialogue with sounds of the environment fleshing things out to feel very organic. Environmental sounds come through effortlessly in the side and rear speakers. This is not a film that demands a full-throttle low end, but there is some invaluable texture woven into the narrative. The track transports the audience to the school hallways with an array of sounds emanating from the speakers. Dialogue is crisp and clear without being overshadowed by the music or sound effects. This track does everything that is asked of it. Optional English subtitles are available.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Neo Sora provides a commentary track in which he discusses the process of making the film, the inspiration for the narrative, the background of various ensemble players, working with the performers, and more.

Studio Visit with Composer Lia Ouyang Rusli: A 13-minute piece with the composer in which they discuss collaborating with the director, choosing when it was best not to have music in a scene, key musical motifs, and more.

Deleted Scenes: There are three scenes totaling 11 minutes of unused footage.

Trailer (1:51)

Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring an essay by film critic Ryan Swen is provided here. This piece gives a well-rounded analysis and context for the creative figures, themes, and plot developments, which strengthen your appreciation overall.

Final Thoughts

Happyend is a fascinating effort from Neo Sora that comments on life under the surveillance state through a slightly exaggerated reality that is way too close to our own for comfort. While the topics explored can be heavy, the screenplay allows these characters to be vibrant and naturally funny as they try to figure out what they stand for. This is a terrific, if underseen, feature that is primed for a second life filled with praise. Film Movement has provided a Blu-Ray with a sterling A/V presentation along with some valuable supplements. Recommended

Happyend is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Film Movement and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.