This Japanese movie is going to make lots of girls tear, though not the quite the same way as “10 Promises to My Dog” as one would have expected. The story begins with a mysterious manuscript that arrives at the hands of a grandmother and her granddaughter. And the manuscript tells a story of a grandfather and his grandson more than half a century ago. Life seems to be hard for this grandfather-grandson pair trying to make some money with their monthly delivery of handcrafted goods, especially in the winter season. Come to think of it, I have watched quite a few Japanese movies and TV series in the past that often show a glimpse of how the poor lived in the post-war era. Yet, a common theme I observe is that one can live a happy and dignified life even when one barely has enough to eat.
So, we have this 10 years old boy named Sota who does not have the opportunity to go to school but loves to paint; a young girl named Sayo who comes from a wealthy family and plays the piano. Together, they find a puppy called Chibi. Friendship has developed between the two but you know what it is like when family background gets into the way.
There are quite a few heartwarming moments. In one scene, Sota is pulling a cart with his grandfather (and Chibi) on their way to sell their monthly worth of products. Halfway through the journey, his grandfather falls sick and needs to return home. Sota continues the journey, sells the goods, and unfortunately, he is robbed on the way back. When his grandfather hears the news as he embraces Sota who in tears, so full of remorse, he breaks into laughter, comforts Sota and tells Sota that someone else needs the money more than them. Everything is going to be OK. To me, that is pretty heartwarming. I also love his motto of never hate and hold grudges towards another person, no matter what.
“Snow Prince” got me into a little reflection – on how blessed life is and how little it takes to be happy. Its pace can be rather slow in parts (115 minutes) and while I do question some of the plot’s logic, I enjoy watching the drama as a whole.