I was surprised to find that no-one has reviewed this yet. This movie, A-Un (clumsily translated "Buddies" in English), is a rather wonderful tale of a friendship between two men, one (Kadokura) a company president in an unhappy marriage, the other (Mizuta) a mid-level employee of a pharmaceutical company with a lovely wife and beautiful 18-year-old daughter. The setting is Tokyo in the 1930s; fascism is on the rise, and everyone is in thrall to the burgeoning Japanese military machine.

The Japanese phrase "a-un" refers to two entities that are complementary--similar in some ways but not alike; glossed in various Japanese-English references as inhalation and exhalation, or as alpha and omega; each presupposes the other. They are also represented by the "koma-inu" guardian-dog statues that are present at the entrances to Shinto shrines in Japan, and which appear several times in this movie.

The two men are different, strikingly so even, but these differences paradoxically reinforce their friendship--up to a point. Beyond that point, the friendship becomes untenable, at least temporarily. A parallel storyline traces the tentative romance of the daughter with a young student.

There are innumerable films depicting the rise of fascism in Germany and elsewhere in the 1930s, and its consequences for ordinary people. But such tragedies occurred in Japan and other Asian countries as well. This tale similarly recounts the imminent implosion of a family, or family-like group, preceding Pearl Harbor and WWII. And as is generally the case, it serves as a powerful rebuff to fascism, by limning the heartbreaking consequences of such strident nationalism for ordinary folk. Highly recommended.

Japanese cinema is celebrated for its refined minimalist dramas and avant-garde experimentation; it also introduced popular genres like jidaigeki (samurai epics), kaiju, and anime. Across both high art and mass entertainment, it often explores morality, impermanence, and the pressures of modern life.

Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura in Drive My Car (2021)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The romance genre features the theme of romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters. These stories focus on the development of love, desire, and intimacy between protagonists, often exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that arise in their relationships.

Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)

The film tells story of a close friendship undone by love.

The Biggest Movies and TV Coming in September

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Masami Nagasawa, Masatoshi Nagase, and Kaito Takahashi in Oi, oui (2025)

Jirō Satō, Sairi Itô, Shôta Sometani, Yuki Yamada, Kan'ichirô Satô, and Ryôta Bandô in Bakudan (2025)

Buddies

Photos

Top Cast35

User reviews1

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed