In his third year of middle school, Shigeyuki Numata is languishing near the bottom of his class, so his parents hire yet another tutor to try to get his grades up, so he can get into a good high school like his older brother, Shin'ichi. Both Shigeyuki and Shin'ichi are artists at heart, and spend their time doodling in their notebooks.
The latest tutor they hire is Yoshimoto, played by the brilliant Yuusaku Matsuda (Black Rain). Yoshimoto is a lackluster student himself, but Shigeyuki's father (played by Juuzou Itami, the director of Tampopo) makes a deal with him to pay a bonus if he can raise Shigeyuki's rank in his class. Yoshimoto applies some tough love, swatting Shigeyuki when he goofs around. Eventually, we learn that Shigeyuki is being bullied by his childhood frenemy, Tsuchiya. Yoshimoto agrees to teach Shigeyuki how to fight if he studies harder, and thus things finally start to improve on all fronts.
A lot of the jokes hinge on deadpan irony and the lack of private space in Tokyo. When Papa Numata wants to talk, he takes first the tutor and then his wife to their parked car, as this is perhaps the only place they can be alone. At meal time, the family all sits in a row on one side of their dining room table, highlighting the lack of communication between them. Shin'ichi must go through Shigeyuki's room to get to his own. When Yoshimoto is teaching Shigeyuki how to fight on the roof of the building, a boy with a telescope keeps impinging on their space, forcing them to move.
A neighbour woman in their apartment complex remarks that Mama Numata is the first person ever to speak to her. When she visits Mama, she reveals her husband's father is about to die, but she has no idea how to get the dead body out of the apartment as a casket won't fit in the elevator!
Shin'ichi visits a cute girl Mieko's apartment a few times. Mieko's parents are always watching TV seemingly oblivious to the boys who come calling. Shin'ichi opens the curtains to look out Mieko's window, remarks "Nice view," but all we can see is an oil refinery and smokestacks.
The slapstick centres on Yoshimoto. The joke is that he was hired to teach, but really the only thing he's good at is fighting. Shigeyuki becomes a better fighter under his tutelage, and starts to challenge his teacher. After Shigeyuki finally gets into the best high school, they have one last dinner which descends into a silly food fight with the family decked out on the floor, and Yoshimoto the last man standing.
Director Yoshimitsu Morita has quite a body of work now, but I think this is one of his best films.
The latest tutor they hire is Yoshimoto, played by the brilliant Yuusaku Matsuda (Black Rain). Yoshimoto is a lackluster student himself, but Shigeyuki's father (played by Juuzou Itami, the director of Tampopo) makes a deal with him to pay a bonus if he can raise Shigeyuki's rank in his class. Yoshimoto applies some tough love, swatting Shigeyuki when he goofs around. Eventually, we learn that Shigeyuki is being bullied by his childhood frenemy, Tsuchiya. Yoshimoto agrees to teach Shigeyuki how to fight if he studies harder, and thus things finally start to improve on all fronts.
A lot of the jokes hinge on deadpan irony and the lack of private space in Tokyo. When Papa Numata wants to talk, he takes first the tutor and then his wife to their parked car, as this is perhaps the only place they can be alone. At meal time, the family all sits in a row on one side of their dining room table, highlighting the lack of communication between them. Shin'ichi must go through Shigeyuki's room to get to his own. When Yoshimoto is teaching Shigeyuki how to fight on the roof of the building, a boy with a telescope keeps impinging on their space, forcing them to move.
A neighbour woman in their apartment complex remarks that Mama Numata is the first person ever to speak to her. When she visits Mama, she reveals her husband's father is about to die, but she has no idea how to get the dead body out of the apartment as a casket won't fit in the elevator!
Shin'ichi visits a cute girl Mieko's apartment a few times. Mieko's parents are always watching TV seemingly oblivious to the boys who come calling. Shin'ichi opens the curtains to look out Mieko's window, remarks "Nice view," but all we can see is an oil refinery and smokestacks.
The slapstick centres on Yoshimoto. The joke is that he was hired to teach, but really the only thing he's good at is fighting. Shigeyuki becomes a better fighter under his tutelage, and starts to challenge his teacher. After Shigeyuki finally gets into the best high school, they have one last dinner which descends into a silly food fight with the family decked out on the floor, and Yoshimoto the last man standing.
Director Yoshimitsu Morita has quite a body of work now, but I think this is one of his best films.