This Ugly Yet Beautiful World
High school student Takeru works part time as a motorbike courier. During one of his deliveries, he sees a mysterious light passing him and fall into a forest. What he had found was a girl coming out from a glowing cocoon, calling herself "Hikari." A strange monster suddenly appears attacking them, but Takeru quickly discovers he can transform into a powerful superhero.
Insights
Plot Summary
In a near-future Tokyo plagued by a mysterious, incurable disease that causes its victims to emit a strange light before dying, a young man named Shin struggles to survive. He works for a shadowy organization that disposes of the bodies of the afflicted. When he encounters a woman named Ikumi who seems to be immune to the disease, his world begins to shift.
Critical Reception
This Ugly Yet Beautiful World received mixed to positive reviews. Critics often praised its atmospheric direction and unique premise, though some found its pacing slow and its narrative somewhat opaque. The film is noted for its distinctive visual style and existential themes, characteristic of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's work.
What Reviewers Say
- Praised for its haunting atmosphere and Kurosawa's signature directorial style.
- Criticized for its deliberate pacing and sometimes elusive plot.
- Noted for its thought-provoking, albeit bleak, exploration of mortality and societal breakdown.
Google audience: Audience reception is not widely documented on Google platforms.
Fun Fact
Kiyoshi Kurosawa originally conceived 'This Ugly Yet Beautiful World' as a television series before adapting it into a film.
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