Home
search
more | tips
SHOP HIMITSU
Amazon.com Amazon.ca Amazon.co.uk Amazon.de Amazon.fr
IMDb > Himitsu (1999)

Himitsu (1999)

advertisement
Register or login to rate this title
User Rating: 6.3/10 (191 votes)

Overview

Director:
Yojiro Takita
Writers:
Keigo Higashino (novel)
Hiroshi Saito (writer)
Release Date:
25 September 1999 (Japan) more
Genre:
Drama | Fantasy more
Plot:
add synopsis
Awards:
2 wins & 4 nominations more
User Comments:
A whimsical cross between "The X-Files" and classic weepy family dorama fare more

Cast

 (Credited cast)
Ryoko Hirosue ... Monami Sugita / Naoko Sugita
Kaoru Kobayashi ... Heisuke Sugita
Ken Kaneko ... Fumio Kajikawa
Yuriko Ishida ... Taeko Hashimoto
Hideaki Ito ... Haruki Soma
Tomoe Shinohara ... Kuniko Kimura
Kayoko Kishimoto ... Naoko Sugita
Rie Shibata ... Kazuko Yoshimoto
Ren Osugi ... Hiroyuki Kajikawa
Hatsuo Yamatani ... Naoko Sugita
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Secret (Hong Kong: English title)
more
Runtime:
119 min
Country:
Japan
Language:
Japanese
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 11% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Remade as Si j'étais toi (2007) more
Soundtrack:
WEDDING MARCH more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful:-
A whimsical cross between "The X-Files" and classic weepy family dorama fare, 19 March 2002
Author: regi0n2fan from Hastings & Main, Vancouver BC

"Himitsu" stars the Waseda-educated Hirosue Ryoko ("Oyajii", "Long Vacation", "Wasabi") in a poignant paranormal family dorama wherein salaryman Sugita Heisuke (Kobayashi Kaoru) loses his wife Naoko in a ski bus accident that also injures his daughter. Strangely, however, his daughter Monami(Hirosue) has assumed the personality of his late wife - or rather the latter has assumed the physical embodiment of the former. At any rate, the main premise of the movie involves the sticky little "situations" that present themselves when your wife suddenly becomes your daughter (relatively speaking). For example, the one-time housewife must now come up to speed in her daughter's high school classes, including a sudden immersion into her daughter's social circles and a mild annoyance at seeing her math teacher (cameo by the lovely Ishida Yuriko) flirting with her dad/husband. Of course (much to the torment of the Ryo-chan fanboyz, no doubt), there is the issue of sleeping arrangements (!) at home. Just how far can a guy go now that this person who is essentially his wife has a twenty-something year facelift and is the frustrated dream date of more than half the Japanese male population? Okay, I've exaggerated, but the director seems to delight in making the audience wonder what the outcome will be. One of the most memorable scenes takes place when Heisuke intercepts his wife/daughter's phone calls from an interested sempai in the school sailing club who asks her out. Torn between protecting his daughter and defending his marriage, he confronts the young man in public, declaring that he cannot date his daughter because they are from outer space (see, X-Files?). An interesting yet convenient facet of the movie is the close relationship between mother and daughter that is implied early in the movie and reinforced later. Very little is presented about Monami per se, but it is indirectly through Naoko's eyes that we see what kind of a person she is, and how the close relationship with her mother makes it that much easier for Naoko to act the part of Monami when needed. Overall, the scene composition and musical score work very well together and what the movie lacks in special effects it more than makes up for in weepy sentimentality and the cathartic ending. The "TBS"-esque feel so prevalent in the countless TBS trendy dramas is quite apparent, and this might not sit well with some viewers, but I didn't mind it. Hirosue Ryoko gives a rather satisfying performance in her dual roles as both carefree yet dutiful mother and semi-slacker daughter. My only complaint is that the movie left me feeling cheated out of a final scene with Ishida Yuriko, but I guess that wouldn't serve to advance the plot significantly.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for Himitsu (1999)

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
What Dreams May Come Tony Takitani Poppoya Merci pour le chocolat The Desperate Hours
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
IMDb Drama section IMDb Japan section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.