This blog post explores how comedy and healing intertwine in the film ‘Megane (Glasses)’ and examines the message it aims to convey. Join us for this unique experience.
The Mysterious Healing Film, ‘Megane (Glasses)’
‘Megane (Glasses)’, the third film by Naoko Ogigami, hailed as a pioneer of healing films. Just like her debut ‘Yoshino Barber Shop’ and the hit ‘Kamome Diner’, let’s talk about this enigmatic third film, ‘Megane (Glasses)’. First, to understand this film, watching it is best. Literally, its identity is so elusive that writing a plot summary feels quite ambiguous.
Movie Megane (Glasses) Plot
To summarize the plot of Megane (Glasses): Taeko, longing to escape to a quiet place where her phone doesn’t work, one day travels to a small village by the southern sea. There, she meets Yuji, the kind-hearted owner of a guesthouse; Sakura, the mysterious shaved ice lady who visits every year; and Haruna, the biology teacher who drops by the guesthouse at all hours. Taeko is utterly bewildered by their peculiar behavior. Every morning, they gather at the beach to perform strange calisthenics, and Taeko finds them odd as they spend their days without any particular purpose. Fed up with the locals, she finally can’t take it anymore and decides to change guesthouses…’ That’s what it says online. Just reading the plot makes it sound like a really boring, dull movie.
But watching the actual film reveals how brilliant and entertaining it is. Especially the bizarre gymnastics mentioned in the plot—called Mercy Gymnastics—its movements are absurd yet hilarious. So reading the plot summary actually detracts from the movie. Yet, if you haven’t seen the film, imagine this: the vast expanse of the sea, and on it, a dozen people gathered performing strange gymnastics; a woman sitting motionless on the road, soaked; the world’s most delicious shaved ice, piled high with freshly crushed ice, topped with just one ladle of red bean paste and one ladle of syrup; and the scene where people sing or play instruments to pay for that shaved ice instead of money, or the boy giving away pig-shaped origami – if you recall these, you might grasp a bit of the charming delight ‘Glasses’ offers.
But the problem lies in the identity of this ‘Megane (Glasses)’. What genre is this film? Searching online lists it as drama and comedy. Among the five films by Ogigami Naoko, all except Kamome Diner and Toilet—Yoshino Barber Shop, Megane, and I’ll Lend You a Cat—are categorized as drama/comedy. Toilet had so many laugh-out-loud moments that I was certain it was a comedy, so it’s disappointing to hear otherwise. I don’t know where that classification comes from, but to me, Toilet is clearly a comedy. Conversely, I only saw the trailer for ‘Cat Rental Shop,’ and I thought it might lack comedy elements, but seeing it labeled as a comedy was a bit surprising.
Naoko Ogigami is truly a unique person. How can she make comedy films without incorporating comedic elements? What exactly is this person’s identity? I recently read her first novel, ‘Hidari Fabric Store’. True to form, it’s just as absurd and entertaining as her films. This novel is definitely a comedy novel. (Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve read or seen a comedy genre in a novel. Is there even such a thing as a comedy genre in novels? Excluding manga.) Seeing her publish a comedy novel too, she must be a comedic person at heart. So, perhaps both her films and novels inevitably end up incorporating comedic elements without her even realizing it. Without her even knowing it herself. But ultimately, I don’t think we need to drag the director into analyzing the comedy genre. So, I’ll stop talking about the director’s identity and instead think about the genre she created: ‘healing comedy’.
The comedic elements in ‘Megane (Glasses)’, dubbed ‘healing comedy’
First, the Merci Exercise
Led by the mysterious woman Sakura, the neighborhood residents gather every morning to do the Merci Exercise. ‘Merci’ is an interjection in Japanese. Merci, arigatou… it’s like saying “thank you,” right? Or in French, “merci” means grace, mercy, or thanks. But since it’s unlikely to be French, it’s probably just a Japanese interjection. The Merci Exercise, devoid of special meaning, is simply an exercise without special meaning. It’s just a way to start the morning feeling refreshed. Just as our country has its National Exercise, think of ‘Megane (Glasses)’ as having its Merci Exercise.
But the problem isn’t that simple: the movements of this Merci Exercise are ridiculously absurd. How to describe it? It’s like when we deliberately do strange movements to make a friend laugh. The expressions are blank, but the movements are odd to the point of being slightly over the top. These movements evoke curiosity, absurdity, joy, and bewilderment in the audience – representative emotions for this film.
Of course, this behavior might seem like it’s trying to force laughter, but watching the film, it’s the overall picture – the residents gathering every morning to do the exercises, the expressions on people’s faces during the exercises, especially Grandma Sakura’s blank look, the peaceful sea that complements the exercises… It’s the situation, not just the exercises themselves, that provokes laughter. Therefore, I think the title “forced laughter” is actually an overstatement.
Second, Grandma Sakura’s Shaved Ice
When summer arrives, Grandma Sakura comes to this island and opens a shaved ice shop. When customers come, she makes shaved ice without taking orders. There are no special ingredients; she just shaves ice on the spot and adds one scoop of red beans and one scoop of syrup. People eat it with such delight. You might wonder how shaved ice with just red beans and syrup can taste so good, but anyone watching that scene will feel convinced it must be delicious. It doesn’t even look particularly appetizing, so why does it inspire such certainty? Naoko’s films seem to possess a magical quality when it comes to food. In ‘Kamome Diner’ too, many foods appear, and truly, after watching that film, you’ll resolve to eat onigiri.
The reason Grandma Sakura’s shaved ice is delicious might also be due to the system where, instead of paying money, you pay with anything you can. The ice seller eats the shaved ice and gives ice in return, the neighborhood aunt gives vegetables, the little boy gives a paper pig, and the guesthouse owner and biology teacher give musical performances as payment. This story, impossible in reality, feels absurd, and that absurdity itself becomes a pleasant comedy that delights the audience.
Furthermore, after the shaved ice appears, the process of making the red beans follows, and that part is truly still. Grandma Sakura says she boils the beans at the guesthouse, but she just places them on a low flame and stares blankly into the pot. No, you can’t really call it blankly. She gazes at the beans as if asking, ‘How cooked are you? Should I stir you now?’ Her expression is comical, and watching the female protagonist observe this process is also amusing. Later, when she seems to understand and joins in stirring the beans, it becomes another absurdly delightful element.
Third, the height of absurdity: ‘Sorry for doing things my own way.’
The protagonist, Taeko, came to this place not long after her husband died. She came remembering the good times with her husband, but the people at the guesthouse knew nothing of Taeko’s past. However, as she stayed at the guesthouse for a few days, Taeko gradually bonded with the residents and accepted the life there, growing to enjoy living with them. One night, while reminiscing about her husband, she shared her story with the inn family. As she spoke of how difficult life had been after his death, Grandma Sakura suddenly said, “That’s a truly sad story. But we don’t like sad stories.”
It might sound odd, but Taeko actually felt comforted by those words. Grandma Sakura’s words, expressing a desire to feel the present peace rather than bring up sad stories or painful memories, made Taeko reflect on herself. So Taeko opened her heart and grew closer to the people there.
Fourth, Taeko’s Guesthouse Experience
It was Taeko’s first time staying at a guesthouse, and she struggled to follow the rules there. The morning Merci exercises starting on her first day were particularly shocking to Taeko. However, after a few days, she grew accustomed to them and found herself looking forward to the morning exercises. Through this process, Taeko felt she was truly resting, away from her daily routine.
Conclusion
Thus, ‘Megane (Glasses)’ is filled with scenes that leave a deep resonance, unlike its simple plot. Director Ogigami Naoko’s unique direction and the characters’ quirky behaviors provide laughter while also offering food for thought. ‘Megane (Glasses)’ is not just a simple comedy film; it is a healing comedy film depicting the process of finding small happiness and tranquility in everyday life, and it is loved by many.
