""The systems that define people are crumbling in Japan," reads a title card at the beginning of Happyend, setting the scene for a future that we imagine looks closer to apocalyptic. But instead, Neo Sora's vision of this "distant" future looks very similar to the present, albeit with a few more technological advancements, and a generation of youths that are even more impossibly disillusioned."
"Seeing their principal flaunting the new sports car he bought, they decide to flip it on its nose and place it in the middle of the school grounds - creating something that looks like a post-modern art piece. As the sunrise starts to fracture into rosy drops of light, they stumble home, pleased with their cheeky little act of rebellion. But the next day, their prank is taken as an act of "terrorism" by the irate principal,"
In near-future Tokyo, Japan teeters toward societal collapse under an aspiring fascist leader and an omnipresent surveillance regime requiring routine facial ID checks. Rebellious youths sneak into underground clubs and engage in petty vandalism, including flipping their principal's new sports car into a post-modern installation. Authorities treat the prank as terrorism and install strict school surveillance. The film follows these high school students as they navigate ennui, cheeky rebellion, and creeping authoritarian control. The tone is shaggy and understated, combining slice-of-life scenes with sci-fi trappings to emphasize resilience and disillusionment rather than overt political exposition.
Read at Inverse
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