My Sunshine
My Sunshine
Stars: Keitatsu Koshiyama, Kiara Nakanishi and Sosuka Lkematsu
Director/Scriptwriter: Hiroshi Okuyama
Composer: Humbert Humbert
Cinematography: Hiroshi Okuyama
Tokyo Theaters
Rating: PG
Running Length: 100 Minutes
Asian language with English subtitles
As we enter autumn of the year and glide into winter, ice skating becomes one of the sports to watch. “My Sunshine” is such a film and tells the story of two ice skaters in their early teens, who want to go to championship level in this sport. The setting is northern Japan and we learn what constitutes positivity in keeping a schedule for school and training.
The story begins in summer, and centers on one boy who has quite a throwing arm for baseball. However, winter comes and with it the indoor sport of ice hockey. This boy is a goalie but can get hit while on the ice, also. The boy begins to notice one girl in particular on the ice, and she is practicing under the tutelage of a coach. This is serious and she is heading for competition. The boy is fascinated and before you can snap your fingers, the coach has the two try out for ice dancing. The boy is strong enough to lift her and she is graceful enough for those elegant landings. There is humor here and some falls, but they become friends and soon graceful on the ice. Their music is “Clare de Lune.” However, something becomes ajar here, and the story slowly goes in another direction.
The settings chosen for performances on the ice are beautiful. There is a moment when the boy and the girl go for a walk to a frozen pond and do their dance routine there with a snow background and no one to say “Stop, do it again.” Humor is done with the boy and the comedic expressions he gets as he matures from hocky to an ice dance routine. It is the third person here, who is in the background and you will see why. Sosuka Lkematsu does a quietly definitive role as a coach with a past.
What we learn is what happens along the sidelines of this sport. Parents are important in encouraging sports activities, but sometimes they might miss something. Being aware becomes part of one’s mindset and cannot be taken for granted. A story of growing up within the spotlight of sports and what decisions must be made.
Four Tocks
Copyright 2025 Marie Asner
