Review "ReLIFE" (LIVE movie): the pill of youth strikes again!

This November, we come back to you with a new opinion on a LIVE movie. We go back to school with ReLIFE, which offers a new start for a man somewhat lost in his adult life…

The plot of ReLIFE made the crazy bet to project our hero into adolescence, while maintaining his adult vision and his current values. Between science fiction and promises for the future, the subject is most interesting!

This review may contain spoilers from the LIVE movie and anime.

ReLIFE

Original title: リライフ – Relife

Gender: Science fiction – romance – school

Country: Japan

Release date: April 15, 2017

Duration: 120 minutes

Original manga: So YAYOI

Synopsis

At twenty-seven, Arata is far from being who he imagined himself to be ten years earlier. He is without a job or girlfriend and does not have the courage to confess his situation to his friends, forcing himself to act. His biggest mistake? Resign from his first position, three months after joining the company. On a resume, it does not forgive and since then, every job interview is doomed to failure. Arata is on the brink, but Ryo, an employee of the ReLIFE research institute, offers him to participate in a reintegration experiment. To do this, he must return to high school for a year thanks to a rejuvenating pill. Arata accepts the experience and finds himself projected into his high school body at the time…

Main cast

Leap in time

The film LIVE ReLIFE introduces us not only to current events through unemployment and the difficulties encountered, but also to that of social success. Indeed, Arata is like most people of his generation, anxious to integrate into Japanese society, at the risk of being out of the loop. The feature film leads us to put ourselves in his place, while questioning us about the way the country works. People who have knowledge on the subject will therefore not really pay attention to it. On the other hand, others will discover a system different from our French vision. Because in the land of the rising sun, it is better to enter the ranks and have a stable situation. But the protagonist is not part of the elites and by following him on a daily basis, all the pressure he undergoes is revealed to us.

Hope seems slim for Arata to get out of it… Despite this, the arrival of a new technology offers an exciting and instructive alternative for our hero in his life. But the decision to change one's destiny by erasing one's setbacks is not such a trivial way. Our hero is confronted with several problems during his regression, thus bringing humor and a well-transcribed school atmosphere. The immersion seems benign, but it will prove tricky. The spectator is solicited on subjects that seem childish because of the age of the other students. The fact remains that this is the main attraction of the film: to oppose the child and the adult sleeping in each!

Clear errors

The concept is so far good enough to be attached to. But what about the casting and the psychology of the latter? The main protagonist, Arata, is the central pillar of our story. The actor does not have to be ashamed of his performance, quite honorable when you know the anime. The physical resemblance is successful, the character too. On the academic side, his relationship with other high school students is rather well brought and worked. Alas, we feel a slight distance between everyone, unlike the anime version that exploits more the emotional side.

Another performer, just as eagerly awaited: Hishiro, whose importance is not the least. The young woman offers us a heroine, at once shy, awkward and funnily bewitching. She forms with Arata a beautiful couple, although the relationship goes too fast for our taste.

On the matchmaker side, Ryo's role is quite similar to that of his 2D model. However, it lacks the grain of madness of the character and his freshness, totally hidden. Moreover, the duo formed with An is non-existent, in addition to not being involved enough with Arata. Moreover, An is relegated to the rank of extra of this film. As for the rest of the secondary protagonists, the Oga/Kariu couple is the one who changes the least, whether it is their friendship or their discomfort with their mutual feelings. Too bad that Kariu's friends playing at the volleyball club are not present.

Science to overcome failure

School-type adaptations are very numerous and it is not always easy to make a choice.

The feature film is pleasant, taking up the school atmosphere, the questions of the high school students and the hero through the key scenes of the work.

There are a lot of similarities between the versions, but we also see that some liberties have been taken in the plot, focusing more on Arata. Some are less consistent or less emphasized than others. Overall, the film serves its purpose by entertaining us and making us think about the progress of science. The realization is correct, but the musical soundtrack does not score more than that. 

Finally, there is clearly something missing that prevented us from fully entering it. The plot is a bit too fast when it comes to the conclusion of the experiment, the company Relife has not been developed at all. Not to mention that we remained perplexed about the use of the drug, relegated to the rank of accessory and pretext for history. shame!

ReLIFE's LIVE movie is a pleasant surprise, offering us a familiar narrative, but more focused on the relationship between Arata and Hishiro. The world of work in Japan is portrayed with seriousness, without forgetting a welcome touch of fantasy.

ReLIFE trailer: