Disliked the characters, but liked that fact I did.

Rating: 6/10 (26 May 2004)

I recently saw this film. I had wanted to see it for awhile, particularly because I had lived in Japan. I found the characters fairly unlikeable, but that realism made the story more endearing and interesting. As an American who blends well into Japan, I have grown to dislike Americans who behave in the manner that the main characters did. I'm glad it didn't have a Hollywood ending, and I'm glad it wasn't a sleazy romance. The characters were both flawed, fairly mean and annoying--but that was a good thing about the movie.
I also feel that the movie relies too much on setting, without the "weird" world of Japan the story would be pretty boring (unless moved to another exotic locale.) That being said, I've never seen a more accurate representation of Japan in my life...it made me feel nostalgic, though I did not find it funny (least of all, I did not find mocking accents funny when Charlotte and Bob insist on speaking in English to everyone.)