Scene with the older man *spoilers)

The ballet scene was breathtaking, but I also loved the scene with her father.

Is it too obvious for me to say that I thought it was compensated dating? I was caught by the subtlety, mystery and tension of the scene. By the end I was quite confused.

It was so elegant the way Iwai handled the train segment at the end. It's striking how her father doesn't say wo ai nee back to her, but instead tells her how to say goodbye in Chinese. The way you say it in Chinese translates as "see you again." The look he gives her at that point is that of a successful man dismarmed by the love of a teenager. I'm guessing that we saw the performance of an experienced actor directed with the deft hand of Iwai. Father and daughter feel like real people. You forget that you are watching a film.

So dad and daughter see each other infrequently. There is discomfort in their relationship. They each find ways to open up to the other. As much of a faun as Arisu is, she is the powerful one. At the end of the scene I found myself wishing with all my heart that they will see each other very soon, and more frequently. Maybe it's just that I'm a dad of teenagers.

Feedback?

If I remember correctly, in the making of feature, Yu Aoi said that this was her favorite scene.