"Don't Push Yourself Too Hard" ◆ We All Need Gentle Moments

Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition – June 23, 2006

Let’s take a break from older films and look at a more recent release. This time, I’d like to introduce the Shochiku film Yawarakai Seikatsu (It’s Only Talk).

The protagonist, Yuko (played by Shinobu Terajima), has been forging ahead on a high-powered career path. But after the sudden deaths of her parents and her best friend, she falls into shock and is diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder—commonly known as manic-depressive illness—causes a person to alternate between manic and depressive states. For Yuko, the days pass in a blur of medication and hiding under the covers. But when people experience pain and vulnerability, it’s not uncommon for them to discover new aspects of themselves. For Yuko, beginning a new life in Kamata, a working-class neighborhood in Tokyo, leads to a series of “gentle relationships” with different men.

There’s Yasuda (Satoshi Tsumabuki), a depressed yakuza, with whom she shares easygoing conversations in a small bar. Even when she learns that the architect she met through a dating site (Tomorowo Taguchi) is a groper, she’s still drawn to his kindness. When she tries to rekindle things with an old flame she happens to run into, she learns that he too is battling mental illness. Her cousin Shoichi (Etsushi Toyokawa), though often caught up in Yuko’s ups and downs, cares for her with dedication, creating another quietly enjoyable relationship.

The men Yuko would have dismissed during her career-focused years are now entering her life in soft, unhurried ways. Time begins to flow gently, and in that space, the characters gradually begin to change. The film invites us to reflect on what truly matters in life—what we might call “precious time.” Its depiction of romantic relationships brings to mind French cinema, and I found in it a fresh possibility for Japanese film.

Currently, one in every 200 workers in Japan is on leave due to depression. In Yuko’s case, her condition was triggered by loss, but her relentless pursuit of career success undoubtedly played a role. When you’re running full-speed all the time, the damage can be severe—and suicide can become a real danger.

To those who throw themselves into work, and to employers who impose long hours and high-pressure workloads: perhaps it’s time to pause and reflect. What about embracing a slower pace—a “gentler, softer time”?