The j-drama film Go Away, Ultramarine is a bit of a head-scratcher; I watched it because it was labeled sci-fi when in reality it's something like a modern fantasy and a head trip got together for a fling and had a love child.
The basic premise: People abandoned by lovers or companies end up on a beautiful but mysterious island where they are looked after by caretakers and live a seemingly idyllic life. They can't remember certain things, they have to follow certain rules, and they can't leave the island until they remember what they've lost.
The story centers on the island's high school and a handful of students reacting to the female lead Yuu Manabe (Marie Iitoyo) a newly-arrived girl who is mouthy and only wants to leave the island. The male lead, Nanakusa (Ryusei Yokohama) knew and was possibly involved with the new girl before he came to the island. Both characters are a little confusing, and their connection to each other even more so, but as they do a little light detective work on the island's set up and some secondary characters you start to figure out they had feelings for each other.
After watching a few Japanese movies like this one I'm starting to see the whole genre a bit differently -- they're a lot like French art films, only a little weirder. The title of this movie makes no sense; I think someone picked the word ultramarine because they thought it was pretty. At some points during the film I was intrigued, at others I felt like I was being lectured. The ending didn't really end the story but looped it back on itself, which I (reluctantly) thought was clever. After watching it I thought I might understand it better if I was Japanese, but despite my cultural misfitness it wasn't a total waste of time. Available to watch on Viki.com.
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