29-05-2025
‘I Have a S/e/c/r/e/t' gives teen angst a whimsical twist
Teenagers have secrets and, in Japanese films, the biggest is often a crush on a fellow student. That is the plot driver in Shun Nakagawa's aptly titled 'I Have a S/e/c/r/e/t,' but this sweet-spirited ensemble drama, based on a novel by Yoru Sumino, also reveals deeper truths about the inner lives of its five main characters, expressed with touches of delightfully whimsical fantasy.
Though the film's central storyline is relatable to anyone who has suffered the agonies of adolescent romance, its main quintet are all unique individuals with hidden facets, not stock characters.
The first that we meet is Kyo (Daiken Okudaira), a considerate kid who is attracted to the popular, effervescent Naoko Miki (Natsuki Deguchi) aka 'Mickey,' but tells himself he is fine just being her classmate. He has, however, a power that sets him apart: He can see what others are thinking, in the form of digitally generated question marks that appear above their heads when they are puzzled, exclamation points when they are excited and so on.
In fact, each member of the quintet possesses a power that enables them to pierce people's facades. This psychic edge doesn't make them invulnerable, though. They all have typical teenage worries and anxieties that they try hard to conceal.
That includes Mickey, who can tell if others are pleased when a gold bar hovering in front of their heart tilts to the right, or displeased when it tilts to the left. (If they are in a tizzy, the bar spins.) But beneath her bubbly public persona is a confused girl who sees everyone else deciding their futures post-graduation and has no idea what to do with her own. 'I want to be a hero,' she tells a nonplussed teacher. 'Not a heroine, a hero.'
In her circle is Kyo's best buddy, Hirofumi (Masaya Sano), aka 'Zuka,' who is so cool on the surface yet so insecure underneath, as well as Mickey's pals Aya (Hinako Kikuchi), aka 'Para,' the girl boss of the class who isn't as confident as she seems, and Noe (Ikoi Hayase) aka 'Elle,' a shy girl who stops going to school for two months because she thought Kyo had taken a dislike to her. (It eventually comes to light that it was all a misunderstanding, which Elle learns to her immense relief.)
The film unfolds in five chapters, each devoted to one of the quintet, from their sophomore to senior years. The deftly structured script by Nakagawa follows the usual flow of high school life, minus anything resembling melodrama.
For example, Para scripts and directs a play for the school drama festival starring Mickey as a costumed hero straight out of a tokusatsu (special effects) TV show, which is a dream come true for Mickey until she forgets her final speech — but is saved by Para's brilliant adlibbing.
There is also a school trip, during which momentous secrets, most importantly Kyo's feelings for Mickey, start to spill out. (We also learn how Mickey came to supply all her friends except Kyo with an odd, if somehow fitting, nickname.)
Despite its standard plot tropes, the film creates a supportive atmosphere in which Kyo, Mickey and the others bond and grow, secure in the knowledge that someone will lend an ear and have their back.
Too good to be true? Perhaps for many, but the imaginatively told and emotionally resonant 'I Have a S/e/c/r/e/t' made me want to believe in its warm, private world.
