Is Fantastic Girls Worth Watching? Honest Movie Review & Audience Verdict (2015)

📖 The Core Premise

Fantastic Girls returns to the screen in 2015, bringing a fresh narrative to the Comedy, Drama genre. At its heart, the film explores complex themes wrapped in a compelling storyline. As the plot unfolds, we see characters navigating a world where stakes are high. "In 1980, Ayuko is a new transfer student in Okayama from Tokyo. She doesn't have any friends and relies on her boyfriend Hideo who is a college student. Ayuko likes to draw a romance manga of herself and her boyfriend. Ayuko's classmate, Takemi, becomes a huge fan of Ayuko's manga and they become close friends. Due to an incident though, they drift apart. 30 years later, Ayuko is now a manga artist and comes back to Okayama to give a lecture at her former high school. There, Ayuko meets Takemi who is now a teacher."

🎬 Performance & Direction

A movie's success often hinges on its execution. While not a career-best, Rika Adachi's presence adds a necessary stability to the proceedings. The direction aims to balance pacing with character development, a hallmark of good Comedy. While there are moments of brilliance, the pacing occasionally dips.

🤔 Why You Should Watch (or Skip)

Is Fantastic Girls worth your time? If you appreciate Comedy, Drama films that take risks, this is likely a decent one-time watch. However, if you are looking for a flawless masterpiece, you might find some plot points predictable.

🏆 Final Verdict

Ultimately, Fantastic Girls is a mixed bag with some redeeming qualities. With a runtime of 119 minutes, it asks for a significant time investment, but for the right audience, it pays off.

Our recommendation: Watch on OTT.