Insomniacs After School (2024) Movie Review – Japan’s Answer To Your Favorite YA Novel
With a beautiful and balanced bond formed at the heart of the film, “Insomniacs After School” has less to deal with sleeping issues and more about reasons to be awake.
[Unless Said Otherwise] Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Plot Summary
Two teenaged insomniacs, struggling with different fears, discover one another in their school’s observatory. Isaki has long used the room to take naps when she could and has even spread a rumor that the place is haunted to avoid being disturbed. Nakami, however, pushed to go for an alleged step ladder, discovers a place and a person who can allow him peace.
So when both are caught leaving the observatory by a teacher and their sanctum threatened, they decide to restart the Astronomy club to protect their safe space and the origin of their relationship.
Other Noteworthy Information
- There is a post-credit scene.
Character Guide
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Isaki | Nana Mori |
| Nakami | Daiken Okudaira |
Character Description(s)
Isaki
The youngest of two girls in her family, Isaki is extroverted, energetic, and may not be on a sports team, but she is everyone’s biggest cheerleader – even when she doesn’t get the sleep she desperately needs to keep that up.
Nakami
Since his mom left, Nakami has learned to care for himself. His father doesn’t speak to him much, he doesn’t have any additional adults looking after him, and while he does have a friend at school, because Nakami finds it hard to sleep, most see him as mean and unapproachable.
Review
Good If You Like
- A social outcast forming a relationship with a social butterfly
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Highlights
The Chemistry Between Leads
Admittedly, what is delivered between Nakami and Isaki is what we often see in terms of a guy who doesn’t have the best social skills, attitude, or reputation finding a girl like Isaki, who is a ball of sunshine who is willing and ready to lighten up the male lead’s world. Sometimes, this relationship is frustrating since it seems the guy is the only one who benefits, and he leaves the woman in the dust when it is time for reciprocity; that isn’t the case with “Insomniacs After School.”
From the beginning, Isaki and Nakami are clearly partners. The film handles that by allowing them to have a common goal but not isolated from friends or family. Yes, Nakami has one friend, and his relationship with his dad is minimal, but that’s not the case with Isaki. She has multiple friends, a notable relationship with her older sister, parents, and even with the mother of a childhood friend.
Yet, even with all these people, you can see an organic relationship develop between her and Nakami. It is not one that presents a 180-degree turn for Nakami, but it seems to open up the person he already was. For a lack of a better way to put it, even though both Isaki and Nakami both feel like burdens or trouble to their families, they don’t find that pressure to be less or be more for each other. They can simply exist in their natural state.
In the case of Nakami, he can be creative, talk to people, and know joy. For Isaki? She can be weird and not feel too much or be pitied due to things she is going through. Because of this combination, it makes every reveal of their lives a gift to know, if not worrisome, due to how many films like this often end.
On The Fence
The Development Of Supporting Characters
While we get to know Isaki’s friends and family and are aware Nakami has a friend and a dad, we do not see that they are created or developed equally. Nakami’s one friend may have his name said once or twice, and who he is outside of Nakami’s childhood friend is for anyone to guess. His dad? It’s clear that Nakami’s mom leaving had a notable effect on both, but there are massively missing details not touched upon. Mainly giving the audience an idea of why she left or who she was beyond a mother and a wife.
On the other hand, Isaki’s friends and family, while you may not know the name of anyone but her sister, most at least have an identifiable trait. One of Isaki’s friends is an artist who does the poster for an Astronomy Club event, another is bossy, and the last one is sporty. Isaki’s older sister? She is in college, likes to drink, has a boyfriend, and deeply cares about her sister, so even knowing what she knows, she will still fight and bicker with her, as siblings do.
Altogether, the mix-and-match levels of investment given to characters and the push for you to take note of anything is inconsistent to the point of being a bit frustrating, but this is based on a manga that could fill in the blanks.
Background Information
| Director(s) | Chihiro Ikeda |
| Writer(s) | Chihiro Ikeda, Izumi Takahashi |
| Based On Work By | Makoto Ojiro |
| Date Released | March 10, 2024 |
| Where To Watch | Film Festival – New York International Children’s Film Festival |
| Genre(s) | Comedy
Non-English (Japanese) |
| Film Length | 1 Hour 52 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Not Rated |
| Content Information | Dialog: N/A
Violence: N/A Sexual Content: N/A Miscellaneous: Drinking |
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