Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko

Original title:	Gyokō no Nikuko-chan
Director:	Ayumu Watanabe
Release:	Cinema
Running time:	120 minutes
Release date:	Not communicated
Rating:

Nikuko is a proud single mother, full of desire and joie de vivre - a true outrage to patriarchal culture! She likes to eat, to joke, and to have a weakness for men who are not always worth it. After tossing her daughter Kikurin around half her life, she settles in an idyllic little fishing village and finds a job in a traditional restaurant. Kikurin does not want to be like her mother and her relationship with Nikuko is not always easy. Until the day when a secret from the past resurfaces.

Mulder's Review

As part of the festival Animation is film we could discover the animated film Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko by Ayumu Watanabe (Doraemon: Nobita no kyôryû (2006), Doraemon: Nobita to midori no kyojinden (2008), Children of the Sea (Kaijû no kodomo) (2019)).

Lady Nikuko is a brash, jovial, passionate woman in a small coastal town in northern Japan. She is also the mother of 11-year-old Kikuko, who is her opposite in many ways. Kikuko is a thoughtful young woman, quietly curious and methodical in her approach to life in this sleepy port town. Nikuko embarrasses Kikuko as any mother of a pre-teen girl would, but Nikuko's bold spirit makes her known in the city at a time when Kikuko is trying to blend in. As Kikuko actively tries to avoid the social drama of middle school, she finds herself drawn to her mysterious classmate Ninomiya. What brings them together is the delicious and appetizing food at the restaurant where Nikuko works. As the two young people try to follow their own path in life, a shocking revelation will turn their relationship upside down.

Ayumu Watanabe's new film is the adaptation of Kanako Nishi's novel and is certainly another success for the animation studio Studio4ºC. Certainly the inspiration of this film seems to be very close to the one that gave Ghbli Studios its greatest successes. Not only does it show a superb animation, but above all, it shows a willingness to rely on a scenario with multiple twists and turns and to show the importance of a good diet, and this film makes you want to taste its dishes elaborated with the same care as this film. Far from wanting to compete with Disney and Pixar animation studios, Studio4ºC continues to intelligently examine the current way of life in Japan and especially life in small towns far from the hustle and bustle of Japan's large megacities. We feel a strong link between the director and his animation studio allowing him to give life to this universe without trying to impose a vision.

By its long duration (about two hours), Satomi Ooshima's script brings a great importance to Lady Nikuko whose story is followed at the beginning of the film and to her daughter who gradually becomes the main character. By presenting two different generations, Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is able to convey important ideas such as our relationship with nature, but also to show that animated films can be an excellent way of questioning us about our current society. The last act of Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko shows through a long flashback an important drama and its numerous repercussions on the two main characters. Certainly this film establishes Ayumu Watanabe as a brilliant director and his new film touches us, makes us laugh and celebrates family and life simply.

Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (Gyokō no Nikuko-chan)
Directed by Ayumu Watanabe
Written by Satomi Ooshima
Based on Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko by Kanako Nishi
Produced by Sanma Akashiya
Starring Shinobu Otake, Cocomi, Natsuki Hanae, Hiro Shimono
Music by Takatsugu Muramatsu
Production company : Studio 4°C
Distributed by Asmik Ace (Japan), Eurozoom (France)
Release date : June 11, 2021 (Japan), June 8, 2022 (France)
Running time : 120 minutes

seen on October 24, 2021 (Animation is Film festival)

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