There's this notion that we get more cynical as we get older, as the idealism of youth gets replaced with the cold truths of living life. In Takeshi Furusawa's adaptation of ReLife, originally a digital comic series by Yayoiso, we see a cinematic exploration of this notion and a search for balance between cynicism and idealism. In the end, idealism may not be as tightly bound to youth as one may think, but it's something that tends to get lost in favor of more pragmatic ideals.
Arata Kanzaki (Taishi Nakagawa) is a 27 year old man who works part time in a convenience store. He quit his corporate job because of a series of tragic events. He lives a lie when with friends, pretending to still be a salaryman, unable to let go of that life. Suddenly, a mysterious man named Ryo Yoake (Chiba Yudai) appears before him with a proposition: partake in our experiment, and your financial problems will be taken care of. The catch: he must take a pill which will turn him 10 years younger, and he must spend a year living as a senior high school student.
Kanzaki then decides to go with it, meeting different friends along the way. The most prominent of these new friends is Chizuru Hishiro (Yuna Taira), a social butterfly whose only wish is to make new friends. Taira and Nakagawa are both adept in their roles, and the two have chemistry together. Throughout the year, Kanzaki helps his friends overcome their own personal problems, ultimately helping fix his own life in the process.
I have only the slightest familiarity with the source material, but thanks to watching this movie, I've binged the comics and started watching the anime. The film understandably compresses several plots and storylines for the sake of length, often removing or outright changing the characterizations of some of the supporting cast. But, don't worry, this is a film that can stand on its own.
ReLife makes a strong case for living life freely and savoring the moment with the people most important to you. It also tackles the idea of memory - Kanzaki finds out that when the experiment is finished, his classmates will forget he ever existed - and how it shapes us as people. It stresses the impact we can have on other people over the simplest things, with Kanzaki's actions leading to some of the film's most moving scenes. It's a love letter to the heady days of youth when we all thought we could do anything in the world. But the film also recognizes that youth doesn't last, and that idealism can get you only so far.
The film takes a sudden (but not totally unexpected) turn in the last act that puts a lot of things in a new light, and ends with Kanzaki finding the balance between idealism and cynicism that he needs and a true purpose in life. It's a bit different compared to the original comic ending, so even fans will be in the dark as to what happens.
Whether as an adaptation or as a standalone film, ReLife does its job. It's a relatively entertaining film with a positive message.
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