Musuta Kusaka's Everyday Journey with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Japan

Just 15 minutes can make you this happy. ” Strange ” is that kind of short film.

Odeko-chan is unable to find anything she likes, so she doesn’t choose a club and goes to cram school. Kuma-san is a high school student and drag queen with a big appetite for the things she likes and even a dream.
The two meet, become friends, and go out. This is the story of one winter.

The film unfolds through the conversation between the two, carefully depicting the subtle changes. So there is no big turning point. And that’s what makes it good. It’s not love. It’s not admiration. It’s too faint to call it friendship, but they connect so well that it’s fate. I didn’t want such a delicate relationship to be ruined by a violent fate. The two who accidentally met seem to be having fun, and yet they are awkward in their own way and somehow fleeting. I wanted to admire them for a little longer, forever.

What made me feel that way was the beauty of each and every scene. When they pile up, another world that I wish existed somewhere emerges. The acting of the main character, Araki Hiba, made this possible. Was he acting haltingly or acting haltingly? Of course it was the former, but the sense of helplessness of Odeko-chan, who was unsure of himself, was expressed in every single one of his movements. In particular, the acting of his gaze was vivid.
When I see someone who is lost, I feel uneasy too. Watching the film, I remembered that feeling.

But at the same time, Odeko-chan is kind. Kind to Kuma-san. Even though he is feeling his way around himself, he does not hesitate to reach out his hand. The insecurity that comes with adolescence and the kindness that is hidden at the core come and go from moment to moment. It’s a difficult role. I felt a comfortable fluctuation in Araki Hiba, who was acting. Isn’t there a 1/f fluctuation in his very existence?

And of course there is the other main character, Dorian Lollobrigida. Yes! I’ve been waiting for this! An actor of great merit! His posture, his looks, his features, his voice, his singing. He as a man, and she as a queen. I am fascinated by him. I believe that unless an actor has the qualities of the original character and even more charm, they will not be able to leave an impression that surpasses the original. Naturally, acting ability is also required, and it may be especially difficult if the original is a manga. It will not be easy. But Dorian Lollobrigida easily surpasses that. I can’t imagine anyone else playing the role of Mr. Bear. It is unthinkable.

Presence. Beauty. Even in a long shot where he’s just walking in the distance, you can see the character walking. It’s a great picture. The curtain holds up. And that gravitational acting. Kuma-san is gorgeous and naive. Cute and ambitious. Smart and distorted. He has to play such a disco-ball-like personality as a one-liner personality. And as a charming person who can influence Odeko-chan’s growth. How can he express the loveliness of people to such an extent?

Dorian Lollobrigida’s acting career is still short. I think.
He said that the movie “Egoist” was his first challenge. That was in January 2023. Can you believe it? How much potential does he have buried in him? The world will surely not leave him alone. He is the first openly gay actor and actress in Japan to dominate both domestically and internationally. I hope he becomes known to the world soon.

And I think the presence of drag queens in this film was inevitable. I think the effect of adding depth to the story has been further enhanced in the film adaptation, not just in the original work.

Towards the end of the film, Odeko-chan tells his mother how he feels about a certain matter. This may not have been a scene in the original work. I hope you’ll watch the film to find out what he tells her, but the moment Odeko-chan takes a step towards becoming his own person is a major highlight.

The way he takes that step is so Odeko-chan. As we watch, we can’t help but smile at his determination and say, “That’s good, that’s good.”To be yourself, in your own way.
Drag queens are an art form that exaggerates and shakes up “ness” such as masculinity and femininity, asking, “What about you?” He too was shaken by the piece of work that is Kuma-san. What kind of being could be substituted there?

And one more thing. At night, Kuma-san always cries.
But on the day when the two smile at Odeko-chan’s growth, the meaning of the nights up until that point changes slightly. The young man becomes an adult through the magic of the night. In depicting the metamorphosis from sadness to brilliance, the ambiguity of drag queens seemed to resonate with the story.

Nights where you want to chat forever under the streetlights. Nights where you want to walk forever.
Watching the two of them makes you feel happy. It would be fun to have friends like this. They are probably living today the nights they wished they could have experienced someday.

“Strange” is a recommended movie for sleepless nights.