Bean Cakes
This film was pretty cute, even though it wasn’t my favorite. The first thing I noticed when I watched it was the old timey feel of it. Its in black and white and the film quality isn’t that great. And then there’s the kids singing in the background, which reminded me of the Empire of the Sun for some reason, so that put me in the old timey feeling as well.
When the boy first appears on the screen, I felt bad for him because he looked so bored. And then his mother put a plate of bean cakes in front of him and his whole face literally lit up. That was so cute. Like, he really loves those bean cakes. But then he has to learn the harsh reality - there is more to life than bean cakes. This boy lives in society where the Emperor is supposed to be supreme, but he doesn’t know that. He just knows that his one delight in life is his mom’s red bean cakes. I don’t necessarily being stubborn, I think he was just trying to hold on to the bits of life that made sense in a clearly stressful environment. I mean, he transfers in what appears to be the middle of the year, he doesn’t have his uniform yet, the other kids make fun of him, and the teacher is calling him out as well. I can clearly see how anyone would long for the comfort of their favorite treat when everything around them seems so harsh. Now he has to learn how his bean cakes fit in with the Emperor. And at the end of the film, he has to learn how his bean cakes fit in with the world of girls. He must adapt. I do think it was adorable to see him eating with the girl at the end. So cute!
