Ringside Story

The spirit of our youth that trusts in our self-value and dream seems to turn into hopeless and irresponsible folly as we grow older if we don't find success. This movie teaches us how to embrace our failures. The scenes and soundtrack showing the process of a wrestler preparing for his matches depicts the world as pure enthusiasm builds through wrestling. The innocent image of a wrestler fearlessly puts the notion of "winner take all" in the shade. Kanako's regular smile while working as staff will be the same one she reveals when she notices Hideo. Feeling euphoria in the world of dreamers is a family trait Kanako inherited from her mother. We should not give up our dreams, because dreams aged with time glisten through the attitudes toward victory or defeat not the victory or defeat itself. The arcade Kanako's mom works in is not as proper as before, but other storekeepers try to ignore the eviction request. This movie embraces dreams and time beyond the wrestling ring, beyond the matter of winning or losing. (Busan International Film Festival)