The story begins with a splash. Sakuko, who is part of the art club in her town by the sea, falls into water as he draws a boat. The entire act is captured by another member, Saibara, who had already started drawing her from some distance away across the pier thus developing an award winning painting that will be exhibited in school for good. Unfortunately for Sakuko, she does not take it well because both she never asked for it and it brings unwanted attention towards her.” The tension between them escalates even more when Saibara informs her that she wants to also paint a portrait of Sakuko; while eventually causes Sakuko to quit painting altogether and mostly start creating “craft” out of recyclable materials instead. However, finally due to persuasion from her “rival”, these two girls come closer together at last and find someone they can trust with their secrets something they both have always wanted from outset.
Even after all the distances covered to get there, Nozomi Asao still manages to direct a movie which depicts how art can be useful in communication especially for people who face difficulty communicating. In addition, she takes it through a coming of age path that reveals what teenagers are faced with, where the central issues involve Sakuko’s inability to adjust into her new life with her pregnant step-mom and Saibara’s deep introversion. This proves both entertaining and realistic particularly when considering the way two leads’ disappointments emerge on screen; one by building a boat while Saibara looks for someone he could connect with among the few persons she finds solace in but using an absurd mannerism as his muse.
These two girls’ performance is what makes this film stand out. Kiku Uehara acts as Sakuko while Mimori Wakasugi plays Saibara; they exhibit their common frustrations and show how their relationship between each other changes them in such a naturalistic yet enjoyable manner at the same time. Yohta Kawase appears as Sakuko’s father just like always and this movie is no exception.
The visuals presented by the seaside area and the school are almost idyllic in presentation. However, there is one series of images that stand out, those where Sakuko is building her boat, and especially when she rips apart electronic gadgets to do so. The final result is probably the most unforgettable moment of the film in terms of its visual impact at least. The editing as expected, leads to a relatively slow pace which again is appropriate while in combination with the subdued music; Asao adds a twist to it that really fits into the narrative.
Nothing wrong with “A Muse Never Drowns” perhaps except for maybe furthering on their relationship but then a change of mind from director on how far they should go with their friendship between these two girls. Still nothing spectacular either and this film ends up among many others done before only targeting fans of that particular genre or theme.
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