Song Soul(Uta no Tamashii), Japanese Movie

This review is about the Japanese movie "Uta no Tamashii" (Song Soul). It seems to be a film with little information available, and it hasn't been released in Korea. I happened to come across this movie, and I found it quite enjoyable. I particularly liked the final choir scene, and I often find myself going back to watch it.

Poster : Song Soul

The Beginning of the Movie: A Girl Who Loved Singing and Herself

The movie is set in a Japanese high school. Kazumi, a member of the school's choir club, is a confident student who takes pride in her singing skills, often becoming arrogant. Because of her overconfidence, she tends to stand out when singing with other choir members. She likes a boy named Makimura, who enjoys taking photos and works on the school's newspaper.

One day, Kazumi asks Makimura to take a picture of her singing, and he gladly agrees. Around this time, a new teacher is temporarily assigned to the choir club. The choir, under the guidance of the new teacher, performs in front of the entire school for the first time. Makimura captures Kazumi's performance in a photograph, which is later published in the school newspaper. However, her classmates tease her, saying she looks like a salmon spawning in the picture. Feeling embarrassed and thinking that Makimura deliberately published the unflattering photo, Kazumi becomes disappointed and angry with him. She begins to feel ashamed of her singing. Losing confidence, she decides to quit the choir club. However, with the choir competition approaching, the club cannot afford to lose its key member. So, Kazumi agrees to stay in the choir until the competition. 

When the regional choir competition begins, Kazumi is still struggling with her lack of confidence, and her performance falters. Afterward, she ends up in a big fight with her close friends and quits the choir club on her own terms.

Meanwhile, other high school students, who seem rebellious but are serious about singing, participate in the same competition and receive praise from many people. The leader of this choir, Kondo, criticizes Kazumi, saying her singing lacks spirit, and declares that his choir will defeat her school’s traditionally strong choir at the Hokkaido choir competition. They talk about how they got into choir singing and Kazumi's recent disillusionment with her own singing. They part ways after agreeing to give their best in the upcoming competition.

 

Loving Singing, and Finding Herself

Kazumi, reflecting on her actions, decides to return to the choir club. However, her best friend, who is also the choir president, tells her that she cannot be accepted back so easily after quitting without notice. Instead, she must start as a piano score assistant. Kazumi readily accepts the condition. Now genuinely in love with singing, she does not mind doing such work as long as she can sing again. She does well as a score assistant, mending her relationships with the choir members and preparing diligently for the choir competition.

Finally, Kazumi returns to her original place in the choir and participates in the competition. She sings in harmony with others, not standing out, with a pure love for singing. Kondo's choir, which had faced its own challenges, also participates in the competition thanks to Kazumi's advice.

Movie Review

The film feels like a coming-of-age drama about a Japanese high school student. The protagonist, Kazumi, experiences disappointment in herself and conflicts with her friends, but she resolves these issues and returns to her pure, original self who truly loves singing. Throughout the movie, the songs performed by Kazumi's choir and Kondo's choir provide enjoyable moments, and the final scene where both participants and the audience sing together is very touching. Although it may not be easy to find this movie in Korea, it's worth watching for those who love music and singing. I personally revisit the final scene from time to time.