Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald

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徹郎 青 Watching "Welcome back, Mr. McDonald" again since I saw it first in the late 90's, felt so nostalgic in the days of 80's and 90's when free of compliance. No doubt, this is the debut but the best of all Mitani's films. Why? Because the screenplay was inspired by the wrath driven from the experience that happened in his TV drama production at Fuji television. His original touch with comedy in his script was totally denied and was forced to be changed with a serious tone. The industry of television, particularly in the Fuji group, has been controlled and dominated by the opinion of actors and sponsors, not creators. This was his ironical revenge against the drama creating field. Hattori's music was put to enhance the course of the story, as Mitani's finale always reminds me of "Die Hard" or good old days of Hollywood movies , happily ever after with jazzy music like Sinatra's standard. So why are his recent works so crap? Mitani who now became a renowned scenario writer should be exposed to and needs severe criticism even obviously. The wrong convention of the industry has flattered him overly and marred his aggressiveness. He is destined to stand against adversity. Such an environment would let him re-born. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/24/25 Full Review Audience Member A very good comedy with a continuous series of comic setbacks that make this a superior film. Have seen films like this elsewhere, but this tops the lot. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A meta-flick about the art of storytelling, the production creative process in media industry... And the infinite ways they intertwine, mix and disturb one another, but all ends well, despite chances. Sweet without covering of candy reality, a great slice of life comedy aptly coming from the land of Seyuu. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member หà¸(TM)ัà¸à¸?ีà¹à¸>ุà¹à¸(TM)อารมà¸"à¹à¸"ีà¸-ีà¹à¹?à¸-à¸à¸à¸°à¸«à¸±à¸§à¹à¸£à¸²à¸°à¸>à¸(TM)à¸?ัà¸à¸à¸§à¸²à¸¡à¸<าà¸à¸<ึà¹à¸à¹à¸>à¸-ัà¹à¸à¹à¸£à¸·à¹à¸­à¸à¹à¸¥à¸¢ อยาà¸?à¸à¸¡à¸à¸²à¸?à¹à¸à¸à¸£à¸´à¸à¸à¸(TM)à¹à¸,ียà¸(TM)à¸à¸-à¹à¸£à¸·à¹à¸­à¸à¸(TM)ีà¹à¹,à¸à¸à¸£à¸ªà¸¸à¸"ยอà¸"à¹à¸¥à¸¢ à¸-à¹à¸²à¹à¸à¸£à¸à¸­à¸à¹à¸?ีà¹à¸¢à¸§à¸?ัà¸à¸?ารà¸-ำละà¸à¸£à¸§à¸´à¸-ยุ à¸à¸­à¸à¹à¸,ียà¸(TM)à¸à¸- หรือà¸-ำà¸à¸²à¸(TM)อยูà¹à¹à¸(TM)วà¸à¸?ารวิà¸-ยุà¹?ละà¹,à¸-รà¸-ัศà¸(TM)๠หà¸(TM)ัà¸à¹à¸£à¸·à¹à¸­à¸à¸(TM)ีà¹à¸à¸à¸à¸°à¸-ูà¸?à¹à¸à¹à¸>à¹à¸(TM)à¸-ีà¹à¸ªà¸¸à¸"à¹à¸¥à¸¢à¸¥à¹à¸° Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member All Is Fair in Love and Radio Station In a recording studio of a Tokyo radio station at midnight, just an hour before the live airing of a drama, shy housewife Miyako Suzuki (Kyoka Suzuki) finds herself in panic when her first autobiographical script is demanded to be rewritten by an egocentric radio drama star, Nokko (Keio Toda.) Nokko demands the character's name changed from Rituko to Mary Jane, consequently changing her background from a housewife to a gang specialist lawyer and moving the setting from a Japanese fishermen town to a courthouse in Chicago. One change leads to another. A story of a plain Japanese suburbia housewife's melodramatic love affair with a fisherman is rewritten to be a romantic spectacle between a beautiful lawyer and a handsome astronaut. Later, the series of changes writes the spaceman, Mr. McDonald out of the script. The recording room is chaotic as a chain of changes are being made during the airing. Miyako, tired of getting pushed around by egocentric actors, director, and producer, locks everyone out of and herself in the recording studio demanding a happily ever after ending. The tension amounts on the set, and everyone is put to challenge to bring Mr. McDonalds to the story. Rajio No Jikan brings the best of the screenplay writer/ director Koki Mitani's screenplay and casting. While Mitani's other sitcom screenplays are set in much out-of the-daily-life locations and mildly entertaining, it works best in the setting of a small recording studio, bringing closer attention to the dialogs and characters' dilemma. The script is so well-written that it almost seems re-makeable; however, Mitani's brilliant casting makes the film extraordinarily humorous. The equally talented and highly skilled actors are carefully chosen, and they work as an orchestra without one actor stealing the camera with great presence. This cheerfully optimistic movie is entertaining and ideally suitable for families with young adults. Though egotistical, likable characters getting around restrictions on the changed script is guaranteed to keep you laughing throughout the film. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member After searching for this film for years, I finally got to watch it and glad I did. The interactions between studio staff based on the work and social hierarchy was fun to watch although at times for obvious reasons, distressing. As the film winds up though sabotage is sabotaged. Great ending! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald

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