Watched this over the course of a few evenings. Was curious because I wanted to watch Living at some point. Fascinated by some of the decisions here—from the way the movie is structured (the narration, the shift into flashback storytelling after Watanabe dies) to the really creepy and depressing last scene between Watanabe and Odagiri. I’m not sure I really liked it—it feels blunt in a way that feels typical for this era (the comparisons to It’s a Wonderful Life make sense) but I do appreciate the push and pull between hope and cynicism.