I’ll start by saying that if you haven’t watched the anime movie Kimi no suizou wo tabetai (which literally means “I want to eat your pancreas”), you need to see it! And there will be spoilers here, so I recommend that if you haven’t watched it yet, you do so as soon as possible.
This is a movie that if you read a summary and an article like this, the experience of watching it will be greatly affected, so we do not recommend reading before watching.
Kimi no suizou wo tabetai is a Japanese film released in September 2018, with the main voice actors being Mashiro Takasugi as the protagonist and Lynn as Sakura Yamuchi. The production is by Studio VOLN. The director and screenwriter is Shin’ichirō Ushijima.
When you hear the title, it’s hard not to find it strange for a romance movie, but trust me, it’s not in the literal sense, but in a poetic sense that only makes sense after you watch it. Let’s enter the world of Kimi no suizou wo tabetai now.
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From work to film
Kimi no suizou wo tabetai is the original name of the novel work by Sumino Yoru. This work was highly acclaimed by the Japanese public and became so popular that it was adapted into an anime film.
In addition to the life in theaters, the work from the publisher Futabasha also had a manga. Published in August 2016 and May 2017, the manga had two volumes and ten chapters.
The work of Sumino Yoru began to be published by Futabasha in June 2015, in a single volume. Both this volume and other related books have sold over 2 million copies.
In the original story of Kimi no suizou wo tabetai, there are more details that the film couldn’t convey in one hour and forty-nine minutes of duration.
The story tells the life of a student whose diary was found by a classmate while they were in the hospital, and upon reading it, he discovers that she has a terminal illness in her pancreas.
Later, she tells him details about her illness and asks for help to achieve all the goals on her list before her death. However, they are quite opposite in terms of personality. She is very cheerful, spontaneous, and charismatic. He is reserved, friendless, and hides his feelings.
Twelve years later, this student, who completely changes his personality thanks to his sick classmate, ends up becoming a teacher at the old school and remembers all the moments they spent together.
Anime film of Kimi no suizou wo tabetai
The film Kimi no suizou wo tabetai is very good, even though the title is not that catchy, it’s actually quite curious. But for those who enjoy a romance mixed with drama, you’re on the right track.
The film is narrated by the main character and it seems like one of those cliché stories with a predictable ending, especially since from the beginning we already know about Sakura’s terminal illness.
The film starts with scenes of a funeral and the protagonist narrating that day. It shows that the last message he sent to Sakura was “I want to eat your pancreas,” but he doesn’t know if she died before reading that message.
Upon learning of her terminal illness, Sakura began writing a diary that would be like a book called “Living with Death,” and when the character found it, it was because it looked very much like a book, and he loved to read.
Sakura then chooses him to do everything she wanted before dying, like bowling, eating various types of food, traveling, and more. He was the only one, besides Sakura’s family, who knew about her illness.
Even though they are very different from each other, Sakura always encouraged her new friend to make friends, talk, and be nicer to people, and over time he improved in that.
Until one day she spends two weeks in the hospital because her test results are not good. And the friend realizes that he likes her more than just a friend because he never imagined he would worry so much.
After leaving the hospital, he arranges to meet her at one of the first restaurants they went to when they started their journey together. She confirms she will go, and the last message he sends her is “I want to eat your pancreas.”
This phrase from Kimi no suizou wo tabetai that Sakura says, upon researching, she discovered a religion that believed that if someone eats you, you will live inside that person. And the reference to the pancreas is because that would be the illness that would kill her.
By saying this, the character showed that he cared a lot about her and that he was willing to be with her until her last day on earth, but that she would live on in his heart forever.
But something strange happened… Sakura did not show up for the meeting, and he went home upset. That night while eating, the TV was on and announced that a seventeen-year-old girl had been murdered with a stab to the chest. It was Sakura!
This part was certainly the most disturbing of the film because everyone imagines her death from the illness, but she died before and it does not reveal who the murderer could have been. I believe it could have been her ex-boyfriend because he was not happy at all with her new friend and had even assaulted him out of jealousy.
The boy suffers from his loss and receives “Living with Death” from her mother. Sakura had already told her mother to do this as soon as she died. And she also left him a letter.
The character’s name is only revealed at the end of the film as Haruki, which means “cherry blossom tree.” He said he didn’t like to say or know the name to avoid creating bonds with the person.
Elements of Japanese culture
Kimi no suizou wo tabetai is a film that brings many aspects of Japanese culture for us to better understand, such as the importance of names and their meanings. Sakura means “cherry blossom,” and Haruki means “spring tree,” and the two names are related.
It also shows Japanese foods, styles of school uniforms, Japanese restaurants, and more. It even shows religious aspects, such as the type of funeral (osoushiki) that was held for Sakura, probably following Buddhist traditions.
Even after days have passed, the photo remains on the butsudan so that the family can pray for the deceased. When visiting a Buddhist family, the same should be done, and a bow should be made to those who have departed.
This film teaches us in various ways, both in terms of culture and human feelings, to face death with normality and to deal with repressed feelings! What did you like or dislike the most about the film Kimi no suizou wo tabetai?
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