A blind girl, stolen money, and friendship's breaking point — 1970s Japanese melodrama hits different.
A sentimental drama about aspiring artist, Eiji, who rescues a blind girl. His friends Goro and Minoru and the blind girl's sister Kazue are a happy group until Goro steals money from Kazue's purse. Goro is arrested and his friends start bothering Eiji. To escape their harassment he changes jobs. But then he becomes the victim of an unexpected accident.
Acting
Kensaku Morita's quietly devastating performance as Eiji.
Direction
Ichimura's restrained hand lets emotional beats land without manipulation.
Director
Hirokazu Ichimura
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This film reflects 1970s Japan's complicated attitudes toward disability, where blind characters often served as moral tests for sighted protagonists rather than fully realized individuals.
Kensaku Morita was primarily a singer-idol at this point; this rare dramatic role showed his range before he became a governor decades later.
JP
