Singer and guitarist Miyavi (playing himself) travels back in time to his hometown, discovering the origins of his rise to fame. Living the rock-star life, hounded by screaming schoolgirls, Miyavi’s chauffeur-driven car passes through a tunnel, suddenly landing him in 1984. At first confused by the outdated style, Miyavi soon teams up with fello musician Shini (Hassei Takano), who allows him to stay at his place while they put together a band. Miyavi also meets Ryu (Ryota Matsushima), a young boy who dreams of playing soccer, bearing a striking similarity to Miyavi’s own life story.
Written by Dynamite Tommy (another musician), “Oresama” is a personal project of Miyavi, who stars as himself revisiting his childhood in Osaka. The film’s main failing is that it barely scratches the surface of Miyavi’s childhood, any personal struggles he may have encountered, or delves into the themes that are hinted at. The character of Ryu, who turns out to be Miyavi as a child, is the closest we come to some kind of emotional heart of the film, as Miyavi dreamt of being a footballer but was prevented from this career due to a childhood injury. The idea of these twists of fate is interesting, but we spend too little time with Ryu to fully appreciate this. Miyavi delivers a comic if one-note performance as the rock-star, swaggering in affected stylishness through scenes, fully embracing the ‘main character’ energy. It would be unfair to call “Oresama” an ego-trip on film, as there is an attempt at least to provide some story and message, but the film repeatedly misses the more interesting ideas in the background to focus on its stars somewhat banal philosophising.
“Oresama” will appeal to fans of Miyavi as the film is focussed so heavily on its protagonist, but even then we learn little of significant interest about his life. In attempting to bolster his reputation the film shies away from expressing any genuine vulnerabilities. Even in 1984, as a complete unknown, Miyavi manages to find a group of adoring individuals who believe he is the greatest musician, and most attractive person, they have ever seen. This unwillingness to strip himself of his current image denies the film any chance of exploring the idea of someone beginning again at the bottom, or how much he has had to sacrifice to make it to the top. At a little over one hour in length, “Oresama” is an entertaining diversion that squanders its premise.
