Japan
2023 128 mins
OV Japanese
Subtitles : English
With his distinctive head of luscious curls, college student Totonou Kuno always stands out in a crowd, though he probably wishes he didn’t. A loner at heart, he is considered strange and overly talkative, but his mind is sharp as a knife and his observation skills, unparalleled. Which is why, while on a trip to Hiroshima, he doesn’t take long to notice the girl who’s been following him all day… but can’t hide his bewilderment when Shioji finally reveals her intentions: “Do you want a job? Money and lives are at stake,” she says. Intrigued, Totonou is then swept into a complicated family mystery involving the inheritance of her late grandfather, who left behind a riddle for his heirs to solve. For generations, the reputable Kariatsumari clan has repeatedly feuded over the estate; some members—including Shioji’s father—even dying in odd circumstances. Could this be her fate, too?
Based on an award-winning manga by Yumi Tamura, one of Japan’s most celebrated shojo artists and creator of the popular Basara and 7 Seeds franchises, DON’T CALL IT MYSTERY was first adapted into a 13-episode television drama in 2022. Praised for its exciting twists, endearing cast of characters, and bingeable quality, the show attracted a slew of new enthusiasts around the world, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce Fantasia audiences to the many charms of Totonou’s universe with a full feature film! Bringing back the series’ director Hiroaki Matsuyama and beloved star Masaki Suda, who recently voiced the titular Grey Heron in Miyazaki’s Oscar-winning THE BOY AND THE HERON, this stand-alone instalment is a compelling whodunit that promises to please fans of quirky detectives à la Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot or Benoit Blanc. See if you can solve this enigma before the credits start rolling! – Alyssia Duval-Nguon