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| Otaku, Kabukicho, and a Hostess: Sugisaki Hana Leads Daigo Matsui’s Meets the World (Sponichi) |
Acclaimed actress Sugisaki Hana will take on the lead role in the upcoming film Meets the World, a poignant and visually arresting adaptation of Kanehara Hitomi’s award-winning novel.
The film, directed by Daigo Matsui and set for nationwide release in Japan on 24 October 2025, marks a significant new collaboration between two of Japan’s boldest voices in cinema and literature.
A Story of Isolation, Obsession, and Unexpected Connection
Meets the World follows the internal journey of Yukari, a 27-year-old office worker and devoted manga otaku who pours her heart into a niche series titled Meat is Mine—a personified barbecue manga that serves as her emotional anchor.
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However, while her friends gradually leave the fandom behind to embrace marriage and motherhood, Yukari finds herself increasingly anxious, unable to love herself or visualise a future beyond her insular interests.
In a moment of desperation following a failed group date, Yukari ends up drunk and alone on the streets of Kabukicho. There, she is rescued by a mysterious and stunning hostess named Rai.
Their encounter becomes the catalyst for Yukari’s reluctant but transformative plunge into a new and unfamiliar world—one filled with both uncertainty and possibility.
Daigo Matsui’s Vision: “A Film About Living”
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Best known for capturing the fleeting brilliance of youth in films such as Remain in Twilight and Just Remembering, director Daigo Matsui now ventures into more existential territory.
Speaking about the project, Matsui shared: “This is my first time truly taking on a film about what it means to live. The original novel, and the process of adapting it, allowed me to confront that question head-on.”
Shot entirely on location in Kabukicho, Tokyo’s enigmatic entertainment district, Matsui sought to portray not only the city’s glimmering chaos but also the quiet ache of those searching for a place to belong.
“The beauty of believing in something—or someone—is dazzling and sometimes even a little mad. In that narrow space, the light becomes blinding.”
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Sugisaki Hana on Yukari: “A Loneliness You Can Chew On”
Sugisaki, whose recent roles have cemented her status as one of Japan’s most compelling screen talents, plays Yukari with emotional depth and raw vulnerability.
She was involved from the scripting stage, helping shape a character that resonates with so many who feel left behind in a fast-moving world.
“Each of us is a stranger to someone,” Hana Sugisaki commented.
“And when that invisible line between us feels especially stark, I hope people will turn to this film. I poured my heart into portraying Yukari’s loneliness—not as something shameful, but as something you can chew on, even transform into strength.”
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Kanehara Hitomi Returns to the Screen After 17 Years
The film marks the first screen adaptation of Kanehara Hitomi’s work since Snakes and Earrings, which earned her the Akutagawa Prize at just 21.
Meets the World won the 35th Shibata Renzaburō Prize and is widely regarded as a mature, melancholic meditation on alienation, identity, and the difficulty of human connection.
Reflecting on seeing her work brought to life, Kanehara shared: “I was so immersed that I forgot I was the one who had written it. The director’s radical vision and the cast’s dedication transformed it into something entirely new. I hope this story reaches everyone who has ever loved someone from a different world.”
A Visual and Emotional Journey Ahead
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The newly unveiled teaser visual captures Yukari sitting amidst a cluttered room, her eyes fixed on an acrylic stand of her favourite Meat is Mine character.
The image is at once intimate and surreal—a glimpse into the contradictory warmth and desolation that define her life.
The teaser trailer introduces Kabukicho as a breathing, beckoning force. With the narration promising, “I’ll take you to a new world,” and the haunting laughter of her imagined anime companion echoing in the background, viewers are left to wonder: what lies on the other side of obsession, loneliness, and rescue?
With its unique blend of otaku culture, urban loneliness, and emotionally charged storytelling, Meets the World is shaping up to be one of 2025’s most thought-provoking Japanese film releases.