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La La La at Rock Bottom
Following Linda Linda Linda, and Tamako in Moratorium, director Yamashita Nobuhiro helms a uniquely emotional "how-did-I-get-here?" movie about memory, identity, and the healing power of rock & pop music. Shibutani Subaru plays Shigeo who is beaten up to the point of memory loss following his release from prison. Discovering his singing skills (Shibutani is the lead singer of the popular Kanjani Eight), Kasumi (Nikaido Fumi) takes him in and puts him to work cleaning the recording studios where they live and fronting the band she represents. As his memory begins to return, he is caught between his dark past as a small-time gangster, and the new life he has found. Tackling redemption, second chances and the power of music, this film is a romantic comedy that steers clear of stereotypes and allows the extremely human characters at the center of the film to reveal themselves slowly.