Before the Sunset: How a New Japanese Fantasy-Drama Explores Love, Regret and Second Chances

An elderly man walks slowly alongside a young woman volunteer on an autumn afternoon, sharing the weight of eight decades lived. Kazunori Terasawa, once known as the ‘God of Management,’ tells Asuka Yamane about his extraordinary business success and the profound loneliness that followed. When she turns to the setting sun and asks God to grant him one wish, neither expects what happens next—yet this moment of compassion changes both their lives in ways that reach far beyond the screen.

This scene from Before the Sunset, director Hiroshi Akabane’s latest film, captures something essential about human connection across generations. The Japanese fantasy-drama, recently released on North American digital platforms, asks a question many of us wonder about: if you could relive your life, what would you do differently?

A Second Chance at Youth

Kazunori’s journey begins in the solitude of a nursing home, where his only meaningful connection comes through Asuka’s volunteer visits. Despite building a company from nothing and earning respect, he finds himself completely alone in his final years. The film doesn’t shy away from this harsh reality—success without relationships leaves a hollow echo.

When Kazunori quietly wishes he could be 20 again, the impossible happens. He awakens on a university campus in his young body, faced with the miraculous opportunity to start over. Yet this isn’t simply a feel-good fantasy about recapturing youth. Like many stories about changing perspectives, Akabane crafts a nuanced exploration of what we truly value when given a second chance.

The film joins a growing collection of Japanese cinema exploring ageing and renewal. Like Hirokazu Kore-eda’s After Life or Yōjirō Takita’s Departures, Before the Sunset uses fantastical elements to examine deeper truths about human experience and connection.

The Power of Unexpected Friendship

What makes this story particularly moving is the unlikely bond between Kazunori and Asuka. She’s healing from her own heartbreak, volunteering perhaps as much for herself as for the residents she visits. Their friendship becomes the film’s emotional heart—she looks past his business achievements to see his fundamental loneliness, while he recognises her pain and wishes he could help her heal.

This connection across generations reflects broader themes in Japanese storytelling about loneliness, where relationships bridge not just age gaps but emotional isolation. The film suggests that meaning often comes not from individual accomplishment but from genuine care for others.

When Kazunori receives his miraculous second chance, his motivation isn’t personal ambition—it stems from wanting to help Asuka through her struggles. This selfless impulse drives the entire narrative forward and gives his renewed life deeper purpose.

Love Without Expectation

‘Before the Sunset poses the question of whether selfless love—love given without expecting anything in return—can truly be practised,’ explains director Hiroshi Akabane. This captures the film’s central inquiry about human nature and compassion.

Akabane, whose previous works like Immortal Hero have explored personal change themes, brings a contemplative approach to examining unconditional love. The film asks whether we can truly care for others without seeking reciprocation, particularly when we ourselves feel isolated or regretful.

This exploration feels especially relevant today, where genuine connection can seem increasingly elusive. As we navigate different life stages, Kazunori’s business success brought respect but not love, achievement but not fulfilment. His second chance allows him to choose differently—picking connection over conquest, compassion over competition.

Visual Poetry of Quiet Moments

The film’s visual approach celebrates the beauty found in stillness and reflection. Akabane’s direction focuses on lingering moments—autumn walks, quiet conversations, the gentle interaction between unexpected friends. These scenes recall the contemplative pacing of classic Japanese cinema, where emotional truth emerges through observation rather than action.

The university campus setting for Kazunori’s renewed youth creates interesting visual contrasts—the vitality of young students against his weathered wisdom, the bustling energy of campus life beside his more measured approach to living. This slower pace allows viewers to appreciate the film’s meditation on time, opportunity and the different perspectives that come with experience.

Why This Story Resonates

Where many people feel disconnected despite constant digital communication, Before the Sunset offers something valuable: it suggests that meaningful relationships remain possible at any stage of life. The film doesn’t promise that second chances erase all regrets, but it shows how compassion can reshape our understanding of what truly matters.

The story particularly resonates because it acknowledges real pain—career success that feels empty, loneliness that persists despite achievements, heartbreak that lingers. Yet it also suggests that connection across generations can offer healing for both sides of the relationship.

Contemporary Japanese filmmakers increasingly explore themes of elder isolation and disconnection between generations, reflecting broader social challenges. Before the Sunset offers a hopeful perspective while maintaining emotional honesty about the difficulties of ageing and regret.

An Invitation to Reflect

The film ultimately serves as a gentle invitation to examine our own priorities and relationships. Through stories of human connection, viewers might find themselves questioning what they would do differently, which relationships they would prioritise and how they might practice the kind of selfless love the film explores.

Before the Sunset is now available on North American digital platforms, offering viewers a chance to experience this heartfelt exploration of love, regret and the power of human connection. Like the best fantasy-dramas, it uses impossible circumstances to illuminate very real truths about how we might choose to live.