Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko Review
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko (2021) Film Review from the 4th Annual Animation Is Film Festival, a movie directed by Ayumu Watanabe and starring Shinobu Otake, Cocomi, Natsuki Hanae, Ikuji Nakamura, Izumi Ishii, Atsushi Yamanishi, Yuichi Yasoda, Hiro Shimono, Matsuko Deluxe, Riho Yoshioka and Karen Takizawa.
There are a lot of joyous moments for the two central female characters to behold in Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, the entertaining new anime feature film from director Ayumu Watanabe (Children of the Sea). It is a move primarily about a larger-than-life woman named Nikuko (voice by Shinobu Otake) and her relationship with her young daughter Kikuko (the voice of Cocomi). Set in a tiny fishing town, these two characters live on a boat and share some good times and some bad times but if Nikuko has her way, nothing will get them down.
Nikuko has given away much of her money to the men in her life who have used and abused her. Most recently, Nikuko was involved with a male writer who used Nikuko’s money to buy books instead of using it to further his literary career. Nikuko is heartbroken but the beat of life goes on and she keeps plugging away working a small job to make ends meet.
Kikuko is the total opposite of her mother in terms of the fact that she is more levelheaded and also looks a bit different physically. She is interested in forming new bonds with people at her school such as the resident cool guy at school, Ninomiya (voice of Natsuki Hanae). Kikuko has short hair and is very serious about the way she goes about living her life whereas her mother is more reckless and lets anything go when it comes time for words to come out of her mouth. Kikuko also appreciates the author J.D. Salinger and her mom runs a race in one scene hunting in the crowd for a book by the aforementioned writer to impress Kikuko.
The plot gets more developed when we meet a young girl who is similar to Kikuko but also, apparently, much different. She leaves her hometown and meets a woman who helps her out when the young woman becomes pregnant. The two become the best of friends and these characters will parallel the lives of Kikuko and Nikuko for a very precise reason which the audience will soon learn.
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is a pleasantly enjoyable film. The animation is very distinct and the characters are well displayed on screen. All the voiceover talent is first-rate. Otake, in particular, is quite charming and appealing as the overweight Nikuko who doesn’t let anything (or anyone) get her down. Cocomi expertly conveys the emotions of Kikuko and helps create a believable and well portrayed character.
The movie has Japanese settings that are also visually appealing. From the coastal settings to Nikuko’s workplace (which is a restaurant), all the settings are perfect for the story to take flight. There are some surprising plot developments in the movie as well that offer some twists and turns along the way. I liked the way the movie tied all the characters up at the end and it showed how the circle of life comes around full force.
While I had some problems with the portrayal of Nikuko who is simply too open for her own good and there’s also probably one fart joke too many here, this is still a very charismatic portrait of a mother and daughter’s unbreakable bond. One can’t help but be moved by the film’s concluding scenes which can touch the heart.
Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko is, for the most part, an enjoyable experience to behold. There’s not a lot of meat on the movie’s thematic bones but it’s funny and sweet, simultaneously. You’ll want to get to know Nikuko and Kikuko and will have fun watching them go through their paces in the delightful Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko.
Rating: 7/10
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