FANTASIA 2023: ‘Insomniacs After School’ Is a Beautiful Adapatation

Laced with the requisite melodrama that follows most tales of teenage love and angst, Insomniacs After School is a thoughtful drama that refuses to wallow. Based on the manga written and illustrated by Makoto Ojiro, the story fits the live-action format, even if the anime adaptation released earlier this year gives more time and patience to the unfolding story. Directed by Chihiro Ikedam, the film marries melancholy with optimism as our two main characters grapple with their ongoing troubles and develop feelings for one another. Insomniacs After School played at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2023. 

Ganta Nakami (Daiken Okudaira) and Isaki Magari (Nana Mori) are, on paper, polar opposites. While Nakami is sullen and isolated, Magari is cheerful and often surrounded by three of her best friends. Despite their differences, the two develop a strong bond upon realizing that both suffer from insomnia, plagued with endless nights and the incessant countdown to the sun rising that comes with the inability to sleep. Through their similarities they discover the abandoned astronomy center, and through it become, at first, unwitting members of the club. 

One of the strongest elements of Ojiro’s writing which is adapted here by Ikedam and Izumi Takahashi is how well they handle the insomnia piece of storytelling. There’s nothing they can do to glamorize it and, instead, we watch as the constantly fatigued teenagers try their best to cope with the affliction, from cat naps at school to late-night walks, and radio stations made especially for them. The why and how their insomnia manifests is the most potent part as it speaks to all of us who have dealt with the sleep disorder. In Magari’s case, it revolves around her heart condition. She lays awake all night, worried that if she were to fall asleep, she may never wake up. Meanwhile, Nakami’s is attributed to the trauma of his mother up and leaving out of the blue while he was younger, manifesting in a fear of abandonment. If he sleeps, who else might leave him by daybreak? 

The script is smart, however, to not rely simply on these preexisting problems the characters have and instead find ways to discover levity and youthful joy. This in part comes through the astronomy club, especially as Nakami discovers a passion for photographing the night sky. But, more than that, it’s the developing romance between Nakami and Magari as both see the other as equals and see beyond how they present themselves. They’re young but both are able to help the other grow to be their best selves. That said, the script has a tendency to rush through some of the bigger moments, either combining declarations or speeding through them. 

Okudaira and Mori are tremendous in their roles, Okudaira coming alive in moments of levity. Mori in particular seems plucked straight out of a panel of the manga. She brings an incredible amount of infectious charm to the character, giving Magari that necessary giddy all-or-nothing attitude that makes her such a beacon of light in the story. While the writing around them and the big moments might come together too quickly, their chemistry is instantaneous.

The character’s contemplation as they find themselves is depicted in the calming natural scenery that boasts beautiful, sunkissed landscapes. A trip to the countryside is one of the film’s highlights because of the direction and cinematography that captures the natural lighting of the area. Paired with a sparingly used score the film creates an atmosphere that plays well with the introspective nature of our characters. There are backdrops and individual frames that see the world around the characters increase in beauty as a way to show the difference between being an active and alert participant in their lives versus sleep-deprived teens who suffer away in their bedrooms. 

With a sweet center and shot with a soft, dreamy focus, Insomniacs After School is a winsome coming-of-age drama. Based on a manga well-suited for the live-action treatment, the film captures first love with compassionate tenderness. 

Insomniacs After School played at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2023.