REVIEW: ‘Asura’ Takes A Quiet Approach To Drama

Asura (2025) is a complex, layered, and stirring exploration of family. From the characterization to the dialogue and subject matter, this drama thrives in its subtleties, providing yet another tableau of filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda‘s meticulous eye. Through it all, it’s a wonder to observe the characters’ state as an uncomfortable truth is revealed. It is in the aftermath, moving like gentle waves eroding a cliffside, that drama is seen in a new light. It doesn’t need to be explosive. Sometimes, it can be reflected in a whisper.

Set in 1970s Tokyo, Asura (2025) centers around the four Takezawa sisters. One day, all four of them come together at the third sister’s (Yu Aoi) urging. Through the help of a private detective (Ryuhei Matsusada), Takiko discovers an unsettling truth—their father, Kotaro (Jun Kunimura), has been cheating on their mother (Keiko Matsuzaka) and even has a son out of one affair. This news is met with mixed reactions, with each sister’s reaction providing insight into their attitude surrounding infidelity. However, all four agree not to tell their mother.

How the news resonates with each sister after the big conversation in Episode 1 is different. For the eldest, Tsunako (Rie Miyazawa), she hides her own misdeeds as the “other woman” in a relationship. The second daughter, Makiko (Machiko Ono), begins to see signs in her life of suspected infidelity (and frankly, her husband is not subtle about it with some of the comments he makes).

Takiko, initially cast as a bitter, loveless hag, finds love in the detective she hired. As the ugly duckling, seeing her transform and come into her own is rewarding. The youngest daughter, Sakiko (Suzu Hirose), clings to her relationship out of pride, even as it, too, shows its cracks. But pride isn’t enough to soothe the hurt, especially when things are pushed too far.

Asura (2025) peels back the layers, revealing the oft-contradictory nature of humanity.

Asura (2025) benefits from its seven-episode series format, with Kore-eda taking his time exploring the minutiae of each character’s life and circumstances. Blending drama and slice-of-life, Kore-eda and his more than capable cast uncover humanity’s contradictory nature but also open up the conversation surrounding the nuances of cheating, particularly from a more traditionally patriarchal viewpoint. The characters almost feel resigned when it comes to the subject, but the gendered expectation hangs in the air.

An exchange between Tsunako and her father illustrates this expectation. It starts with them having a heartfelt moment about her potentially remarrying before he comments about whether or not she’d be lonely if she doesn’t proceed. She turns the question back to him. “Men have nothing to regret,” he shares. A memory of her mother’s pain over his lack of regret surfaces. “Men can be really sly. Think of it that way, and you won’t get hurt.”

This philosophy of the Takezawa patriarch ripples throughout Asura (2025). The truth of his infidelity is the catalyst for the sisters to reflect on their lives and their desires, but Kore-eda also uses it to dissect the individual and social response toward the subject matter, even if that wasn’t the intended effect. It’s a fascinating study, and rather than painting in broad strokes, the smaller touches and attention to detail allow for a much richer tableau.

Gendered expectations play a heavy hand in underlying theming and subject matter.

Examining family and its complexities is not new territory for Kore-eda. Yet, it never ceases to amaze how his examination always feels fresh and exciting, even when focusing on the mundane daily lives of the characters on the page. The cast never let him down in illustrating their characters’ inner worlds, crafting three-dimensional people that excite with their intricacies, down to their body language and quiet introspection.

The Takezawa family, like any other family, has its problems. Sisters clash, and some go out of their way to be purposefully antagonistic. Spouses can do the unthinkable, and yet partners must look the other way or face collapse. Yet, despite everything, even when they disagree with how a person behaves or conducts themselves, they come together. This becomes all the more clear by the end of Asura (2025) when tragedy strikes for one of the sisters.

Like ripples in a pond, one truth can uncover so much and leave an effect that crosses spans of time. Each action carries an impact, regardless of its size, and for the Takezawa family, an act of betrayal – regardless of how society accepts it – leaves devastation in its wake. But it also opens up the door for possibilities in the decisions made moving forward. In Asura (2025), these decisions carry their way to the very end, culminating with a resounding example of a family that continues to stick together despite everything.

Asura (2025) is streaming exclusively now on Netflix.