Finding your next obsession
Finding your next obsession

'Ikigai' follows Mayumi, a 9-year-old girl, as she tries to find balance in her Japanese identity and American nationality. Hanako, her mother who celebrates their culture through Nihon Buyo, sees Mayumi's new school as an opportunity to share their culture with the white students. When Mayumi is assigned a show-and-tell presentation, she takes it as a chance to prove to her classmates that she is not that different from them. But, that plan is soon ruined when Hanako unexpectedly shows up and teaches the class a Japanese dance, embarrassing and exposing Mayumi's cultural background. After coming home ashamed of her mother and Japanese identity, Mayumi receives guidance from her parents that motivates her to return to school and redo her show and tell in a way that would make her ancestors proud.
LUXEN Decision Guide
A focused choice when you want a story with a clear identity and enough detail to make the choice feel intentional.
Best fit
Who it is for
A good fit when you already know the general kind of movie you want and want a little more context before pressing play.
Commitment
Light commitment · 16m
Use the runtime as a quick check against how much time you have tonight.
Start here
Read the synopsis.
Read the synopsis, then use the family and drama cues to decide whether the tone fits.
Cast
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