Doki-Doki
Doki-Doki
| 21 September 2003 (USA)
Doki-Doki Trailers

In suburban Tokyo, commuters find themselves waiting every day with the same group of strangers for the same seat on the same train. Perhaps over 1000 days never knowing who they are, what their lives are like, where they live, who they love. Until one day, things change.

Reviews
Manthast Absolutely amazing
SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.
Organnall Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,
Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.
takatomon i feel so lucky to have caught this film on a 3 short subject film festival on PBS. it totally caught me by surprise. it's a very effective escape into Japanese culture that has an almost documentary feel.it's a slightly surrealistic look at a group of commuters who are always at the same station every day and how they relate to each other. it's told from the perspective of a young female who likes to observe the people around her and imagine what they're like in real life.the film is very low key, even slow paced, but it just has a way of keeping one riveted to the screen that's hard to describe. maybe it was that it was "authentic japan" as opposed to the "hollywood japan" in films like black rain.black rain never showed the hysterical, but REAL, "beware of perverts" signs posted in subway cars. LOLthe thing that really makes the film awesome though, is the ending. i was at the edge of my seat talking to my TV! it's that good! once it was over, i had to say WOW! i'd love to own this on video. man do i wish that i had taped it.independent films don't get any better than this.
abuglio I too was changing channels when I found this on PBS...I heard Japanese language, so I stopped. I've lived in Japan so I was interested at first to see how Japan and Japanese were portrayed. I was impressed with what I felt to be an authentic portrayal of bustling Tokyo commuter life, of a younger generation of Japanese and how they are caught up in traditional social behaviour patterns and how one day that's all turned on its head. A great story of one person breaking out of her shell and helping a couple of others to do so as well. Thankfully, Doki Doki was void of all the Western clichés about Japan and instead showed Japan and Japanese as it is. A country and people in search of the same things as most people...human contact.
Nyarlothotep At first glance, the film is a cute, innocent love story, but real life is bittersweet. The heroine, young Yumi, creates life changes for the group of strangers she sees every day. She's not sure she can do anything at all, but finds the power within herself at long last. The film is black and white, the story simple, but elegant. The camera angles reflect Yumi's view, and they especially highlight the dichotomy of large and small spaces within Tokyo's expansive city. The large traffic intersections collide with confining train cars as we watch Yumi run through the city. These visuals create an intriguing backdrop for the character development of Yumi's strangers. Ultimately, it makes this Japanese "Amelie" short, succinct, and sweet with melancholy.
echang1988 I managed to find this short film while flipping through the channels and stopped at KCET.... at first I wasn't sure what to expect but I found myself involved within the plot...I do admit that often i groan at conversations in student films and I usually avoid them but perhaps since it was in Japanese, I continued watching. And well, it surprised me....despite a few odd questions I had and petty details, I was impressed enough to jump on the internet to find out more about this guy.If you managed to find it on TV or at a festival, it's worth your time.....and hey, it'll be better than watching COPS or Elimin-date.