Isao Yukisada's GO resonated with me so much. As a Hong Kong-born Filipino, I feel like Sugihara's struggles as a Japanese-born South Korean/Zainichi is something that I too, go through. National identity, particularly, Japanese identity has long been a topic that plagues the country and the marginalized communities that live there. As a society, Japan values its pureness and seems to have always tried their best to retain this. Telling enough, Japan is 98.5% Japanese and 1.6% are foreign citizens. Sugihara, seems to be your average-Japanese high school boy. Except that he's not ethnically Japanese. He's South Korean up until recently. In order to defend himself, he uses violence. While this is deeply used in the film, it actually shows a different side, on how, being an “outsider” requires you to put up an extra level of defence even if it’s a terrible type of defence. Interesting enough, Sugihara seems to insist that that his narrative is a love story; repeating is countless times. Yes, on face value, it is a love story between him and Sakurai, a Japanese. But ultimately, I see it more as a love story between himself and his identity. Ironically, it seems like Sakurai and Sugihara click because of their love for non-Japanese things. Except that his true ethnicity gets in the way from Sakurai’s very Japanese and prejudiced upbringing. Yukisada uses love to magnify Sugihara’s struggles. Romantic, friendship and familial no matter how subtle the latter two are. Sugihara’s relationship with his North Korean (who gave up his identity to be a South Korean to be able to go to Hawaii) is strained; reinforcing his own relationship to his Korean side is lopsided. He went to a North Korean school, only to choose to go to a Japanese school, purely his own choice. References to non-Japanese pop culture like Mariah Carey, The Shining, Magnolia, Fists of Fury, Jean Claude, Shakespeare and classic music reinforce the otherness. While the film looks into unconscious racism present in the society but it further tackles the issue of racial identity; as in the North Korean/South Korean/Japanese/Spanish parts of the film. In particular, the quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell so sweet?) is telling. Our name is part of our identity and that fact that he’s Sugihara even if that’s not his real name, shows the racial identity here. The opening sequence is particularly telling; with Sugihara on a voice-over, narrating, sprouting words, isolated from his basketball group, in slow-motion. Race. Homeland. Nation. Unification. Integration. Compatriot. Goodwill. Makes me sick. Rulers. Repression. Slaves, subjects rather. Aggression. Exclusion. Chosen ones. Blood. Mix. Pure. Union. So-called Korean-Japanese. Don't think I'm any different. But they call me this. Zainichi. Enough. Yosuke Kubozuka’s performance, the young heartthrob during the film’s release is nothing short to dazzle us. He embodies the hidden anger, the raging desire, the subtle disgust, the crumbled struggle and the flourishing love with such clarity. Kubozuka has a great charm, be it in a punk way, a geek way or a boy in love. Of course, yes, I would have preferred so much more if a real zainichi actually portrayed this character. Such a treat to see Shibasaki again (after her iconic role in Battle Royale), but there could have been more from her. Though undeniably, her chemistry with Kubozuka is affecting and their romance is relevant in the film to normalize Sugihara’s identity struggle. To which he asks, “What am I?” To which she answers, "Japanese-born Korean!" To which he replies, "...a stranger leaving this country. Any name is okay but I don't think I'm an alien. I'm not a Korean or an alien. I'm ME! No, rather, I'm a question mark!" But to her, it doesn’t matter. "From the first moment I saw you, maybe I already knew." Perhaps in love, there is no boundaries. Ethnicity, race, upbringing are all rendered useless. She's the tough guy outside, the one that break through his safe circle.