%20(5).png)
The Wait For It Podcast
Hosted by MrEricAlmighty and PhilTheFilipino, the guys discuss all things in Pop Culture from movies, gaming, anime and anything in between. New episodes every Wednesday, all you have to do is...WAIT FOR IT!
The Wait For It Podcast
International Feature: Perfect Days
"Perfect Days" reveals the quiet beauty of everyday life through the eyes of a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo, inviting us to reflect on contentment and the value of small moments. The episode explores themes of simplicity, personal happiness, and the meditative nature of life, making a case for why this unique film deserves your attention.
• Exploration of Hirayama's daily routine and its significance
• Discussion on the film's meditative qualities and pacing
• Reflection on the beauty found in mundane tasks
• Conversation about audience engagement and interpretation
• Insights into the cultural context of public toilets in Tokyo
• Examination of the relationship dynamics presented in the film
• Thoughts on the impact of simplicity on happiness
• Analysis of the film’s messages about fulfillment
Letterbox'd Synopsis: Hirayama is content with his life as a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. Outside of his structured routine, he cherishes music on cassette tapes, books, and taking photos of trees. Through unexpected encounters, he reflects on finding beauty in the world.
Want deep dives into Japanese and American pop culture's effect on history, the history of genres and franchises, and philosophy behind and within said content? Check out our buddy Kory over at The World is My Burrito Podcast.
🔻You can find all important links for the podcast over at https://linktr.ee/waitforitpodcast🔺
🔻BACKGROUND MUSIC PROVIDED BY: Ocean by KV https://soundcloud.com/kvmusicprod Free Download / Stream: http://bit.ly/2OCvpHU Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/a8ctDtA7OK8 — Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 🔺
Enjoyed the episode? Have something to tell us? Text us here!
Welcome to your go-to source for entertainment. Wait for it.
Speaker 2:Gaming. Wait for it Anime PLUS ULTRA.
Speaker 1:Mr Eric Almighty and Phil the Filipino. Yeah, they've got you covered, and all you gotta do is wait for it.
Speaker 2:This is the Wait For it Podcast. Hey, everyone, welcome back to the Wait For it Podcast. I am your co-host, phil Barrera, aka Phil the Filipino.
Speaker 1:And I'm your other co-host, Mr Eric Almighty, and for this edition of International Feature, could we have done something really exciting, like an international action film, maybe a comedy romance? There's so many genres of international films we could do, but we've chosen one that centers around toilets. Don't know any other way to intro the episode. Phil excited to get into this one.
Speaker 2:Yes, perfect Days is the film that we will be discussing here today, and we're going to navigate this episode in an interesting manner because I don't anticipate it being too long, because for those of you that feel like this is something that you want to embark on in terms of watching this movie, I think it's very important to kind of go in knowing as very little as possible, but we also, of course, want to convey why that is worth your time, because this film I think what you guys will gather from Eric and I is that it's not for everybody. It's a lot of people honestly just being very blunt with the way that entertainment works now and how busy and how distracted we are and we are, eric and I, are not unincluded from that audience A lot of people are just not going to have the patience for this film, but we do want to, you know, make the very best attempt to tell you that this is worth your time. So we're going to spend the next few minutes discussing that worth your time. So we're going to spend the next few minutes discussing that. So, if you want to find all the rest of our content, when it comes to International Feature or any other episode, make sure you stick around to the very end. We'll let you know where you can find all the rest of our content, as well as how to access some additional content. So, eric, let's just dive into it here. International Feature perfect days.
Speaker 2:This did technically come out in 2023. It was a big festival, darling. So did we kind of cheat in terms of putting this on our 2024 Letterboxd lists? I don't think so, because it didn't release in the US, like in terms of like in theaters. It was a very limited release, until February, I think 2024. So, to give you guys a synopsis here, let's see is IMDb or Letterboxd more? We're going to go with IMDb.
Speaker 2:Today, hirayama cleans public toilets in Tokyo, lives his life in simplicity and daily tranquility. Some encounters also lead him to reflect on himself. Directed by Wim Wenders and starring Koji Yakusho, eric who I am not familiar with. I was not familiar with before this film. However, coming away from this movie and seeing and learning that he is a very highly respected and highly touted actor in Japan does make me wonder. Are we going to go down the rabbit hole and maybe see some more of his performances where possibly he talks a little bit more than he does here in Perfect Days. So, eric, I'll hand it over to you first what were some things about this film that did stand out to you while you were watching.
Speaker 1:So I think the thing that stood out the most to me was just how simple of a story this is, and a lot of times when you run into these type of films, there are a couple of things that could happen.
Speaker 1:It could really be like that, oscar Beatty, like a very high class film that thinks a little bit too much of itself, thinks it's more interesting than it really is despite a very simple plot, and then it could also which is the worst thing a movie can be could be boring, and I think those two things were a worry going into this.
Speaker 1:And when you initially brought this up, phil, I mean following the life, the just a regular life of a toilet cleaner in Tokyo, I just did not sound like a movie that I would vibe with. But I very much vibed with this movie. There's a lot of senses that were stimulated throughout this watch senses of joy, senses of sadness that were stimulated throughout this watch. Senses of joy, senses of sadness, senses of fulfillment and the complete opposite, and those are all things that you really get to experience Through the eyes of a character who, again, like Phil mentioned, doesn't have a lot of dialogue. So I thought all of those things really worked together To make a very, very good film, but it is absolutely not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and I could understand if, just off the premise, you did not give this movie a shot.
Speaker 2:Right. So you really have to sit in the silence with this character, because there is a lot of it in this movie and as terms of a runtime, I believe let's see here two hours and four minutes, so it's not like it's necessarily a quick watch. You know, there is a lot of mundane and that is really the point, eric. I'm interested, as we get a little bit farther in this episode, to hear what your interpretation is of his life and how he actually feels, because I think that's a fascinating subject that can go very much in many different ways and that's very much reflected in the reviews over on Letterboxd. So, yeah, I really just found myself, like you said, enjoying watching this man go through his everyday life and go through his routine and, for the most part, be very happy and not necessarily content.
Speaker 2:I think the word content can be construed in a negative fashion and while I do think he is content with certain things, he does find a lot of happiness in what he does and I think what maybe, if this gets to the right person at the right time, I think this could be a very important film for that person and I think it's something that maybe you could actually revisit in a time where you feel like maybe a lot of things are passing you by or you need to slow down. The word that I saw used the most eric and not only letterboxd reviews but also in, like some youtube videos is meditation, and I think this is a meditative film that will strike a lot of people in really really good ways, maybe at even different points of their life, even if you don't decide to watch it right now.
Speaker 1:I think that's right on the money, and you know, again, there are so many interesting things about this film that we could just kind of pick at, and, of course, without getting we're not going to really do spoilers for this episode. This movie doesn't really warrant that, but we'll be mindful about a couple of plot things here and there. The biggest thing, though, phil, in addition to everything that you said, the real elements of this movie kind of elevated a lot of those things Like the fact that the Tokyo toilet, which is the premise here, is a real thing. That is a real thing. If you're not aware of it.
Speaker 1:I just found it very interesting to look up literally after I had watched it, and there is a website for this that talks about public toilets in Shibuya. They redesigned them in 17 locations with the help of 16 different creators invited around the entire world, and, from what I understand here, this was an effort specifically to encourage the use of like public spaces, and making it part of public spaces like parks and other areas. I think is just very interesting. Phil, I don't know about you. I would love for us to do something like that over here, because the public restroom here in America is tough.
Speaker 2:It's good almost everywhere else in the world than it is here in terms of, like, privacy and cleanliness and everything like that. I mean it's been. I've only been to the Tokyo airport and it was like in the summer of 2003. And even I remember back then how clean everything was in the airport, so I can't even imagine how it would be like traveling outside of there.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, people will definitely be envious of the public toilet situation that is presented here in this film and I think that is a real. It was a really good storytelling device. Like I think a lot of people want to kind of portray like, maybe this like perfect lifestyle, like we see that a lot on social media, like none of that is actually real and you know, maybe that's kind of like an allegory of like, hey, yes, all of this looks great from the outside, but there's somebody working really hard behind the scenes to keep it this way. And then that's also juxtaposed by his co-worker, who is one of the most punchable and frustrating human beings I've ever met in my entire life. I couldn't stand that man and I hope he did not. I hope him a one out of 10 did not get to take home her a 10 out of 10 out of context that you won't understand. But once you see it you will understand.
Speaker 1:You'll understand and you know there's a lot that is left for interpretation, like you said, and I think that is really done well by a lot of the characters that revolve and enter and exit the life of hirayama.
Speaker 1:So I I think that this is something that really lends itself to the conversation, because you were talking about interpretation, of, like, how he really feels, and I think when a movie leaves you thinking about that, it gives you more to chew on than maybe you initially thought while watching it.
Speaker 1:Like I definitely for the first maybe half of this film, was curious if they were going to be able to keep up the interest for me in this character's life, how this character's reacting to things around him, and I was just pleasantly surprised that it did. I really didn't feel bored throughout the film and that was probably the biggest shock to me, because when again you see this film, it's not something you think is going to keep your attention. I think things really take a turn later on in the film. A family member reenters the frame and it's a younger family member and luckily they didn't do anything weird. I was worried at first that it was going to get weird, but I think it ended up being really sweet and those are the type of little twists and turns that as you're figuring out what this movie is. I really enjoyed it. It made a lot of right decisions.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's definitely a standout moment, for sure. I mean, there are as much as you enjoy watching him in his day-to-day and just kind of following his journey. Whenever there is another person that is introduced to his normal routine, that's when it really really shines and, once again, even though he's not saying very much, he's doing so much storytelling with his eyes and his gestures and his mannerisms. All of that is done fantastically, which is why I would love to see more from Koji Yakusho's filmography. Just based on this performance alone, it was nominated for Best International Picture in 2024. I don't believe that it won, but that just kind of goes to show you, like, how highly touted this film was heading into 2024. So I'm glad that we were finally able to check it out.
Speaker 2:It is on hulu, if you guys do find yourself wanting to watch it and, you know, based off of all the reviews, which we'll talk about ours here in just a moment, in terms of scores, like I said, I think for the right audience, this is going to resonate a ton, but also also just to play devil's advocate, like we already said, not going to be for everybody, if you find yourself, if you put movies on in the background just for you know noise, or to get other stuff done, which is totally fine. A ton of people do that. This is not for you, so only watch this if you feel like you can put your phone down for two hours and focus on just this and what the director and the storytellers in the film are trying to teach you.
Speaker 1:I think that's a good point to make. I was very curious how your experience was going to be if you were going to be able to the. The worry was, I think we had done a recording. We've done so much content here in the month of january, as we talked about in the pre-show I was worried when you were going to watch it and I think at the end it was like at the end of a recording or a session we were doing and you were like, yeah, I've watched a movie or two. It was like 11 o'clock and you're like I'm going to probably put on perfect days and I was like do not, do not watch perfect days after a long day at 11 o'clock at night.
Speaker 1:This is a movie. If you're going to watch it, you need to be well rested. You need to be focused, phone down, not going off a lot of sleep, not munching on something Like I'm a habitual person watching something during dinner time. Uh, this isn't that type of film. Um, I don't know if there is a dub option there. We we never recommend it for live action, never international.
Speaker 2:If you're watching squid game season two in dub, what the how dare you first off go back and watch season one in korean with subtitles, and then you can. You're not allowed to watch season two.
Speaker 1:Actually, that's what we'll say that's what we'll say yeah, so, uh, I I completely echo that point and wanted to give a real life example of just like, again, uh, my recommendation. I think you need to be fully zoned in and it's not a long run time to commit to, but I can see it. I can see it being long for somebody who's just not interested in this type of film. So it's an interesting one for us to have selected and while it may not necessarily be one of the top international films we've seen on this series, I do kind of have this currently like right at the cusp of where I think the movies I really enjoyed ends and then the movies that I kind of enjoyed start, kind of enjoyed or less you know, god forbid disliked. We have a couple of those at the bottom. So it'll be interesting to see where, when we get to scores, where this fell in our lists. But I will give us a little bit of a spoiler here for the Letterboxd recap that came out before this episode. This was 22 out of 50 films that I saw in 2024. I do count it as a 2024 film and that should say a lot because it was a very good movie.
Speaker 1:Not without its issues. Again, it is a little lengthy, at two hours for the simplicity of its story and there isn't a lot of dialogue. There is, you know, dialogue from other characters, but I think that can be effective. But also, again, when the premise is so simple, sometimes that can be. It is what it is. You know a life, a day in the life of a toilet cleaner. You know a janitor essentially in the life of a toilet cleaner. You know a janitor essentially. So that that is, I think, still high praise. But also acknowledging, as I think we've been trying to do this whole time, phil, acknowledging that this movie is not perfect, although it is in the title.
Speaker 2:Right and I think they'll be reflective in our scores and with a caveat that we'll talk about here in a moment, for me, it's number 25 on my letterbox, so right around films such as like Woman of the Hour, book of Clarence, so very, very highly regarded in terms of films that I watched last year and, once again, very happy that we got around to it in 2024.
Speaker 2:Eric, I was having conversations early in 2024 about having trying to watch this movie and like the closest was Orlando and we were like, yeah, I want to see it, but like I don't want to drive to Orlando for it. That's not what's happening here, uh, in terms of, uh, this film. So I guess really, eric, the only thing that we'll talk about that's kind of like spoiler related I'll. I'll leave you guys with this right now. So if you want to go in totally blind, leave here and then maybe come back within the next five minutes or so, because I see this discussion quite a bit here on Letterboxd is do you believe that Hirayama is happy? I want to know kind of what you came away with once the film had kind of sunset and we got, we gathered everything that we know in this short amount of time about this character.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and if you're still sticking around I don't know that that's too spoilery without you know again getting into specific character or plot details, because this is a character who is a public toilet cleaner, like he's in people's lives without them even knowing it. You know he's constantly having to move out of the way and he's kind of a cog in that system. There is a point where he has to do some extra work unexpectedly. That's kind of to be expected with the life. There are little joys that he finds, like playing tic-tac-toe with a stranger he will never meet, and these are all things that I think give him those little moments of happiness and sadness. So there are little moments where again he'll get those perfect days where he'll just be able to soak into the nature of things.
Speaker 1:When we talk about how this movie was shot, nothing spectacular needed to be done.
Speaker 1:They very much sat in the nature of it all, which I thought was really beautiful, and it really kind of showed how someone can really appreciate that when everything is going right, a simple day, you go to the restaurant you want to go to, you have the meal you want to have, you get to bed early after a long day of work, you got to see all of the beauties that the world has.
Speaker 1:But then on the flip side, there are things that happen, unexpected things that kind of reinvigorate you in the wrong way. They start to bring up feelings or thoughts and this character does at times get emotional, sitting in those thoughts that, while we don't exactly get context of, we can kind of put the puzzle pieces together. And I think in those moments Phil, he is sad, he absolutely is. And I think the point of the movie is that there aren't always perfect days and that's kind of the way I walked away from the film is that you really have to maximize those perfect days as they come, because every day is not going to be that. And I thought that is probably what resonated the most, because we definitely see some up and downs with this character.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that. Yeah, I think that's a good way to answer it, because there's not necessarily a straightforward answer, even though, again, that conversation is very much happening within the reviews and the comment section. I think that, depending on when you were to watch this film, depending on your state of mind, depending on where you're at in your life, I think this movie can make you incredibly happy and want to change your ways and make you appreciate life a lot more. Or it can be an absolutely devastating story that makes you feel like life has passed you by and you're running out of time and you don't have the time to sit down and do the things that you want to do. Now, I think he actually does very much enjoy his work, but also you really see him smile and shine and be happy when he's obviously with the people that he loves, but also doing the things that he really enjoys Listening to a cassette tape, finding a good book, sitting down and having his favorite meal.
Speaker 1:And photography.
Speaker 2:Photography right. I really love how they transition day to day. You know we're not seeing a Monday, tuesday, wednesday you know that trope, so they did that very, very beautifully. So, yeah, I think depending on the time frame in which you watch this movie in your life will alter how you feel, how you think he feels about his, and I think that's one thing that makes this very, very good.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, really good conversation, and I hope that we entice people to watch this that haven't, and maybe go out a little bit out of your comfort zone, and we'd love to know what you think in terms of how you think this character feels about their life. So, eric, is there anything else that you want to mention? Again, I think our scores will reflect that we did not think that this was perfect, but I think that it could be perfect at the right time, if that makes sense. I know we keep reiterating that, but is there anything else you want to point out? Maybe anything that any type of either nitpicks or gripes or things that you would like to see differently, or do you think we're ready to move on to our grades?
Speaker 1:No, I think we're ready to move on to our grades Again with the synopsis of the movie. It tells you really what you're in for, know that it's executed very, very well and while I don't think this is a five out of five movie, I don't think it has the ability to be a five out of five movie necessarily for a casual viewer. I think you are right, phil, to the right person at the right time. I think this movie can really resonate with you and I think, if you do resonate with this movie, this could be one of your favorite movies that you've watched, especially in international films. So, with that being said, I think, talking about the reception getting into our scores where it falls in our international feature episodes so far, I think that's a great way to close out a short but strong episode.
Speaker 2:Yeah, two for two, baby, Two for two to start off 2025. We're feeling good. I'm sure that's going to keep up. Oh, we're talking about Batman next week. Yeah, we're good, we're solid, although that does mean we have to talk about very briefly, like gotham knights and stuff like that on my end. So but it's okay most of it we talked about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm gonna title the episode arkham asylum and arkham city.
Speaker 2:For that reason yeah, good call, good call. Well, in terms of perfect days, it has a 96 percent tomato meter score and a 90 popcorn meter score. Over on rottenten Tomatoes, imdb, it is currently carrying a 7.9, which is very high for IMDB, and over on Letterboxd, it has a 4.3 rating with I'm going to start incorporating this here, eric, in 2024 or 2025, when I can remember it 30% of those reviews are five out of five. 21% of those are four and a half, 30% are fours.
Speaker 2:Where I fell is a three and a half, where I think there is a ton of wiggle room we talk about that a lot with these movies to go up to a four Again, if I were to watch this, I think, if I were to revisit it at a time where I really, really needed it. So I think that's a moving scale between a three and a half and a four. I don't think it's any lower than a three and a half If you feel that way. Again, it was probably just not your cup of tea, but that's where I landed, eric. What about you?
Speaker 1:before we talk about where this lands on our international feature list, yeah, so I'm going to go with a Letterboxd a popular Letterboxd review that is giving the same score and it says Hirayama is the ideal man, doesn't talk, knows how to clean fire, music taste, and I think that's really all you need to know. I gave it a three and a half as well, and I think this movie has the potential to go up If I'm in the right headspace, if I watch it again. I think that's absolutely possible. As far as where it landed on my international feature movies, it is listed at 20 out of 27 that we have listed on Letterboxd, but I cannot stress enough the 19 that are ahead of it and itself included, I very much enjoy.
Speaker 1:I would put these all in the I would recommend it category. To give context, it's right after Tokyo Godfathers and right before Bell on my list, and Bell is a film that's kind of where I would kind of have the cusp of. I don't know that that movie would work for everyone. Tokyo Godfathers is kind of the same way, but I think it has a little bit more appeal, which is why, again, I put Perfect Days in the middle of it.
Speaker 2:You said you have it at 22? I have it at 20. 20. Okay, gotcha, gotcha. Yeah, I have this much higher on my list. It is at 11. And again, we've watched so many good international movies. I mean we are getting close to it is. Looking at these, it's kind of like a 50-50 split, but like the ones that we love are so good. So it's like right behind Another Round, which we thoroughly enjoyed, and then right before Ultraman Rising and movies like Old Boy, hi Nana, like that's the type of company we're talking about when it comes to the movies here, that it is keeping company. So very, very good. Again, I think if you save this for a rainy day where maybe you need a little bit of happiness or just kind of a little bit of reflection, I think it'll be of a little bit of reflection. I think it'll be perfect for that type of day. But, eric, anything else we need to mention about perfect days before we wrap up this episode.
Speaker 1:No, I was curious how it ended up so high on yours really. But I mean you have a lot of three and a half on here, where I think a lot of mine probably fours or hires. I think I rate these a little bit higher. I also don't rate them nearly as low as you. So, for example, I only have three movies. I have not given a three where at 22, we start seeing two and a half on your list.
Speaker 1:So again, I think that also kind of expresses the difference in where they are. But again, your list is also weird, because you have like a four star movie at 13, a 14, a three star movie at 14. So I don't know how you do your list again. I'll never know.
Speaker 2:It's purely on vibe, because I think Oldboy, in terms of a film, is a better movie than perfect days. But I don't want to watch old boy again, I'd rather watch perfect days.
Speaker 1:It just doesn't make sense to me.
Speaker 2:You're never going to make me make sense of it.
Speaker 1:You know mine are in order of rank, and then I go based off of that feeling, that sentiment.
Speaker 2:Also Okja.
Speaker 1:I don't ever want to watch Okja again, again, but I think it's also a better movie, but makes me sad. I don't want to watch it. No, I I get that, but again, like okja's, 13 for me out of four, and I would agree I'd rather watch perfect days than okja again, but I think okja is a better movie, so I I have to rank higher, but I wouldn't rank it higher than a movie like another round or the raid.
Speaker 1:I enjoyed those more. Also gave them a four. Yeah, it's just, we're not gonna. We're not gonna see. I know I have this on this. Yeah, you get it. I do it in order. Phil does it on vibes.
Speaker 2:That's how it goes. That's how it goes Well. If you want more Wait For it podcast vibes, you can check the Linktree link in the show notes of this episode. You will find everything you need to keep up with us in the year 2025 and beyond, because there is a whole bunch, or catch up with anything prior to this episode. So make sure you follow us on social media, the most important sites being Instagram, tiktok, twitch, our growing Discord channel and YouTube. You can also support the show a few different ways. Just tag us and share our content. Let us know that you're listening, let everybody else know that you're listening. All that goes a very, very long way, and come out and see us at the various conventions we will be at in 2025. But if you find yourself wanting to get some more behind-the-scenes content and maybe interact with us on a little bit more personal level, eric will let you know how you can gain access to all those perks and more.
Speaker 1:So the best way to support the podcast, in addition to all of the free things that you can do, which are appreciated, you can join our Patreon, where patrons like Stefan Briar, corey T3 Kato and Vintage Macaroni are supporting us monthly there for behind the scenes and early access to episodes like this one. There are several different tiers that you can select, whether it's just our eternal gratitude or even getting merch. Those are all options that you can check out. If you're not in a position to do that, though, everything Phil mentioned, and more, is appreciated for the podcast, whether it's just engaging with us on social media and the post for these episodes, listening to the actual episodes, leaving those reviews, chatting with us on Discord and social media in general. All of that, and under the sun, appreciate it. With that being said, my name is Mr Eric Almighty. That is my co-host, phil the Filipino, and, please do not forget, we release new episodes for the podcast every Wednesday, with bonus content on platforms like Twitch and TikTok, and all you gotta do is wait for it.
Speaker 2:So I heard you're looking for a go-to source for entertainment. Wait for it. Gaming, wait for it. Anime PLUS, ultra.
Speaker 1:Mr Eric Almighty and Phil the Filipino. Yeah, they've got you covered, and all you gotta do is Wait for it.
Speaker 2:This is the Wait For it Podcast.
