Photo/Illutration “The Real You” (Provided by Happinet Phantom Studios Corp.)

Yuya Ishii’s new offering, “The Real You,” is told in a sci-fi setting where the dead are resurrected in a virtual space.

Despite the gruesome storyline, the two-hour story is filled with an ambience that pervades modern Japan.

The protagonist, Sakuya (played by Sosuke Ikematsu), is unable to accept the death of his mother (Yuko Tanaka) and uses the latest technology to create a “virtual figure” (VF) that resembles his deceased mother down to the last detail.

Eager to learn more about his mother, Sakuya invites her friend Ayaka (Ayaka Miyoshi) to his home and starts living with her and the VF creation.

Written and directed by Ishii, the film is based on a novel by Keiichiro Hirano.

The director depicts a society in which social disparities are widening due to the omnipresent AI.

“Once AI gets into our lives at a furious pace, it will fundamentally change human minds,” he said. “I think that’s dangerous.”

In the world that Sakuya inhabits, those who are exploited spew hatred at one another.

“When people have nowhere to go and are struggling to live, I think they find others who they think are lower than themselves and attack them from a safe place,” he continued.

Near the end of the story, Iffy (Taiga Nakano) appears out of the blue and throws the lives of Sakuya and others into turmoil. The wheelchair user and celebrity is a charming distraction who represents modern values.

Ishii said he found the abrupt development interesting as it deviates from standard story structures.

“When it comes to music, people these days are attracted to songs with no chorus but with intense ups and downs,” he said. “I think that is how stories are created in modern times that are elusive.”

Although the filmmaker sounds a warning against contemporary society, he tells a love story.

“I’m not interested in relationships where characters experience mixed and conflicting emotions,” Ishii said. “I wanted to show a relationship where they respect each other’s dignity.”

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