「カナたさんはどんな思いで『マリア』を作ったんですか？」
[Kanata-san, what was your intention when you created “Maria”?]

Maria (Hina Kikuchi), who was raised in a single-mother household, discovers a collection of CDs, photos, diaries, and an unplayable demo tape during the process of sorting through her late mother’s belongings. The demo tape, like her, is labeled “MARIA.”What secret had her mother been hiding? What kind of song is recorded on the demo tape?To uncover her mother’s secret, Maria heads to a live music venue. There, waiting for her, is a bizarre genre of music known as “V-kei” (Visual Kei).

With V.Maria, Daisuke Miyazaki offers a simple movie that comes close to a sentimental film without falling into the genre. A film about self-discovery that reminds us that our past does indeed influence our present.

When Music Shapes Who We Are

Music often becomes part of our lives quite quickly. In adolescence, it helps to form who we are. Although our tastes may change, the mark that music leaves stays with us. We are still the same person, but we evolve. Sometimes we are lucky enough to stumble upon something that particularly moves us. Why? We don’t always know.

It was by digging into his past that the director came to create this touching work.

“…that dazzling music I was bathed in that day has now become one with my life, and, of course, I can’t explain why I love it. I don’t know why, but I love it. Nothing more, nothing less. And in that sense, in still living with that music I don’t fully understand but love, I am still Daisuke Miyazaki today, and I continue to express myself.”

Young Maria is searching for herself. Her mother’s death left a great void and led her to wonder who she was. By stumbling upon a box of her mother’s memories, this quest for identity resurfaced, and the teenager feels a strong desire to understand not only who her mother really was, but to understand who she herself is.

The director manages to stage this quest with a light touch, without falling into the comical or the ridiculous. The film is neither a drama nor a comedy, but a human quest shown in a realistic yet light way, transporting the viewer into a search and a series of changes that will lead Maria to define herself.

From One Style to Another

The fact that the film does not fit into a stylistic or genre box is not insignificant. It also represents the state of mind of the character Maria, who does not find herself in the boxes offered by traditional society. Her encounter with Hana (Mayuki) will allow her to discover that there are other ways of being, just as there are other ways of doing things (or films).

Daisuke Miyazaki, moreover, cheerfully moves from one genre or style to another when he makes his films. With Videophobia, he offered a somewhat strange black-and-white film. Later, with #MITO, he went to the other end of the spectrum with a very colorful work, even aggressive in its speed and strident music. This time, he offers a feature film that is rather classic in terms of image. But one thing unites these films: they all question modernity. Whether it’s the right to one’s image or social networks, or the right to become who one wants, each time the viewer is led to question their own vision of the world and who they want to be.

When we watch the character of Maria evolve, we can see the same thing and the same changes that occur as she moves from a very classic appearance of a teenager highly respectful of the styles imposed by society to a young woman who tries slightly “baggy” clothes and finally to an assumed, non-standard style. Everything is in everything, as they say.

A little more…

This time, Daisuke Miyazaki does not hesitate to delve into the sentimental, but he does it with disconcerting simplicity. It is brilliant and leads us to question one of the most essential questions: that of passing time that slips away from us. All while introducing us to a fascinating and little-known musical world.

The result is an intelligent yet light and easy-to-watch film. Everyone can certainly find something in it, provided they haven’t completely forgotten how one feels when they are on the cusp of adulthood without being there yet.

V.Maria is screening at the FNC on October 9 and 11, 2025. Trailer