LIBRARY WARS (Toshokan Senso) (2013)

Genre: Action/Romance
Director: Shinsuke Sato 
Cast: Nana Eikura, Junichi Okada, Kei Tanaka, Sota Fukushi, Chiaki Kuriyama, Kazuma Suzuki, Koji Ishizaka, Jun Hashimoto, Naomi Nishida
RunTime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Encore Films & Filmgarde
Official Website: http://www.encorefilms.com/librarywars

Opening Day: 12 September 2013

Synopsis: In 2019, public anger at media excess has led to censorship of television, newspapers, the internet, books, movies, and music under the ‘Media Betterment Act’. To fight the armed ‘Betterment Squads’ that go around destroying objectionable materials, the nation’s libraries have formed their own para-military ‘Library Defense’. Iku Kasahara (Nana Eikura) is a new recruit to the corps, where her instructor and squad leader is Atsushi Dojo (Junichi Okada). At first repelled by his by-the-book approach to leadership, she is gradually won over by his commitment to their battle for ‘books’ and ‘the freedom to know.’

Movie Review:

The Library Wars is based on a light novel series which espouse on the Statement on Intellectual Freedom in Libraries that went into effect in Japan in 1954. The Library Defense Squad, acting on the declarations made on the statement, is a product of the reaction towards the Media Betterment Act (MBA) law passed in 1989 which allows censorship of any media that deemed to be harmful. In introducing this to the audience, Library Wars took an approach similar to Fahrenheit 9/11, where past news coverage on the reaction towards the passing of the law has been cut and linked up.

In year 2019, the 30^th year since the law was passed in 1989, the fight for the freedom in libraries still rages on. Rookie Iku Kasahara (Nana Eikura) joins the Library Defense military squad, bringing along her ideals which were built on an experience she had with a mysterious man from the Library Defense Squad who protected her book which was about to be confiscated by the Betterment Squad five years ago. Her hot bloodedness and ideals were faced with ridicule from her squad leader, Atsushi Dojo (Junichi Okada). Amidst the blunders and joke that happened between these two, the real war begins as a private library that the Betterment Squad has always wanted to destroy, is to be handed over to the Library Defense.

The Library Wars’ imagination of the Betterment Squad can be said to be likened to Orwell’s idea of the ‘thought police’, who goes to the extent of using sheer terror and violence to achieve their motives to regulate public discourse. In the Library Defense team’s bid to protect the library, they even risk up their lives to engage in full armed battles with the Betterment Squad. Needless to say, there were many gun fights and also close combat scenes. These were well worked and captured by director Shinsuke Sato, who was also the director the action-packed sci-fi movie, Gantz.

The action was strongly supported by lead actor Junichi Okada, who is more than just a pretty chiseled face; he has martial arts certification for Jeet Kune Do and Kali, and uses no stuntman! His speed and agility is admirable and he is most adept with close combat scenes. The good mix of action and drama was definitely a plus point for the movie.

However, the later part of the movie lacked a bit of focus. It attempted to put the fight for freedom into attention, but it also tried to focus on the relationship development between Dojo and Kasahara. As you might have expected, the pair who were at loggerheads eventually developed a soft spot for each other. What began as a majestic ideal to fight for freedom in libraries also lost a little of its meaning when it became primarily motivated by the want to protect Kasahara.

Overall, the movie was quite well- balanced and engaging. The spirit to protect and fight for the freedom of information and expression in Library Wars is also very relatable to Singaporeans. Just this June, the government’s decision on imposing regulations for online media (which is taken to be an attempt to limit public discourse) sparked similar opposition reaction such as the organized online black out, ‘Free My Internet’. The want to protect our liberty and freedom is undeniably embedded in the human race, regardless of both time and space.

Movie Rating:  

(“When the freedom of libraries is imperiled, we librarians will work together and devote ourselves to secure the freedom.” – free our libraries, free our society, free our thoughts!)

Review by Tho Shu Ling