HTMS-089 - Terminally Ill Woman: Chasing Pure Ecstasy Before the End

I had high hopes for this FA Pro release because of director Henry! 'Deki-ai' was such a tear-jerker that I expected a story about a terminally ill woman saying 'I'm not afraid to die' only to have me sobbing by the end. That was a naive assumption. As the description says, this is a record of sex and life. It depicts Kumiko Iiboshi, a woman who only thought about death, getting cancer and living recklessly—letting doctors touch her because she craves sex, or sleeping with fellow cancer patients. It wasn't the kind of film I expected, but it was interesting. Ayane Suzukawa's blunt, detached narration actually feels quite poignant. There are moments where she struggles to breathe, and the person beside her says, '...It's okay!...' Perhaps that was the moment someone who only thought about death finally felt the kindness of others. My only regret is that since the character is an illustrator, they should have used Ayane's 'heta-uma' (bad-but-good) art. Her drawings are so destructive, they would have added a whole new layer of impact. Such a shame! Both the packaging and the scenes of Ayane walking while dragging her oxygen tank were heartbreakingly beautiful. ...I'm giving it 4 stars because my expectations were based on a misunderstanding. 'It's definitely not Ayane's fault,' it's all on me!!