← Back to Directory
Departures
Movie

Departures

2008 • Drama

Woke Score
1
out of 10

Plot

Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo learns that his orchestra is disbanding. He moves back to his hometown with his wife, where he answers an ad for what Daigo thinks is a travel agency but is, in actuality, a mortuary.

Overall Series Review

The film focuses on the universal themes of life, death, and professional dignity through the lens of the traditional Japanese encoffining ritual, *nōkan*. Following a musician who loses his job and unexpectedly becomes a ritual mortician, the narrative centers on his journey to find fulfillment in a socially stigmatized profession. The movie beautifully showcases the solemn, compassionate, and precise nature of the ritual, which serves to heal family rifts and grant dignity to the deceased. The central conflict is the protagonist's struggle against societal prejudice toward his job, not against systemic oppression based on identity. It is a profoundly humanistic story that celebrates cultural tradition, the sanctity of human connection, and the intrinsic value of meaningful work, resulting in a narrative free from the progressive ideological themes of the 'woke mind virus.'

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

The plot's central conflict revolves around the protagonist facing social prejudice because of his profession as a mortician, a traditional Japanese stigma against those who handle the dead, not immutable characteristics or intersectional hierarchy. The narrative champions the man's work, judging him and his colleagues solely by the dignity, compassion, and professionalism of their service, promoting a universal meritocracy of the soul.

Oikophobia1/10

The film is deeply rooted in celebrating and elevating a specific, dignified Japanese cultural tradition: the ancient encoffining ritual (*nōkan*). It views the traditional ritual and the home environment as providing essential structure and meaning, helping to repair broken family bonds. The narrative critiques the modern *stigma* against the profession, but this is a call to respect heritage, not a condemnation of the entire civilization.

Feminism1/10

The gender dynamics are traditional and complementary. The protagonist's wife initially opposes his job due to social taboo and leaves him, but she returns, accepts the importance of his work, and ultimately supports his profession, thereby healing their marriage. There is no evidence of the 'Girl Boss' trope, the emasculation of males, or anti-natalist messaging; the focus is on repairing and strengthening the nuclear family unit.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative focuses exclusively on the heterosexual marriage of the protagonist, his male professional mentor, and his relationship with his estranged father. The core themes are about death, family, and professional dignity. There is no presence or intensity of alternative sexual ideology, deconstructing the nuclear family, or lecturing on gender theory.

Anti-Theism1/10

The film utilizes and elevates profound spiritual and traditional moral concepts. The encoffining ceremony is repeatedly depicted as a sacred ritual, rich in Shinto and Buddhist metaphors, signifying a transcendent process of purification and respect for the dead. The narrative affirms the existence of a higher meaning and objective dignity, using faith and ritual as a source of strength and closure for the grieving.