Taeko declines but later wanders down to the beach to watch children performing what Yuji calls their "merci" exercises, a light aerobics program invented by Sakura.

Taeko's fish-out-of-water feelings are only accentuated when Yuji attempts to explain "twilighting" to her, a local pastime consisting of thinking while staring off into the sunset.

A major theme of the movie is the importance of taking one's time and appreciating life, contrasted to Taeko's normal urban lifestyle and mindset.

Sakura is the epitome of this ideal – waiting intently in front of a cooking bean pot in order to turn off the heat at exactly the right moment or painstakingly preparing her special shaved ice.

[8] The film's plot is purposely slow-paced, a fact which Ogigami acknowledged at the San Francisco festival screening when she issued a sleep warning to the audience, all the while implying that such an act was in accordance with the spirit of the movie.

[9] The International Federation of Film Critics awarded Megane with a Special Jury Mention in 2008, "[f]or the freshness and optimism of the comedy, that glides along at an unexpectedly serene pace.