When her niece Mika contacts her, Setsuko goes to see her despite warnings from her sister Ayako, not to get involved.

Mika tells Setsuko that she signed up for a year of English classes but can no longer afford to go as she needs to save up money and keep working.

While waiting for Mika to reappear, John offers to teach Setsuko how to drive and the two end up having sex.

Setsuko, left alone at the motel, ends up running into Mika who tells her that she broke up with John after discovering his family.

At home she tries to commit suicide by ingesting pills following feeling having lost John, her job, and her family.

Takeshi reveals that his son killed himself and that he blames himself for being too strict which is why he enjoys slipping in to his Tom persona.

Hirayanagi worked on the screenplay for the film at the Noe Valley Branch Library after dropping off her kids at school.

roots its narrative quirks in universal themes and deep empathy for its characters, all brought to life by strong performances from a talented cast led by the thoroughly charming Shinobu Terajima.

"[6] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.