So your darling's a foreigner...
Tell us something weird he's said or done.
From Nigeria. Married 3 years. 'What'll you do in Japan?' I asked.
'Be a shepherd.'
From New Zealand. Married 4 years. He doesn't speak much Japanese...
...but when we were fighting...
...he called me 'stingy-heart'.
Where'd you learn that?
From America. Married 10 years. He brought me chrysanthemums.
Funeral flowers!
From France. Married 8 years. I kept the baby's umbilical cord...
...and he threw it out!
Well, it looked awful!
From Mexico. Married 8 years. He puts tabasco in beer.
It's good straight, too.
From Myanmar. Married 8 months. He caught koi fish in a public park!
So? They tasted great!
From America. Married 2 years. He puts broccoli in soba noodles.
And sugar in green tea.
MY DARLING IS A FOREIGNER
Sorry to keep you.
Not at all.
Thanks. I'll call you.
Wait!
You said you'd introduce me to the comics editor.
I worked on this all night.
I did?
Hang on...
You said you would...
Hang on...
Who's speaking?
The manuscript, yes...
Hang on!
Just a sec!
Yes...
Thanks.
Excuse me, would you know where...
Sorry. I don't speak English.
I speak Japanese.
No speak! No English, OK? Sorry.
What's up with that, man? You gotta help me out here!
Where's Block 4 at?
Oh, you speak Osaka...
Go up there and turn left.
Appreciate it.
You speak great Japanese.
Ciao.
Tony!
Sorry I'm late.
What?
This?
Shall we?
Saori...
...I've been meaning to ask you something.
Yeah, OK...
Why is it 'blue' that things suddenly come out of?
As in 'out of the blue'?
And you say naguru for 'hit', and bun-naguru for 'hit hard'.
Could you say zun or don instead of bun?
Zun!
Don!
Could 'do this and do that' be 'do that and do this'?
Huh?
I never thought you'd ask me back to your place...
Here?
I don't live here.
It's kind of noisy...
Yeah, it's a party.
A party?
Am I the only Japanese here?
Looks that way.
A Buddha?
In Japan, adults are still reading comics.
The comics are high-quality.
Tell him that.
What did he say?
They're a bad influence on children, he says.
That has nothing to do with manga as a medium.
Say that.
What?
Learn some English, already.
Today's the third time. It's our third date.
I figured he'd at least give me a sign today.
So what do you think's going on?
Does he like me or not?
Sorry, I don't understand Japanese.
Sorry for leaving you alone.
No, no, it's...
...no big thing.
Here.
Spinach?
You haven't eaten, right? You must be hungry.
It's really good.
You can taste the butter, huh?
Ow!
You OK?
Sorry. I'm fine.
Watch your step.
Um...
...thanks for walking me home.
Sorry. I had a little too much to drink.
'Night.
So... just a friend.
Sis?
Yes, I did.
So? How was the third date?
Nothing to report.
Anyway, I'm not in any hurry.
Well, I've got to think about my future.
Having a foreigner for a boyfriend...
The hurdles might be just a bit too high.
Huh?
Just a fax.
From Tony.
What?
No way!
Anyway, I'd better go.
Good night.
OK.
He operates by fax?
Saori
And?
for today.
And?
The spinach was great, wasn't it.
The spinach?
You put the grated daikon on top...
...and eat it together.
You try it.
We're off.
Move it!
What Japanese phrase does your darling like?
Mexico. Married 8 years. 'Takadanobaba! '
He just likes the wan the place sounds.
Canada. Married 2 years. 'Straight up'.
Holland. Married 18 years. 'Not worth a damn'.
Spain. Together 3 months. 'To be honest...'
He's always saying that!
America. Married 2 years. 'Stationery'.
France. Married 8 years. 'Flat as a pancake'.
Germany. Married 3 years. 'The 10th'.
That's his payday.
Nigeria. Married 3 years. 'Later, dudes'.
India. Married 1 year. 'A nice, cold beer?'
'Premature'.
What's premature?
Isn't that a great word?
It's got a ring to it, and power.
I like that word.
But that's a Chinese phrase.
In Japanese...
Chinese? What do you mean?
There's original Japanese, and expressions adopted from Chinese.
A Japanese phrase...
'Nary'... that's a good one.
'Nary'?
'Nary a beast', or 'nary a time'...
It's nice. You can really feel it.
You never stop, do you.
Look at the time! You've got to hurry.
Nary a soul!
OK?
Nary a soul must be late today!
Because today is my sister's wedding.
No one must be late, Tony!
Nary a soul!
Saori, wait...
What? We've got to hurry!
Should I really be coming?
I've never met your parents. What'll they think if I just show up?
I'll take this chance to introduce you.
No, it has to be done formally, in accordance with the, uh...
...shirataki.
A stew?
No, uh...shitakiri.
A sparrow...
Shikitari!
Oh, the proper...
Yes! The proper canals! That's important in Japan.
'Ya gotta go through the proper canals, kid!'
That's 'proper channels'.
So I shouldn't...
Relax! My folks are cool.
And when the wedding loosens everybody up...
...I'll break the news about you.
Why? What happened to me?
Come on!
OK, OK!
Now, that's what you'd call a 'placid' sea...
The bus!
We blew it!
It's better to be blown away than to blow it.
'Better to be blown away than to blow it. '
Tony!
What am I going to do with him!
Same old Tony, huh? Where is he?
Changing.
He's nervous about meeting Mom and Dad.
He's what you call hyper-sensitive.
Speaking of which, listen to this!
Tony, have you ever heard of 'mimetic eggs'?
'Mimetic eggs'?
Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds' nests...
...so those birds will raise them.
Yeah...
The eggs have evolved to look like the other birds' eggs...
...so the other birds won't realize they're there.
Nature's amazing.
It sure is.
So the cuckoo's chick...
...is born first...
...and pushes the other eggs out of the nest.
Uh-huh...
And so...
...to help it push the eggs out...
...the cuckoo chick is born with...
...a hollow...
...in the middle of its back!
Whee!
Sometimes I just can't help myself.
He's so easy to set off.
You suit each other.
We do?
You look happy.
Happy?
Well, yeah, maybe I am.
Have you thought about getting married?
What?
Only that it'd be nice if it happened someday.
So the only problem is...
Saori!
Everybody's in the church waiting. You're embarrassing me!
Get a move on!
And you...relax already!
Hurry!
OK.
See ya.
The bride will now enter with her father.
Will all please rise.
OK.
Tony, let's...
Saori brought her boyfriend?
It seems so. Where's she hiding him, I wonder...
Tony?
I hear he's a journalist. Teaches at a university, too.
He sounds like a catch!
And with Mika married, now it's Saori's turn.
With them both married, Dad's going to be a lonely man, though.
Right?
Don't be silly.
Thank you. Everything was perfect.
Who's he?
Oh, come on! He's the minister who just conducted the wedding!
Have you forgotten already?
You'll have to excuse him.
Then who's that over there?
How do you do, 'Father', 'Mother'.
'Mother'?
I'm Tony Laszlo.
I'm here with your daughter.
Um...
There you have it. My boyfriend.
Tony.
Don't be taken in!
By what?
Look at him! He's a foreigner!
So?
You got 4 percent in a middle-school English test!
Don't worry. Tony speaks fluent Japanese.
That's even worse!
Why?
Your Japanese is very good.
Thank you.
Where did you two meet?
Meet?
Through an article in the paper.
A cultural-exchange group needed an illustrator for an event.
Hello.
Hello. How do you do.
Sit down.
Hello.
Kamata?
I'm sorry!
It's all right.
Have you met?
Sort of. On the train.
Tony was organizing the event.
All right, is everyone ready?
When the groom says the word, release your balloons.
Here goes!
Three! Two! One! Let go!
Thank you very much.
You are invited now to enjoy yourselves at your leisure.
Mika's a beautiful bride!
She's wasted on our Kenji.
Our policy is 'no returns'...
That's fine with me.
You sure about that?
You're drunk, Shinsuke.
You know, I was awake all night thinking...
...about what good qualities my little sister might have.
I couldn't think of even one!
Sorry.
It's true! Mn children are a constant embarrassment.
Tony?
The only one I'm proud of is this one!
My daughter-in-law.
My wife!
Why?
Why are you saying that?
She's a fine person!
She's close to Saori, and she's always nice to me.
And Saori's a wonderful person.
Why do you say that?
Stop it, will you!
We're just saying that. We don't mean it!
You don't?
My kids are great! We all know that.
Then why say things you don't mean?
Why?
I don't believe this gun!
Hey, Saori!
I'm impressed!
He's a really nice kid. I like him!
You don't see many like that these days.
Remember what you just said?
Now look, I want you to be nice to him.
Tony! Tony!
Let's go get you some food. A boy needs meat!
Eat! Eat! Meat! Beef!
That looks good! Go on, eat!
They look like family.
How's the manga business coming along?
Not very well.
It's not easy.
Saori...
I'm against it.
You and him.
A cross-cultural marriage will be trouble.
No, it won't!
And if he's serious there's a right way to do things.
He should've come to meet us.
That was my fault.
Anyway, you left home to become a manga artist.
What happened to that?
Are you just going to drop it and get married?
I won't have it. Not in a million years.
Two strangers don't turn into family...
...just like that.
I'm back.
Hi.
You know what, Tony? He was at it again!
'No late-night parties.' 'No shoes in the house.'
The landlord again?
I wish he'd stop lumping all foreigners together.
It can't be helped.
Some people just aren't used to foreigners.
Yeah, but it's rude!
I mean, we pay our rent every month!
But there's people who understand.
Like your parents.
Huh?
I'm against it.
I won't have it. Not in a million years.
Oh, I got a letter from my mom.
Mn brother has another baby.
Cute, huh?
That's your mom?
She wants me to come see her.
I'm thinking maybe in the fall.
Would you like to come?
What?
I was really happy to meet your folks.
They treated me just like family.
So I want to introduce you to mine.
Sure.
I'll go.
I'll go to America and meet your mom!
I'll work hard. At English and comics!
I'll work really hard!
What's all this about?
Submissions welcome!
Faster! It'll clump up.
Down-to-earth. Straightforward.
Look out when she's mad, though.
Will Americans like this?
Of course! Men like meat...
...and foreigners like sushi.
Sushi!
She's always earnest and dedicated...
There's a good word for it...
Hamukatsu.
'Hamukatsu'?
'Honey'?
'Beehive'!
Hatsu something...
'The first sunrise'!
'The first fish'!
She's full of...
...'vim and vigor'.
I'm meeting his mother.
That suits you.
I'll take it!
Here you go!
I can't eat that!
That looks expensive. You didn't have to go that far.
Yeah, but to his family...
...I'll be the foreigner.
I don't know if they'll accept me or not.
I'm going to ink in my submission. You erase the pencil lines, OK?
Just calm down.
It's all very well for you.
You're happily married, with no one opposed to it.
So it does bother you what Dad said?
Right now...
...I'm kind of up in the air.
I want his approval...
...before I meet Tony's family.
This time we'll do it right.
Have you told Tony?
What?
About what Dad said.
Of course not!
Remember...
...he's got a glass heart. He'd be hurt.
'At last we meet again!'
'Shhwhitt!'
I'm on my way.
Saori?
I'll walk your...
'Do not disturb'?
I don't think so.
So how's married life?
Pretty good.
You seem to like it.
Lately Saori's spending 24 hours a day...
...going heart and soul and flat-out.
Huh?
Oh.
I like the vim and vigor, but I'm worried.
I wonder why...
Work and home...maybe she's practicing to be a good wife.
A good wife?
Here's the station. Thanks.
Take care.
I'll take this.
Thank you.
That'll be 1,365 yen please.
Do you think I'd make a good husband?
What?
Hmm...
Mm. Sure.
Huh?
What is it now?
What did I do?
I wouldn't make a good husband.
You said, 'Hmm.'
I didn't!
You said, 'Hmm.' I heard you.
That was while I was thinking. Then I said, 'Mm.'
'Hmm', 'Mm'?
Why did you have to think before you said, 'Mm'?
Give me a break!
'Dare I say it?'
Say that, then say what you want.
What I want to say...
...let's see...
...the word 'husband' implies 'home', don't you think?
I do all the cooking, the laundry, and the cleaning.
You concentrate on your work, and you don't do anything else.
You're right.
I don't mean...
OK.
I'll become a good husband.
All right, let's try one based on these.
Really?!
If it works we'll make it regular. We can't pay much, though.
Sure.
Thank you!
I'm home!
You're home!
So? Do I look like a good husband?
More like a good wife.
Well, this is your apron...
Did you wash all these dishes?
Well, you know...
Oh, Tony!
What?
Thanks for the help.
You're welcome.
If I complain I'll deserve everything I get.
'Morning.
The laundry's all done.
Thanks. You're up early.
Well, you know...
Oh, Tony!
Yeah?
Tony, look...
...the 'hand-wash' stuff goes in a netting bag.
And you flatten it out to dry it, or it gets wrinkled.
I don't really know which is which.
Yeah, well...
...that's OK, I guess.
Omigod! You didn't wash this, did you?
It was sitting out...
Oh, no!
I just put it out to pack for America!
I bought it to wear when I meet your mom!
It's OK! I'll wear something else.
Thanks for doing the laundry.
I made you some tea.
You ought to take a break.
To clean your head...
'Cleave' your head...
I'm onto something here. I'll clear my head later.
Oh.
OK, there's your tea.
What's wrong?
Lately I just don't feel comfortable being at home.
Did you two fight?
No, nothing like that.
It's just...
Hello?
Really?!
Upstairs says OK.
It'll run from next month.
Hello? Are you there?
Thank you!
We'll make a few changes.
Sure!
Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you!
Thank you! Thank you!
Yes!
Hey, Mushroom!
Mom? It's me.
I'm in 'Orange Pop', the August edition!
It's out today!
Tell Dad. Don't forget!
Tony!
What?
Look!
Look! Look!
Saori Oguri
I'm blown away.
That's great! You're a manga artist now!
I did it!
Just a minute...
Mom?
What, Dad's seen it already?!
What? Mom?
What?
No, this way.
Dad!
You're late, Saori.
Thank you, Tony.
I was scared for a minute there, but here he is.
Don't do that to me!
What are you getting mad for?
He really did collapse, you know.
It's his heart.
He's fine for now...
...but I thought my own heart was going to stop.
Right?
What a relief! You could've phoned to tell me he was all right.
Your mother was busy.
Come to think of it, I'd better call Uncle Takashi.
Saori, call your sister, will you?
Mika, too?
She'll be frantic!
I'm relieved. Get well quick.
What a price!
Way cheap!
Bad grammar.
You're right.
You can't use 'way' like that.
It's real pretty!
Wrong again.
It is.
I'm sorry...
...I'm not able to give my blessing.
I was right. Mika was in total panic.
What if she'd had an accident getting here?
She and Mom are staying here tonight.
Oh?
Dad, I'll be back tomorrow.
'Bye.
I'm just exhausted!
But at least it wasn't anything serious.
Mom always over-reacts.
I'll have to take this to Dad.
Tony?
Hello?
Hi, Mika.
What?
He what?!
He's taken a turn for the worse.
'Dad'...
Look at Saori's manga.
Great, isn't it.
See how big they printed her name?
Isn't that great, Dad?
It's too late.
No ideas?
I see.
Well, if you've dried up, we don't have any work for you.
But surely that's not true.
Like before, just draw what you really want to draw.
Don't just give up.
I'll keep trying.
Get to work.
Yes.
Saori, do you have a minute?
Sorry. Not right now.
Take a break.
You haven't slept.
I have to work.
I'm finally getting paid to draw manga.
Saori, could you come out here?
We need to talk.
Just let me finish this up.
Saori...
I need to get this done before we leave.
I'm coming in.
Saori...
I can't neglect my work to go and meet your family.
Dad wouldn't like that.
Saori!
It's all right, you know.
I'll go to America alone.
What do you mean?
You don't have to go now. You can go any time.
What?
Why do you say that?
Why do you think I'm working like this?!
I understand...
No, you don't!
You don't get it!
I envy you.
At first I thought all your family's trash-talk...
...was just terrible.
But now I understand.
You all trust each other.
You can say anything, be it good or bad.
You all get along well, so you have that trust.
But now you and I...
Tony?
You've changed.
You don't talk to me.
About washing glasses, or the laundry...
...or how I eat fish, or mistakes in Japanese.
You used to speak out, but now you don't.
Yeah, but...
You've changed.
Why are you holding back?
Your dad told me...
...he was against us.
I wish you'd told me.
I'll go to America alone this time.
I think we might be through.
I guess Dad knew this would happen.
That's why he was against it.
Look.
Dad had this.
Your father...
...was afraid you'd move abroad and he'd miss you.
He bought that English textbook so he could talk to Tony's family.
Why?
Why would he?
He said...
...that if you were serious, you'd come and ask properly.
Saori...
...give it another chance.
But...
I mean...
...we were so happy.
We laughed so much.
And then it all fell apart over nothing.
It's difficult even between two Japanese.
And Tony...
...is just too different.
He's a foreigner, after all.
That's just an excuse.
We were the same.
Didn't you ever think there was something odd about breakfast here?
Toast and soup?
Before I got married...
...I fell in love with breakfasts, the kind you see in foreign movies.
The toast jumping out of the toaster...
...and the smell of fresh-brewed coffee...
But your father liked Japanese food.
So for three months, every day, I fried fish.
Finally I'd had enough. I flipped the plate over...
...and said, 'I'm sick of this!'
Your father was amazed.
'I had no idea,' he said.
'Make whatever you like.
'But at least make me miso soup, all right?
'I love your miso soup.'
And so, forever after, our breakfast was...
...toast with miso soup.
Even now, when I make breakfast in the morning...
...I feel like he's with me.
Japanese, foreign, it doesn't matter.
Of course people are different.
But isn't living with someone...
...recognizing those differences little by little...
...and accepting them, and sharing them?
Saori...
...that's what becoming a couple is.
And then becoming a family.
'Just like on TV, from a small window
'Gazing drowsily out alone
'Out on the street the boys and girls make noise
'The wind blows away a cardboard box
'Darkness gathers, beyond this sky
'I think of you waiting far, far away
'Your gentleness stays with me
'The nights of tears with you beside me
'But our schedules don't fit
'I drive myself to make more time
'Steeped in gratitude
'Embracing sadness, I sleep alone
'At least in dreams lies a brilliant world
'Just seeing your smile I fall in love again
'The moment I awake I want to see you
'When I can't my love has nowhere to go
'When I think I want to see you
'You're not there
'I can't go to see you right now
'I wish you'd come to me
'We don't collude, we urge each other on
'We hold each other up, we can't be separated
'I'll never forget the day I met you
'It can't have just happened
'I said I wanted to leave and made you cry
'Chasing huge inflated dreams...'
Give me a little more time. I'm giving it another try.
'I love that smile
'With each step the power rises in me
'It turns to rhythm
'If you were a flower, I'd be water for you...'
Is this really the right way?
You're sure it's OK?
Yeah, it's OK, OK?
Here?
They're all foreigners...
No, I'm the foreigner.
This is totally not OK!
Where am I?
Does Tony really live around here?
Tony...
Tony!
At last we meet again!
Isn't that the line?
I've been thinking.
Coming here and leaving you behind...
...was a mistake.
I wanted to see you.
Together with you...
...always together...
...I want to drink tea.
Saori...
...will you come meet my family?
Saori?
Am I going to be OK?
Sure.
Here we are!
That's Chinese...
Oh, well.
What is it?
There's something I want to say.
I'll interpret.
I have to say it myself.
Um...
If I could...
Thank you!
Saori...
Will you marry me?
I'm blown away.
Life with your darling...
From Bangladesh. Married 11 years. He always has candles around.
Power failures are a fact of life.
From Cuba. Married 7 years. We must never run out of bananas.
From Germany. Married 2.5 years. He eats cheese after the sell-by date.
It's aged then. It tastes better.
Us?
Well...
My Darling is a Foreigner
Saori Mao Inoue
You're too fast! Saori Mao Inoue
You're too fast!
Tony Jonathan Sherr
Mika Ryoko Kuninaka
'Orange Pop' Editor Naho Toda
Saori's Father Jun Kunimura
Saori's Mother Shinobu Otake
Executive Producer Kazuya Hamana
Producers Osamu Kubota & Tamako Tsujimoto
Based on the Comic by Saori Oguri (Media Factory)
Screenplay Satomi Oshima
Directed by Kazuaki Ue
Cinematography Hitoshi Kato
Lighting Hitoshi Otake
Art Directors Kunio Iwasaki & Hidefumi Hanatani
Sound Yasumitsu Shimabukuro & Akihiko Kaku
Editor Yoshimasa Kogure
Costume Designer Ikuko Utsunomiya
Music Producer Tokio Noguchi
English Subtitles Tony Laszlo & Ian MacDougall
2010 ';My Darling is a Foreigner" Production Committee
Repair and Synchronization by Syaiful Anuar Mohamad (Noa Bluebiru)
(Noa Bluebiru Subs for Ganool.com)