Would anyone notice if I leave?
I guess most of us have probably asked ourselves this question at least once during our life; usually, the next question might be "Who will notice? Will they feel sad?" Being alone with no one around who really resonates, many people in today's society seem broken and marginalized. Perhaps for them, the world would not change without them, so they just wander around aimlessly, keeping switching roles and waiting for the time to pass. Chihiro is such a person.
Chihiro is a Japanese young woman who used to be a sex worker. After leaving the industry, she came to a seaside town where she happened to stop by a small bento shop. Because the bento sold there is so delicious, Chihiro decided to stay and work at the stop. Surprisingly, whenever being asked about her previous job, instead of hiding the experience, Chihiro always naturally tells the others that she used to be a sex worker. While the experience created negative stereotypes of her and made her a popular figure in the community, she always fight back when disrespectful comments were made, while remaining warm and generous to people around her. But even being close to people around her, she still seems to be surrounded by loneliness.
(Chihiro working in the bento shop, source from https://about.netflix.com/en/news/netflix-reveals-production-lead-actor-and-first-look-for-film-call-me)
I really enjoyed the conversation between Chihiro and her client about whether we are space aliens with human bodies. In the film, Chihiro was once told that people are not all the same because no matter who you are, we are all aliens from different planets. Although this statement seems absurd, it does reveal the barriers to mutual understanding between individuals. When we are struggling with why people often cannot understand each other, why not think from another angle that maybe it is because of the different backgrounds we come from? Given that different experiences can always shape us into different people, thinking from this perspective would make it easier for us to understand others' different views, isn't it? Perhaps the ultimate goal of our lives is to find the people who come from the same planet as us.
(Chihiro standing alone by the sea, source from https://www.highonfilms.com/call-me-chihiro-2023-movie-ending-explained/)
When asked why she hasn’t been in a relationship, Chihiro answered: “I can’t have someone all to myself, and I don’t want anyone to do that to me either. If that is what love is, I guess I don’t need it.” Hearing her putting it this way reminds me of myself. Guess I might have been like Chihiro before - skeptical about the consistency of what people think in a relationship, having no expectations about the relationship, and believing that all relationships end at some point. These thoughts also once made me realize that even though there are many people around me, it seems that I am always alone in my heart. But even if surrounded by loneliness, Chihiro does not seem to reject it but enjoys the state very much. With the experience of dealing with all kinds of people and living in a variety of roles, her heart is full. Even at the end of the story, after coming across so many kind souls, she still chose to move to a new place by herself and live with her loneliness, which makes me admire her a lot.
(Chihiro offering a homeless elderly place to bathe, source from https://carmona.mx/2023/02/23/23rd-feb-call-me-chihiro-2023-2hr-11m-tv-14-6-10/)
Nevertheless, what brings tears to my eyes is seeing people of different ages coming together, helping each other, and accompanying each other. Just like when the owner of the bento shop was asked what made him decide to hire Chihiro, he answered “anyone who enjoys a meal that much can’t be a bad person;” they all put aside their prejudice against sex workers, embraced Chihiro's past, cherished her kindness and healed her in their own way.
To conclude, I just want to say: whether you are alone or not, one day, all of us will definitely meet those from the same planet as us.
(Chihiro standing on the balcony, source from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/call-me-chihiro)