I always admired the acting skills of Abe Hiroshi. I always felt he has that X-factor in his acting, and can't be found in other actors. The way he portray his roles is somewhat different; in the sense that you will feel more for his character. Aoi Tori is all about Abe Hiroshi, and I felt he portray the character in the show to its absolute max.
Aoi tori talks about bullying in school which is somewhat common in Japan. Abe Hiroshi stars as Mr. Murauchi, a relief teacher for a class that just had a classmate attempted suicide due to bullying by this classmates. Although the students were reprimanded and asked to reflect on their behavior through lengthy essays, the class did not fully repent from their actions. This is shown by chucking the classmate's seat into the store room. Mr. Murauchi, on his first lesson, instructs the students in charge of duty that day to restore the seat at its original position, and hence digging the past that none want to revisit.
If you're not a fan of movies that slowly develop the plot, I strongly suggest that you give this show a miss. The pace of Aoi Tori is extremely slow and if you're not patient enough, I bet you'll chuck this movie after 5 minutes. However, once pursuing it, you'll realize the deep meanings behind Murauchi's actions and the need to accept one's own actions, and not conveniently forget about it to move on. Also, you'll be able to appreciate Abe Hiroshi at his finest in portraying as a stuttering relief teacher. The supporting cast also lends its support in the show, but Abe Hiroshi is without doubt the standout character in the movie. The theme song for the movie is also worth a special mention as it helps to set the mood in the beginning of the movie as well as at the end of the movie. Take a closer look at the lyrics for the theme song. I feel that it really sticks close to the message the movie is trying to convey.
